{"id":2047,"date":"2011-05-06T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2011-05-06T08:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2047"},"modified":"2014-07-17T14:45:14","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T14:45:14","slug":"may-in-russia-celebrate-study-and-plan-for-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/may-in-russia-celebrate-study-and-plan-for-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"May in Russia – Celebrate, Study, and Plan for Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041c\u0430\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [May] is my second \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043b\u044e\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u044f\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [most favorite month] to be in Russia. The first one is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0430<\/span><\/strong>\u0432\u0433\u0443\u0441\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [August], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b\u043c <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [for personal reasons].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0412\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [Spring is in full force] or to recall the famous line of a fairly obscure poet:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u042d\u0442\u043e \u043c\u0430\u0439-\u0431\u0430\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043a, \u044d\u0442\u043e \u043c\u0430\u0439-\u0447\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

[It is May the imp, May the enchanter]<\/p>\n

May in Russia is glorious. Winter snow and early spring\u2019s \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u0440\u044f\u0437\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [mud] disappear. Instead, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u0437\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [grass is getting greener], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0446\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0451<\/span>\u0442 <\/strong>\u0441\u0438\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [lilacs bloom], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438 <\/strong>\u0441\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442 <\/strong>\u0434\u043d\u0438 <\/strong>\u0434\u043e <\/strong>\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u0438\u0445 <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u0443\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> [schoolchildren count days to the summer break], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u0445 <\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0432\u043a\u0443\u0448\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u0435\u0437\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u043f\u0443\u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [their parents look forward to summer vacations season].<\/p>\n

It is also a month of holidays. Ok, there are only \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0432\u0430 <\/strong>\u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0445 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [two big holidays], but compared to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0430\u043f\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [April], that\u2019s plenty. In short, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u044f\u0442\u043e\u0435, <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [the mood is elevated, holiday-like].<\/p>\n

The two big holidays of May are \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0435\u043d\u044c <\/strong>\u0412\u0435\u0441\u043d\u044b<\/span> <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0422\u0440\u0443\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [Spring and Labor Day] formerly known as \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0435\u043d\u044c <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u0436\u0434\u0443\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 <\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0434\u044f<\/span>\u0449\u0438\u0445\u0441\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [International Workers\u2019 Day] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0435\u043d\u044c <\/strong>\u041f\u043e\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [Victory Day].<\/p>\n

These two occasions are collectively referred to as \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [May holidays], as in<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0412 <\/strong>\u044d<\/span><\/strong>\u0442\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u0433\u043e\u0434\u0443<\/span> <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438 <\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0443\u0442 <\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u0434\u044b\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0448\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [This year Russians will have six days off from work to celebrate the May holidays]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0412\u044b \u043a\u0443\u0434\u0430<\/span>-\u043d\u0438\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c \u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438?\u00bb<\/strong> [Are you travelling somewhere for the May holidays?]<\/p>\n

How do Russians celebrate the Labor Day? In the olden (Soviet) days, everything was clear and regimented – \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0430\u0451<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [workers\u2019 parade] in the morning, followed by some form of public works project, such as \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0433\u043e\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0438\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [improving a local park] – planting a few trees, picking up trash, repainting park benches, that kind of thing. Then it was off to the \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> [holiday meal] with its \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u043f\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u044b <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [sprats in oil] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0430\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0442 <\/strong>\u041e\u043b\u0438\u0432\u044c\u0435<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [Olivier salad].<\/p>\n

Nowadays the \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0430\u0451<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> gatherings are still there and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u044b <\/strong>\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0445 <\/strong>\u0430\u0434\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [local authorities] still \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u043e\u043b\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442 <\/strong>\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [informal and not very respectful way of saying \u201cgive speeches\u201d; lit. – push speeches] or as newspapers report it \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0437\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u044f\u0442 <\/strong>\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [give speeches]. Various political parties and movements hold \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [rallies], if they manage to get permits from the authorities.<\/p>\n

