A Spoonful of Russian - Learn Russian Online from Russian Tutor

Friends and family members greet each other with a simple "Привет".for those who want to 'Copy'+'Paste' :- Привет, Эмили.- Привет, мам.Use "Здравствуйте" with people you barely know, with much older folks (unless they are your relatives) or with government officials.- Здравствуйте, мисс Наталия.- Здравствуй, Эмили.Remember, "Practice makes perfect".Your e-mails with questions and comments are welcome.If you are brave enough, you can e-mail me an audio file with your greeting in Russian. I'll play it on the next show.

Just to change the pace a little, my daughter Emily and I are trying our hand at covering one of the most popular contemporary Russian songs originally performed by Alla Pugacheva and her daughter Kristina. Those two don't need introduction.

Today I fill a request of one of my Podcast listeners/ YouTube subscribers by reciting a short poem written by one of Russia's greatest talents - Anna Akhmatova. Лотова Жена - Анна Ахматова (Lot's Wife - Anna Akhmatova). To view the text: http://youtu.be/2fEWD9bqAWk

The video that goes with this episode can be found on my YouTube channel: Episode 031Toasting is a huge thing in Russia. Has been for ages. A full glass must be drunk to the bottom after every toast, because “a toast without wine is like a wedding without a bride!” A traditional Russian drinking party usually includes a sequence of several standard toasts.You can refresh them by watching my Most Common Russian Drinking Toasts/Phrases video. The most common first toast is...To our meeting!За встречу![za FSTRYE-tchoo] … sort of an ice-breaker toast:) Another good opener toast is…To our health!Будем здоровы![BOO-dem zda-RO-vy]The toasts that follow largely depend on the occasion that brought the people together. At a birthday party, the first toast (with wishes of health, success and a long life) is usually to the birthday guy or lady. The second toast is to their parents as a sign of honor.At a wedding, the first toast is “To the health of the newlyweds.” After that, the guests shout "Горько!"(Gorko!) often and loudly, all through the banquet. “Gorko” literally means "bitter” in Russian, implying the bitterness the wine being drunk. By yelling that the wine is bitter, the guests are inviting the newlyweds to make it sweeter by giving each other a sweet long kiss. As the bride and groom kiss, the guests count the seconds: “Один! Два! Три! Четыре! Пять! ... One, two, three, four, five..." until the kiss is over, whereupon they raise their glasses in a toast.At a funeral banquet, the first part of the toast is usually an uplifting or touching story about the dearly departed; it is concluded with the words Пусть земля ему/ей будет пухом! Вечная память! (Let the ground in which he/she rests be like goose down. Eternal memory to (him/her). When people in Russia drink to the dead it is customary not to clink glasses. Without a doubt towards the middle of the party someone usually proposes a toast “За женщин”! “To beautiful ladies!” or “To the ladies present here!" At this point someone else usually says that real men stand up when they drink a toast to beautiful ladies, and they drink to the bottom. All the gentlemen present promptly comply.The last toast, “На посошок!” / “Na pososhok", is usually pronounced when the guests are about to leave. In olden days, travelers used a walking stick, called posokh or, diminutively, pososhok in Russian, during long journeys. A toast to the walking stick, therefore, is meant to make sure that the return journey is safe. Learn some Russian today!

Russian accented vowels sound much richer and fuller than their English equivalents. That is because Russian is spoken much more vigorously than is English - there is greater muscular tension throughout the organs used in speech production.

Lesson on bilabial stop consonants [p] [b] and dental consonants [n] [t] [d]1. Greeting by a subscriber (Thank you, Jeanette, and Happy Birthday!) - Спасибо! С днём рождения!2. Recommendation of recording apps- Voice Record Pro (for iOS)- Hi-Q mp3 Voice Recorder (for Android)Another way - Google voice 209-980-RUSS (209-980-7877)BIG thanks to all who show their support by:- purchasing authentic Russian food at Russiantable.com also via a banner3. Lesson - bilabial stop consonants [p] [b] and dental consonants [n] [t] [d]Twitter @russianspoonfulEmail:  spoonfulofrussian@gmail.comWebsite: speakrussian.blogspot.comYou can also leave a voicemail by dialing 209-980-RUSS (209-980-7877) and I will play your recording on the air and will try my best to answerp.s. my apologies again for the sub-par sound. IPad's mic produces uneven sound even with a slight deviation from it. Can't wait till I get a Mac!p.p.s. I also appreciate your rating of the podcast in iTunes:)To all my Russian friends: "С Днём Победы!"

