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Are You Ready For the New Year?

Posted by yelena 5 Comments
Dec 16 2010

The Russian New Year season is well under way. Yes, that’s right, New Year is more than a day, it’s a season. «Приготовления» [preparations] start early. Not as early as the Christmas frenzy in the US, but definitely by early December.

There’s so much to figure out! «Где будем праздновать» [Where are (we) going to celebrate?] is probably one of the most frequently asked questions of the season.

-  «Вы где будете Новый Год встречать?» [Where are you spending the New Year’s?]

-  «Мы с мужем едем на Кипр, а вы как?» [My husband and I are travelling to Cyprus and what about you?]

-  «А мы – у Сидоровых, как обычно. Выпьем шампанского, потанцуем, послушаем обращение Президента» [As usual, we’re going to the Sidorovs'. We’ll drink some Champaign, dance a bit, will tune into the president’s address.]

Frankly, as someone who’s gets very nostalgic about this most nostalgic of the Russian holidays,  I’d rather go to the said Sidorovs’ to celebrate «по-домашнему» [home style]. There’s something «обнадёживающее» [heartening] and «воодушевляющее» [inspiring] in the unpretentious rituals of Soviet-Russian New Year celebration that not even Cyprus can compete with.

We already talked about many of these «новогодние традиции» [New Year traditions] on this blog over the years. So here’s a little checklist if you’d like to create «праздничное настроение по-русски» [Russian-style festive atmosphere]:

Watch «Ирония судьбы» [The Irony of Fate]. To paraphrase a famous saying, «какой русский не смотрит Иронию судьбы!» [What kind of a Russian doesn’t watch “The Irony of Fate!”]. «Если уже тошнит от этого фильма» [If you are sick to your stomach from watching this movie (too many times)], «если он надоел хуже горькой редьки» [if it bores you silly; lit. it bores you more than a bitter radish] then there’s «Ирония судьбы 2» [Irony of Fate, Part 2] and a no-less wonderful and wintery «Чародеи» [The Magicians].

Stock up on «Советское Шампанское» [Soviet Champaign]. It’s extra sweet, even «полу-сладкое» [semi-sweet] and bubbly, just like happy memories. You’ll need lots of it for all the toasts, but the good news is it’s cheap with a capital «Д» (for «дешёвый» [cheap]).

Set up and decorate a real «новогодняя ёлка» [New Year Tree]. It’s not that much different from a traditional Christmas tree. If you can score some vintage Soviet tree ornaments, then more power to you. If not, the usual glass orbs will do, but nothing too fancy. Instead, rely extensively on «мишура» [tinsel], foil-wrapped «грецкие орехи» [walnuts], «бумажные хлопушки» [paper crackers], and whatever other home-made toys your kids make this year. Use red star for a topper.

Get «Дед Мороз» [Father Frost] and «Снегурочка» [Snow Maiden]. I’m not talking about playing dress up (although if you or your friends are up to that, you score major points). But at least put the pair of small dolls or figurines under your New Year Tree. Don’t worry about a tree skirt though. Just use a white bed sheet.

Put mandarin oranges or tangerines under the tree on top of the make-shift tree skirt. They used to be a special winter treat in Soviet Union and are still symbols of New Year and prosperity.

Get gifts for children, family and close friends who are going to be at your party, but don’t wrap gifts and instead hide them «под ёлкой» [under the tree, actually - under the tree skirt].

Set up a big table in the middle of the living room (most Russian apartments do not have a formal dining room and kitchens are far too small and too mundane for the occasion). Cover it completely with plates of «закуски» [appetizers]. «Обязательно приготовьте салат Оливье» [You must make Olivier salad] and «селёдка под шубой» [“herring under a fir coat” layered salad]

This one is mostly for women - make sure that your outfit is in line with the coming year’s Zodiac sign, element and color. «В чём встречать Новый Год – вопрос не менее актуальный, чем где и с кем встречать его.» [What to wear for the New Year celebration is a question no less important than where to celebrate or with whom to celebrate]. 2011 is the year of «Белый Металлический Кролик» [the White and Metal Rabbit] according to Russian interpretations of Chinese calendar, so:

«Наиболее благоприятные цвета – белый, золотой и жёлтый. А так как Кролик – металлический, то блеск украшений из металлов будет как нельзя кстати.»  [The most favorable colors are white, gold and yellow. And since the Rabbit is a metal one, “bling” of shiny metal accessories will fit right in.]

