Posts tagged with "russian women"

International Women’s Day in Russia

Posted by yelena 3 Comments
Mar 8 2011

An old Soviet postcard that celebrates the International Women’s Day. Check out the traditional bouquet – red tulips and yellow mimosa flowers. Also, note that in Russia bouquets have an odd number of blooms.

Today is the day when Russian men «поют дифирамбы» [sing praises] to Russian women. And Russian women, congratulating each other «в стихах и прозе» [in poetry and prose], not so jokingly wish for the day to end. For today, March 8th, Russians celebrate «Международный женский день» [International Women’s Day].

The whole world knows that Russian women are «красавицы» [beauties]. What they don’t know is that Russian woman is also «отличница, комсомолка, спортсменка» [an outstanding student, a member of the Komsomol youth organization, an athlete]. This famous phrase, from a Soviet-era movie «Кавказская пленница» [The (female) prisoner of the Caucasus] means “an ideal woman”, the one who succeeds in everything she undertakes and in spite of anything thrown at her.

And that’s exactly the kind of woman who «коня на скаку остановит, в горящую избу войдёт» [will stop a galloping horse, will enter a burning house]. This is a phrase that all Russian men know even those who have never read Nekrasov’s famous poem.

Back to the 8th of March… This is the day when children give hand-made cards to their mothers while husbands attempt to both clean the house and cook dinner while watching the kids. Then the men give up and run out for some «цветы» [flowers], «безделушки» [trinkets] and «коробка шоколада» [a box of chocolates].

And women try to get a break from «домашние дела» [household chores] if for just a few hours. But that almost never happens. 8th of March is a federal holiday in Russia and a day off. So friends and family get together in the afternoon to «отметить дату» [celebrate the occasion]. Naturally, all the cooking and much of the cleaning are done by women.

Of course, the first toast at the table is «за прекрасных дам» [to the beautiful ladies]. But by the end of «застолье» [soiree] men are frequently too «подшофе» [drunk] to even help get the dishes to the sink. «Лучшая половина» [lit: the better half, wife] is left to do all the cleanup.

To Russian men’s credit, they do know of their shortcomings. They also have largely theoretical knowledge of how tough life is for their «подруги жизни» [lit. life partners, wives and girlfriends]. They understand that Russian women are the glue that holds Russian society together and gives it strength to continue on. And they do it with virtually no recognition of their hard work.

One of my favorite Russian «сатирики» [satirists], Mikhail Zhvanetski, once said «Воспитанный мужчина не сделает замечания женщине, плохо несущей шпалу.» [A well-brought up man will never correct a woman improperly carrying a railroad tie.]

He also, by the way, described the conspicuous absence of women in Russian politics in his snappy «Почему они все так хотят в парламент?! Ведь есть же рестораны, клубы, ночные бары… Туда можно с женщиной…» [Why do they (women) still want to be in the Parlament?! After all, there are restaurants, clubs, bars… One can go there with a woman…”

Unfortunately, most foreigners consider beauty to be the main attribute of a Russian woman. Yet beauty is not what sets Russian women apart. Nor is it their smarts, education, modesty or subservience (unbelievable, but some men still look for this quality in their wives). Above all, Russian women are infinitely patient and resilient, much like the country they live in.

So when you lift your glass today, let this toast guide you:

- Я возьму себе жену красивую, умную, верную и хозяйственную! - говорит один холостяк другому.
- И как ты думаешь управляться со всеми четырьмя?- опешил второй.
Так выпьем же за наших жен, совмещающих в себе все эти качества и еще многие другие!

[- When I marry, I will choose a wife who’s beautiful, smart, faithful and the one that knows how to keep the house!, said one bachelor to another.

- And how do you plan on managing all four of them? - the other one exclaimed, taken aback.

So let’s raise our glasses to our wives, who combine all of these fine qualities along with many others!]

I Love Volgograd

Posted by yelena 15 Comments
Apr 20 2010

Volgograd Pedagogic University

Volgograd, my hometown, is relatively obscure in the West. Most Americans ask me where in Russia I am from and look seemingly lost when I say I’m from Volgograd. The notable exceptions are these three categories:

«Знатоки Второй Мировой войны» [WWII history buffs] – «Сталинградская битва» [Battle of Stalingrad] was one of the major battles of the World War II and one of its turning points. It is also known as one of the bloodiest battles in the human history.