Subscribers spoke. Some of you mentioned you would enjoy listening to Russian spoken without thinking of grammar. I've been thinking of doing it for a while now. Auditory training is an integral part of any foreign language learning.Thus, I created a dedicated playlist within my YouTube channel. I hope to fill it with masterful creations of Russian poets. Question: would any of the parents of young kids out there be interested in Russian fairy tale/poetry/short stories recorded by 'yours truly'? Finally, I am not ashamed of the audio quality. Just received my RODE Podcaster mic back from repair!

Inspired by last night's thunderstorm, our next poem is by Ф.И. Тютчев "Весенняя Гроза".English translation by Dmitri Obolensky

Learn some sport-related vocabulary words in Russian.

Russian Stress Patterns ( Accented Vs Unaccented Vowels)1. Greeting by a subscriber (Thank you, Emily) - Спасибо!2. BIG thanks to all who show their support by:- purchasing authentic Russian food at Russiantable.com also via a banner3. Lesson - Russian Stress Patterns ( Accented Vs Unaccented Vowels)4. ContactTwitter @russianspoonfulEmail:  spoonfulofrussian@gmail.comWebsite: speakrussian.blogspot.comYou can also leave a voicemail by dialing 209-980-RUSS (209-980-7877) and I will play your recording on the air and will try my best to answer.p.s. I also appreciate your rating of the podcast in iTunes:)

Learn some Russian words related to weather, seasons, and pets.Twitter @russianspoonfulEmail:  spoonfulofrussian@gmail.com

Russian Poems series. "Stars" by Sergei Esenin.

Part 2 of Крокодил (The Crocodile) by Korney Chukovsky. Крокодил (часть 2) Корнея Чуковского. 

Final Part 3 of Крокодил (The Crocodile) by Korney Chukovsky.

Borrowing:The best way to think about the borrowed words in Russian is from a historical perspective. The influx of foreign words came in waves depending on what country or culture had influence in Russia:• Byzantine influence and conversion to Christianity: influx of Greek words• The reign of Peter the Great: influx of German and Dutch words (e.g. шлагбаум,  гастарбайтер, бутерброд and so on)• End of 20th century, perestroyka (перестройка) and post-soviet Russia, globalization: influx of English words• There are many words of French origin (because Russians have been fascinated with French culture, especially in 18-19 centuries), for example шансон, авангард and many others• There are a few of Japanese words in Russian, such as самурай, банзай, хокку, каратэ, цунами, etc.• Some Chinese words - женьшень, тайфун, чай, шарпей, фэншуй etc• Some Turkic words - башка, сундук, казна, утюг, чугун, шашлык, алыча, амбар, сарай, халат etc.In this video I mention just a few borrowed words. Knowing them will give you confidence to go on learning.

Little Fir Tree (В Лесу Родилась Ёлочка).  This is the most popular Russian New Year's song. Every Russian knows it. It's something that no winter holiday can do without. The song was born in 1903 and since then it brings joy and excitement to Russian kids just like that little fir tree from the song.Автор текста (слов): Кудашева Раиса АдамовнаКомпозитор (музыка): Бекман Леонид Карлович"В лесу родилась елочка"В лесу родилась елочка,В лесу она росла,Зимой и летом стройная,Зеленая была.Зимой и летом стройная,Зеленая была.Метель ей пела песенку:"Спи, елочка, бай-бай!"Мороз снежком укутывал:"Смотри, не замерзай!"Мороз снежком укутывал:"Смотри, не замерзай!"Трусишка - зайка серенькийПод елочкой скакал.Порою волк, сердитый волк,Рысцою пробегал.Порою волк, сердитый волк,Рысцою пробегал.Чу! Снег по лесу частомуПод полозом скрипит;Лошадка мохноногаяТоропится, бежит.Лошадка мохноногаяТоропится, бежит.Везет лошадка дровеньки,А в дровнях старичок,Срубил он нашу елочкуПод самый корешок.Срубил он нашу елочкуПод самый корешок.Теперь ты здесь нарядная,На праздник к нам пришла,И много, много радостиДетишкам принесла.И много, много радостиДетишкам принесла------------------------------------------------------(the English Translation)In the woods a spruce was born,It was growing in the woodIn summer and winterit was straight and green.The blizzard sang it a lullaby:Sleep dear spruce, sleep tight!The frost put snow around it saying:Don't freeze!The timid grey rabbithopped under the tree,From time to timeThe angry wolf just trotted by.Hush, listen! Deep in the woodsSnow scratches under a sleigh.A heavy horseRuns smoothly.The sleigh carries firewood,and in it was an old manHe chopped it downat the very roots.And here it is,all dressed up,it's come to us for the holidayAnd lots and lots of happinessit brought to the children.