At about 10 minutes to midnight turn the TV on to watch the «новогоднее обращение президента» [President’s New Year’s Address]. Apparently, this short holiday address is one of the «самые рейтинговые программы на телевидении» [most popular TV programs]. Now is time to move very quickly – uncork and pour a fresh bottle of Sovetsky Champaign – you’re only seconds away from greeting the New Year. Listen to «бой кремлёвских курантов» [the Kremlin’s carillon], make a wish with each strike, then drink up and heartily wish everyone «С Новым Годом! С Новым счастьем!» [Happy New Year! Lots of Happiness to You!]

Watch New Year programming on TV which, although different every year, is some permutation of a concert by the country’s most popular pop stars. Stay up as late as you can manage for bragging rights the next day. Have fun and keep in mind that «как Новый Год встретишь, так его и проведёшь.» [The way you greet the New Year is the way you live through it.]

Now, that’s a lot of stuff for just one day! There is more to come – the New Year’s Day itself, the Old New Year, the Chinese New Year and, of course, Russian Orthodox Christmas. In Russia ‘tis truly the season!

Reading «Мастер и Маргарита»: Chapter 12

Posted by josefina 1 Comment
Aug 24 2010

Maybe you’re asking yourself «кто это?» [who is this?] looking at the painting above. But if you’ve been reading «Мастер и Маргарита» [“Master & Margarita”] together with us the past two months, then you should know by now that this is «Михаил Булгаков» [Mikhail Bulgakov]. Though you might still wonder «где это?» [where is this?]. Well, it happens to be on the wall «в одном знаменитом московском подъезде» [in one famous Moscow doorway (entrance)]…

…and this «знаменитый подъезд (нынче подъезд номер 6 (шесть), видимо)» [famous entrance (or I would call it ‘staircase’ rather) (currently entrance number 6, apparently)] leads up to the part of «музей М. А. Булгакова в Москве» [the M. A. Bulgakov Museum in Moscow] which is also known as «квартира номер 50 (пятьдесят)» [apartment number 50].

The walls have been re-painted many times to cover up the curios remarks and talented artworks left by various «поклонники писателя» [devotees/admirers of the writer] over the years. But there’s no stopping «любовь читателей» [the love of the readers], for new paintings and fresh messages keep appearing and re-appearing on these walls. That’s why every time you go there you might find something entirely new! When I visited the museum in June I especially liked where it says «Булгаков – гений» [Bulgakov is a genius] with BIG letters, and then in smaller letters (not visible on the picture above, sadly):«это правда, я проверил» [it is true, I (male) verified/tested/checked it]. «Как?» [how?] There’s no further explanation! Oh, and then there’s the «МАСТЕРство не пропьёшь» [‘you can't drink your skill (handicraft; trade) away’]. I hope that’s true! «А кто-нибудь проверил?» [Did anyone verify it?]

Chapter 12 – «Явление героя» [“The Appearance of the Hero”, or an even better English translation might be: ”The Hero Appears”] – is where we, the readers of “Master & Margarita”, finally come to understand what the novel’s title means. In this chapter an enigmatic «гость» [mas. guest] comes into the room of «Иван Бездомный» [Ivan ‘Homeless’] in the mental hospital in the middle of the night – through the balcony. During his visit he asks about how Ivan came to be there as well as manages to tell the story of his life, all without ever mentioning his own name. Not even once! The stranger is fascinated with how Ivan’s arrival to the mental hospital is tightly linked to Pontius Pilate – a historical figure about whom he himself once wrote an entire novel. After receiving this piece of curious information Ivan asks the mysterious man: «Вы – писатель?» [”Are you a writer?”]. But he almost corrects him: «Я – мастер» [“I am a master”]. He points at this hat which has the letter «М» sown onto it in yellow silk and comments: «Она своими руками сшила её мне» [“She sew it for me with her own hands”]. Who is «она» [she]? The Master does not mention her name while telling Ivan the whole story about how they met. But we all can guess that she must be the «Маргарита» [Margarita] from the book’s title, right? Chapter 12 might just as well be called «Явление героя и героини» [“The appearance of the Hero and the Heroine”] for from this chapter on she comes to play an equally important part to the story as he does – perhaps an even greater one! In my strictly personal opinion, the title of the novel might just as well have been «Маргарита и Мастер» [“Margarita and The Master”] instead of the other way around. Chapter 12 is only our first introduction to the novel’s two ‘main’ characters, but the further we reach in their stories and their involvement in the plot, the more will we understand that it is not entirely clear who of these two are really «главный» [main, chief, principal; head (in mas. sing.)] – or should I perhaps say «главная» [the same adjective but in fem. sing]?