Trivia collectors – one of the world’s tallest free-standing statues, not including the pedestal, is in Volgograd;

Men looking for Russian wives – It’s a well-known fact, confirmed by Boris Yeltsin during his May 1996 visit to Volgograd, that «самые красивые девушки – из Волгограда» [the most beautiful girls are from Volgograd]. How else to explain all those annual beauty contests, including «Мисс Выпускница» [Miss High School Graduate], «Мисс Студентка» [Miss College Student],  «Невеста Года» [Volgograd Bride of the Year], «Мисс Волгоград» [Miss Volgograd], «Миссис Волгоград» [Mrs. Volgograd]…

I think this semi-oblivion stems from the fact that Volgograd does not boast any ancient golden-domed churches. Instead of quaint crafts, such as «лакированные шкатулки» [lacquered boxes], «расписные подносы» [colorfully painted metal trays], or intricate «кружева» [lacework], the city produces lots and lots of heavy industrial machinery and chemicals (not at all quaint). Compared to Moscow and St. Petersburg, it is very blue collar and provincial.

Yet this large (around 1 million residents) industrial city remains one of the nicest and quirkiest places to visit, especially in the summer and not just for history buffs or men looking for their future Mrs Volgograd.

If you are planning a trip to Russia, plan on spending a few days in Volgograd for some of the best real-Russia experiences:

Riding the only underground passenger tram in Russia (and maybe in the entire world)

 Volgograd doesn’t have beautiful subway stations (this honor goes to Moscow) or the deepest ones (that’s St. Petersburg claim). Instead it has a «метротрам»– a tram that, for 3 out of its 30 or so stops, runs under ground. The extension line with some more underground stations has been in the works since 1984 (I remember watching some of the construction work from my 2nd grade classroom window).

Driving over the longest bridge in Europe

Unbelievable as it might sound, stretched for almost 100 kilometers along a river bank, the city only has one bridge across Volga. It took 13 years to complete; but to be fair it is now the longest bridge in Europe.

Checking out the world’s largest statue of a real person

The 52-meter tall statue of Lenin is officially the world’s tallest statue commemorating a real person. Hand on his hip, «вождь мирового пролетариата» [the leader of the world’s proletariat] is overlooking the workings of the Volga-Don Channel.

Testing your “lucky 13” theory

Why not take a look at the world’s tallest Lenin from aboard one of the many river cruise ships passing through the locks of the «Волго-Донской канал» [Volga-Don Channel].  Your ship will have to move through 13 locks on the way from Volga to Don – a trip that takes 10-12 hours (maybe you get exceptionally lucky with an unexpected delay of some non-alarming sort and it’ll take you full 13 hours then).

Driving along the longest street in the entire Mother Russia

Russia is the largest country in the world. Wouldn’t it be so very cool to travel the length of the longest street of the largest country? (Especially as a low-cost alternative to the epic Trans Siberian Railway trip)

Hail a cab (they are refreshingly cheap after the rip-offs of Moscow) and do a round-trip of the «Вторая Продольная»  [lit. Second Lengthwise Street]. Not only will you get to see much of real city life along its 50-km stretch (one-way), but you will also understand why it is said that Russia has two banes – fools and roads.

Checking out the most romantic (per linear foot of bench space) park in the entire nation

Fresh from your round-trip along the longest street, ask the cabby to drop you off at «Педагогический университет» [Pedagogic University]. It is on one side of the «Первая Продольная» [lit. First Lengthwise street] in the «Центральный район» [Central district]. It is right across the street from «Политехнический университет» [Polytechnic University].

Here’s the easy way to tell apart the two institutions of higher learning even if you can’t read the plaques on the facades. If 90% of people walking through the building’s doors are girls, then it’s the «Пед» [short for Pedagogic]. If it’s mostly guys, then you’re in front of the «Политех» [short for Polytechnic].

Now cross the street half-way to a long and narrow park. If it’s a warm late-spring day and the air is filled with the aroma of lilacs, you will have a hard time securing a seat on one of the many benches in this lovely park filled with kissing and making-out «Пед-Политех» couples.

Tasting the world’s best tomatoes and watermelons

We all know that supermarket tomatoes smell or taste nothing like the real thing. But let me tell you – even your best farmer’s market organically grown Brandywines are no match to Volgograd’s finest, like «Бычье Сердце» (Bull’s Heart). You will dream about these juicy warm meaty tomatoes for the rest of your life, guaranteed. Same goes for the sweet melt-in-your-mouth «арбузы» [watermelons].

Have you been to Volgograd?