Most Common Russian Drinking Toasts. There are more, but these will get you started:)

Many of you probably know that Russians have always been big on celebrating the New Year rather than Christmas.After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasn't until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed.Today, it's once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of fellow believers and the painted icons of the Saints of old.The Russian Orthodox Church still uses the old Julian calendar; therefore, its Christmas celebration falls on January 7th. It's a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration. Before this date, Orthodox Russians fast for 40 days. The Lent period ends with the first star in the night sky on January 6 -- a symbol of Jesus Christ's birth. Many Orthodox Christians go to the church to attend a Christmas liturgy that evening.So today It would be more than appropriate to teach you how to say Merry Christmas in Russian.'Merry Christmas' will be 'С Рождеством Христовым' (S Rozh-deh-stvom Khris-to-vym)

Almost everybody has a book that they read and re-read in their childhood. When we read it again as adults it takes us back into the wonderful world of childhood fantasies and dreams.I have a book like that too. In Russian it was called "О чём думает моя голова". Translated into English "What's on My Mind". It's a collection of short stories about 2 elementary school girls, the best of friends. About their everyday adventures, how they made friends, how they took revenge on enemies, tried to avoid problems at school, how they pleaded with their parents to adopt a puppy, and more. Basically, I saw myself in one of those girls. The best part is that the narrator  is one of the girls, and you can really hear a 3rd-grader talking. Kids come alive in the pages of the book. I am lucky enough to have the very same copy of my favorite book with me. Today I wanted to share the first chapter with you. If you are a beginner and cannot follow, don't despair. Simply hearing the Russian speech will aid you in your studies. I am reading at a normal speed.О Чём Думает Моя Голова - читаем вслух

Ever wanted to know how to call your family members in Russian? I don't mean nicknames:) I mean official titles. 

Ever wanted to pronounce the days of the week in Russian like a native? Piece of cake!

The video that goes with this episode can be found on my YouTube channel: Episode 030Asking questions in Russian can be quite a daunting and intimidating task, especially if you try to follow the proper grammar rules of declention, gender agrement, etc. What if you are a beginner? Should you not even try? Of course not.By knowing basic Russian interrogatives, you'll be able to express your questions, even without an extensive vocabulary or grammar knowledge. Lots of times you don’t even need to form a complete sentence to ask a question. All you need is to know the ‘question word’ and your pointer finger:)Learn some Russian today!

Today’s spoonful is going to consist of a useful Russian phrase and a poem in Russian. Don’t worry if you don’t understand the poem. The reason for reading out loud is so that you can get more familiar with the Russian sounds. As you’ve probably noticed I started this podcast with the expression Добрый день translated as ‘Good afternoon’. There is also Доброе утро (‘Good morning’) and Добрый вечер (‘Good evening’). So when is the appropriate time of the day to use these expressions? Most Russians use the following time frames for them. For example, use Доброе утро from 6am till noon. Use Добрый день from noon till 6pm...and Добрый вечер is used anytime past 6pm and before bedtime. Now here’s your chance to practice saying Доброе утро, Добрый день, and Добрый вечер in Russian. First I say the phrase, then you’ll hear a sound - that will be your prompt to repeat the phrase after me. Then I repeat the phrase one last time, so you can check your pronunciation. Давайте начнем. Let’s begin.Доброе утро Добрый день Добрый вечер Замечательно! Wonderful! And now for the poem. I will be reading one of the most popular poems written by Sergei Esenin in 1913. It’s called БЕРЕЗА (The Birch-Tree). It was part of my middle school program, and I can still recite it by memory. The Birch-TreeJust below my windowStands a birch-tree white,Under snow in winterGleaming silver bright.On the fluffy branchesSparkling in a rowDangle pretty tasselsOf the purest snowThere the birch in silenceSlumbers all day longAnd the snow gleams brightlyIn the golden sun.And the dawn demurelyGoing on its roundsWith a silver mantleDecks again the boughs(translation by Peter Tempest)This is your spoonful of Russian for today. I encourage you, my Listener, to leave me a voicemail. It can be a question, a comment, a suggestion. Your feedback and ratings on iTunes means a lot to me. I read every single comment. It just makes my day. До свидания and stay hungry for the next Spoonful of Russian!- Leave a quick voicemail calling: 209-980-7877 (209-980-RUSS)- For longer question email: spoonfulofrussian@gmail.com- twitter: @russianspoonful (with hashtag #askNataliaW )- YouTube: youtube.com/spoonfulofrussian

Emily made a little сюрприз for you:

• ❑ Opening WordНу, здравствуйте, мои дорогие слушатели = Well, hello, my dear listeners! Как вы поживаете? = 'How are you?''Как вы поживаете' is basically the same as 'Как дела'. The difference is in the use. I'd never say 'Как дела' to a person I just met, or to someone who's a lot older than I am. 'Как дела' is reserved for close friends, family and children. The use of 'Как поживаете' in turn is more appropriate when addressing people much older than you, groups of people, someone you don't know very well, or simply to show respect. So, как вы поживаете? У меня всё хорошо. (I am doing fine). Are you ready for another spoonful of Russian today?• ❑ Lesson#14 - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!It would be more than appropriate to teach you a few Christmas and New Year-related phrases. Many of you probably know that Russians have always been big on celebrating the New Year's rather than Christmas. After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. In 1992 the Christmas celebration was revived and announced to be an official state holiday. Note that the Orthodox Christmas falls after the Western Christmas on the 7th of January! Together with the Russians the Orthodox Christmas is celebrated by Romanians and Serbs, while the Greeks adopted the Western Christmas.Did you know that the New Year holiday has been celebrated in Russia for more than 300 years? It's Peter the Great who established the New Year celebration on the 1st of January. In his documents the evergreen trees were considered the main decoration for the holiday. That will explain my choice for today's song later. But let us turn to Russian Christmas and New Year vocabulary. Now, during the time right before the New Year holiday people say 'С Наступающим Новым Годом' literally 'With forthcoming New Year'. But I'd translate is as 'Happy Holidays'!Natalia: Джулия, с Наступающим Новым Годом! (S Nas-too-pah-you-schim Novym Godum)Julia: И тебя тоже, мам.(Ee te-byah toh-zhah, mum) = ('You, too, Mom.')When the clock strikes 12 on January 1st, it's safe to yell out: 'С Новым Годом!' You can hear people saying 'С Новым Годом' well into February. Especially to the ones they haven't seen since the previous year:)'Merry Christmas' will be 'С Рождеством Христовым' (S Rozh-deh-stvom Khris-to-vym). I do not remember the particulars of the Russian Christmas celebration, since I left Russia in 1995. But I did some research on the subject and compiled some facts that I hope you'll find interesting. You can find the text file 'Russian Christmas' in my 'downloads' section.Once again, if you want to wish someone a Merry Christmas, say 'С Рождеством Христовым!' And if you want to wish a Happy New Year, say 'С Новым Годом!' But all through the holiday season 'С праздником' (S prahz-knee-kom) will be always appropriate and timely.'С праздником, дорогие товарищи! :))))))) Well, maybe not that official... 'товарищи' means 'comrades'.'С праздником, друзья!' ---- 'Happy holidays, friends!' Now, that's more like it.• ❑ Song"В лесу родилась ёлочка" ("A Little Fir Tree's Born") performed by a children's choir.This is the most popular Russian New Year's song. Every Russian knows it. It's something that no winter holiday can do without. The author of the lyrics is a school teacher, who was also a librarian: Raisa Adamovna Kudashova. The song was born in 1903 and since then it brings joy and excitement to Russian kids just like that little fir tree from the song......"В лесу родилась елочка"В лесу родилась елочка,
В лесу она росла,
Зимой и летом стройная,
Зеленая была.
Зимой и летом стройная,
Зеленая была.Метель ей пела песенку: 
"Спи, елочка, бай-бай!"
Мороз снежком укутывал:
"Смотри, не замерзай!"
Мороз снежком укутывал:
"Смотри, не замерзай!"Трусишка - зайка серенький
Под елочкой скакал.
Порою волк, сердитый волк,
Рысцою пробегал.
Порою волк, сердитый волк,
Рысцою пробегал.Чу! Снег по лесу частому
Под полозом скрипит;
Лошадка мохноногая
Торопится, бежит.
Лошадка мохноногая
Торопится, бежит.Везет лошадка дровеньки,
А в дровнях старичок,
Срубил он нашу елочку
Под самый корешок.
Срубил он нашу елочку
Под самый корешок.Теперь ты здесь нарядная,
На праздник к нам пришла,
И много, много радости
Детишкам принесла.
И много, много радости
Детишкам принесла------------------------------------------------------(the English Translation)In the woods a spruce was born,
It was growing in the wood
In summer and winter
it was straight and green.

The blizzard sang it a lullaby:
Sleep dear spruce, sleep tight!
The frost put snow around it
 saying:Don't freeze!

The timid grey rabbit
hopped under the tree,
From time to time
The angry wolf just trotted by.

Hush, listen! Deep in the woods
Snow scratches under a sleigh.
A heavy horse 
Runs smoothly.

The sleigh carries firewood,
and in it was an old man
He chopped it down
at the very roots.

And here it is,all dressed up,
it's come to us for the holiday
And lots and lots of happiness
it brought to the children. And here is the same song performed by my 10 year-old Emily: • ❑ Closing WordВот и всё. That's it.А я прощаюсь с вами и говорю вам 'Счастливого Рождества и с Наступающим Новым Годом!' (I am saying 'good-bye' and 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!') Увидимся в следующем году!('See you next year!')

