Posts under language

Two Years with Russian Blog!

Posted by Josefina
Nov
9
2009

«Да!» [Yes!] «Наконец!» [Finally!] Today is not just another day, today is «девятое ноября» [the 9th of November] and a very special day. Why? Not simply because today is «день рождения великого русского писателя Ивана Тургенева» [the birthday of the great Russian writer Ivan Turgenev] - happy 191st b’day to the author of «Отцы и дети» ["Fathers and Sons"]! - but also because «в этот день» [on this day] two years ago I published my first post here on this blog. So it is finally official: «я пишу для этого блога про русский язык, русскую культуру и русскую литературу уже два года» [I have written for this blog about Russian language, Russian culture and Russian literature for two years already]. «Ура!» [Hurrah!] I thought I’d take today to switch to a more personal tone in this post - something I rarely do due to the enormous amounts of grammar that constantly need to be dealt with and explained. Today I will tell you a little something about «моя жизнь тут в России» [my life here in Russia]. After all, most of the readers of this blog have probably noticed a steady decrease in the amount of post published here these days, and there’s an explanation for this. This explanation is «моя русская жизнь» [my Russian life]. Before continuing any further I would also like to say that - just like I did in my post a year ago - all of your comments are very dear to me! I love it when you correct me and my sometimes sloppy grammar (big shout out to all the native speakers who read this blog! Thank you! both Russians and native speakers of English, that is…). I love it when you share your thoughts and experiences from Russia with me, and I would very much like this dialogue between us to continue also in the future. So keep reading, and I’ll keep writing - anytime I get - and keep commenting! I love the comments. They give me so many new ideas of what to write about, so keep them coming!

 On nights like these I fall in love with Russia all over again…

What can I say about myself, then? When I started writing this blog two years ago I was 22 years old and living my fourth year in Russia. Now I’m 24 years old and this is already my sixth year in this country. Originally I’m «из Гётеборга» [from Gothenburg] the second biggest city «в Швеции» [in Sweden]. I moved «в Россию» [to Russia] in late August 2004 when I was 19 years old. First I lived in Saint Petersburg for a semester, while I studied Russian as a foreign language. In February 2005 I moved «в Омск» [to Omsk] «в Сибири» [in Siberia] where I also studied Russian as a foreign language. I stayed in Omsk for a year and a half and even though it is pretty much impossible to sum up that experience in just a few words, I can say this much: it changed who I am forever. Summing things up even more I can say that I have grown up in this country. When I arrived here I didn’t know anything. I was a teenager with nothing but a huge dream: I wanted to become a professor of Russian literature. But at the time I didn’t speak Russian at all. All I knew when I arrived were two words: «пиво» [beer] and «привет» [hi]. Needless to say, my first week in this country was splendid… I am living proof that it is actually possible to «выучить язык» [to learn (completely, fully) a language] just by living in a country and studying hard and trying with all that you’ve got. Now I wasn’t always the best student. Right now I am the best student I have ever been, as a matter of fact, but I’ve always tried hard and spent a lot of time with Russians. And that’s how I learned this language and this country’s culture - from spending a lot of time with Russian friends. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, then you’re not going to learn how to talk. So during these past five years and plus-two months I’ve done a lot of talking! That’s one of the best advices I can give to anyone who wants to learn Russian - find Russian speaking friends! If you’re not in Russia, then go to a language club or café and sit there with your little phrase book and try your best at making conversation. Who knows? Maybe you’ll not only learn something new, but also find a new friend in the process….

