Many times when I would start to have Russian conversations with learners of Russian, the conversation would quickly slip into discussions about Russian politics. This is only to be cherished, of course; however, the problem is that learners often lack the vocabulary to talk about current events and, therefore, switch back to English. Let’s go over some of the phrases you will see in the media describing current events — specifically, legal initiatives.<\/p>\n
The Duma (\u0413\u043e\u0441\u0443\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0434\u0443<\/span>\u043c\u0430<\/strong>) — the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament — or legislative assemblies in other countries can \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043d<\/strong> (pass a law). First we need \u0432\u043d\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span> \u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0442<\/strong> (introduce a bill). Both \u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d<\/strong> and \u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0442<\/strong> may be followed by the preposition \u043e\/\u043e\u0431<\/strong> (on), for example, Ukrainian authorities are now considering \u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043d \u043e\u0431 \u0430\u043c\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0438<\/a><\/strong> (an amnesty law for the participants in the protests).<\/p>\n \u0417\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043d \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0435\u0442 \u0432 \u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0443, \u0437\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043d \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u043b \u0432 \u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0443<\/strong> is “the law takes effect\/took effect” and may be followed by the date (\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u044f<\/strong>) or by \u0441<\/strong> + date in the genitive (\u0441 \u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043c\u0430<\/span>\u044f<\/strong>) to signify “starting on.”<\/p>\n A lot of the laws have to do with introducing something or banning\/outlawing something. To introduce is \u0432\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span><\/strong> followed by a noun in the accusative case, for example:<\/p>\n \u0421\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u044b \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0432\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0448\u043a\u043e\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432 \u043e\u0431\u044f\u0437\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0443\u044e \u043f\u044f\u0442\u0438\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0432\u043a\u0443<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(Just Russia introduces mandatory five-day school week).<\/p>\n You may be thrown off by \u043f\u044f\u0442\u0438\u0434\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430<\/strong> — a five-day work\/school week, as opposed to \u0448\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0434\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430<\/strong> – a six-day school week. A Just Russia<\/a> (\u0421\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u0430\u044f \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044f<\/strong>) is a political party.<\/p>\n To ban is \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (literally, to forbid) and is followed by a noun in the accusative case or by a verb in the infinitive.<\/p>\n \u0410\u043d\u0433\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0446\u0435\u0440\u043a\u043e\u0432\u044c \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0430 \u0434\u0443\u0445\u043e\u0432\u0435\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443 \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0432 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043b\u044b\u0435 \u0431\u0440\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/strong><\/a> (Church of England bans gay marriage for clergy).<\/p>\n