Hi, everyone. Добрый день. This is just a short note to let you know I haven't forgotten about my listeners and "A Spoonful of Russian' podcast will be coming back! I also wanted to share with you an interview I recently gave to a BBC reporter and producer April Peavey. It aired today, January 4th, 2006. It was a pleasure and honor to work with April.The interview is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston.

Topic - Birthday Greetings• ❑1 introДобрый день, друзья! (Hello, friends!)Как дела? (How are you?)Надеюсь, что у вас все хорошо. (Hope you are doing well.)Thank you for keeping up with this podcast even though I do not produce them as often as I'd like to. I am excited to get e-mails and comments on the spoonfulofrussian.com site. Your enthusiasm is contageous! For those who asked about the condition of our house, we just sold our restored home and are planning on moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, right after our trip to Russia in August. I can hardly wait!• ❑2 Happy Birthday!It's lesson 12 (двенадцатый урок). Tomorrow we'll be celebrating my youngest daughter's 6th birthday. I taught my daughters to say a few birthday greetings in Russian. Let me share them with you.So, How do you say 'Happy Birthday' in Russian? Эмили: "I know." It's "С Днем Рождения".That's right, Emily. "С Днем Рождения" means 'Happy Birthday' . So, what are you going to say to your sister tomorrow?Эмили: 'С Днем Рождения, Джулия". To which Julia will probably reply "Спасибо, Емили".Then Russians usually wish health, happiness and longevity to the birthday person among other things. The phraze 'I wish you' will be 'Я желаю тебе...' (informal, to be used addressing friends, family, children) or ' Я желаю Вам'... (formal, to be used addressing older people, people you are not very close to, or just to show respect). Can you say 'Я желаю тебе...' 'Я желаю Вам...'?Good. Let us wish Julia health. 'Я желаю тебе здоровья'. Emily: 'Я желаю тебе здоровья'.Now, let's wish her happiness. 'Я желаю тебе счастья'. Emily: 'Я желаю тебе счастья'.Let's also wish her long life - долгих лет жизни. 'Я желаю тебе долгих лет жизни.' Emily: 'Я желаю тебе долгих лет жизни.'Молодец, Эми. What would I do without you? ('Что бы я без тебя делала?')Emily: 'Пожалуйста, мама.'Alright! Now you know what to say next time you are invited to a Russian birthday party. And if any of my listeners happen to celebrate their birthday today, we are saying 'С Днем Рождения' to you! Here are the phrases again:• ❑3 songFor the musical part of today's podcast I chose a song from a Russian cartoon "Cheboorashka". The character that sings this song is happy on a very dreary day. It's his birthday! The people passing by cannot understand why he's so happy. The singer also regrets that birthdays only come once a year. " Чебурашка и Крокодил Гена"День рожденияПусть бегут неуклюжеПешеходы по лужам,А вода по асфальту рекой.И не ясно прохожимВ этот день непогожий,Отчего я веселый такой.А я играю на гармошкеУ прохожих на виду.К сожаленью, день рожденьяТолько раз в году.Прилетит вдруг волшебникВ голубом вертолете,И бесплатно покажет кино.С днем рождения поздравитИ конечно, подаритМне в подарок пятьсот "эскимо".I even mada a video tutorial for you. Enjoy! • ❑4 closingI hope you enjoyed the song and learned something new today. As always, e-mail me if you have any comments or questions. My e-mail address is speakrussian at mac dot com. You can also leave your comments on this website. До свидания и всего хорошего! ('Good bye and all the best')!

A fun way to learn Russian is by learning the words with opposite meanings. Here are some antonyms for you.Stay in touch:- site: http://speakrussian.blogspot.com- voicemail: 209-980-7877 (209-980-RUSS)- email: spoonfulofrussian@gmail.com- twitter: @russianspoonful

