{"id":518,"date":"2010-02-13T12:00:19","date_gmt":"2010-02-13T16:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=518"},"modified":"2010-02-13T12:00:19","modified_gmt":"2010-02-13T16:00:19","slug":"introducing-%c2%ab%d0%95%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b0%c2%bb-yelena-the-new-addition-to-our-russian-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/introducing-%c2%ab%d0%95%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b0%c2%bb-yelena-the-new-addition-to-our-russian-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing \u00ab\u0415\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0430\u00bb [Yelena]: The New Addition to Our Russian Blog!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today is \u00ab\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043e \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0445 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [the beginning of big changes] here on the Russian Blog – what used to be \u00ab\u043c\u043e\u0439 \u0431\u043b\u043e\u0433\u00bb <\/strong>[my blog] (even though it was never really entirely \u2018mine’…)<\/em> \u00ab\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b \u041d\u0410<\/span>\u0428\u0418\u041c \u0431\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [has become OUR blog]! \u00ab\u041a\u0430\u043a?\u00bb<\/strong> [how?] you might be wondering. Well, wonder no longer! Because from now the Russian blog – that is, our<\/em> blog – will feature posts written not only by me, but also by \u00ab\u0415\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [Yelena] – \u00ab\u0432\u043e\u0442 \u0442\u0430\u043a!\u00bb<\/strong> [that’s how!]. Now we’re a team of two, or – for the fun of using a Russian word – a \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0434\u0430<\/strong>\u00bb<\/strong> [team, crew; brigade]. \u00ab\u0415\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [Yelena] will bring this blog exactly the kind of addition it has been yearning for all along: \u00ab\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u044f\u0437\u044b\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u00bb <\/strong>[a native speaker of Russian language]. She told me she’s \u00ab\u0438\u0437 \u0412\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0434<\/a>\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [from Volgograd<\/a><\/span><\/span>], and after that kind of information there’s really no need for me to doubt her \u2018authenticity’<\/em>! Other than completely and truly grammatically correct sentences in Russian language, \u00ab\u0415\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [Yelena] will bring a much needed different – fresh, new – perspective on Russia than what I have previously presented to you here on the blog. This means that soon you will be able to read more just than my endless contemplations about \u00ab\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u044b \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u044b\u00bb <\/strong>[the heights of Russian literature] or my assorted observations on \u00ab\u0432\u044b\u0434\u0430\u044e<\/span>\u0449\u0438\u0435\u0441\u044f \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u044d<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [Russian poets of distinction]… In other words, \u00ab\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u043c \u0434\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043d\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433 \u0434\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0433\u0430\u00bb <\/strong>[we’ll compliment each other]!<\/p>\n

But why take my word for it? Here’s Yelena’s own introduction:<\/strong> (Feel free to ask her any questions in the form of comments; she’s promised to answer them!)<\/em><\/p>\n

I’m going to start by making a confession or \u0447\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0437\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>[sincere (lit. clean-hearted)<\/em> confession]: I am very excited to be afforded an opportunity to do something I like, such as to blog about a subject I love, Russia and Russian language. At the same time – \u0432 \u0442\u043e \u0436\u0435 \u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f<\/strong> – I feel a bit scared. I feel very similar to how I felt when my husband introduced me to his family – excited, happy, a bit scared and oh, so eager to \u043f\u043e\u043d\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong> – be liked!<\/p>\n

After reading through every single post on this blog, I realized how Josefina and I were so different. \u041c\u044b \u0441 \u043d\u0435\u0439 \u0441\u043e\u0432\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u043c \u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

My favorite Russian authors, at least for now, are \u0410\u0440\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u0439 \u0410\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e<\/a><\/strong>, \u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438<\/span>\u043b \u0411\u0443\u043b\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u0432<\/a><\/strong>, \u0424\u0430\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c \u0418\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0434\u0435\u0440<\/a><\/strong> and \u0431\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u044f \u0421\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u043a\u0438\u0435<\/a><\/strong>, although I prefer non-fiction to fiction and typically stay away from poetry altogether.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand cold weather and refuse to move anywhere where there is a possibility of \u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f<\/span>\u0449\u0435\u0439 \u0437\u0438\u043c\u044b<\/span><\/strong> [real winter]. This somehow always surprises my American friends. They think that since I’m from Russia, there’s nothing more I’d love than being snowed in year-round.<\/p>\n