I moved «в Екатеринбург» [to Yekaterinburg] in late August 2006 and have been living here ever since. All the time I’ve been a student «в Уральском государственном университете» [at Ural State University], «на филологическом факультете» [at the department of philology]. Now I’m a second year student «в магистратуре» [in the Master's program] and will be graduating in June next year with a diploma that says I’m «преподаватель русской литературы» [a university teacher of Russian literature] with all «отлично» [‘excellent', the equivalent of an A or a 5] grades - so far, anyway (keeping my fingers crossed). I have already worked as a university teacher, though, at Ural State University since October 2007. But I don’t teach what I’ve actually studied; I teach Swedish as a foreign language. And that’s one of the main reasons as to why I don’t have enough time to write here as much as I would like to since the beginning of this fall semester - this year I have three groups in different levels and I teach three evenings straight a week, leaving me almost dead by Friday night. I have two hour classes every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 18.30 to 20.30. But I love to teach, and I love my Russian students. We learn from each other, I teach them Swedish and they teach me Russian, they teach me about Russian reality and I try my best to show them what Swedish reality is like. I would also advice anyone who ever gets to chance to teach abroad to take this chance - it can give you so much! You’ll meet lovely people, though - of course - there are going to be many though times and rough patches and hard obstacles to overcome. Thankfully, I only have lectures in the Master’s program on Mondays and Tuesdays, so that leaves me with enough time to prepare my own classes the rest of the week. When I’m not stuck reading tons of Russian literature for seminars, that is…

I love Russian literature. I don’t think I’ve ever loved anything as much as I love Russian literature (except for my family). That’s why I also love this painting of «Владимир Маяковский» [Vladimir Mayakovsky] that I came across on my way home one evening.

As you’ve probably noticed if you’ve been reading this blog already for some time, I have two favorite Russian writers that are dearer to me than all the rest of them (although I appreciate all of them equally!): «Фёдор Достоевский» [Fyodor Dostoevsky] and «Варлам Шаламов» [Varlam Shalamov]. My Bachelor’s thesis was on Dostoevsky’s time in Siberia, and my future Master’s dissertation will be on how he used material that he collected during his time there in his future novels. But in the future I would like to go on and research the connection between these two writers; I would love to write a doctoral dissertation on how Shalamov used Dostoevsky’s “Notes from the Dead House” in his “Stories from Kolyma”. To get even more personal I can reveal that I have applied to study at a graduate program in the U.S., but I’m not sure if I’m going to get in. Come early February and I’ll know where I’ll be headed next - perhaps, to California! If not, then I will continue to dedicate myself to Russian literature and Russian language somewhere else. Perhaps I’ll move back home to Sweden and start working at the university there instead. I would have loved to stay in Russia for all of my life, but for many reasons this is not the best place to start an academic career. And I really want to start an academic career! Does that sound silly? I suppose it is a little bit silly. But then again, most dreams are a bit silly… My ultimate life goal - or maybe it is just a dream anyway - would be to move back to Russia in a couple of years, once I’m done with my Ph. D. and go teach somewhere in Siberia. I love the city of «Томск» [Tomsk], where I’ve been twice, but I think I’d rather go to «Иркутск» [Irkutsk] and live there instead, even though I’ve never even been there… Not even traveled through!

I think it is true that once you’ve become very close to a foreign culture, when you’ve come to close that it has become a part of who you are, then you can never truly let go of it. Even if I’m not always going to live in Russia, a part of my heart will always belong to this country. People here often ask me about my future, and since I don’t know where I’ll end up, I always tell them: «Несмотря ни на что, душа моя требует России!» [Despite everything, my soul demands Russia!] There is still much in this country left for me to discover, and still I have many stories that I haven’t yet told anyone… This country has taught me a lot. And I am so thankful for everything that this country has given to me - education, experience, friendship. Maybe this sounds like I’m already saying «до свидания» [farewell] with another eight months left to spend here? That’s not entirely true. I’m just summing up what I’ve come to understand so far. And what I’ve come to understand is this - life is beautiful. And no matter what we must always appreciate, respect and love life.

 What it all comes down to is that I’m just «обычная девушка» [an ordinary girl] and like all other girls I love «пить вишнёвое пиво» [to drink cherry beer]. So is there a better way to end today’s post than to say «на здоровье!» [cheers!]?