Chapter 12 is where the according to some scholars «фантастический роман» [fantastic/fantasy novel] transforms from «реалистический роман с элементами фантастики» [a realistic novel with elements of fantasy] into «любовный роман» [a love novel]. Or it might be more correct to call that aspect of the novel for «история одной любви» [the history of one love] – what love is that, you might ask? Well, the love «между мастером и одной замужней женщиной» [between the Master and one married woman] «без имени» [without a name]. We all realize that she’s «Маргарита» [Margarita] – as we find out that their love came upon them like a thief on the street, according to what the Master told Ivan.

Since they are indeed a «знаменитая пара из русской литературы» [famous couple from Russian literature], I thought to myself: “Why not finish this post with a quiz to see if you can pair some literary couples with the books that chronicle their love story?” I had a bit of «кризис с фантазией и памятью» [crisis with (my) fantasy and memory] while trying to come up with at least five couples – not all of them necessarily had a happy ending. If you know more couples than this, please share them in the comments (and don’t forget to mention in which book we might find them)!

1. «Соня и Раскольников» [Sonia and Raskol'nikov];

2. «Лара и Живаго» [Lara and Zhivago];

3. «Наташа и Безухов» [Natasha and Bezukhov];

4. «Татьяна и Онегин» [Tatiana and Onegin];

5. «Одинцова и Базаров» [Odintsova and Bazarov].

*

A. «Война и мир» [“War and Peace”];

B. «Отцы и дети» [“Fathers and Sons”];

C. «Преступление и наказание» [“Crime and Punishment”];

D. «Евгений Онегин» [“Evgeny Onegin”]

E. «Доктор Живаго» [“Doctor Zhivago”].

Leave your answers – or guesses, if that’s how you’d rather define them – in the comments like this “1 + E” (if you think that’s right). You get extra points if you can also add who the writers behind each of the novels are! I’ll publish the correct answers on Thursday. If this was super-easy for you, then let me introduce a more difficult task: How come (almost) all the female characters on the list above are mainly called by their first names, whereas the male go by their last names?

«Масленица» begins and that’s why «готовим блины!» [we’re making Russian pancakes!]

Posted by josefina No Comments
Feb 8 2010

Today is «8 (восьмого) февраля» [the 8th of February] and a Monday but not just any Monday – today is the Monday on which «Масленица» [‘Maslenitsa'; carnival, shrove] begins – also known as «сырная неделя» [cheese week] – in Russia. This used to be a «языческий праздник» [pagan holiday] back before Russia became a Christian country, a celebration of the sun and a way of marking the «конец зимы» [end of winter] and the «начало весны» [beginning of spring]. Since back in the days this ‘pagan party’ has been made to fit well into the Christian calendar, and is now celebrated during a whole week «до Великого поста» [before Lent]. Lent 2010 starts «17 (семнадцатого) февраля» [17th of February] and ends on «4 (четвёртого) апреля» [the 4th of April]. The year 2010 will be a most interesting year as it will be the year when «Пасха» [Easter] is celebrated by «православные» [Orthodox Christians], «католики» [Catholics] and «протестанты» [Protestants] on one and the same day – the 4th of April!

But before Easter there’s Lent. And what exactly do Russians eat before giving up such things as meat, dairy and alcohol for lent? I bet you already knew: «блины» [pancakes] of course!

Without a doubt, I am a very lucky girl. One of the reasons for this is because I have a good friend here in Yekaterinburg, «Саша» [Sasha] – or «Александр Александрович» [Alexander Alexandrovich] – who is «повар» [a cook]. Whenever I come over to his place, I always find him in the kitchen cooking me «что-нибудь вкусное» [something tasty].  About a week ago I asked him if he wouldn’t mind giving me a hand with preparing for «посты про русскую еду» [the posts about Russian food], and he agreed. Today I have the honor of bringing our very first culinary creation to my dear readers’ and fellow Russophiles’ attention! I present to you Sasha’s very own recipe for what he calls «сибирские блины» [Siberian pancakes]:

Start by pouring «1 (один) литр молока» [1 liter of milk] into a big bowl.

