Tag Archives: Pushkin
Russian Golden Autumn Posted by Nadya on Sep 14, 2020
Officially, autumn (о́сень) in Russia begins on September 1 and ends on October 31. In each climatic zone, fall (о́сень) has its own characteristics and duration. Nevertheless, it is the shortest, but for me the most picturesque and romantic season. Autumn in Russia The weather in early September (сентя́брь) is usually cool (прохла́дно). Then the…
Read Famous Opening Lines in Russian – Part II Posted by Maria on May 28, 2015
We are continuing from last week’s post on reading famous Russian book beginnings. This time, let’s look at books likely to be known by Russian literature aficionados. Eugene Onegin (Евге́ний Оне́гин) Eugene Onegin is a famous rhymed novel by Alexander Pushkin (Алекса́ндр Пу́шкин). Several English translations have been done. While Pushkin tends to trail Tolstoy and Dostoevsky…
Are There Any Good Knock-Knock Jokes in Russian? Posted by yelena on Feb 6, 2013
Speaking of stereotypes, Russians usually view themselves as having a highly-developed чувство юмора (sense of humor). We cherish our анекдоты (jokes), however бородатые (old; lit: bearded) they might be. Indeed, Russians have an impressive catalog of joke categories, from армянское радио (Armenian radio) one-liners to elaborate шутки о том свете (afterlife jokes; lit: jokes about…
Ай да Пушкин! Posted by yelena on Jun 6, 2011
Today is a special day. «Вы знаете, что случилось в этот день в далёком 1799-ом году?» [Do you know what happened on this day in the distant year of 1799?] If you Google this date in Russian – «6 июня 1799 года» – the top result is the birth of «Александр Сергеевич Пушкин» [Alexander…
Academicians, Pushkin, and the Steamship Posted by yelena on Feb 17, 2011
As promised, here’s the second and final post that provides some linguistic and cultural background for appreciation of one of the masterpieces of Soviet animation, Winter in Prostokvashino. «фломастер» – You might recognize the brand name Flo-Master. If you are teaching (or studying) a marketing course, this is a perfect example of brand dilution or…
«Прощайте, дорогие друзья!» [Farewell, dear friends!] Posted by josefina on Oct 10, 2010
I would advice you all to continue doing what I always do – and sort of have instructed you to also take pleasure in – look for signs of Russian literature EVERYWHERE! I found this bumper sticker on a car in downtown San Francisco today: “What would Taras Bulba do?” [«Что бы делал Тарас Бульба?»]…
Russian Fairy Tales from A to Z – Part 2 Posted by yelena on Sep 24, 2010
«У Лукоморья дуб зелёный…» – do you know the rest by heart yet? One of the most famous lines from Alexandr Pushkin’s opening to “Ruslan and Lyudmila” does not translate very well into English. “There grows a green oak in Lookomorie…” somehow doesn’t sound nearly as magical, don’t you think? Yes, I’m back with…