 
Posted under Culture, History, Literature, News, The Russian Emotion, Traditions, language
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«С праздником!» or: How to Congratulate Russian Style

Posted by Josefina
Nov
5
2009

Yesterday was the 4th of November and «выходной день в России» [a day of rest, day off, holiday in Russia]. Yes once again it was time to celebrate the mysterious «День народного единства» [(People's) Unity Day]. There’s no need to pretend that Russians don’t look at this strange holiday in pretty much the same way, since they don’t and in this confusion we can finally meet and truly understand each other. Most Russians don’t even know «почему» [why] this day is celebrated in the country today. Some people - including me since it was during my first year in Russia and humans have a tendency to remember the first year much more than we remember what happened in the following five - have a fuzzy memory of that the day off used to be called something like «день примирения» [Reconciliation Day]. The first time I celebrated this Russian holiday was «в Санкт-Петербурге» [in Saint Petersburg] in 2004 and back then it was still celebrated on the 7th of November and since then I have commented on this experience by using the following words: «я примирилась так, что голова после этого болела три дня» [I reconciled so much that my head hurt for three days afterwards]. In the Soviet Union the 7th of November marked the «годовщина Октябрской революции» [anniversary of the October Revolution]. Some Russians claim that they as a people have just got too used to having a day off in November, and that’s why they had to come up with any kind of excuse to keep it. The 4th of November is today known as «день освобождения от польско-литовских и шведских оккупантов» [the day of liberation from Polish, Lithuanian and Swedish occupants]. Perhaps because of this I have no real reason to celebrate this day (I am, after all, Swedish), even though I tried very hard to make it a special day last year.

No Russian «праздник» [day of celebration, holiday] without «шампанское» [champagne]! If you’re unsure as to what to do with your bottle after you’ve drunk it all together with your best friend «Ваня» [short for «Иван»] out on the street in minus 30, then here’s a tip…

Let’s take today to focus on not HOW to celebrate holidays with Russians (since I’m fully sure everyone already has expertise in this area), but HOW to congratulate Russian with their holidays! We’ll start with the simplest way:

«С праздником!» - Happy Holiday!

Usually you don’t say the whole phrase in Russian when congratulating someone: «Поздравляю вас/тебя с праздником!» - [I congratulate you with the holiday!]

«поздравлять» (impfv.) and «поздравить» (pfv.) - [to congratulate, felicitate; compliment, hail] is always combined with a direct object in accusative: «кого?» [whom?] and an indirect object in the instrumental case: «с чем?» [with what?]. Here are a few examples:

«Надо поздравить Фёдора Михайловича с защитой докторской диссертации!» - [(We) must congratulate Fyodor Mikhailovich with having defended his doctoral dissertation!]

«Я уже поздравила маму с Международным женским днём» - [I have already congratulated my mom with International Women's Day (8th of March)].

«Поздравляю вас с Новым Годом!» - [(lit.: 'I congratulate you with the New Year!') Happy New Year!]

«Поздравляют ли друг друга с Рождеством в России?» - [Do people in Russia wish each other Merry Christmas?]

«Конечно, поздравляют! Но только седьмое января, а не двадцатпятое декабря» - [Of course they congratulate! But on the 7th of January, not on the 25th of December].

Among other important words to know in the same context are the noun «праздник» [holiday, day of celebration] and the verb «праздновать» [celebrate, feast; keep; rejoice; solemnize]. This verb is combined with a direct object in accusative: «праздновать что?» [to celebrate what?] and «праздновать кого?» [to celebrate whom?].

«Как ты обычно празднуешь свой день рождения?» - [How do you usually celebrate your birthday?]

«Завтра будем праздновать Лену, поздравим её с рождением ребёнка!» - [Tomorrow we will celebrate Lena; we'll congratulate her with the birth of her baby!]

From this verb and this noun two very different adjectives exist, and it is important that you try to keep them apart as their meaning is not the same. Though they may look and sound very similar:

«праздничный» means festive, merry, like a feast or festival, while

«праздный» means idle, unoccupied; indolent; vacuous.

That’s all from the Ural Mountains for now. «С праздником всех!» [Happy Holiday everyone!]

