Thursday, April 29, 2010
Norwegian lessons, Tagalog UI
New language lessons: Norwegian! http://www.internetpolyglot.com/lessons-
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Russian Culture - Keeping Abreast with Times
Historians believe that Russia appeared in the 9th century. However, even before then the Slavic tribes lived on the territory of the modern Russian Federation and far beyond. The religious belief of the country was paganism.
The Russian culture is very distinct. Millions of people worldwide are captivated by its richness, cosmopolitism, and tolerance to other cultures. Russians have always been open to other nationalities and beliefs. The Russian language is similar to the culture and the nation itself – it is rich and adaptive. Mastering Russian does have a learning curve to it; yet, you can find some excellent Russian lessons that can help you dive into this unique language with little effort. The modern Russian lessons online (including the Russian free lessons online) can help you advance to any level you desire to achieve, whether it’s learning a few phrases or being able to read the Russian classics in original. In this article, we will talk about what makes this culture so unique and friendly.
Historians believe that Russia appeared in the 9th century. However, even before then the Slavic tribes lived on the territory of the modern Russian Federation and far beyond. The religious belief of the country was paganism – believing in multiple Gods (God of Sun, Water, Nature, Animal World, etc.). The cultural artifacts of those days include numerous architectural, literature and iconographic artifacts. A very popular form of art then was ancient sewing known as “needle painting”. The Slavic language of those days was first built on the Glagolitic and later the Cyrillic alphabet. The culture of the country consisted of verbal folk tales (bylinas), fairy tales, and songs praising peasant-warriors and describing the life of people. Many Russian bylinas and fairy tales of those days were adapted for modern animation films and movies. Some Russian poets made poetical interpretations thereof.
During the 9-13th centuries, the scattered tribes started to come together and unite under the Kievan Rus. Christianity that came to Russia in the 10th century blended with paganism. Christianity also brought writing into the country and further enriched its culture. In the 12th century, Kievan Rus was attacked by Tatars and Mongols. Kiev, Vladimir, Ryazan, Chernigov, and other major cities were destroyed. The Russian principalities started to pay an annual tribute to the Horde. As odd as it may sound, there were some cultural benefits to being mixed with another culture for 200 years. The Mongol-Tatar yoke enriched the Russian culture. Russians have studied the Asian mentality and learned new concepts, crafts, technologies, and words. They have also begun to overcome their fragmentation. After a crushing defeat in 1396, the Golden Horde was unable to recover. The power of the Horde over Russia faltered.
Next, Russia’s culture was changing and evolving under the reign of a number of unique rulers, such as Ivan IV, Peter I, Catherine II, and Alexander I, among others. Each ruler was unique; many of them helped Russia come closer to its numerous neighbors. Peter I (1672–1725) was the first to “open a window to the West”. He invited numerous Western scientists, architects, and artists to work in the country. He also ordered the translation of numerous prominent Western texts into Russian. Catherine II continued his efforts. This period created myriads of cultural artifacts, such as architectural, literature, and scientific.
The “window to Europe” closed shut during the days of the Soviet Union – 1922 to 1991, but the majority of the nation could not take the “iron curtain” for too long. The Soviet Union left a large cultural heritage. The country’s sports, arts, and science were on the rise, and served as the basis for the country to enter a new era.
As one can see, the uniqueness of the Russian culture comes from the fact that Russians have experienced all sorts of influences. They were developing as scattered tribes for thousands of years, they soaked in the invasion, and they were interacting with Europeans and Asians for several centuries after defeating the yoke. Countless thousands of Russian words originate from Turkic, Greek, Latin, French, and English. The well-known items that can represent Russia today include: Balalaika (musical instrument), Ushanka (hat), Matryoshka (doll), Garmoshka (musical instrument), Vodka (alcoholic beverage), Selyodka (herring), Kotlety (cutlets), Caviar, Borsch (soup), Russian salad, Vatrushka (sweet cake), Okroshka (salad with kvass), Valenki (shoes), and Samovar (teapot). Russians are a friendly multinational nation with a rich culture.
Today, the Russian “windows” are wide open to the views, beliefs, and cultures of the rest of the world. The uniqueness and friendliness of the Russian culture makes learning the Russian language extremely popular. Many people realize that the current turbulence in the country is a temporary setback, and that it makes sense to start building relationships with this nation now. Russian lessons are very popular, and Russian lessons online are the easiest to use. Moreover, the Internet has created many dedicated sites that offer Russian free lessons online, which make the most sense to take advantage of.
The Russian culture is very distinct. Millions of people worldwide are captivated by its richness, cosmopolitism, and tolerance to other cultures. Russians have always been open to other nationalities and beliefs. The Russian language is similar to the culture and the nation itself – it is rich and adaptive. Mastering Russian does have a learning curve to it; yet, you can find some excellent Russian lessons that can help you dive into this unique language with little effort. The modern Russian lessons online (including the Russian free lessons online) can help you advance to any level you desire to achieve, whether it’s learning a few phrases or being able to read the Russian classics in original. In this article, we will talk about what makes this culture so unique and friendly.
Historians believe that Russia appeared in the 9th century. However, even before then the Slavic tribes lived on the territory of the modern Russian Federation and far beyond. The religious belief of the country was paganism – believing in multiple Gods (God of Sun, Water, Nature, Animal World, etc.). The cultural artifacts of those days include numerous architectural, literature and iconographic artifacts. A very popular form of art then was ancient sewing known as “needle painting”. The Slavic language of those days was first built on the Glagolitic and later the Cyrillic alphabet. The culture of the country consisted of verbal folk tales (bylinas), fairy tales, and songs praising peasant-warriors and describing the life of people. Many Russian bylinas and fairy tales of those days were adapted for modern animation films and movies. Some Russian poets made poetical interpretations thereof.
During the 9-13th centuries, the scattered tribes started to come together and unite under the Kievan Rus. Christianity that came to Russia in the 10th century blended with paganism. Christianity also brought writing into the country and further enriched its culture. In the 12th century, Kievan Rus was attacked by Tatars and Mongols. Kiev, Vladimir, Ryazan, Chernigov, and other major cities were destroyed. The Russian principalities started to pay an annual tribute to the Horde. As odd as it may sound, there were some cultural benefits to being mixed with another culture for 200 years. The Mongol-Tatar yoke enriched the Russian culture. Russians have studied the Asian mentality and learned new concepts, crafts, technologies, and words. They have also begun to overcome their fragmentation. After a crushing defeat in 1396, the Golden Horde was unable to recover. The power of the Horde over Russia faltered.
Next, Russia’s culture was changing and evolving under the reign of a number of unique rulers, such as Ivan IV, Peter I, Catherine II, and Alexander I, among others. Each ruler was unique; many of them helped Russia come closer to its numerous neighbors. Peter I (1672–1725) was the first to “open a window to the West”. He invited numerous Western scientists, architects, and artists to work in the country. He also ordered the translation of numerous prominent Western texts into Russian. Catherine II continued his efforts. This period created myriads of cultural artifacts, such as architectural, literature, and scientific.
The “window to Europe” closed shut during the days of the Soviet Union – 1922 to 1991, but the majority of the nation could not take the “iron curtain” for too long. The Soviet Union left a large cultural heritage. The country’s sports, arts, and science were on the rise, and served as the basis for the country to enter a new era.
As one can see, the uniqueness of the Russian culture comes from the fact that Russians have experienced all sorts of influences. They were developing as scattered tribes for thousands of years, they soaked in the invasion, and they were interacting with Europeans and Asians for several centuries after defeating the yoke. Countless thousands of Russian words originate from Turkic, Greek, Latin, French, and English. The well-known items that can represent Russia today include: Balalaika (musical instrument), Ushanka (hat), Matryoshka (doll), Garmoshka (musical instrument), Vodka (alcoholic beverage), Selyodka (herring), Kotlety (cutlets), Caviar, Borsch (soup), Russian salad, Vatrushka (sweet cake), Okroshka (salad with kvass), Valenki (shoes), and Samovar (teapot). Russians are a friendly multinational nation with a rich culture.