How To Prepare Russian Mimosa Salad

Posted by yelena 9 Comments
Mar 5 2010

flowering mimosaAs you can imagine, after long winter Russians eagerly anticipate «приход весны» [advent of spring]. Every sign points to it – «оттепель» [a thaw] that leaves «проталины» [patches of thawed out ground] in the retreating snow and causes «капель» [melting icicles] to drip-drip-drip tiny droplets of clear cold water on the ground and on occasional passerby who forgets the basic Russian spring safety rule – «под сосульками не ходить» [don’t walk under the icicles].

(Do you know that, apparently, in Sweden it is no longer legal to walk under the roof overhangs because of the melting icicles and snow? Well, at least in the town of Holstad it is.)

Another sign of spring is «бабушки» [old ladies] selling пучки «вербы» [bunches of pussy willow sprigs] «на рынке» (at farmer’s market) «и в подземном переходе» (in pedestrian underpass, typically under very busy roads or leading to subway stations).

Competing with «бабушки» and their willows are the sellers of «мимоза» [mimosa], another traditional spring flower and an absolute must for celebration of «Международный женский день» (International Women’s Day) on March 8.

I tried finding mimosas at floral shops here, in North Carolina, so I could take pictures for the story, but had no luck. So, while looking for a picture on Internet, I came across a «Цветы и звёзды» [Flowers and Stars] site that had a floral horoscope. And here’s what they had to say about «мимоза» people, those born between February 20 and February 28:

«Люди, родившиеся под этим знаком…отличаются повышенной чувствительностью и переживают очень больно, если их работу недооценили. Начальники, не перегружайте Мимозу!»

[People born under this sign… are highly sensitive and take it very personally when their work is underappreciated. Bosses, do not overwork your Mimosa!]

Take that to your boss when asking for a raise!

Of course, if you Google «мимоза» the top few links might not be to a flower itself, but to a traditional Russian salad.

I rarely cook Russian food (more on this – some other time). But I guess I was so tired of the winter that, in the absence of retreating snow, thaw patches, life-threatening icicles and bunches of pussy willow or mimosa, making this salad was the only way for me to loudly proclaim – «СКОРО ВЕСНА!» [SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!]

Now, before I give you the recipe and the instructions… In spite of this being one of the traditional Russian salads (or maybe exactly because of this) there are countless recipes for it. Heated arguments erupt online over pretty much every ingredient – butter or no butter; the type of cheese to use, if any; how much mayo, etc. And even when there is an agreement on which ingredients to use, there are different opinions on how to layer them.

Russian cooks can be very «категоричные» [black-and-white] in their preferences. And while they do mince the ingredients, they sure don’t mince words criticizing each other’s versions. As a result, even a simple salad recipe can cause «ажиотаж» [agitated argument]. Good thing that in the end, «чувство юмора» [the sense of humor] prevails and the salad, whatever version was used, «дружно съедается» [gets eaten by all].

So here’s a recipe for this festive, «нежный» [delicate], «слоённый» [layered] salad.

Ingredients (plenty for 4 adults):

ingredients for Russian Mimosa Salad

1 «банка лосося» [can of salmon] in oil; drained and mashed with a fork

4 hard-boiled «яйца» [eggs], whites separated from yolks, all finely chopped

1 «маленькая луковица» [small onion], can be replaced with a bunch of scallions, finely chopped

3-4 «картофелины» [potatoes], choose medium size yellow-skinned ones, boiled and peeled

3-4 «моркови» [carrots], boiled and peeled

«Лёгкий майонез» [light mayonnaise]

«Мягкий сыр» [soft cheese], entirely optional, grated

«Зелень лука, петрушки или укропа» [scallions - green parts, parsley or dill] for decoration, finely chopped

Instructions:

prepare Russian Mimosa salad

Spread the mashed salmon on a big shallow plate.  Cover with a thin layer of mayonnaise.

Sprinkle chopped onion, then – egg whites and shredded cheese (if using). Cover with another thin layer of mayonnaise.

Grate boiled carrots directly on top of the salad, directly over the plate. Cover with yet another thin layer of mayonnaise.

Grate boiled potatoes directly on top of the salad. Cover with the last thin layer of mayonnaise.

Sprinkle egg yolks over the salad.

Sprinkle, sparingly, finely chopped herbs over the yolks.

 Do NOT mix the layers. Place the salad into refrigerator for an hour or two (gives you just enough time to wash the dishes and catch your breath).

