Tag Archives: Russian life
Death in Russian, continued Posted by bota on Jun 14, 2021
Remember this blog where I mentioned the Russian tradition of bringing an even number of flowers to the funeral? We will talk about that and other traditions surrounding Russian funerals as well as vocabulary that relates to death in general. Flowers So, the even number of flowers comes from old-time beliefs that even numbers symbolize…
How do you say ‘to die’ in Russian? Posted by bota on May 19, 2021
Many Russians devoted May 11th this year to visiting the graves of their loved ones. Known as Роди́тельский день и́ли Радо́ница (Roditel’skiy Den’ or Radonista), this day is directly related to Orthodox Easter and you can read more about the gist of it in Yelena’s old blog here. For a more detailed account on this tradition…
Family recipe for Kvashennaya Kapusta Posted by bota on Apr 15, 2021
Kvashennaya Kapusta is known as sauerkraut or pickled cabbage in the US and was mentioned on this channel before. Today, I’ll be sharing my family’s recipe for квашенная капуста (kvashennaya kapusta) with you. Ингредиенты (Ingredients) To make six 2-liter jars 3 cabbages (8kg total) – 3 кочана капусты (белокочанная капуста) 2 kg of carrots –…
Russian dachniki in February Posted by bota on Feb 22, 2021
Да́чный сезо́н на но́су! [lit. “the season of dachas is on the nose”, meaning “the season of dachas is almost here!”] The final week of February is a busy time for many Russian gardeners or those who have a “да́ча” (dacha or a country house). More on the history of dachas here. Here are some…
Dear Ded Moroz: Writing letters in Russian Posted by bota on Dec 18, 2020
Did you forget to write a letter to Santa for Christmas this year? I ‘ve got great news for you: Russian Grandfather Frost (Де́душка Моро́з) is still accepting mail (more on essential Russian words for New Year’s here). So, let’s practice letter writing in Russian together and get some wishes out into the universe. We…
Examining a Russian spice rack. Part II Posted by bota on Aug 28, 2020
In the second part of examining a Russian spice rack, we will explore the most common спе́ции (spices) used in baking recipes across Russian households. At the end of the post is a playlist of Russian words to help you practice pronouncing them. For starters, let’s cover the most basic baking ingredients: Са́хар (Sugar) is…
Russians Who Still Live In The USSR Posted by Nadya on Apr 6, 2020
The USSR (СССР) collapsed in 1991. Republics of the USSR (Сою́зные Респу́блики) became independent (незави́симыми) Post-Soviet States. Each of them began finding their own way forward. By the beginning of the 2000s, there was no trace of the USSR on the Eurasian continent. But it did not disappear completely – it moved. Today, perhaps, the only place on the planet where…