Today, the Russian “windows” are wide open to the views, beliefs, and cultures of the rest of the world. The uniqueness and friendliness of the Russian culture makes learning the Russian language extremely popular. Many people realize that the current turbulence in the country is a temporary setback, and that it makes sense to start building relationships with this nation now. Russian lessons are very popular, and Russian lessons online are the easiest to use. Moreover, the Internet has created many dedicated sites that offer Russian free lessons online, which make the most sense to take advantage of.
Russia - The Country with Most Boarders in the World
Quick Facts: By total area, Russia is the largest country in the world. By population, it is the 9th largest country. Russians comprise 80% of the country’s population. The country borders with 18 other countries, which is the highest number of boarders in the world.
It has become popular to learn Russian, and it’s no wonder. The Russian language is spoken by almost 300 million people, and learning it can open the doors to a number of countries and communities. Lessons are available both, as Russian lessons online and in person. One can even find Russian free lessons online. Following is some fascinating information about this country, which may spark your interest in taking Russian lessons.
Quick Facts: By total area, Russia is the largest country in the world. By population, it is the 9th largest country. Russians comprise 80% of the country’s population. The country borders with 18 other countries, which is the highest number of boarders in the world. Almost 3/4 of the population lives in cities. The Russian Federation is in the UN, CIS, CAC, CSTO, SCO, APEC and a number of other global organizations. Russia has 11 cities with over 1 million people: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, and Ufa. The capital of Russia is Moscow; the President is Dmitry Medvedev; the Prime Minister is Vladimir Putin.
Former Names of Russia (in chronological order): the Kievan Rus, Grand Duchy of Vladimir, Principality of Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow, Tsardom of Russia, Russian Empire, Russian Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and The Russian Federation (current).
Former Capitals of Russia (in chronological order): Novgorod, Kiev, Vladimir, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Moscow (current).
Natural Resources: Russia has the world’s largest amount of mineral and energy resources, as well as the most forests, and the most fresh water lakes in the world. Russia has the world’s largest gas reserve. It shares the first two positions in global oil production. The country is also rich in coal, iron ore, bauxite, nickel, tin, gold, diamonds, platinum, lead, and zinc.
Russia is located in Eurasia (Eastern Europe and Northern Asia). It is washed by the Pacific and Arctic oceans, as well as the Baltic, Black, Azov and Caspian seas. It has the longest coastline in the world. The country has more than 120 thousand rivers and about 2 million lakes. The largest rivers are Amur, Lena, Yenisei, Irtysh, Ob, Volga, and Kama; the largest lakes are Caspian Sea, Baikal, Ladoga, and Onega. The country’s rivers have traditionally played an essential role as transport routes; most major cities are built on river banks.
More than 2/3 of the territory is plains and lowlands; over 40% of the territory is covered by forest. The country’s climate zones include: arctic, subarctic, temperate, and partly subtopic. The largest part of the country is in the temperate zone. Depending on the region, the average temperature in January ranges from 6 to -50 degrees C (43 to -58 degrees F), and in July it ranges from 1 to 25 degrees C (34 to 77 degrees F). Permafrost areas (Siberia and Far East) take up 65% of the territory. Russia has a very wide animal diversity, including polar bears, walruses, tigers, leopards, and others. The country has 35 national parks and 84 reserves.
Most of the country’s population lives in a triangle with the best climate; that triangle is formed by St. Petersburg in the north, Sochi in the south and Irkutsk in the east. Siberia covers almost 3/4 of Russia, and has the least amount of people living there.
Russia has more than 100 languages and dialects used on its territory. The most widely spoken languages are Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Armenian, German, Tatar, Chuvash, Bashkir, and Chechen. Russian is the native language for about 130 million citizens (92% of the population). Russian is the most widespread Slavic language, and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It belongs to the East Slavic group, together with Ukrainian and Belarusian. The Russian language uses a Cyrillic alphabet.
The amount of Russian citizens, who consider themselves Orthodox, is 75%. Russia’s most widespread religions are Christianity (mainly Orthodox), Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, paganism and others. Russia’s Constitution guarantees the “freedom of religion, including the right to profess… any religion or profess no religion, to freely choose, possess and distribute religious and other convictions and act in accordance with them.”
The number of radio broadcast stations in the country is almost 2,000; the number of television broadcast stations is over 7,000; the number of Internet users is over 50 million. The country is world-renowned in art, literature, architecture, music, theatre, cinema, animation, and sports.
Knowing the above, it is easy to understand why millions of people have chosen to learn Russian. Some choose to learn Russian online, while others take Russian lessons with private tutors or in classes. While most tutors and classes are paid, one can learn Russian online free at a number of websites.
It has become popular to learn Russian, and it’s no wonder. The Russian language is spoken by almost 300 million people, and learning it can open the doors to a number of countries and communities. Lessons are available both, as Russian lessons online and in person. One can even find Russian free lessons online. Following is some fascinating information about this country, which may spark your interest in taking Russian lessons.
Quick Facts: By total area, Russia is the largest country in the world. By population, it is the 9th largest country. Russians comprise 80% of the country’s population. The country borders with 18 other countries, which is the highest number of boarders in the world. Almost 3/4 of the population lives in cities. The Russian Federation is in the UN, CIS, CAC, CSTO, SCO, APEC and a number of other global organizations. Russia has 11 cities with over 1 million people: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, and Ufa. The capital of Russia is Moscow; the President is Dmitry Medvedev; the Prime Minister is Vladimir Putin.
Former Names of Russia (in chronological order): the Kievan Rus, Grand Duchy of Vladimir, Principality of Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow, Tsardom of Russia, Russian Empire, Russian Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and The Russian Federation (current).
Former Capitals of Russia (in chronological order): Novgorod, Kiev, Vladimir, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Moscow (current).
Natural Resources: Russia has the world’s largest amount of mineral and energy resources, as well as the most forests, and the most fresh water lakes in the world. Russia has the world’s largest gas reserve. It shares the first two positions in global oil production. The country is also rich in coal, iron ore, bauxite, nickel, tin, gold, diamonds, platinum, lead, and zinc.
Russia is located in Eurasia (Eastern Europe and Northern Asia). It is washed by the Pacific and Arctic oceans, as well as the Baltic, Black, Azov and Caspian seas. It has the longest coastline in the world. The country has more than 120 thousand rivers and about 2 million lakes. The largest rivers are Amur, Lena, Yenisei, Irtysh, Ob, Volga, and Kama; the largest lakes are Caspian Sea, Baikal, Ladoga, and Onega. The country’s rivers have traditionally played an essential role as transport routes; most major cities are built on river banks.
More than 2/3 of the territory is plains and lowlands; over 40% of the territory is covered by forest. The country’s climate zones include: arctic, subarctic, temperate, and partly subtopic. The largest part of the country is in the temperate zone. Depending on the region, the average temperature in January ranges from 6 to -50 degrees C (43 to -58 degrees F), and in July it ranges from 1 to 25 degrees C (34 to 77 degrees F). Permafrost areas (Siberia and Far East) take up 65% of the territory. Russia has a very wide animal diversity, including polar bears, walruses, tigers, leopards, and others. The country has 35 national parks and 84 reserves.
Most of the country’s population lives in a triangle with the best climate; that triangle is formed by St. Petersburg in the north, Sochi in the south and Irkutsk in the east. Siberia covers almost 3/4 of Russia, and has the least amount of people living there.
