Tag Archives: russia
Russian Winter Myth Exposed Posted by yelena on Jan 13, 2011
Do you like «зима» [winter]? I don’t! When my American friends hear me complain about yet another cold snap, they inevitably ask “But aren’t you from Russia, the country infamous for its long and harsh winters?” I blame Russian literature for this question (although Russian artists added to the myth with beautiful paintings such as…
Clothes, Russian-Style Posted by Natalie on Jan 10, 2011
We depart from our posts «об истории Киева» [about the history of Kiev] to talk about… «одежда» [clothes]! Don’t worry, I will resume telling you about the history of Kiev in another post very soon. «Я типичная девушка» [I’m a typical girl]: «я очень люблю ходить по магазинам» [I really love shopping]. «Я также люблю…
It Is Time to Take Stock: “Время подводить итоги” Posted by yelena on Dec 23, 2010
Russians are not alone in their «двойственный» [dichotomous] approach in the weeks before the New Year. On the one hand, it’s time for frantic and quite overwhelming preparations for the holidays, attending parties, buying gifts… On the other hand, it is time for slowing down, reflecting on «старый год» [the year that’s about to end]…
A History of Kiev, Part 1 Posted by Natalie on Dec 22, 2010
«Киев—очень старый город» [Kiev is a very old city], so there’s a lot to learn about its history. I’ll be splitting up these posts on «история Киева» [the history of Kiev] into multiple parts to make them more manageable. There exists «легенда» [a legend] concerning «основание Киева» [the founding of Kiev]. According to this legend…
Russian Toasts: It Is About More Than Drinking Posted by yelena on Dec 21, 2010
There’s a persistent stereotype of Russian «праздник» [celebration] as an occasion to get drunk and that «угощение» [meal] consists mostly of liquid bread in form of «водка» [vodka]. Nothing can be further from the truth! From «закуски» [appetizers] to «сладкое» [dessert], Russian holiday table is «ломится от еды» [loaded with food]. After all, «закуска градус…
Who Will Be The Next Russian President? Posted by Natalie on Dec 13, 2010
The current president of Russia is «Дмитрий Медведев» [Dmitry Medvedev], but many question whether he or «Владимир Путин» [Vladimir Putin] holds true power. One of the favorite activities of a «кремленолог» [Kremlinologist] is speculating about who will be the next president of Russia. Russia has had «три президента» [three presidents]: «Борис Николаевич Ельцин» [Boris Nikolayevich…
Feodor Chaliapin Posted by Natalie on Nov 29, 2010
Who is singing in this video, and what is he singing? Read on to find out. «Дорогие читатели!» [Dear readers!] «Как прошли выходные?» [How was your weekend?] Mine was quite lovely–I went to a bookstore, read a book «о Сталине» [about Stalin], and drank «какао» [cocoa, hot chocolate]. And yes, I know Stalin is not…