Russian Mimosa SaladServe the way you would serve pie, trying to preserve the layers. Ask your friends to guess the ingredients. Enjoy.

P.S. I shared the salad with a couple of my American friends and got some mixed reviews. Overall, the salad was judged as “good”. One friend suggested to add something crunchy to it (like maybe raw carrots instead of boiled ones or a layer of shredded apples). The other one was against crunchy, but said that the salad would improve immensely if mixed and used as a spread. I can imagine the reaction on Russian cooking forums to these two ideas!

Russian Literature On Stage: «Поэма «Русские женщины» Н. А. Некрасова» [The Long Poem “Russian Women” by N. A. Nekrasov]

Posted by josefina No Comments
May 29 2009
YouTube Preview Image

Though there are still some problems with posting pictures here on the blog we can always use videos instead! This is just the beginning – I intend on posting the whole 10 minute version of this tiny play in a couple of days – of how we staged «поэма «Русские женщины» Н. А. Некрасова» [the long poem «Russian Women" by N. A. Nekrasov] today at Ural State University. (And please be patient with me – I’m just starting to understand how to make movies out of videos!)

In the early 1870′s Nikolay Nekrasov wrote a long poem – known in Russian as «поэма» – called «Русские женщины» ["Russian Women"]. It is made up out of two parts; part I is called «Княгиня Трубецкая» [Princess Trubetskaya] and part II «Княгиня М. Н. Волконская» [Princess M. N. Volkonskaya]. It was the first part that we played today at Ural State University here in Yekaterinburg. Being as it is a ‘poem’ it is all in verse with rhyme, and even though that might sound like impossible material to use on stage, one might be surprised to find out how well it actually both works and sounds. The basic story of the first part is that princess Trubetskaya decides to follow her husband who’s a «декабрист» [Decembrist] and has been sentenced to exile in Siberia in the small town «Нерчинск» [Nerchinsk] north-east of Irkutsk. But because she’s a woman traveling alone – her chaperon got sick on the road but she continued ahead – and because she’s a princess, a general receives firm orders from Saint Petersburg to detain her in Irkutsk and send her back home. He tries to convince her in any way he can that it is impossible for her to join her husband in Siberian exile. First he says she’s just a child with impossible, romantic ideals, then he threatens her that she must give up her nobility. None of this works, since Trubetskaya is determined to help her husband. The general says: «Бежите вы за ним как жалкая раба!» ['And you're running after him like a pitiful slave!'] to which she answers with the famous phrase: «Я не жалкая раба, я женщина – жена!» [‘I'm not a pitiful slave; I'm a woman - a wife!]. Since nothing else seems to work he tells her that she’ll have to go «по этапу» [under guard; under escort] and «под конвоем» [which also means under guard; under escort] by foot. He explains that she’ll walk there together with thieves, guarded by Cossacks with guns, thinking this will scare her off. But no, Trubetskaya says: «Иду! Мне всё равно» [I'll walk! I don't care], and then the old general caves and promises to take her to her husband on his on wagon within three days.

This poem is a truly well-written piece of historical literature for all of us who still can’t seem to get over what happened in December 1825, or just for those of us who are in awe of how their wives left everything behind in the Russian capital to join them in their Siberian exile. Russian women are truly exceptional!

Every year in late May or early June our «Международный театральный коллектив» [International Theatrical Collective] of foreign students puts up small plays like this one here at Ural State. Learning a role in a Russian play is very useful for learning first and foremost phonetics, especially if the play is in rhyme. In 2007 we played «Беда от нежного сердца» ["Sorrow because of a Tender Heart"] by «В. А. Соллогуб» [V. A. Sollogub] and «Медведь» ["The Bear"] by «А. П. Чехов» [A. P. Chekhov]. In 2008 we staged the comedy «Горе от ума» ["Woe from Wit"] by «А. С. Грибоедов» [A. S. Gribojedov] (but not all of it of course! Only the most important – and hilarious – parts). This year, in addition to Caleb and me in “Russian Women”, four Chinese students staged a scene from «Ревизор» ["The Inspector General"] by «Н. В. Гоголь» [N. V. Gogol']. If you’re a student of Russian language at a university you should try to make also your faculty put up a play each year! It is not only fun but also educational. When I think back on how my phonetics skills in Russian used to sound like before I started acting in 2007 I feel very grateful to my amazing university and the initiative taken by our lovely teacher Tatiana Smirnova, who helps us with practicing every year. Do try this at home!

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