<\/p>\n
Today Russia celebrates \u0414\u0435\u043d\u044c <\/strong>\u041f\u043e\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u044b<\/strong> (Victory Day) celebration is right around the corner. \u041d\u0430 <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0414\u043d\u044f <\/strong>\u041f\u043e\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u044b <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0437\u043e\u0440\u0443 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430\u044e\u0442 <\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044b\u0445 <\/strong>\u0444\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043c\u043e\u0432 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e <\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u0443<\/span><\/strong> (On the eve of the Victory Day a lot of old war movies are shown on TV). With fewer and fewer \u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u044b <\/strong>(veterans) left, much of what we know about war, aside from \u0448\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0443\u0447\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/strong> (textbooks) comes from these movies. So let\u2019s watch one of the old Soviet movies about \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><\/strong> (the Great Patriotic War).<\/p>\n The movie is called \u041e\u043d\u0438<\/span> <\/strong>\u0441\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c <\/strong>\u0437\u0430 <\/strong>\u0420\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0443<\/strong> (They Fought for Their Land). Available on Mosfilm\u2019s YouTube channel (Part 1<\/a> and Part 2<\/a>), it is digitally remastered and subtitled in English. You can watch and understand much of what\u2019s going on in this movie even if you are just beginning to learn Russian.<\/p>\n The plot is quite straightforward. It\u2019s the summer of 1942 and Soviet troops continue to retreat further and further after a seemingly endless string of defeats. The movie follows a what\u2019s left of a \u043f\u043e\u043b\u043a<\/strong> (regiment) of infantry soldiers as they are ordered to take the defensive positions near a small village on the Don river. Their impossible mission is to defend the river crossing against overwhelming Nazi forces, including tanks and carpet bombing.<\/p>\n While much of the dialogue is not exactly how people talk nowadays, some words and phrases are still widely used and you might come across them in general conversation.<\/p>\n \u041c\u044b <\/strong>\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0434\u044b\u0435<\/strong> – we aren\u2019t so proud (not to do or accept something)<\/p>\n \u041c\u0430\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430<\/strong> – mother; this can be a generic, if very informal way of addressing an older (usually much older) woman. You might come across such informal addresses, including \u0442\u0451<\/span>\u0442\u044f, <\/strong>\u0434\u044f<\/span>\u0434\u044f, <\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430, <\/strong>\u0441\u044b\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u043a, <\/strong>\u0431\u0430\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u043b\u044f, <\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043a<\/strong>. This doesn\u2019t imply blood relations as in \u0411\u0430\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u043b\u044f, <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u0448\u044c, <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0434\u043e <\/strong>\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0439\u0442\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (Little grandma, could you tell me how to get to the market)<\/p>\n \u041f\u043e\u0434\u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0431\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0436\u0435<\/strong> – let (it) come closer<\/p>\n \u0423\u043c\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>–<\/strong>\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0431\u043e<\/strong> – lit. to wash someone\u2019s face – to teach someone a lesson (usually in a humiliating way)<\/p>\n \u041f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a<\/strong> – lit. an empty person; this is usually said about someone who is all flash and no substance, also \u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0445\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u043a<\/strong><\/p>\n \u0414\u0430\u0439 <\/strong>\u0431\u043e\u0433 <\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u044f<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0443<\/strong> – lit. may god give same to everyone – this is usually added to emphasize how good things are, as in \u0440\u0430\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430 <\/strong>\u0443 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u0430\u044f, <\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u0439 <\/strong>\u0431\u043e\u0433 <\/strong>\u0432\u0441\u044f<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0443<\/strong> (I have a wonderful job, may God give the same to everyone).<\/p>\n \u0414\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f<\/strong> – lit. he\u2019s done flying – this is said when something unpleasant happened to whoever was flying (in the movie the Nazi plane gets shot down). This construct – prefix \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> + reflexive form of an action verb – are used often to say that something bad happened to someone as a result of his own \u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0435\u0442\u0447\u0438\u0432\u044b\u0435 (ill-advised) actions. Other examples would be \u0434\u043e\u043f\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0433\u0430\u043b\u0441\u044f, <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f, <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0438\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f, <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f<\/strong>, etc. However, it’s not a strict rule since, for example, a verb \u0434\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0441\u044f<\/strong> means that someone has reached an agreement.<\/p>\n \u0421\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0438<\/span> \u0432 \u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0430<\/strong> – lit. Look with both eyes – be on guard<\/p>\n \u0424\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c, <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0444\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> – this sounds funny in English, but it simply means to have things going your way or having all the luck.<\/p>\n \u041e\u0442\u0432\u044f\u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u044c \u043e\u0442 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span><\/strong> – leave me alone<\/p>\n \u0421\u043c\u044b\u0448\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/strong> – clever, bright as in \u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u0443 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> <\/strong>\u0442\u0430\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u044f <\/strong>\u0441\u043c\u044b\u0448\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u044f, <\/strong>\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0448\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0430 <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043a\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u0435<\/strong> (my daughter is so bright, the best student in class). This adjective is usually applied to children or young adults.<\/p>\n \u041f\u0440\u0438\u0448\u0451<\/span>\u043b, <\/strong>\u0443\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u043b, <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043b<\/strong> – I came, I saw, I conquered<\/p>\n \u0427\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043e<\/strong> – unkind word; lit. stale word.<\/p>\n \u041f\u043e\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0430 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u0437\u0430 \u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0438<\/strong> – Victory will be ours.<\/p>\n As the movie ends, the unit is ready to move on, this time to Stalingrad\u2026 Have you seen other Soviet movies about WWII? What is your favorite?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today Russia celebrates \u0414\u0435\u043d\u044c \u041f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0434\u044b (Victory Day) celebration is right around the corner. \u041d\u0430 \u043a\u0430\u043d\u0443\u043d\u0435 \u0414\u043d\u044f \u041f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0434\u044b \u043f\u043e \u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0437\u043e\u0440\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u043c\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u044b\u0445 \u0444\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043c\u043e\u0432 \u043f\u0440\u043e \u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u0443 (On the eve of the Victory Day a lot of old war movies are shown on TV). With fewer and fewer \u0432\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u043d\u044b (veterans) left, much of what we know…<\/p>\n