Здравствуйте и добро пожаловать … Hello and welcome to the very first 'Questions and Answers' edition of A Spoonful of Russian Podcast. Coming to you from a small home studio in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina.Instead of trying to find time to get back to each and everyone of you individually through email, I decided to start accumulating the questions and answering them in a podcast. I am thinking of getting one out once a month maybe. I am getting questions sporadically. Sometimes several a day, sometimes nothing for days in a row. My hope is to have a large pool of questions to pull from. That way you can count on regular Q&A sessions.Ways to get your questions over to me:- contact form on my site: speakrussian.blogspot.com- Leave a quick voicemail calling: 209-980-7877 (209-980-RUSS)- email: spoonfulofrussian@gmail.com- twitter: @russianspoonful (with hashtag #askNataliaW )- YouTube: youtube.com/spoonfulofrussianI am aware that many of you prefer to listen to podcasts rather than go to my YouTube channel and view content there. I myself am an avid listener of a handful of podcasts. When I am cooking in my kitchen or lifting weights in my garage I do not really want to look at a video. Truth is we all consume media in different ways depending on our activities. So, hopefully you, guys, will find this format useful and enjoyable.This would typically be a time in a podcast where I'd share with you a quick word from my sponsors, but I don't have any sponsors! I've been podcasting since 2005 when the whole podcast phenomena was rolled out by Steve Jobs. Since then several companies approached me, but none of them seemed like a good match for the content of this podcast. So, I'm still waiting for my advertising 'prince' … for the business marriage made in Heaven. Make me an offer I can't refuse, and you will not be 'sleeping with the fishes'. So if you are a huge corporation with lots of spare change in your pockets listening to me now, reach out by emailing me: spoonfulofrussian@gmail.com### What do you think about the Hollywood actors' Russian accent?MOSFILM (Мосфильм) has been the largest and oldest film studio in Russia. It was founded in 1920 and its output includes most of the widely-acclaimed Soviet-era films.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosfilmhttps://www.youtube.com/mosfilmSome of my favorites:-  1968 War and Peace (Война и Мир)-  1968 The Diamond Arm (Бриллиантовая Рука)-  1973  Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (Иван Васильевич меняет профессию)-  1975 The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy your Banya! (Ирония судьбы, или С лёгким паром!)-  1977 Office Romance (Служебный Романс)-  1979 Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears (Москва Слезам не Верит)-  1985 Love and Doves (Любовь и Голуби)Here's the interview with Andrei Tarkovsky, a critically acclaimed Soviet film director:https://vimeo.com/2963155### In the age of instant information exchange and assimilation of cultures do Russian emigrants still hold on to some "Russian-only" traditions and ways?That is a great question. Very well-constructed I might add:) I agree that today cultural borders are getting less and less defined. Internet, I think, is mainly to thank for that. I remember times when the only way I could get info about foreign countries was through the hand-written letters of my pen pals. Back in the 1980s our TV had only 2 channels and both of them were run by the government. Radio was a bit different. One could catch BBC World Radio service or Voice of America station and get news that way. But being a little girl that was not my thing.Now Russians are very much cosmopolitan and have adapted the ways of the West into their everyday lives. But when a Russian moves away from his or her Motherland, they tend to resurrect and cherish their Russian-only customs and traditions. I'd say it is out of sentimental reasons. There is an innate desire to keep to our roots, preserve the rich legacy for our children. I hope I am correct when I speak for my friends here in the States when I say that things we took for granted while in Russia we now find of great value. Personally, I am re-reading all the classics I skimmed through while in high scroll and in college. The same goes for films. I bug my Mom for her family recipes every time I get her on a Skype call. I also try to collect all the family history and old photos.As far as traditions themselves I'd say hot tea drinking is among the top ones. Of course, drinking Vodka for relaxation will be another. For many, but not for me. I never developed a taste for the stuff:) I'm more of a red wine person. Taking shoes off indoors, of course. Russian emigrants’ New Year celebration is  much more involved and elaborate than that of a regular American family.- That holiday in itself carries tons of traditions, such as making of винегрет (salad based on beetroot). Here's the best recipe of it I could find:http://natashaskitchen.com/2010/06/21/russian-vinaigrette-recipe-with-beets-and-sauerkraut/- Оливье (check out this Olivye recipe:http://natashaskitchen.com/2009/12/23/olivye-ukrainian-potato-salad/- селёдка под шубой (dressed herring). A layered salad composed of diced salted herring covered with layers of grated boiled vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beet roots), chopped onions, and mayonnaise. Some cool info and link to recipes here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dressed_herring- заливная рыба (one of the ways the phrase is translated is 'aspic fish'). There's a very famous and widely quoted line from that film I mentioned above that says "Какая гадость, какая гадость эта ваша заливная рыба!" -  "this aspic fish of yours is a total failure" (a polite way) or more straight forward translation "Jesus, your aspic fish sucks bit time!"a YouTube link to the clip- There's also фаршированные яйца (deviled eggs)- холодец (aspic) One of my favorites growing up. My мама used to make it just right. The best recipe is from Natasha's kitchen:http://natashaskitchen.com/2013/03/18/ukrainian-aspic-recipe-kholodets/- Something else that my Mom excels at is мясо по-французски (French Meat Casserole). I looked around the interwebz and the closest recipe to my Moms was one published by Nadia. Here's the link:http://delightsofculinaria.com/french-meat-casseroleSo those are just some of the staples. I am sure I'm missing some. If you catch it, send me and email:)As you can see Russians are very fond of their traditional foods. The prep work  for the New Years' feast involves your whole family and oftentimes friends cooking together, while watching 1975 film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy your Banya!” (Ирония судьбы, или С лёгким паром!). Every...single...year. And we never grow tired of it:)Boy, this whole New Year traditions thing got me quite exited:) LOL …and sentimental.For the sake of time we do need to move on to the next topic. But if the above information births a question in your mind, do not hesitate to contact me.### Is it easy for foreigners to get a job in Russia? It's been a long time since my last visit to Russia, so I contacted one of my American friends who is currently living in the country. He says "Short answer is no. You need a work visa, and an invitation from a Russian company that is willing to sponsor you. What about coming and working for a non-profit organization? They are under a lot of scrutiny from the government right now. You can still get "humanitarian" visas I believe. But you would need a sponsor as well."