{"id":292,"date":"2009-04-03T10:34:19","date_gmt":"2009-04-03T14:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=292"},"modified":"2014-07-16T19:25:04","modified_gmt":"2014-07-16T19:25:04","slug":"rhetorical-russian-remark-%d0%bc%d0%be%d0%b6%d0%bd%d0%be-%d0%bb%d0%b8-%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b0%d0%bd%d1%86%d0%b5%d0%b2%d0%b0%d1%82%d1%8c-%d0%b3%d0%b8%d0%bc%d0%bd-%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d0%b8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/rhetorical-russian-remark-%d0%bc%d0%be%d0%b6%d0%bd%d0%be-%d0%bb%d0%b8-%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b0%d0%bd%d1%86%d0%b5%d0%b2%d0%b0%d1%82%d1%8c-%d0%b3%d0%b8%d0%bc%d0%bd-%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d0%b8\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhetorical Russian Remark: \u00ab\u041c\u043e\u0436\u043d\u043e \u043b\u0438 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0446\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0433\u0438\u043c\u043d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438?\u00bb"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

In the latest number of \u00ab\u0420\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0435\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u00bb<\/strong> (\u211612, April 2-9 2009) <\/a>there’s an interview with the professional ice skaters \u042f<\/span>\u043d\u0430 \u0425\u043e\u0445\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0430<\/a><\/strong> [Yana Khokhlova] and \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u041d\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u043a\u0438\u0439<\/strong> <\/a>[Sergey Novitsky], in which they not only ponder the imperative inquiry \u00ab\u041c\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e \u043b\u0438 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0446\u0435\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0433\u0438\u043c\u043d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0438<\/a>?\u00bb<\/strong> [It is possible to dance Russia’s national anthem<\/a>?], but also answer many other questions.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can try, and probably succeed, at removing the Russian out of the ice skating rink, but you can never take the ice skating out of the Russian. The sport \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0435<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong><\/a> [figure skating] is to the Russian people what it is to few other people in the world – but hey, everybody loves figure skating, right? Speaking for myself I must confess that I’m known to frown at all kinds of sports from beach volleyball to bobsledding, but can – when similar situations are presented – watch three sports with some extent of pleasure: horses jumping, people diving and couples dressed in sequins dancing on ice. The last sport wasn’t on my \u2018extensive’<\/em> list until I ended up in Russia; I even remember that there was a time in my life when I didn’t know who \u041f\u043b\u044e<\/span><\/strong>\u0449\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e<\/strong><\/a> [Evgeni Plushenko<\/a>] was. Sometime during 2005 he visited Omsk (I was living there back then), and one of my teachers got so excited that she talked of nothing else for about a week in advance and at least a month afterwards. She even used the grand happening to teach us the \u2018double-negative-makes-the-sentence-even-more-positive’ <\/em>rule of Russian language with the following example: \u00ab<\/strong>\u042f<\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0433\u043b\u0430<\/span><\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/strong>\u0441\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span><\/strong>!\u00bb <\/strong>[I couldn’t not go and look at him!]. Now if someone doesn’t know who \u041f\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0449\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e <\/strong>is, then that person must also have missed when \u0414\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0430<\/strong> \u0411\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u043d<\/strong><\/a> won the Eurovision Song Contest last year – he performed his song with the famous ice skater dancing in the background (and the larger part of the Russian population firmly believes that’s why he won. And who could argue with that?). Anyway, if you’re looking for a sure way to make friends with Russians during the eight months long \u2018winter and in-between-season-period’<\/em>, all you need to do is buy a pair of (or why just not rent some at the stadium?) \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043d\u044c\u043a\u0438<\/span><\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [pl.<\/em> (sg.<\/em> \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0451<\/span>\u043a<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong>) skates, ice skates] and head out on the ice \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043d\u044c\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0445<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [to go (ice) skating]. Or, if there’s no ice to be found around, then just strike up a conversation about \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0446\u044b<\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/strong>\u043b\u044c\u0434\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong><\/a> [ice dancing<\/a>] and you’ll have scored an invitation over to have tea with their babushka in no time!<\/p>\n

Reading the paper every week is very educational. I find out lots of new things every week and this week was no exception. It even surprised me that the most interesting thing in this week’s edition of \u2018Russian Reporter’ <\/em>was an interview with two young figure skaters, who won the European Championships recently this year: \u00ab<\/strong>\u042f<\/span><\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/strong>\u0425\u043e\u0445\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0430<\/strong>\u0438<\/strong>\u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/strong>\u041d\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u043a\u0438\u0439<\/strong>: <\/strong>\u0412\u0441\u0435<\/strong>\u043e\u0442<\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0441<\/strong>\u0432<\/strong>\u0448\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u0435<\/strong>!\u00bb <\/strong>[Yana Khokhlova and Sergey Novitskij: Everyone’s in shock because of us!]<\/a> And why is the interview so interesting? First of all, because the subject in itself is fascinating – figure skating, that is, and secondly: because their answers to the journalist’s question read like they’ve been said in one voice by one person, and not two. Now that’s how in sync you must be in order to make it big in the competitive world of figure skating! Especially the following question plus answer proved very educational for me:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0410 \u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f<\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u043c\u0443\u0449\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043e, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0444\u0438\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0432\u0441\u0435\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e \u0441\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u043c \u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0441\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u0430? \u041c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0430\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0435<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0438 \u0432 \u043d\u0451\u043c \u0438 \u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043c\u0443\u0436\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u044b, \u0442\u043e \u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span> \u043d\u0435\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u043e \u043d\u0435\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0434\u0438\u0446\u0438\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0443\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0440\u0438\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u0438.\u00bb <\/strong>[It didn’t bother you that figure skating everywhere is considered a female sport? Many people assume that if there are men in (figure skating), then they’re bound to be of un-traditional sexual orientation.]<\/p>\n