I don’t drink. Ok, I almost don’t – a beer once in a while or a glass of white wine, but definitely nothing stronger and \u043d\u0438 \u0432 \u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0435\u043c \u0441\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0430\u0435 \u043d\u0435 \u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043a\u0443<\/strong> – under no circumstances [would I drink] vodka. Again, this comes as a surprise to many people here in the States.<\/p>\n

While in Russia, I didn’t travel much. For the first 18 years of my life I lived in Volgograd and then moved straight to the US of A with a stopover in Moscow. So I spent a total of about a month on the Black Sea, when my family \u043e\u0442\u0434\u044b\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430 \u0434\u0438\u043a\u0430\u0440\u044f<\/span>\u043c\u0438 <\/strong>[camped (lit. \u2018rested as savages, wild men’)<\/em>] there back in mid-80s and then 2 weeks in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Pskov almost 20 years later.<\/p>\n

I don’t have a \u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043e\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043f\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0430\u043a\u0446\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442<\/strong> [“stereotypical” Russian accent] and, try as I might, I can’t even fake it. Not to say I don’t have an accent, just not the one I’m supposed to have according to all the Hollywood movies.<\/p>\n

My family moved to the US back in 1997, in large part because of some very nasty stuff appearing repeatedly in the newspapers and, most disturbingly, on the walls of our \u043f\u043e\u0434\u044a\u0435<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u0430<\/strong> [apartment entryway], of which \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044f \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0420\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0445<\/strong> [Russia for Russians] was the least offensive.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to the present. I currently live \u0432 \u0421\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u0435\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u041a\u0430\u0440\u043e\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u0435<\/strong> [in North Carolina]. I am married to a wonderful American man and we have a 3-year old son who, at least for now, speaks English and Russian equally well. He also provides hours of linguistic entertainment for me as he comes up with his own \u2018Rusglish words’<\/em> and patiently explains their meaning to me.<\/p>\n

Aside from keeping up with my \u043c\u0430\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430<\/strong> [the little one], I freelance, mostly writing articles and blog posts (in English). \u0421\u0431\u044b<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u043c\u0435\u0447\u0442\u0430<\/span> \u043e \u0433\u043b\u0430\u043c\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0436\u0438<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u0438 \u0444\u0440\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0430!<\/strong> [The dream of glamorous life as a freelancer came true!]<\/p>\n

Josefina asked me for a picture to go with this post, preferably the one taken in Russia. Hmm, I do have a few shots from before I moved to the States. But they all happen to be taken on bad hair days (admittedly, I had the most terrible sense of what a good hairstyle meant back in the days and my parents didn’t enlighten me. I guess, they just slept better knowing that their daughter’s devastating \u2018do kept many a boy away).<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, to make the long story short, I ended up digging through the photos from my last trip to Russia, in 2006. Probably not the best shot and the jacket is a bit too tight, but then again, I am a little bit pregnant on this picture. But check out the background – a very famous cruiser, probably the most famous cruiser in the world. Do you know its name?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And for those who grew up in Russia (and thus have an unfair advantage)<\/em>, a different question. This vessel once starred in a movie about another, almost as famous Russian cruiser that refused to \u0441\u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0432\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0443<\/span><\/strong> [surrender to the enemy]. Name this other<\/strong> cruiser!\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Today is \u00ab\u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430\u043b\u043e \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0438\u0445 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u00bb [the beginning of big changes] here on the Russian Blog – what used to be \u00ab\u043c\u043e\u0439 \u0431\u043b\u043e\u0433\u00bb [my blog] (even though it was never really entirely \u2018mine’…) \u00ab\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b \u041d\u0410\u0428\u0418\u041c \u0431\u043b\u043e\u0433\u043e\u043c\u00bb [has become OUR blog]! \u00ab\u041a\u0430\u043a?\u00bb [how?] you might be wondering. Well, wonder no longer! Because from now the Russian blog…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[1008,1063,1153,1213,1248,1254,1324,1388,1835,1836,1837,1838,1601,1608,1696,1839],"class_list":["post-518","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-arkady-averchenko","tag-fazil-iskander","tag-mikhail-bulgakov","tag-russian","tag-russian-language","tag-russian-native-speaker","tag-strugatsky-brothers","tag-volgograd","tag-1835","tag-1836","tag-1837","tag-1838","tag-1601","tag-1608","tag-1696","tag-1839"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518","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\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}