Then put into the same big bowl «700 (семьсот) грамм муки» [700 grams of flour]. (If you already can tell «мука» [flour] apart from «мука» [martyrdom, torment, agony] just by the way they’re pronounced – well, you’re a better person than I am! I still get them confused… and it’s just as much fun for the Russians every time).

You’ll need «яйца – 3 (три) штуки» [eggs - 3 ‘pieces']. (I didn’t know you could crack eggs with a knife, but «Саша» says that’s the simplest way and the only way that won’t make a mess of things. He’s the «повар» [cook] so he should know, right?)

After this add «соль по вкусу» [(fem.) salt according to (your) taste] and «0,5 (пол)стакана сахара» [half a cup of sugar] into the dough.

Then pour roughly «0,5 (пол)стакана сливок» [half a cup of (pl.) cream] into the bowl.

 

You’ll need «50 (пятьдесят) грамм сливочного масла» [50 grams of butter] «и чуть-чуть растительного масла» [and just a little vegetable oil] (pictured above is only the vegetable oil – by a brand poetically enough called «Щедрое лето» [The Generous Summer]).

As a finishing touch to make «тесто» [the dough] just the way you like it: pour more or less «1,5 (полтора) стакана воды» [1,5 cup of water], add «щепотка соды» [a pinch of soda] and «можно ещё немножко сметаны» [you can also add a little bit of ‘smetana' (sour cream)] – «и тесто готово!» [and the dough is done!]

And now it’s finally «пора» [time] to start making «блины» [pancakes]!

Careful, careful when flipping the «блин» over… Because the famous proverb «первый блин комом» [the first pancake becomes a clod, lump; ball, globe] didn’t turn up in Russian language out of nowhere but from experience! I hope you can see in the background how «Саша» is keeping a watchful eye on me and the process…

That’s more like it! My friend «Катя» [Katya] shows you how it’s done.

 My serving suggestion: «красная икра» [red caviar] (because we can’t afford «чёрная икра» [black caviar]), «сметана» [‘smetana'; sour cream] and «петрушка» [parsley]. I have always thought that eating pancakes like this would be the ‘real’ and ‘true’ Russian way, but it turned that out none of my Russian friends had ever heard of this combination before… And now they claim I will give birth to a new myth «о русской кухне» [about Russian cuisine].

 «Вася» [Vasya (Sasha's brother)], «Саша» and «Катя» all know that the only right way «начать празднование Масленицы» [to begin the celebration of ‘Maslenitsa'] is «с улыбкой» [with a smile]! (In the glasses is a most tasty desert with jelly made from champagne and whipped cream on top…)

And now there’s nothing left to do but to «наслаждаться едой» [enjoy the food] and try to eat enough «перед Великим постом» [before Lent] so that you’ll last all the way «до Пасхи» [to Easter]…

А в то же время в Екатеринбурге… [And at the same time in Yekaterinburg…]

Posted by josefina No Comments
Jun 16 2009

Usually my Russian hometown «Екатеринбург» [Yekaterinburg] looks like this: «бесконечные пробки на улицах» [endless traffic jams on the streets] and «бесконечный ремонт домов и дорог» [endless reconstruction of houses and roads]. But not anymore!

Now my «родной город на Урале» [hometown in the Urals] looks like this! Pictured above is the main street of the city – «проспект Ленина» [Lenin's prospect]. You might not find this picture too extraordinary, but let me inform you of the fact that I’ve lived here for almost three years and I’ve never actually seen the asphalt there before for all the cars… So what’s going on in Yekat right now, you’re wondering? Well, yesterday and today (16-17 of June) marked the summit of «ШОС» [SCO] - that’s short for «Шанхайская организация сотрудничества» [Shanghai Cooperation Organization]. Tomorrow another summit starts here in our town: «БРИК» [BRIC]- that’s an acronym for the countries «Бразилия, Россия, Индия, Китай» [Brazil, Russia, India, China]. Yes, we’re all crowded with international presidents and thousands of policemen flown in from all over Russia to protect them (from us or from themselves, now that is the question…)!