 
Posted under Culture, History, Soviet Union, language
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In Russia Snow Walks…

Posted by Josefina
Nov
1
2009

A couple of days ago - I think it was «в среду» [on Wednesday] - we received our first snow here in Yekaterinburg: «выпал первый снег» [the first snow fell (down)]. On Wednesday, however, I had the bad luck to be feeling a bit under the weather - in Russian «я захворала» [I got ill; this perfect colloquial verb «захворать» means ‘to be taken ill' or ‘(with instrumental case) to come down with (something)']. Because of this I was unable to catch «первый снег этой зимы» [this winter's first snow] on camera and when this snow melted away in just a few days I felt very sorry for myself due to this, since I badly wanted to write a post about it here and as always attach some current photographs «из современной России» [from modern Russia]. Then I thought about the fact that this is «моя шестая русская зима» [my sixth Russian winter] and that I have plenty of pictures of snow from the five previous Russian winters that I have experienced in this country. And as I went through my archive of photographs on my «съёмный диск» [external hard drive] I was reassured that it is indeed so. But there’s always something special with the first snow. Every year it falls as if for the very first time. There’s something exceptional about those first fragile white snowflakes that makes us feel and act like children again. And this ‘something’ makes us smile as we look out the window and instantly feel an urge to put on our heaviest clothing and go out and try to catch one on the tip of our tongues… In my mind and in my memories Russia will always be dressed in snow. For the most obvious of reasons, when I look back and think of Russia I always see this country as a white wonderland where the skies are clear and blue, where the sun shines over glittering «сугробы» [snowdrifts] along endless Siberian highways… I know that most people who have never ever been to Russia - I know because they have told this me many, many times - think of this country as looking exactly like that «круглый год» [all year around]. But we who have been here, we who have lived here, know that this is not the case. But we also know that winter is best in Russia, don’t we?

And here we are again! Tomorrow it is already «первый день ноября» [the first day of November] and that means that «осень» [fall] has officially ended and that it is time for «зима» [winter] - «русская зима» [Russian winter] - to take over with full force! When the first snow came down on us this week, I looked out the window and then turned to my Korean roommate and said: «Снег идёт!» [It's snowing!] Only after a while, as I watched the snowflakes tumbling around in the air outside, did it occur to me that the verb «идти» [impf., verb of motion used for movement in a particular direction: to go; to walk; to come; to come out; to follow] was no where near a correct one to use when describing the way the snow was moving.

 «Снег идёт» [It is snowing] somewhere on a Russian railroad.

Thus yesterday I asked one of my Russian friends who is a Master’s student of «русский язык» [Russian language] this important question: «Почему снег именно ИДЁТ в русском языке? Почему он не ходит?» ["Why is it that snow in Russian language walks? Why doesn't it go around (without any particular direction)?"] «Ходить» is the indetermened variant of the verb of motion «идти», it indicates a movement there AND back again and means ‘to walk, to be able to walk; to run, to operate; to be going around’. She understood my confusion, but - «увы!» [alas!] - could not give me any answer other than that it, of course, would make more sense to describe snow coming down from the sky with another verb completely. The thing is that Russian language lacks such a thing as «снеговать» or even «снегить» [I made up both of these verbs; do not make a note of them!] as apart from, for example, my native language (Swedish!), and thus must use what it’s got. What does it have then? What else can we say when we see snow outside our windows but don’t really think ‘it’s walking’ but doing something different entirely? Let’s have a look!

«падать» impfv.: to fall; to crash; to decline, go down, fall.

«Снег падает» - [Snow is falling].

And from this combination of noun and verb you can make another noun in Russian that describes this exactly: «снегопад» [snowfall].

«Выпадать» is impfv. and «выпасть» is pfv.: to fall out; (of snow, rain, etc) to fall; to turn out to be; to fall to, to befall.

«Снег выпал ночью» - [The snow fell at night (in the night, during the night)].

«вьюжить» is a verb that I have only heard from Russians but can’t find in the dictionary, though it is clear that it is made from the noun «вьюга» meaning ‘snowstorm; blizzard’. I’m not sure if this could be combined with «снег» in such a sentence as «снег вьюжит» [‘snow is storming' or ‘it's snowstorming']. Perhaps one should be content with just saying «вьюжит» [‘there's a snowstorm/blizzard going on'].