Russia has more than 100 languages and dialects used on its territory. The most widely spoken languages are Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Armenian, German, Tatar, Chuvash, Bashkir, and Chechen. Russian is the native language for about 130 million citizens (92% of the population). Russian is the most widespread Slavic language, and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It belongs to the East Slavic group, together with Ukrainian and Belarusian. The Russian language uses a Cyrillic alphabet.
The amount of Russian citizens, who consider themselves Orthodox, is 75%. Russia’s most widespread religions are Christianity (mainly Orthodox), Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, paganism and others. Russia’s Constitution guarantees the “freedom of religion, including the right to profess… any religion or profess no religion, to freely choose, possess and distribute religious and other convictions and act in accordance with them.”
The number of radio broadcast stations in the country is almost 2,000; the number of television broadcast stations is over 7,000; the number of Internet users is over 50 million. The country is world-renowned in art, literature, architecture, music, theatre, cinema, animation, and sports.
Knowing the above, it is easy to understand why millions of people have chosen to learn Russian. Some choose to learn Russian online, while others take Russian lessons with private tutors or in classes. While most tutors and classes are paid, one can learn Russian online free at a number of websites.
Russian Culture Overview - from Art to Cuisine
The Russian culture is recognized as one of the world’s richest cultures, and it is popular to learn Russian today. Not only can you learn Russian online – you can learn Russian online free. In this article, we will elaborate on the Russian history, culture, art, cuisine, and more.
The Russian culture is recognized as one of the world’s richest cultures, and it is popular to learn Russian today. Not only can you learn Russian online – you can learn Russian online free. In this article, we will elaborate on the Russian history, culture, art, cuisine, and more.
It all started in the 9th century - the time of the Kievan Rus (882-1240). Back then, the Russians were faithful to traditions, and had a dual religion – the blend of Christianity and paganism. The next major period was the Tatar-Mongol Yoke (1223-1480). In that period, the Orthodox Church was on the rise and dual religion started to cease. Following were the rulings of Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Romanov, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and Alexander I. The following periods were marked by famous writers and poets: Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, and Tolstoy.
The next major period was the USSR (1922-1991). The USSR culture combined the cultures of all peoples living on its territory (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Georgians, etc.).
Today, Russia is restoring the culture of the Russian Empire and integrating it into modern life. The modern culture has accepted the values of the western and eastern civilizations. Russia is a multinational state – in addition to Russians (80%), the Russian Federation is home to over 180 other nationalities.
Russian Culture Overview:
Folk Culture: Russian epics tell the folk wisdom from the depth of centuries. The main characters in the epics were mighty peasant-warriors. Russian folk music is rhymes that are usually passed on verbally.
Folk Crafts: Russia has numerous folk crafts. For instance, A Khokhloma painting is a decorative painting in black and red on gold-tinted wood. Traditional ornaments are rowan berries, strawberries, flowers, twigs, birds and fish. A Gorodetskaya painting depicts life scenes, animals, and floral patterns, in black and white strokes. Filigree is a delicate patterning of fine wire (gold, silver), with the addition of silver or gold beads and enamel. Kasli casting is sculpture and grilles of cast iron and bronze.
Matryoshka (nesting doll): This is a Russian wooden toy - a painted hollow doll, inside of which are smaller dolls. Traditional nesting dolls depict peasant girls.
Icons: Russian icons inherited traditions of Byzantine masters, and obtained their own style also.
Painting: Famous Russian artists include Levitsky, Kiprensky, Bryullov, Ivanov, Vasnetsov, Kramskoy, Shishkin, Kuindzhi, Surikov, Repin, Savrasov, Vrubel, Petrov-Vodkin, Roerich, Levitan, Kandinsky, Malevich, Chagall, and Filonov.
Art Museums: The most famous art museums and galleries in Russia are: The State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), the State Hermitage and Russian Museum (St. Petersburg).
Literature: Russian literature reflects the moral and spiritual values of the Russians. The most famous writers are: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Bunin, Nabokov, Turgenev, and Chekhov. The most famous poets are: Pushkin, Lermontov, Blok, Yesenin, Akhmatova, and Mayakovski. The most famous modern authors are Akunin and Pelevin.
Theater: Russia’s theaters are famous worldwide; the most famous are the Mariinsky Theatre, the Bolshoi Theatre and Maly Theatre.
Circus: Among the famous circus artists are clowns Yuri Nikulin and Oleg Popov, illusionists Emil Kio and Igor Kio, and animal trainers Vladimir Durov and brothers Zapashnye.
Cinema: The first cinematic apparatus appeared in Russia in April 1896. Russia conducts dozens of film festivals, such as the Moscow International Film Festival.
Cartoons: The first Soviet cartoon dates to 1906. The Russian cartoon “Hedgehog in the Fog” was named the best animated film of all time in 2003 in Tokyo, in the survey of 140 critics and animators from different countries.
Music: Russian classical music is represented by Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Rachmaninoff, and Stravinsky. The prominent Soviet composers include Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Schnittke. The USSR “pop” music was represented by Magomaev, Pugacheva, and Leontiev. The modern band that became popular abroad is “t.A.T.u.”
Architecture: The Russian architecture interacts with the architectures of other countries. It includes religious buildings, the Kremlins, and civil architecture.
Religion: Russia is a multi-confessional state, which is traditionally dominated by Orthodox Christianity. Others religions are: Paganism, Christianity, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Russian cuisine: The cuisine is a blend of Slavic traditions, western and eastern cuisines, and the cuisines of all the nationalities living in Russia. Among the most famous dishes are: borscht, vinaigrette, pancakes, kvass, and fruit drinks.
Alcohol: In Russia, drinking alcohol started during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Prior to that, the sale of alcohol was prohibited. By the level of alcohol consumption per capita, Russia is 18th in the world. The most popular beverages are vodka and beer.
We hope that our article has sparkled or intensified your desire to learn Russian. As we have already mentioned, it’s easy to learn Russian online, and one can even learn Russian online free. Learning the Russian language will immerse the student into the rich Russian culture.
The Russian culture is recognized as one of the world’s richest cultures, and it is popular to learn Russian today. Not only can you learn Russian online – you can learn Russian online free. In this article, we will elaborate on the Russian history, culture, art, cuisine, and more.
It all started in the 9th century - the time of the Kievan Rus (882-1240). Back then, the Russians were faithful to traditions, and had a dual religion – the blend of Christianity and paganism. The next major period was the Tatar-Mongol Yoke (1223-1480). In that period, the Orthodox Church was on the rise and dual religion started to cease. Following were the rulings of Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Romanov, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and Alexander I. The following periods were marked by famous writers and poets: Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, and Tolstoy.
The next major period was the USSR (1922-1991). The USSR culture combined the cultures of all peoples living on its territory (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Georgians, etc.).
Today, Russia is restoring the culture of the Russian Empire and integrating it into modern life. The modern culture has accepted the values of the western and eastern civilizations. Russia is a multinational state – in addition to Russians (80%), the Russian Federation is home to over 180 other nationalities.
Russian Culture Overview:
Folk Culture: Russian epics tell the folk wisdom from the depth of centuries. The main characters in the epics were mighty peasant-warriors. Russian folk music is rhymes that are usually passed on verbally.
Folk Crafts: Russia has numerous folk crafts. For instance, A Khokhloma painting is a decorative painting in black and red on gold-tinted wood. Traditional ornaments are rowan berries, strawberries, flowers, twigs, birds and fish. A Gorodetskaya painting depicts life scenes, animals, and floral patterns, in black and white strokes. Filigree is a delicate patterning of fine wire (gold, silver), with the addition of silver or gold beads and enamel. Kasli casting is sculpture and grilles of cast iron and bronze.
Matryoshka (nesting doll): This is a Russian wooden toy - a painted hollow doll, inside of which are smaller dolls. Traditional nesting dolls depict peasant girls.
