Search by tag «Russian culture» 67 results
Speak Like a Russian: Phrases From Soviet Movies We Know by Heart
Well, you alcoholics, idlers, hooligans… Who wants to work today? This is not us picking on you – it's a quote from a famous Soviet movie that every Russian knows by heart. These mind-boggling catchphrases and witticisms might have you scratching your head when you hear your friends use them, seemingly at random. But they're part of the Russian psyche, and you can get in on the game!
09.11.2020
Russian Horror Stories: What Do We Find Spooky?
Halloween is not all too popular in Russia and yet you can’t call us cowards – we love spooky stuff, too, but in our own way. Bloody red gloves? A haunting Queen of Spades? A terrifying matryoshka? Find out what stories Russian children tell to frighten each other – and get goosebumps all over.
26.10.2020
Discover Yamal Peninsula: Wise Up and Learn to Welcome Change
Sometimes I am terrified by how little I know about my own country and especially its many regions. Not long ago, I stumbled upon a short course on Yamal, a peninsula in Western Siberia, surrounded by northern seas, and it shook my world in so many ways that I can’t help but share what I learn in hopes to change yours – if only a little!
19.10.2020
Are Russians a Gambling Nation?
Let’s add a little excitement to this mundane Monday and discuss games of chance (and why Russians love them).
28.09.2020
Digging Deeper: Literary Origins of St. Petersburg Metro Stations
It’s no secret that the St. Petersburg Metro is one of the world’s most exquisite and beautiful underground transit systems. But its interiors aren’t the only things worth noting. While anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the Russian language will probably be able to glean the meanings of most of its stations’ names, there are a few that would require a bit more in-depth knowledge of Russian culture. Today, we’ll look at some of the stations that bear the names of Russian writers, poets, and other masters of the written word.
04.08.2020
Speak like a Russian: Cat Words
It’s sometimes hard to come up with a new article idea, especially at times like these when all that comes to one’s mind has to do with either the risk of infection or the boredom of isolation. Today was different: the topic almost forced itself onto me. First thing in the morning, I find a whole rookery of cats lazing on my porch, and a half hour later, I learn that today is “International St. Petersburg Cats’ Day” - a new improvised holiday that I personally find rather odd, but still. So, it seems that there’s no way around it, and the language that we’ll be learning today will have to do with the purring little creatures that (almost) everyone loves!
08.06.2020
Love Diversity (and Exploring!) Like a Russian
So have an irresistible urge to travel around Russia but that’s not exactly feasible right now? Besides, your attention span is down to a nanosecond? Cue in Multi-Russia, 55 postcard-style cartoons about the country’s various regions told by who else? A bear!
01.06.2020
White Nights in St. Petersburg
You might already know that St. Petersburg is renowned for the fascinating natural phenomenon of white nights. But what are they, and what is it that makes them so special? Let’s find out.
22.05.2020
Swear Like a Russian: of the Fool and the Devil
As I promised, this article will be about “safe” Russian swear words, and first off, we’ll take a look at two that are very simple and common, yet very special to the Russian culture.
18.05.2020
Swear like a Russian (not): Russian Mat
It's a common thing to ask someone to teach you a swear word in their native language: you think it’s funny and cool and wins you points. For some, knowing how to swear even helps build their confidence with a language. Then again, swear words and slang hold a special place in every culture, and are very easy to misuse. For this reason, we’ve decided to touch upon this topic, and start with Russia’s most notorious way of speaking: the infamous “mat”.
23.03.2020