### Why are Americans the 'bad guys' in modern Russian action movies and games?Let me answer this question with a question "Why are Russians always the 'bad guys' in almost all American movies? Remember "Crimson Tide", "Red Dawn", "The Hunt for Red October", "Air Force One", "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", "Red Heat", "Salt", "The Tourist", "The Sum of All Fears". I can go on on on. And it's more than just in action films. There are plenty of animated films that have cute little villains speak broken Russian, like that Blue Russian cat in "Cats & Dogs" or Steve Carell as Gru in Despicable Me. So yeah, it goes both ways. It always did. There's just this strange dance going on between the two countries. Kind of reminds me of the movie "Mr and Mrs Smith":) By the way, a couple of detergent-making companies should consider naming their products "Crimson Tide" and "Red Dawn".### Good Russian bands/songs?I get asked this a lot too. Unfortunately, I cannot just give you a list. Music tastes differ so much. One man's 'awesome music' is another man's 'garbage'. I am sure you can google 'Russian traditional music' and get lots of results. For a taste of current Russian artist point your browser tohttp://www.last.fm/tag/russian...and you'll get a pretty good idea. I've been listening to it today and my personal favs are Город 312, Юлия Савичева, МакSим, Zемфира, Би-2, Браво, Кино, Елка, Сергей Лазарев, Света, Жанна Агузарова...### Are Russian men womanizers like French guys?First of all, I personally do not have any experience with French men, so I cannot confirm nor deny the assumption that they are womanizers.  As far as Russian men go, I'd say they are gallant towards women. At least within the circle of my family and friends. They will open the door for a woman, they will get up from their seat in the presence of a woman. They will get up and offer a woman their seat on a public transport. I guess some western women take that as flirtation, but for us this behavior is the norm.### What kinds of transportation are used in Russia?This question is interesting because the ways of transportation have evolved in the last 15 years dramatically. Growing up in 1980s all I knew on a daily basis was buses and trolleys. Occasional taxi, when my parents felt like splurging. In the early 1980s when I was a kid my Dad bought a car (LADA make, for those who are interested) and that was considered a luxury. When most Russian folks would ride a bus to their 'dachas', Daddy used to take us to dig up our potatoes in style:) Nowadays my understanding is that lots and lots of people own a car in Russia. Problem is there are not enough parking space for all these cars. Certain infrastructures will have to play a game of catching up. And fast!Trains and airplanes have been on the transportation scene for a while now.  Not much changed there.### When will the 2014 Winter Olympics be held?7th February - 23rd February in Sochi (Сочи) Russia.### What foods do Russians enjoy eating? Борщ (borsch) Served either hot or cold. Traditional borsch soup in Russia uses beef, beef stock, beets and cabbage. However, today's recipes have been modified and borsch often contains a variety of different vegetables.Щи (Shchi) - is a Russian soup with cabbage as the main ingredient. Its primary distinction is its acidic taste.Картошка (potatoes) - Russians also enjoy a number of dishes made from potatoes, representing the heartier side of Russian cuisine.Блины (crepes) - Bliny, pronounced "bleeni," with the last vowel sounding like the "i" in "it," appear as a thin pancake, much like a crepe, filled with savory or sweet toppings. Popular Russian variations include sour cream and caviar, preserves, potatoes, mushrooms or meat. Because a blin, singular, has such a light taste on its own, you can fill it with almost anything.Оладьи (pancakes) - Olady (pronounced [aladyi]) is one of many Russian traditional flour treats, usually served for breakfast. There are classic and simple olady. Classic are made with yeast, and simple are made with baking soda and buttermilk or sour cream.Пельмени (pelmeni) are dumplings consisting of a filling wrapped in thin, unleavened dough)Черный хлеб (chorny khleb) - a form of rye bread that's not actually black, has a very sharp flavor and firm texture. It may take a while, but many non-Russians come to love the black bread.)Пироги (pirogi) - In the Russian frame of mind, everything with a crust counts as a pie, or "pirog." While some Russian pirogi contain fruit, others feature savory fillings like meat, mushrooms and a fresh cheese called quark. Pirozhki, the diminutive form of pirogi, means "small pies."Окрошка (Okroshka) - is a traditional cold Russian summer soup that doesn't need to be boiled. It is usually made on hot days when nobody wants to move, let alone cook something serious in the kitchen. This soup contains mostly raw vegetables, boiled eggs, and fermented drink kvass.Квас (kvass) - Kvass is a fermented beverage made from black or regular rye bread.Каша (kasha) - porridge ranks as a common Russian breakfast meal made from buckwheat or any cereal wheat, barley, oats, millet,rye and cooked in milk or water. At least a thousand years old, kasha is one of the oldest known dishes in Central European and Eastern European cuisine. Grechka (гречка) is by far my favorite. Has been since childhood. My husband and kids love it too now. Buckwheat groats are used and it is cooked like rice. Has awesome nutritional profile ( http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11 )dozens of different salads drenched in mayonaise:)### Do bears still walk along Russian streets?Um…no*****Looks like this is it for the first Q and A session of the podcast. I did my best and hope you enjoyed your time. You might   have even learned something new today. I sure hope so. I know I did while getting this podcast together:)In closing, I just wanted to thank you all for taking time out of your busy lives to listen to my ramblings. From the feedback you guys leave on iTunes I gathered that the audience of A Spoonful of Russian is a peculiar one. In a good sense of the word:) For one reason or the other Russian language is not considered to be one of the highly sought out foreign languages like Spanish, French, or German.(go ahead and leave your feedback for my podcast on iTunes. Bring the ratings for the Russian language up!)There is a small yet a well-defined layer of the society that finds the Russian language and the Russian culture of great interest. You are that layer, and I salute you! Your reasons for sticking with a less popular language could be different. So, I leave you, my friends, with this question:"What is it that draws YOU to the Russian language, history, culture?"I am looking forward to your answers and will share them in the next Q and A session.Ways to get your answers over to me:- Leave a quick voicemail calling: 209-980-7877 (209-980-RUSS)- For longer question email: spoonfulofrussian@gmail.com- twitter: @russianspoonful (with hashtag #askNataliaW )- YouTube: youtube.com/spoonfulofrussianThe above ways of communication are not just for questions. Any kind of feedback is encouraged and appreciated!Until next time. До встречи! In the meantime, in the words of a famous physicist Richard Feynman "Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible."