Icons: Russian icons inherited traditions of Byzantine masters, and obtained their own style also.
Painting: Famous Russian artists include Levitsky, Kiprensky, Bryullov, Ivanov, Vasnetsov, Kramskoy, Shishkin, Kuindzhi, Surikov, Repin, Savrasov, Vrubel, Petrov-Vodkin, Roerich, Levitan, Kandinsky, Malevich, Chagall, and Filonov.
Art Museums: The most famous art museums and galleries in Russia are: The State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), the State Hermitage and Russian Museum (St. Petersburg).
Literature: Russian literature reflects the moral and spiritual values of the Russians. The most famous writers are: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Bunin, Nabokov, Turgenev, and Chekhov. The most famous poets are: Pushkin, Lermontov, Blok, Yesenin, Akhmatova, and Mayakovski. The most famous modern authors are Akunin and Pelevin.
Theater: Russia’s theaters are famous worldwide; the most famous are the Mariinsky Theatre, the Bolshoi Theatre and Maly Theatre.
Circus: Among the famous circus artists are clowns Yuri Nikulin and Oleg Popov, illusionists Emil Kio and Igor Kio, and animal trainers Vladimir Durov and brothers Zapashnye.
Cinema: The first cinematic apparatus appeared in Russia in April 1896. Russia conducts dozens of film festivals, such as the Moscow International Film Festival.
Cartoons: The first Soviet cartoon dates to 1906. The Russian cartoon “Hedgehog in the Fog” was named the best animated film of all time in 2003 in Tokyo, in the survey of 140 critics and animators from different countries.
Music: Russian classical music is represented by Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Rachmaninoff, and Stravinsky. The prominent Soviet composers include Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Schnittke. The USSR “pop” music was represented by Magomaev, Pugacheva, and Leontiev. The modern band that became popular abroad is “t.A.T.u.”
Architecture: The Russian architecture interacts with the architectures of other countries. It includes religious buildings, the Kremlins, and civil architecture.
Religion: Russia is a multi-confessional state, which is traditionally dominated by Orthodox Christianity. Others religions are: Paganism, Christianity, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Russian cuisine: The cuisine is a blend of Slavic traditions, western and eastern cuisines, and the cuisines of all the nationalities living in Russia. Among the most famous dishes are: borscht, vinaigrette, pancakes, kvass, and fruit drinks.
Alcohol: In Russia, drinking alcohol started during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Prior to that, the sale of alcohol was prohibited. By the level of alcohol consumption per capita, Russia is 18th in the world. The most popular beverages are vodka and beer.
We hope that our article has sparkled or intensified your desire to learn Russian. As we have already mentioned, it’s easy to learn Russian online, and one can even learn Russian online free. Learning the Russian language will immerse the student into the rich Russian culture.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Speedy and Efficient Way to Learn the Russian Language
If you plan to travel or work in Russia, then you really need to learn Russian. You can enroll in a class or you can also learn Russian online...
If you plan to travel or work in Russia, then you really need to learn Russian. You can enroll in a class or you can also learn Russian online. There are also so many free resources through which you can learn Russian online free. When you learn Russian, you will be able to communicate freely with more than 150 million people in the world who have Russian as their native tongue or as a second language. The world of opportunities that learning this exquisite language opens up to you are really tremendous. The people you can come in contact with, the amount of things that you can learn from Russia, and the work and business opportunities that can come your way makes this a tremendously beneficial endeavor.You can start by learning how to pronounce the different consonants and the words of the language. Next would come the constructs and syntax of the language. The nouns, the pronouns and their genders are interesting aspects to learn in any language. As you begin to get familiar with words, you would then concentrate on the meaning of the words and how you can make small phrases and sentences using them.
While there are many traditional approaches to learning Russian, with the advent and growing use of the Internet, you can search for Russian lessons online. The amount of free material available on the Internet is truly amazing. Of course you need to weed out the bad from the good. But all you need to do is spend some time online and you can get a list of extremely useful resources that can help you learn Russian online. While there are also sites that offer lessons for a particular fee, you can also find a number of sites that offer Russian free lessons online. If you need to locate these courses on the Internet, you can visit Google or any other search engine and search for the terms “Learn Russian Language”. The search engine will normally spew out hundreds of links from which you can choose the best ones that suit your taste and aptitude.
Doing a course online has a number of benefits that you may be able to get when you attend a regular class. You can decide your own time when you can do your lessons. This is perhaps one of the most important aspects for people who are already studying or working and have very little time left for other pursuits. You can set aside a couple of minutes or hours when you can do your online lessons everyday or on particular days of the week. Another benefit of doing an online course is that you need not get out of your house. You can do your lessons from the comfort of your living room which is a great convenience especially for people who might need to stay at home for a variety of reasons. Especially for mothers with young children, the ability to stay at home and at the same time learning a new language is a great convenience. Even those who cannot move around without help and would find going out to a traditional classroom almost impossible can easily stay at home and learn a language from online lessons.
People sometimes live in remote locations where there are not many institutions where they can learn the Russian language. Their lack of proximity from an institute can prevent people from pursuing a course in Russian. For such people, Russian lessons online would come as a real lifesaver. Despite the remoteness of their location, they can still get the best of education by choosing Russian free lessons online.
Russian Made Simple
Having been a super power for so many decades, Russia has been able to popularize its language and culture and make it familiar to the rest of the world. Russia has also held a pivotal role in influencing world politics over many decades...
Among the Eurasian languages in the world, Russian is probably the most wide spread compared to the rest in the region. Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian are three of the most popular East Slavik languages that remain to this day. Russian is not only spoken in Russia, but also in many regions outside of its borders. Russia is a dominant force in the realm of science and technology. Therefore, the country comes out with a huge amount of scientific papers on a wide variety of scientific topics. The output from Russia is so great that it is estimated that almost one-fourth of the scientific literature of the whole world is written and documented in the Russian language. United Nations has also considered Russian as an official language among five other languages, which further highlights the importance of Russian in the world scenario.Having been a super power for so many decades, Russia has been able to popularize its language and culture and make it familiar to the rest of the world. Russia has also held a pivotal role in influencing world politics over many decades. Its technological progress in the realm of space and electronics has helped it to spearhead innovation in many areas and also keep pace with other leading nations in other areas. The relevance of the Russian language to the rest of the world is an important factor in many respects. There are so many companies from various other countries that do business with companies and government organizations in Russia. The knowledge of Russian is extremely essential for those people in order to communicate well with people in Russia. There are also a number of students that come to Russia to do their higher studies. Since the medium of instruction is mostly Russian in many of the educational institutions, it is extremely important for those students to learn Russian for their academic pursuits.
Russian has many similarities with many of the dialects that are spoken in regions around the nation. For instance, people in East Ukraine who speak Surzhyk can easily understand Russian because of its various similarities. Likewise, those in Belarus who speak Trasianka would also find Russian extremely easy to understand. Most of these dialects have their roots in the Russian language, from which each of them have sprung up and diversified independently. Therefore, a lot of people around Russia would also find Russian quite easy to speak because of the similarities in dialects. In fact, before the Soviet Union was dismantled and a number of small countries were a part of the USSR, the strongest unifying factor was the fact that all these nations spoke some form of a dialect of Russian and could therefore understand each other without much of a problem. Although the popularity and use of the Russian language declined from its previous level after the dismantling of the Soviet Union, the language still has a strong influence on the culture and life of people in neighboring countries around Russia. Russian is still the language of choice for any kind of discourse given in the region.
According to the Defense Language Institute, which is situated in California in the US, Russian is a level 3 language in terms of difficulty. This has sometimes deterred people from attempting to learn Russian. Just the thought of tackling a level 3 language seems to put people off. The dissimilarity of Russian from other European and western languages also has been an influencing factor against people who have wanted to learn Russian.