Festivities might continue throughout the day, taking form of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u0443\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [street festival] with live music, performers, and street vendors. As for the \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b\u00bb<\/strong>, to borrow a line from another classic, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u0436\u0435 <\/strong>\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0431\u0438\u0442 <\/strong>\u0441\u0430\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0430 <\/strong>\u041e\u043b\u0438\u0432\u044c\u0435<\/span>\u00bb <\/strong>[What kind of Russian doesn\u2019t like the Olivier salad].<\/p>\n

A few days later it\u2019s time to celebrate \u00ab<\/strong>\u0414\u0435\u043d\u044c <\/strong>\u041f\u043e\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [Victory Day]. I already wrote about Victory Day celebration<\/a> last year. It is a somber holiday. There is a military parade, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0437\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0446\u0432\u0435\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [laying of wreaths and flowers] at war memorials, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [honoring of veterans], more speeches, and yes, more Olivier salad.<\/p>\n

But \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [holiday meal] aside, this is \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a <\/strong>\u0441\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0433\u043b\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0445\u00bb<\/strong> [a bittersweet holiday; lit – a holiday with tears in one\u2019s eyes] for all Russians. I highly recommend reading the wonderful \u201cCranes\u201d<\/a> post that one of our guest bloggers, David, wrote some time ago. It is a translation with cultural notes, of one of the most beautiful and moving songs about \u00ab<\/strong>\u0412\u0435\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u041e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [The Great Patriotic War].<\/p>\n

The rest of the month goes by quickly. Schoolchildren get ready for their end-of-the-year exams. In addition, high school students are getting ready for their university \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u044d\u043a\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [entrance exams]. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u0442\u0443\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [college students] are in a rush of \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0433\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u043a <\/strong>\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [preparing for end-of-semester exams], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0443\u0440\u0441\u043e\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [term papers] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0449\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0430 <\/strong>\u0434\u0438\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [final research paper defense].<\/p>\n

With this much studying (mostly reviewing previously studied material) going on in Russia in May, we should probably follow the suite <\/del>. Fortunately, last May we had a few good grammar posts for students of all levels:<\/p>\n

Russian Grammar – \u00ab\u043f\u043e-\u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/a> post reviews various \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0438 <\/strong>\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [parts of speech]. So if you need to brush up on \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0443\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [nouns] or \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u044e<\/span>\u0437\u044b\u00bb <\/strong>[conjunctions], head over here for some helpful Russian grammar tips.<\/p>\n

Continuing with Russian grammar theme\u2026 If you are not sure of how to use possessive pronouns, read this post<\/a> (it also has some interesting pictures of news headlines from Yuri Gagarin\u2019s space flight).<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t pronounce this word, but I sure can spell it – \u201conomatopoeia<\/a>\u201d. But really, why did they have to come up with such a hard-to-pronounce and awful-to-spell word to talk about words that are short, simple and fun to learn?<\/p>\n

And if you still have time left, find out what being a \u201cperson of culture\u201d<\/a> means in Russia and how to achieve this coveted distinction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

\u00ab\u041c\u0430\u0439\u00bb [May] is my second \u00ab\u0441\u0430\u043c\u044b\u0439 \u043b\u044e\u0431\u0438\u043c\u044b\u0439 \u043c\u0435\u0441\u044f\u0446\u00bb [most favorite month] to be in Russia. The first one is \u00ab\u0430\u0432\u0433\u0443\u0441\u0442\u00bb [August], \u00ab\u043f\u043e \u043b\u0438\u0447\u043d\u044b\u043c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0430\u043c\u00bb [for personal reasons]. \u00ab\u0412\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0430 \u0432 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0435\u00bb [Spring is in full force] or to recall the famous line of a fairly obscure poet: \u00ab\u042d\u0442\u043e \u043c\u0430\u0439-\u0431\u0430\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043d\u0438\u043a, \u044d\u0442\u043e \u043c\u0430\u0439-\u0447\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0435\u0439\u00bb [It is May the…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":2048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,7828,7827,913],"tags":[2251,1237,1240,1288,35330,56488,1385],"class_list":["post-2047","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-russian-for-beginners","category-russian-life","category-traditions","tag-labor-day","tag-russian-grammar","tag-russian-holidays","tag-russian-traditions","tag-soviet-holidays","tag-spring-in-russia","tag-victory-day"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2047"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6310,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047\/revisions\/6310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}