Most Discussed Events of 2014 Posted by Maria on Jan 12, 2015
Now that 2014 is over many publications compile lists of the most significant, pivotal, or sensational events of last year. The Kommersant newspaper (Коммерсант) published several lists of most discussed events for various areas of life — Russia, the world, culture, economy, and so on. If you would like to read them in greater detail…
New Year’s Resolutions? Well… Posted by Jenya on Jan 7, 2015
With the new year upon us, many of us have decided to pursue certain goals, often called New Year’s Resolutions. In the United States, this tradition of making New Year’s resolutions is huge. In much of the world, it is also rather popular. In Russia, well, its more like New Year’s wishes. Losing weight, quitting…
Dressing for the Russian Winter Posted by Maria on Jan 5, 2015
People tend to emphasize how cold Russian winters are — some in shock and disbelief and others as a bragging point. However, visitors may not be aware of how Russian gear up for the cold. Cold weather is taken seriously and you need to dress fit for it. Let us go over some of the…
Hangover in Russia: Cause, Prevention, Cure Posted by Jenya on Dec 30, 2014
New Year’s Eve is upon us and we all know what that means: getting together with friends and family, eating too much, dancing too much, smoking too much, drinking too much, and being hungover. Nothing starts the New Year quite the same way that a hangover does. In different countries and cultures, unique hangover cures…
Rent Prices Falling in Moscow Posted by Maria on Dec 29, 2014
A lesser explored consequence of the economic sanctions against Russia and the falling ruble is a drop in rent prices (снижение стоимости аренды) in Moscow. There are several news reports looking into the causes and outcomes of this development. The website BFM.ru used this pun as a title for an article on the subject — “Врагу не…
Russian Dashboard Cameras Posted by Jenya on Dec 24, 2014
For those of you that have driven a car in Russia, you might have noticed a dashboard camera in your car or in everybody else’s. Normally, in other countries, you might see these camera’s only in police cars. Not in Russia, many drivers have dashboard cams and you might be interested to learn some of…
Peril of the Ruble Posted by Jenya on Dec 23, 2014
Many of you have likely noticed that the Russian ruble has been in the news lately. The ruble decreased in value by 11 percent against the U.S. dollar on Monday, 15 December. In a matter of weeks it has dropped over 40 percent. According to the Moscow Times on Monday, the ruble is the world’s…