Fast Ways to Learn Russian
Russia is a rich country in more ways than one. Its natural resources, its technological power, its beautiful country scape and its warm people are all assets of the country which makes it truly rich. The Russian language is also very rich...
Russia is a rich country in more ways than one. Its natural resources, its technological power, its beautiful country scape and its warm people are all assets of the country which makes it truly rich. The Russian language is also a very rich and antiquated language with much tradition and cultural depth to it. If you learn Russian, you can truly enjoy and savor the richness that the land has to offer its visitors. Since many ethnic groups of people inhabit the land, there is so much variety to the culture and tradition of Russia that is truly amazing.
Russia is part of the BRICS nations, which include Brazil, India and lastly China. Russia has an enormous amount of oil reserves, which has been an important factor in its development. This has helped it to not depend too much on the Middle East nations for its oil supplies unlike many of the western nations like UK and the US. The relative independence has enabled Russia to remain economically stable despite price fluctuations that sometime drastically affect other nations that rely on the Middle East for their oil needs.
Russia is also famous for its space programs. In the early 60s, it was in a fierce competition with the US to put the first man on the moon. Russia was the first country to put the first man in space. And it was only second to the US in getting its own cosmonauts to the moon and back safely. Much of the technological developments made for the space program have also aided in research that contributed towards many civilian projects as well. Despite its severe cold weather in many regions within its borders, Russia has been able to spearhead space technology neck and neck with the US.
The Russian language is also a very well developed and rich language. It is however a lot different from many of the other languages popular in Europe. People who are conversant with English or French might find Russian a little strange to listen to or speak. Even the Russian alphabets look a lot different from many of the Latin-based languages that are popular in the world today. However, it has many of the common features that are shared by most languages. For instance, Russian is read and written from left to right like most of the European languages. The grammar and syntax of the language also follows the same rules of most languages.
There have been literary and philosophical greats throughout history like Leo Tolstoy who have made the Russian language popular through their works. Their philosophical ideas have also revolutionized the lives of people in many nations. There are also others like Anton Chekov, the short story writer who has influenced contemporary society through light stories, which bring out the beauty of the Russian culture in their stories. Anton Chekov has also written a number of poems in Russian that are popular throughout the whole world.
The Russian people are very proud of their country and the variety of cultures that span across their vast land. Although Russian spearheaded communism and socialism during the middle and latter part of the last century, it has leaned more towards and market economy resembling the western nations after much of the economic reforms brought about by Mikhail Gorbachev. Ever since, the nation has opened up to outside influence in many spheres including western culture and arts.
You can learn Russian easily in a few simple ways. You just need to listen to Russian audio lessons on your portable player like an iPod or CD player over and over again. All of us can unconsciously memorize anything that we listen to, over and over again. You might have noticed that when you listen to a song a few times, you automatically pick up the lyrics without much effort. You never have to consciously make an effort to memorize the words. They easily get into your mind even before you can realize it. In the same manner, you can learn a language easily by repeatedly listening to someone talking the language.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Learn Russian - Fast And Efficiently
People’s mindset has a lot to play in the process of learning a language. If they assume that a language like Russian is difficult even before they get started, it can sometimes become a stumbling block to the learning process.
There are many things that could be a little difficult to learn in life. But that need not stop us from mastering it. If we can put our heart and our mind towards achieving a goal, we can surely be successful in any endeavor. Language is one of the many things that people sometimes find difficult to master. Especially a language like Russian can be more like Greek and Latin to most people. But the very same rules of diligence apply to learning languages as well. You can learn Russian if you put your heart and soul to it.
People’s mindset has a lot to play in the process of learning a language. If they assume that a language like Russian is difficult even before they get started, it can sometimes become a stumbling block to the learning process. On the other hand, if they begin with a more open-minded approach, which leans towards a positive outlook, then even a difficult language can be mastered relatively easily. This is not to mean that Russian is a difficult language to learn. But there is a general perception that learning Russian is difficult due to various false notions. These can be effectively countered by taking a more neutral approach towards the goal of learning the Russian language.
Every language is at first a little queer, especially to people who are totally unfamiliar with it. The same would be true for Russian as well. At first, the language might sound strange. The alphabets and words might look alien as well. The unfamiliarity of the language alone can make a person feel uncomfortable with Russian to begin with. But this is something that should be anticipated when dealing with anything new for that matter. Whenever we are confronted with the task of learning anything new, we would most likely have the same reactions. So we should be surprised if we don’t feel this way when attempting to learn Russian. Therefore, if the task of learning the language looks daunting, then you can rest assured that you are on the right track!
One of the main hurdles to learning Russian is its lack of commonality in tone with other Western or European languages. The pronunciation of many of the words can also be difficult to people who are only used to speaking English. The Russian language lays stress on consonants in various words, which makes it sound different. While westerners pronounce “R” in a more muddled accent, in Russian you need to really stress the “R”. That is probably because Russian starts with “R”. The tongue really needs to vibrate along the roof of the mouth to pronounce correctly the Russian “R”. At first, this might sound very strange and even rude, but once you overcome the newness of it, it will become much easier to pronounce words that have an “R” in them.
You need to remember that you may not be able to find many similarities between Russian and other languages that have evolved from or are related to Latin. But this need not scare you if you are new to Russian. All languages still have rules that make them similar to one another. The grammar and syntax for most languages are almost the same, and Russian is no exception. Of course, just memorizing all the rules of grammar could be quite difficult and extremely boring no matter which language you are trying to learn. The best way to learn any language is to begin learning complete sentences that are short and simple. As you learn more of them, you will unconsciously learn the rules of the syntax of the language. Learning Russian or any other language using this method is one of the easiest and most preferable.
There are many resources available to learn Russian. You can learn it through books, tapes or CDs or even by learning Russian lessons online. There are a number of websites on the Internet through which you can learn Russian online free. You can just visit Google or any other search engine and search for Russian free lessons online and you would get a number of good resources to learn Russian online.
You need to however choose a method that is most convenient to you. Some people like reading books. Some like listening to tapes and CDs, while others prefer online resources. So choose a method that you are comfortable with and start learning Russian from today.
There are many things that could be a little difficult to learn in life. But that need not stop us from mastering it. If we can put our heart and our mind towards achieving a goal, we can surely be successful in any endeavor. Language is one of the many things that people sometimes find difficult to master. Especially a language like Russian can be more like Greek and Latin to most people. But the very same rules of diligence apply to learning languages as well. You can learn Russian if you put your heart and soul to it.
People’s mindset has a lot to play in the process of learning a language. If they assume that a language like Russian is difficult even before they get started, it can sometimes become a stumbling block to the learning process. On the other hand, if they begin with a more open-minded approach, which leans towards a positive outlook, then even a difficult language can be mastered relatively easily. This is not to mean that Russian is a difficult language to learn. But there is a general perception that learning Russian is difficult due to various false notions. These can be effectively countered by taking a more neutral approach towards the goal of learning the Russian language.
Every language is at first a little queer, especially to people who are totally unfamiliar with it. The same would be true for Russian as well. At first, the language might sound strange. The alphabets and words might look alien as well. The unfamiliarity of the language alone can make a person feel uncomfortable with Russian to begin with. But this is something that should be anticipated when dealing with anything new for that matter. Whenever we are confronted with the task of learning anything new, we would most likely have the same reactions. So we should be surprised if we don’t feel this way when attempting to learn Russian. Therefore, if the task of learning the language looks daunting, then you can rest assured that you are on the right track!