\u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u0439: \u00ab\u0412 \u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c \u0444\u0438\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u043c \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432 \u043d\u0435\u0442, \u0437\u0430\u044f\u0432\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u044e \u043e\u0444\u0438\u0446\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e! \u0423 \u043d\u0430\u0441 – \u043d\u0435 \u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e \u0432 \u0441\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0439, \u0430 \u0432\u043e\u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435<\/span> \u0432 \u0444\u0438\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u043c \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0438 – \u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0430 \u043d\u0435\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0434\u0438\u0446\u0438\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0441\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0443\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0440\u0438\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u0438 \u043e\u0442\u0441\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u044e\u0442. \u042d<\/span>\u0442\u043e \u0432\u0441\u0451 \u0431\u0435\u0434\u044b<\/span>, \u043d\u0430 \u043c\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u0437\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434, \u0430\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u0430, \u043d\u0443, \u0438 \u0432 \u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439-\u0442\u043e \u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435 \u0435\u0432\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e…\u00bb <\/strong>[In Russian figure skating there are no (homosexuals –\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0438\u043a<\/em><\/strong> is a really not good nor kind word<\/em>), I declare that officially! We don’t have – not only in the all-stars team, but in figure skating in general – any persons of un-traditional sexual orientation. That’s purely the misfortunes of, in my opinion, the American continent, well, to extent also the European…]<\/p>\n

\u042f<\/span><\/strong>\u043d\u0430: \u00ab\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044e \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0443\u043b\u043e \u0438, \u044f \u043d\u0430\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u044e\u0441\u044c, \u043d\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u0442\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0435\u0442 \u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430<\/span>.\u00bb <\/strong>[It hasn’t affected Russia and I hope that it will never affect (it).]<\/p>\n

Enough about that, let’s cut to the chase – how about dancing on ice to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044f<\/strong>– <\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u044f\u0449\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f<\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430<\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0430<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [Russia – our sacred power] and then making a whirl while the audience sings \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong>, <\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0435<\/strong>\u041e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/strong> \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0435<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [Renown yourself, our free Fatherland]?<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0423 \u0432\u0430\u0441 \u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u043c\u0430 \u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0435\u0439 \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u044b<\/span>, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0443\u044e \u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0441\u044c \u0431\u044b \u0438\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c?\u00bb <\/strong>[Do you have a dream program that you would like to perform?]<\/p>\n

\u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u0439: \u00ab\u0423 \u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u0433\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0438\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u044f \u0440\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u044c! \u041d\u0443<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0441\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0437\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0443\u044e \u043f\u043e\u0434 \u0433\u0438\u043c\u043d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0438 – \u0435\u0451<\/span> \u0432\u0441\u0435\u043c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0441\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u044f \u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044c.\u00bb <\/strong>[I just got an ingenious idea! We have to do a free dance to Russia’s national anthem – and everyone will have to watch it standing up.]<\/p>\n

\u042f<\/span><\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/strong>: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0418\u0434\u0435\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e<\/strong>!\u00bb <\/strong>[That’s great (ideal)!]<\/p>\n

\u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435<\/span>\u0439: \u00ab\u0421\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u044c\u044f\u043c \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0434\u0451<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c. \u0413\u0438\u043c\u043d \u0432\u0435\u0434\u044c \u0432 \u043f\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043d\u043e\u043c \u0432\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u0435 \u0434\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439, \u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u0445\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u0442. \u0418 \u0432 \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0445 \u043d\u0435 \u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0430\u043d\u043e, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0437\u044f<\/span> \u0433\u0438\u043c\u043d \u0431\u0440\u0430\u0442\u044c.\u00bb <\/strong>[The judges will have to stand up. The anthem in its full version is long, it will be enough. And in the rules there’s not anything about that it’s forbidden to pick an anthem.]<\/p>\n

Who knows? Maybe we’ll see them do that in a near future? What do you think of this idea? Or is it just a tad too much patriotism to combine something already so Russian as figure skating with the country’s song?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

In the latest number of \u00ab\u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0435\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0451\u0440\u00bb (\u211612, April 2-9 2009) there’s an interview with the professional ice skaters \u042f\u043d\u0430 \u0425\u043e\u0445\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430 [Yana Khokhlova] and \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0439 \u041d\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0446\u043a\u0438\u0439 [Sergey Novitsky], in which they not only ponder the imperative inquiry \u00ab\u041c\u043e\u0436\u043d\u043e \u043b\u0438 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0446\u0435\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0433\u0438\u043c\u043d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438?\u00bb [It is possible to dance Russia’s national anthem?], but also answer many other…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,179,913],"tags":[1067,1109,1253,1256,1273],"class_list":["post-292","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-news","category-traditions","tag-figure-skating","tag-ice-skating","tag-russian-national-anthem","tag-russian-news","tag-russian-reporter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t