During the past two months Yekaterinburg, where I have lived, studied and worked for almost three years now, has changed greatly day by day before my eyes – «к лучшему!» [for the better!] Yekaterinburg is like most Russian large cities; with both good and bad sides and its own little special, quirky details. But most of all it’s just like any other Russian city at this point in time – growing fast and changing at an even quicker rate. The financial crisis hit hard during last fall, and for a while everything seemed to be standing still; for a couple of months all construction sites around town (they’re everywhere here!) stopped working. Then in April – with the two international summits SCO and BRIC only two months away – the Russians proved that they indeed can do things right: if they’re forced to, that is. Yekaterinburg shaped up in ways I had never foreseen. Roads were fixed or built from scratch all over again (since they were in such a poor condition to begin with), buildings were painted, flowers planted, embarrassing elements removed (such as advertisement reminding of the ongoing financial crisis, mostly those saying «аренда» [for rent] on new fashionable buildings) and Yekaterinburg began to look like a ‘real’ modern ‘megapolis’. Most of these changes, though, were made only within the center of the city and mainly their the efforts were concentrated on the roads on which the delegations were to travel on during this week in June, yet the amount of work that they pulled off within two months are still worth an enormous amount of respect. They even managed to build a new terminal at the airport! (My close friend, who works at the airport, said they did it so fast that it’ll probably come tumbling down by the end of June, but hey, if that’s not the Russian way, then I don’t know what ‘the Russian way’ is.)

The green building seen in the background – newly renovated for the purpose – is «резиденция президента Российской федерации в Екатеринбурге» [the residence for the president of the Russian Federation in Yekaterinburg] where «Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев» [Dmitry Anatol'evich Medvedev] might be having his tea right as you read this as he’ll be staying there this whole week. I’m sorry for the poor quality of the pictures today – my camera broke and I’m forced to document Russian reality with my phone these days…

At first I thought of calling today’s post: “Word of the Week: «Показуха»” [colloq. show; window dressing; from the verb «показать/показывать» - to show; display; demonstrate], since that’s what has been on my mind the entire month of June. Because, I thought, Russians don’t care about keeping their city clean for themselves, but as soon as somebody from the outside decides to take a peak at how they’re living, then they’re always careful to put on an impressive show. Afterwards everything – as is the general rule – falls to pieces while the last flight with important international people leaves town. Today I took a walk around town and it changed my feelings completely. The city has never looked as good as it did today – everything was clean, even the weather behaved well (sunny and warm!), there were hardly any cars on the streets which meant that the city was calm, quiet and perfect for walking around and enjoying life in. Everywhere in the city people seemed to be feeling just what I was feeling; everywhere people were walking around and listening to the silence and soaking up the sun and breathing not-so-dirty-as-usual air. With a couple of police officers on every street corner this is the safest I’ve ever felt in Russia. I don’t mind if this will last for just for a week or a month – «я горжусь своим городом» [I'm proud of my town]. One of my friends sighed deeply at the sight of empty, wide prospects everywhere and said – not without a sweet sense of tender nostalgia in her voice – «Ах ты, совок!» «Совок» is the Russian word for the English variant ‘Homo Soveticus’; in the way she used this word it can be translated as: ‘Ah you, Soviet Union!’ Or something like it. And I have to agree because yes, in a way today Yekaterinburg looked just like it does on all those old Soviet photographs… clean, empty and filled with men of the law keeping order.

«Точно как в старые времена!» [Just like in the olden days!]

Russian Phraseology: «Руки» [Hands & Arms]

Posted by josefina No Comments
May 11 2009

Since we’ll have to do without pictures here on our blog for a little while more, let’s pay close attention to the purely written side of Russian language instead, thus – Russian words and everything related to Russian words. I don’t know if anyone remembers that I wrote a few posts about Russian phraseology here about «полтора года назад» [a year and a half ago], but I think now is the most fitting time to return to this interesting subject and continue exploring the many ways of using body parts in Russian phraseology. Last year I managed to write posts on «голова» [head], «нос» [nose; which is very sad because I would've have greatly enjoyed writing a post about 'the Russian nose' this year as well] and «душа» [soul]. What we have left are «глаза» [eyes], «ноги» [legs & feet], «уши» [ears], «сердце» [heart] and «руки» [arms & hands]. I suggest we re-start this discussion with «руки». The first thing you need to know about the word «рука» is that it means both HAND and ARM. In Russian if you say: «У меня чешется рука» you could be understood as saying a) my hand icthes, or b) my arm itches. If this phrase was not uttered by you during a conversation on the phone you should probably demonstativly scratch the correct body part, or at least point in its direction, so as to not confuse the Russian you are having to pleasure of communicating with. One other thing that should be noted about this word is that the stress has a rather tricky pattern to fall, at least in the beginning – in singular the stress falls on the first vowel in accusative: «Жать (pfv. пожать) руку другу» [to shake (your/a) friend's hand], just like in plural: «Жать (pfv. пожать) руки друзьям» [to shake (your) friends' hands]. But in nominative singular stress is on the second vowel – «красивая рука» [beautiful hand/arm], – just like in, for example, plural dative: «по рукам!» [it's a deal!]. But let’s not get too lost in all the discomfortable rules of Russian stress, as that will only have us more confused than we were to begin with. Let’s look at a few examples of Russian phraseology using this word, or more correctly speaking – this certain body part:

«Маша с Пашей вместе работают из рук вон (плохо)» [Together Masha and Pasha work atrociously; miserably bad].

«Был поздний вечер после жаркого, яркого дня в середине августа. Они шли по набережной Ялты рука об руку, словно как в рассказе Чехова «Дама с собачкой»…» [It was a late evening after a hot, bright day in the middle of August. They were walking on the Yalta embankment hand in hand, just like in the short story "The Lady with the Dog" by Chekhov].

- «Что мне взять?» [What should I take?] - «Это не так уж важно, возьми что под рукой» [That's not really all that important, take whatever's at hand].

- «Леночка, я люблю тебя. Выйдешь за меня замуж?» [Lenochka, I love you. Will you marry me?] - «Да, но только если ты бросишь курить, не будешь пить пиво в парке с мужиками каждый вечер, а готовить мне ужин и мыть посуду после него.» [Yes, but only if you quit smoking, and won't drink beer in the park with the guys every evening, but cook me dinner and wash the dishes afterwards]. - «Ладно… По рукам!» [Okay... It's a deal!]

- «Откуда ты знаешь, что Алла Пугачёва только притворяется, что даёт последний концерт?» [How do you know that Alla Pugachyova is only pretending that this is her last concert?] - «Это ПР-трик, я узнал это из первых рук» [It is a PR-trick, I found out firsthand].

«Взяв себя в руки, она пошла потребовать повышения зарплаты» [She gathered herself and went to demand a raise in salary].

«Первые месяцы без работы он был как без рук» [The first months without a job he was helpless; lost].

«Мы в Москве в 30-ие годы жили совсем рядышком с Михаилом Афанасьевичем Булгаковым - рукой подать!» [In Moscow in the 1930's we lived very close to Mikhail Afanas'evich Bulgakov - only a stone's throw away!]

«Милиционер кричит вору: Руки вверх!» [The policeman shouts to the thief: Hands up!]

«Мама кричит ребёнку, взявшему без разрешения печенье: Руки прочь!» [The mother shoes to the child who has taken a cookie without permission: Hands off!]

«Раньше все произведения Солженицыина ходили из рук в руки в самиздате» [Before all of Solzhenitsyn's work went from hand to hand in samizdat].

«Победу в конкурсе стихов он взял голыми руками» [He took home victory in the poetry slam competition with his bare hands]. (P.S. this sentence might be incorrect and weird, but – «что написано пером, того не вырубишь топором!» ["What is written with a pen, that you can't cut away with an ax!", i. e. ‘what is written is written' or ‘what is done is done'].)

Tonight at three in the morning I woke up by hearing the Russian national anthem at an extreme loud volume all around me. At first I thought it was a part of my dream, but then I opened my eyes and looked around me and realized that not only was I awake, but the national anthem was still in sounding my ears! I gathered that it was coming from a room above mine in the dormitory, and the easy to identify melody was entering into my room through the open window. (Now summer has come to the Urals – we like to skip the whole ‘spring thing’ here – and sleeping with the window closed would mean waking up in a bath of sweat.) Then I heard cars everywhere beeping and driving fast and people shouting and singing and suddenly I remembered last summer and thought to myself: “Probably Russia has won something… maybe hockey. It is too early for soccer, right?” The national anthem was followed by my neighbors shouting to each other “Russia is the best!” and “We are the champions!” for about an hour. Until they were both out of breath and patriotism, I suppose, and decided to finally go to sleep. Doubtlessly, I love Russia. There’s always something happening in this country… Where else in the world would I be woken up in the middle of the night to «славься, Отечество» and a city in complete blissfull chaos because of some sport related event?

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