One of the main hurdles to learning Russian is its lack of commonality in tone with other Western or European languages. The pronunciation of many of the words can also be difficult to people who are only used to speaking English. The Russian language lays stress on consonants in various words, which makes it sound different. While westerners pronounce “R” in a more muddled accent, in Russian you need to really stress the “R”. That is probably because Russian starts with “R”. The tongue really needs to vibrate along the roof of the mouth to pronounce correctly the Russian “R”. At first, this might sound very strange and even rude, but once you overcome the newness of it, it will become much easier to pronounce words that have an “R” in them.
You need to remember that you may not be able to find many similarities between Russian and other languages that have evolved from or are related to Latin. But this need not scare you if you are new to Russian. All languages still have rules that make them similar to one another. The grammar and syntax for most languages are almost the same, and Russian is no exception. Of course, just memorizing all the rules of grammar could be quite difficult and extremely boring no matter which language you are trying to learn. The best way to learn any language is to begin learning complete sentences that are short and simple. As you learn more of them, you will unconsciously learn the rules of the syntax of the language. Learning Russian or any other language using this method is one of the easiest and most preferable.
There are many resources available to learn Russian. You can learn it through books, tapes or CDs or even by learning Russian lessons online. There are a number of websites on the Internet through which you can learn Russian online free. You can just visit Google or any other search engine and search for Russian free lessons online and you would get a number of good resources to learn Russian online.
You need to however choose a method that is most convenient to you. Some people like reading books. Some like listening to tapes and CDs, while others prefer online resources. So choose a method that you are comfortable with and start learning Russian from today.
Rapid Learning Russian - It Is Possible
There are many people who like to learn the Russian language, but don’t have a clue as to how to get started. While they have a desire to learn the language they simply don’t know where to start and how to proceed.
When it comes to Eastern Europe and Eurasia, Russian is one of the foremost languages that is spoken in the region. People in Russia as well as many other countries that share their borders with Russia speak Russian. For instance, countries like Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus and many other countries close to Russia speak Russian. With so many countries and peoples of the world speaking the language, the United Nations has made Russian one of its own official languages.
There are many people who like to learn the Russian language, but don’t have a clue as to how to get started. While they have a desire to learn the language they simply don’t know where to start and how to proceed. But when a person is determined and is ready to spend some time and effort in acquiring a new skill such as learning a new language, then it is quite easy for the person to achieve the thing that they have set out to accomplish.
One can learn a new language in various different ways. There is the traditional approach where you can learn Russian by reading books. You can also enroll in classes where they teach people to read, write and converse in Russian. These can be quite interesting as there is an opportunity to meet and interact with people who have a similar interest and love for the Russian language. However, a regular course in an institution can cost money and you also need to have time on your hands to pursue your studies through this traditional approach.
Now that there are a number of online resources available, you can also learn Russian online. There are a number of websites that offer a good number of quality lessons to help you learn Russian. The best part is that most of these online resources are completely free of cost. You can download the Russian free lessons online and start learning the language at your own pace in the comfort of your home. There is no need to pay a fee to download the lessons. This is not to mean that there are no paid resources online however. There are companies that offer lessons for a fee as well, but if you spend the time and effort to search the Internet, you can find a number of good quality sites where you can learn Russian online free. When there are free resources available, it is best to make the most of them, at least as long as they are available free of cost.
Another easy approach to learning Russian is to get access to audio lessons. Since language has to do a lot with speech, it is good to listen to people speak Russian, which is what most of these audio lessons are all about. The instructor usually speaks the words and phrases that you need to learn in a specific lesson and as you hear the lessons over and over again, you would unconsciously begin to get a grasp of the language. Since all of us learnt even our own mother tongue using this method, it is one of the best and easiest ways to learn Russian or any other language for that matter.
You can also hire a private tutor to teach you Russian, but this might turn out to be quite expensive. Since this is a one on one session, where the instructor devotes his or her full time and effort to teach you individually, the fee for individual attention can sometimes be quite high. But the next best thing to hiring a private tutor is to listen to audio lessons because here again, you get to hear the instructor teach you personally and it is more than equivalent to private tutoring. In fact, there are more benefits with audio lessons because you can even pause and replay some of the sections over and over again until you are familiar with the words and phrases covered in the lessons. Audio lessons provide you the facility to do the lessons at your own pace, which is a very convenient way to learn Russian. If you want to retain the lessons well in memory, you can listen to the lessons before going to bed. This will help the material to sink in deep into your mind and help you really absorb the material. This can be one of the easiest and best ways to learn Russian.
When it comes to Eastern Europe and Eurasia, Russian is one of the foremost languages that is spoken in the region. People in Russia as well as many other countries that share their borders with Russia speak Russian. For instance, countries like Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus and many other countries close to Russia speak Russian. With so many countries and peoples of the world speaking the language, the United Nations has made Russian one of its own official languages.
There are many people who like to learn the Russian language, but don’t have a clue as to how to get started. While they have a desire to learn the language they simply don’t know where to start and how to proceed. But when a person is determined and is ready to spend some time and effort in acquiring a new skill such as learning a new language, then it is quite easy for the person to achieve the thing that they have set out to accomplish.
One can learn a new language in various different ways. There is the traditional approach where you can learn Russian by reading books. You can also enroll in classes where they teach people to read, write and converse in Russian. These can be quite interesting as there is an opportunity to meet and interact with people who have a similar interest and love for the Russian language. However, a regular course in an institution can cost money and you also need to have time on your hands to pursue your studies through this traditional approach.
Now that there are a number of online resources available, you can also learn Russian online. There are a number of websites that offer a good number of quality lessons to help you learn Russian. The best part is that most of these online resources are completely free of cost. You can download the Russian free lessons online and start learning the language at your own pace in the comfort of your home. There is no need to pay a fee to download the lessons. This is not to mean that there are no paid resources online however. There are companies that offer lessons for a fee as well, but if you spend the time and effort to search the Internet, you can find a number of good quality sites where you can learn Russian online free. When there are free resources available, it is best to make the most of them, at least as long as they are available free of cost.
Another easy approach to learning Russian is to get access to audio lessons. Since language has to do a lot with speech, it is good to listen to people speak Russian, which is what most of these audio lessons are all about. The instructor usually speaks the words and phrases that you need to learn in a specific lesson and as you hear the lessons over and over again, you would unconsciously begin to get a grasp of the language. Since all of us learnt even our own mother tongue using this method, it is one of the best and easiest ways to learn Russian or any other language for that matter.
You can also hire a private tutor to teach you Russian, but this might turn out to be quite expensive. Since this is a one on one session, where the instructor devotes his or her full time and effort to teach you individually, the fee for individual attention can sometimes be quite high. But the next best thing to hiring a private tutor is to listen to audio lessons because here again, you get to hear the instructor teach you personally and it is more than equivalent to private tutoring. In fact, there are more benefits with audio lessons because you can even pause and replay some of the sections over and over again until you are familiar with the words and phrases covered in the lessons. Audio lessons provide you the facility to do the lessons at your own pace, which is a very convenient way to learn Russian. If you want to retain the lessons well in memory, you can listen to the lessons before going to bed. This will help the material to sink in deep into your mind and help you really absorb the material. This can be one of the easiest and best ways to learn Russian.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Russian History - From Rus to Russian Federation
The actual forerunner of the Russian state is the principality of Kiev known as Rus. The Viking raiders entered this region from the north and settled here.
The actual forerunner of the Russian state is the principality of Kiev known as Rus. The Viking raiders entered this region from the north and settled here. Scandinavian traders were also part of the people who settled in this region. Other settlers came from Asia as well. The Tartars who were Mongols, when they invaded Moscow in the year 1234 made the Russian slaves. They also invaded Kiev sic years later. So the Russian people have descended from a race of people comprising of the Finnish, the Tartars and the Slavic. AS early as 988 AD, Rus adopted orthodox Christianity.