The same goes for the verb «метелить» made from the noun «метель» (fem.) [snowstorm; blizzard]. I always have a hunch here that you can’t say «снег метелит» but must go for a construction like «на улице метелит» [‘there's a blizzard outside'] instead.

But since the most common verb used «со снегом» [with snow] in Russian is after all «идти» let’s have a look at how to make use of «совершенный вид этого глагола» [the perfect aspect of this verb] - «пойти» [to begin to walk, to set out; to start moving; (of snow, rain, etc) to begin to fall]:

«Скоро пойдёт снег» - [Snow will soon begin to fall].

«Вот и снег пошёл!» - [And so snow has begun to fall!]

Yet on this photograph we have snow without any motion at all! Here «снег лежит» [snow is lying]…

 
Posted under News, The Russian Emotion, language
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Russian Realia: «Счастливый билет» [The ‘Lucky’ Ticket]

Posted by Josefina
Oct
27
2009

Since we recently had a post here on how to ride «общественный транспорт» [public transportation] in Russia - or perhaps it was really more about «виды общественного транспорта в Российской федерации» [types of public transportation in the Russian Federation] - let’s take a closer look at «проездной билет» [ticket (on buses, trams, trolleybuses, etc.)] in Russia today. Or more exactly: the interesting phenomena of the «счастливый билет» [the ‘lucky' ticket] in Russia. Maybe not all of my dear readers know what it is that makes a Russian «проездной билет» [a ticket] «счастливый» [lucky]? I thought so! Aren’t you curious now? Well, let me explain.

In Russia there are two ways you can pay for public transportation. Either you can buy «проездной билет» [ticket] that entitles you to ride as much as you like on anything you want to - «на трамваях» [on trams], «на автобусах» [on buses], «на троллейбусах» [on trolleybuses] - for a specific amount of time. Usually the amount of time is a month (when you have to buy a new ticket depends on what Russian city you’re living in, sometimes in the middle of the month, sometimes closer at the end of it for the next month); one can buy a ticket for two weeks at a time also. When buying these kinds of tickets there are all sorts of «скидка» [discount, price reduction; rebate] one can receive if one belongs to a certain group in society. For example, there are «скидка для пенсионеров» [discount for pensioners], «скидка для школьников» [discount for school children], and - my personal favorite - «скидка для студентов» [discount for students]. This is of course the most «экономный способ» [economic; economical; thrifty way] of riding public transportation in Russia. But if you don’t use public transportation on a regular basis you might want to just buy a one-time «проездной билет» [ticket] already when you’re on the bus or the trolleybus. In Russia every bus, tram and trolleybus is still served by a person (usually a woman) selling these - «билеты на одну поездку» [tickets for one ride]. And that’s where the «счастливый билет» [the lucky ticket] enters into the picture.

On every ticket in Russia there are always six numbers. «Счастливый билет» [a lucky ticket] is a ticket where the total of the first three numbers equals the total of the last three numbers. If this is not clear enough, let’s take a look at a «наглядный пример» [demonstrative; illustrative; visual example]:

 This is «несчастливый билет» [an unlucky, unfortunate; unhappy, sad ticket] from «Пермь» [Perm]. Why? Because 9 + 7 + 3 equals 19, while 0 + 3 + 5 equals 8. And 19 and 8 are not equal numbers, not even close!

This, however, is «счастливый билет» [a lucky ticket] from «Екатеринбург» [Yekaterinburg]. How come? Because 3 + 3 + 3 equals 9, and 6 + 2 + 1 also equals 9. Yay!

Russians always make sure to count and add up the numbers on their bus tickets, and if they receive a lucky one, then they’re always eager to inform you of this. One can actually call it a bit of a national game, if not even a kind of national sport! Don’t be surprised if you’re riding the bus with some Russian friends and they ask you: «У тебя билет счастливый?» ["Is your ticket lucky?"]. If you’re not sure how to add up your numbers I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to explain. I do it myself, too. And whenever I receive a ‘lucky’ one I feel like the day is going to be extra good, but when I don’t I just hardly pay any attention at all. Then it’s just a bus ticket and has no influence on my life at all… And I have a hunch that the way I look at this is also the way of most Russians!

