The Soviet Winnie-the-Pooh cartoon is a masterclass in Russian verbs of motion disguised as entertainment. Unlike Disney’s bouncy bear, the Soviet Винни-Пух philosophizes in perfect syllabo-tonic verse while teaching you when to use пойти versus идти. Watch him get stuck in Rabbit’s door and suddenly you’re understanding Russian etiquette, colloquial expressions, and why grammar rules sometimes need to be forgotten, not memorized.
“Одноэтажная Америка” – это травелог двух советских писателей, проехавших на автомобиле через всю Америку времён Великой депрессии.
Этот эпизод посвящён Сергею Козлову и его необычным сказкам. Вы узнаете, почему сказки, где нет злодеев и героев, так понравились читателям всех возрастов.
Death is a difficult topic in any language. Explore how Russians navigate it with euphemisms! From the respectful “уйти в лучший мир” (go to a better world) to the quirky “сыграть в ящик” (play in the box), this post unveils a range of idioms about death.
What happens when a country loses its moral compass—and then rewrites its own story to fill the void? The Invention of Russia is more than a historical account; it’s an invitation to reflect on how narratives are shaped, and how easily they can shape us in return. I invite you to read and discuss.
In Russia, the beard transcends style, embodying cultural and political significance. Rooted in Proto-Indo-European bhar-dha, борода symbolized sacred tradition after 988, with shaving fines. Peter the Great’s beard tax aimed to modernize, possibly due to hygiene or insect fears. By the 19th century, beards marked Russian identity for Slavophiles. In Soviet times, they evoked outdated peasantry, yet 1960s intellectuals embraced them.
Привет! В эфире “Пять минут” – подкаст для тех, кто почему-то учит русский язык. Меня зовут Евгения Власова. Я преподаю
Привет! Вы слушаете двадцать шестой выпуск подкаста Пять Минут. Меня зовут Евгения Власова. Я лингвист, я веду блог Proper Russian
Office Affair, a classic Soviet film, has been truly popular for over four decades. It became a hit right away, and has remained one of the most beloved movies for generations. It truthfully displayed the real life and actual problems of people in Brezhnev’s Era of Stagnation, and this is one of the reasons it became so popular. For the very same reason, viewers from other countries and even younger Russians may miss the hints and hidden jokes that make this movie not just a romantic drama, but also a brilliant, sparkling comedy. In this article, I’ll try to explain the secret language of the Office Affair to you so that you could understand the film better and enjoy it in full.
This is the second part of the article about international students who chose to study in Russia. In the first
It was a hot Siberian summer, about +30C/ 86F. My friend and I visited my grandmother in a rural locality
Each language has proverbs, those simple, concrete sayings that crystalize common sense. Proverbs are a genre of folklore. They were