Modern Russia was born in the year 1480, when it finally broke loose from the yoke of Tartan tyranny. Almost three decades earlier, the other Christian centre, Constantinople had fallen into the hands of the Ottoman Turks, who were Muslims. With connections with the rest of the Christian world cut off, the church in Russia developed independently. Since Constantinople and Rome has already fallen, Russia considered itself to be the new centre for Christianity, the third Rome. It took upon itself the responsibility of uniting the people from the East and the people from the West.
Since Caesar was the ruler of Rome, the new rulers of Russia wanted an equally powerful name. So they came up with the title ‘tsar’. However, Russia was totally cut off from the rest of the world and the major developments that went on in the rest of Europe. The West was experiencing the Renaissance with a number of developments in art, science, agriculture, commerce and economics. People from the middle class where beginning to realise their rights and exercise them. They brought about a number of reforms in society. While there was a flurry of activity in the West, Russia was totally isolated from all the excitement that the rest of the world was going through. This vast and ancient land was basically slumbering under the autocratic rule of the tsars.
The total isolation of the country from foreign influence made the people very strong in the love for their culture and traditions. The only traditions that they were aware of were their own. And they took great care to guard their culture with all their might. Their isolation also engendered a communal spirit where they shared everything with each other and felt a sense of belonging to one another. Lands and property were held in common and controlled by a senior group made of heads of households. All decisions were collective efforts and no single man’s decisions prevailed. Therefore, submission to authority and community living comes freely to the Russian people.
The size of the nation also made it one of the most populous nations of the world. Third only after China and India, Russia was estimated to have a population of almost 300 million according to an estimation in 1990. Almost 70% of this population belonged to the 3 Slavic groups comprised of Belorussians, Ukrainians and of course Russians.
As the new Russia emerges from the collapse of communism, and people are being exposed to western values and sentiments, the people of Russia are still feeling a strong urge to return to their roots. In fact, there has been a great revival in the hearts of people for their own traditions and customs. They are literally rediscovering the beauty and the richness of their ancient land. The various cathedrals, which had been neglected for decades, are now being renovated and opened for worship services. There is a new reawakening in various art forms like art, music and theatre.
All of these wonderful changes can only be truly comprehended by a person who can speak and understand the Russian language. It is however not very difficult to learn Russian. Just like learning any new thing, one can also learn the Russian language with a little effort. There are so many resources available on the Internet with which you can learn Russian free. Since most of these resources are available free of cost, it is extremely beneficial to learn Russian online. When you consider the beauty of the land, the congeniality of the people and the richness of their culture, you can take advantage of the Internet and learn Russian free online in order to truly learn more about Russia.
Russian Traditions - From Older Generations to Younger
For the Russian people, New Year is one of the most festive occasions of the year. They believe that the year that follows will be as good as the way they celebrate New Year’s Day.
In most cultures, the traditions are usually handed down from one generation to the next with meticulous precision. In Russia too, many of the traditions of the land have been faithfully handed over from the older generation to the younger, who have in turn passed it onto their succeeding generation. In this manner, the traditions from ancient times have been passed from grandfather to father to child in relentless succession. The people of Russia also give a lot of importance to the traditions that they have learnt from their elders. They revere the traditions and faithfully pass it onto their next generation.
Most of the traditions are very evident during the holidays. For the Russian people, New Year is one of the most festive occasions of the year. They believe that the year that follows will be as good as the way they celebrate New Year’s Day. So they take the occasion very seriously and really celebrate in real style. You will see a lavish meal being prepared on the eve of the New Year. A large number of dishes is prepared with duck or goose and stuffed carp. 'Holodets' which is a jellied meat is also one of the famous dishes for the New Year. They also prepare pastries and pies with fillings made from meat or with fruits and vegetables like apple and cabbage. January first is typically celebrated with mushroom soup accompanied by holodets. The pies that are left over from the day before are also brought out and served.
Easter is also a time for various traditions during the celebrations. The Easter egg is painted using hard boiled eggs. Since new life is signified by the colour red, red is the colour mostly used for painting Easter eggs. The Russian people exchange their painted eggs on Easter Sunday as a way of greeting each other during Easter.
Unlike the rest of the world, Russia celebrates Christmas on the 7-th of January according to their orthodox calendar. As usual, a large meal is prepared as family members join together for a great time of celebration. Many of the religious celebrations were officially banned during the Soviet regime. But this did not prevent the people from celebrating their beloved holidays. They however had to celebrate them in secret and not out in the open.
Just like Easter is a time for new life, the birth of a baby in the family is another great time for celebration. As a tradition, the father of the child plants a tree. This is to signify that the child may also grow healthy and strong just like the tree being planted. As the child grows, the child’s birthday every year is another occasion for family members and friends to get together and celebrate. Birthdays are always celebrated in style as it is a joyous occasion and a time to meet and greet each other.
As in all societies, weddings are also a great time of celebration in Russian families. As a tradition, the oldest member of the family removes a religious icon from the wall of the house as the bride and the groom leave the house for the wedding ceremony at the church. When the two kneel together in the church, the senior member of the family blesses the couple with the icon removed from the wall. This is a way of blessing the union with icon so that they might have a long and blessed marriage.
Once the wedding ceremony at the church is over, the fun begins. As a tradition, the newly married couple is then made to play a game where they have to bite a loaf of bread without using their hands. The person gets the largest piece is considered to be the probable leader of the new family. As the couple get back home, the man is supposed to carry his wife over the threshold as in most cultures. The man is also supposed to get a new lock for the house to signify that the happiness of the family will be safe and secure. The most favorite time of the year for weddings in Russia is during autumn. Autumn is a time of gathering in the harvest after a hard season of labouring in the fields. Therefore, the Russian people feel that it is an auspicious time to get married when the barns are full and there is no lack or want.
But in order to really understand the richness of these traditions, you need to learn Russian. You can easily learn Russian free online from many web resources. To really relish the richness of the Russian traditions, you can learn Russian free and savour for yourself the rich cultural heritage of this ancient land.
Russian People - Greeting with a Firm Handshake
Russian people always greet each other with a firm handshake. They also make direct eye contact while greeting. Only when men shake hands with women do they make the grasp a little gentler.
For many generations, the Russian people have lived as agricultural farmers in small villages spread across this vast land. These villages were tightly knit communities where the land was held under a central authority that was composed of several heads of households. Submitting to authority and being accountable to a group is something that comes naturally to the Russian people. They also easily integrate into a group rather than live as individuals. This can even be seen in everyday life quite evidently. If a Russian walks into a restaurant alone, he would head towards a table where there is a group of strangers and eat with them rather than sitting alone by himself in another table. People like to commune and share everything with each other. It is quite common to see strangers comfortably talking to each other. As a result, almost no one will be left feeling alone in any situation.
Russian people always greet each other with a firm handshake. They also make direct eye contact while greeting the person. Only when men shake hands with women do they make the grasp a little gentler. Otherwise, most of the time, it is like a bone-crushing vice grip. It is more common for women to kiss each other, sometimes ritualistically three times in the cheeks.
Russian people almost always have three names – their first name, their middle name and their last name. The first name is the person’s personal name. The middle name is usually a variant of the father’s first name or a patronymic. The last name is a surname or family name. All three names are used when is a formal situation. Friends and acquaintances normally use the first name and the patronymic names. When the relationship is very close, they call each other with their first names.
The Russian people like to give gifts to each other. It is quite common for friends and relatives to give and receive gifts during special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and festivals like Christmas and New Year. When you are invited as a guest to a Russian home, it would be nice to get a gift for the host. It is their formality to avoid the gift, but you need to insist that it is a very small gift and offer it again for them to receive it. Male guests can bring flowers when invited to a home, but you need to avoid the yellow colour. When a couple is expecting a baby, you need to get a gift for the baby only after the baby is born and not before.