Of course the adjective «счастливый» [glad, happy, pleased; fortunate; lucky] is made from the noun «счастье» [happiness, joy, gladness, cheerfulness; fortune, luck]. Other Russian nouns that would be more proper to use in the sense of ‘luck’ would be «удача» [luck; success; fortune; stroke of good luck, good innings] or «везение» [luck, good fortune]. But for some reason the adjective used together with bus ticket is not «удачный» [successful, fortunate, prosperous, lucky]. I guess that Russians like the concept of «счастье» more!

Have you ever received a lucky ticket in Russia? Where? If not, then I hope you’ll be sure to be on the look-out for one in the future! 

 
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It’s That Time of the Year Again: «Сезон гриппа» [Flu Season]

Posted by Josefina
Oct
23
2009

And then it’s that time of the year again - «осень» [fall], which equals «сезон гриппа» [flu season] in all countries located in the more northern part of this our splendid globe. The object of our common affection - «Россия» [Russia], officially known as «Российская федерация» [Russian Federation], or why not call it old-school by «Русь» [Rus'], or perhaps keeping it not-so-short and but-oh-so-sweet with the words «территория бывшего Советского союза» [the territory of the former Soviet Union] - is just such a country. A country located «на севере» [in the north]. This year, «этой осенью» [this fall] we «северяне» [northerners; plural form of: «северянин»] have a new flu to be worried about, the so-called «свиний грипп» [swine flu]. In an effort to illustrate how this new threat to public health is dealt with «в русской провинции» [in the Russian province] I will post «два объявления» [two notifications] on the blog today that I’ve photographed in the Russian reality around me.

«Грипп снова диктует вам моду?» [Is the flu telling you (lit. dictating) what to wear (lit. fashion) once again?] «Прививка - лучшее средство для борьбы с гриппом!» [Vaccination - the best way to fight (lit. for a fight) the flu (lit. with the flu)!].

Here we find the interesting verb «диктовать» [impf.: dictate] Perhaps you can see that it shares a common root with the noun «диктатор» [dictator]? And how to use this verb, you might wonder? Well, have a look at this:

You should combine the verb «диктовать» with an indirect subject in dative: «кому?» [lit. to whom?] and the direct object in accusative: «что?» [what?]. Here’s an example of what a sentence might end up looking like:

«Он всегда диктует мне как жить» - [lit. He's always dictating me how to live, though a better translation would be: ‘He's always telling me how to live'.]

«Внимание» [Attention]. «Убедительная просьба всем проживающим в общежитии, не желающим прививаться против гриппа, написать отказ на имя ректора в свободной форме и сдать оный заведующей общежитием» [A persuasive request for all those living in the dormitory who do not wish to take the vaccine against the flu to write a refusal to the principle in free form and give it to the manager of the dormitory].

The note above I found hanging on the wall next to the elevator on the first floor in the dormitory where I live yesterday. I didn’t know that all people at our university have to «прививаться» [refl. impfv.: (of a vaccine) to take] against the new «свиний грипп» [swine flu]. Today I read that «Вакциной от нового вида гриппа будет привить каждый третий житель России» ["Every third inhabitant in Russia will be vaccinated against the new type of flu"]. I hope they won’t include foreigners though! I’m very afraid of needles. I think I just might have to sit down and write one of those «отказ на имя ректора в свободной форме» [a refusal to the principle in free form] and try to explain my enormous fear of everything having to do with hospitals in general… You could also make of note of the rare use of the pronoun «оный» which is old and used very rarely in modern Russian. It means «тот» [that] and «тот самый» [the same] and is made from pronoun «он» [he; it].

New words today - and excellent words to use this season - are as follows:

«грипп» - [flu].

«прививка» - [graft; vaccination, inoculation; jab].

«вакцина» - [vaccine; animal lymph].

But don’t get me wrong - «я же желаю вам всем здоровья!» [I really wish all of you health!] 

 
Posted under Culture, News, The Russian Emotion, language
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