Russian people also respect time. So you need to be on time for any meeting, whether formal or informal. When invited to a home, you might need to remove your shoes. You need to be well dressed which is a way of showing respect to your host. The people take good care of their guests and treat them with respect and honour. You can also offer to help the hostess in clearing the table after the meal. She might refuse as a sign of politeness, but you can insist and help them once she agrees.
One of the most important factors to consider while communicating with the Russian people is to be able to speak to them in Russian. Since most of them would not understand any other language than their own, you need to learn Russian at least for the sake of easily communicating with them. Of course, even if you do not speak Russian, you can make them understand what you are trying to say using sign language. They might even be able to understand you based on the context of the situation. But if you really want to understand the people of Russia and really get to know them better, you have to learn Russian in one way or the other.
You can even learn Russian free online. There are very many website on the Internet where you can easily learn Russian online. Learning the language will help you so much to communicate with the Russian people ever more so closely. And when you have the opportunity to learn Russian free, why not make the most of it.
Russian Culture Dates Back to Antiquity
Russia has a rich culture that dates back to antiquity. The Russian people are extremely proud of their race and culture. They adore many of their poems and songs that eulogise the virtues of their motherland.
Being a vast country with a wide range of ethnic groups living within its borders, Russia has a rich culture that dates back to antiquity. The Russian society is family-centric in nature where all the members of the family play a vital role in the family’s welfare. Since two or three generations of family members share an apartment or home in most families, there is a lot of interaction between the very young and the very old. Most modern families however try to have just one child per family as the women also have to work in order to support the family. Therefore, they prefer to raise just one child.
The Russian people are extremely proud of their race and culture. They adore many of their poems and songs that eulogise the virtues of their motherland. Most of the people have undergone severe hardships during the development of the nation as a whole. Therefore, they take great pride in having played a vital part in making Russia what it is today. They also have a deep love for their culture and traditions, which they guard very passionately. Although they belong to a wide variety of separate ethnic groups, they still join together as one when it comes to a national identity.
There are 160 different ethnic groups in Russia and they speak about a hundred different languages. According to a census made almost a decade earlier, almost 150 million people spoke Russian. It was followed by Tatar, which was spoken by about 5 million people. Ukrainian came third with almost 2 million speakers. While the official state language is Russian, the individual republics are given the right to have their own native language co-official with Russian. This makes Russian the most widespread language in Eurasia in terms of geography. It is also the most widely spoken language among the Slavic languages. Apart from Ukrainian, Belarusian and probably Rusyn, Russian is one of the surviving members that belong to the East Slavic languages. Russian has its roots in the Indo-European language family.
The ancient Slavs were pagan worshipers and most of the old Russian folklore reflect these beliefs. Slavic mythology is also adopted into epic Russian bylinas. Many of these were also made into animated films or even feature length movies with famous directors directing these movies. Examples are movies like Morozko, Vasilisa the Beautiful directed by Aleksandr Rou and Ilya Muromets, Sadko directed by Aleksandr Ptushko. Russian literature also has adapted many of these fairy tales into its repertoire. Many classical Russian fairy tales have been turned into exquisite poems by eminent Russian poets like Leonid Filatov and Pyotr Yershov. Even the great Alexander Pushkin wrote a number of fairy tale poems that became extremely popular.
Folk music plays a large part in Russian culture. There are specific Russian musical instruments that are used in the rendering of these folk tunes. Some of the folk music instruments include balalaika contrabass, garmoshka, gusli, zhaleika, balalaika, bayan accordion and Gypsy guitar. Many f the classical composers of Russia had been greatly influenced by folk music. Even contemporary popular Russian folk bands like Melnitsa have been inspired the folk music of their land. Even the Red Army choir and many other Russian ensembles use Russian folk songs and national patriotic songs that belong to the Soviet era in their repertoire. Ethnic Russian dances like chechotka, kamarinskaya, khorovod, barynya and kazachok when danced with the folk music of Russia are a treat to watch.
In order to relish the beauty of the Russian folklore and the depth of their literature, you really need to understand their language at least to a certain extent. It is not very difficult to learn Russian. With a moderate amount of effort, you can easily learn Russian free online. Of course, people do feel that Russian is a difficult language to learn. But any language for that matter is indeed difficult to learn in the beginning. But once the initial strangeness of the language is gotten over, it becomes fairly easy to understand the nuances of the language. It is the very same way when it comes to learning Russian. At first, it might be a little strange when you begin. The sounds of the Russian words and sentences might be a little odd. The written script of the language might also look a little queer. But with some consistent effort, you can easily learn Russian free using many online resources.
Russia: The Unexplored Land
Russia is still an unexplored land when it comes to most people from the west. Now that the Soviet Union has been dissolved and communism lost its grip on the new independent states, the entire region that came under the Soviet regime is now open to foreign tourists as well as businesses. Russia has so much to offer to people who have never experienced the ancient cultures and the exciting traditions of the land. Right from the isolated villages in Siberia to the regal elegance of St. Petersburg, there is so much to savour from this vast and ancient land.
Although Russia was an extremely wealthy nation, its deep roots in communism kept it fairly isolated from the rest of the world. Its new freedom that came with the dissolution of communism has brought a breath of fresh air to the country. The Russian people now believe that there are tremendous opportunities awaiting them which just need to be tapped and taken advantage of. The raising of the iron curtain has truly opened the eyes of the people to the enormous possibilities that are now available, especially to the younger generation.
While the country is progressing in terms of technology, it is rediscovering its past. The age old cultures and traditions of this vast land is being brought back to life with renewed vigour. A number of ancient cathedrals that have been neglected over a period of time are now being restored and rebuilt. Art and literature are finding a lot of prominence in the life of people once again. The streets are live with music and the markets and street walks burst with colour and life. A whole nation has literally reawakened to the joy of life.
Russia encompasses an extremely vast area of land. Right from the imperial cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg to the small and remote villages in the far reaches of the Siberian wilderness, Russia spans the two continents of Europe and Asia. While the western border of Russia is shared with various European nations, the Eastern border is as close as 50 miles from North America. Over this vast expanse of land lie majestic mountains, lush forests with an incredible variety of wildlife, and large network of rivers, as well as the largest freshwater lake on the planet. Only for the last few years have these wonders from the largest country in the world, been open to visitors from foreign countries.
One of the factors that inhibit westerners travelling to Russia is the lack of widespread knowledge of the English language. Although a few people speak good English, there are a vast number of people who do not understand the language. But to be able to truly understand and enjoy the beauty of the land and its people, you need to learn Russian during your stay in Russia. No matter how much you try to understand the culture and the traditions of the land, unless you speak and understand Russian, you will not be able to truly relish the beauty of the country.
The Russian people are extremely cordial and kind. It will be a pleasure conversing with them and getting to know them personally. You will however not be able to interact with them on an intimate level unless you are able to speak Russian. There are various ways in which you can learn Russian however. There are many resources available where you can learn Russian free of cost. Especially with the advent of the World Wide Web, learning new languages and dialects has become incredibly an easy task.
There are a number of websites available through which you can learn Russian online. Many websites have a series of lessons for beginners. Once you get a grasp of the basics of the language, then you can move on to more advanced lessons that will teach you more complex framing of sentences and advanced grammatical structures. With these extremely useful resources you can learn Russian free online which will in turn help you to converse easily with the Russian people. The time and effort spent in learning the language of the country will be well worth the effort. It will pay rich dividends in the form of great relationships formed with the wonderful people of Russia.
Internet Polyglot is translated to Swedish
The User Interface is translated now into Swedish. For example, here is how the lesson list looks in Swedish: Lektioner: Engelska-Svenska . Now people who speak Swedish can use the site in their mother tongue.
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