You'll be surprised how many words you would be able to recognize without studying any Russian. The words I am talking about are cognates - words borrowed from a foreign language that share a common pronunciation and meaning.The Russian version of an English word may look intimidating to you at first, but as you become familiar with the Russian characters you'll learn to recognize a cognate when you see it.1. теннис2. доллар3. баскетбол4. доктор5. Нью-Йорк6. Калифорния7. бейсбол8. университет9. адрес10. офис11. футбол12. телефон13. бар14. ресторан15. такси16. мафия--------------------------------------------------------The song from the show is "Katyusha" recorded in 1938."Катюша"Расцветали яблони и грушиПоплыли туманы над рекойВыходила на берег КатюшаНа высокий берег на крутойВыходила песню заводилаПро степного сизого орлаПро того которого любилаПро того чьи письма береглаОй ты песня песенка девичьяТы лети за ясным солнцем вследИ бойцу на дальнем пограничьеОт Катюши передай приветПусть он вспомнит девушку простуюПусть услышит как она поетПусть он землю сбережет роднуюА любовьКатюша сбережетПусть он землю сбережет роднуюА любовьКатюша сбережетРасцветали яблони и грушиПоплыли туманы над рекойВыходила на берег КатюшаНа высокий берег на крутойВыходила на берег КатюшаНа высокий берег на крутойHere's the translation for "КАТЮША" song. To find out more about the story behind the song, see this Wikipedia article I found to be very helpful.This lesson is a day premature, but with the hurricane in the area I'd rather be safe than sorry:)

'Привет', my old friends, and 'Здравствуйте', my new listeners! Welcome to Lesson 22 of 'A Spoonful of Russian with Natalia'. I am Natalia, your host and instructor. And today we are going to finish the Russian Cursive Letters series.But before we start, I want to thank again all those of you who support this podcast by first of all, keeping subscribed, also by purchasing Rosetta Stone's software through the link on my site (that really helps), and via PayPal donations. There's another and rather fun way of supporting the show - by getting a little souvenir from my Cafepress. com store. Did you know that they have "A Spoonful of Russian" stamp now? And "A Spoonful of Russian" license plate? Since I enjoy cooking, my favorite is the apron. And what pet can live without "A Spoonful of Russian" T-shirt? The store's ID is speakrussian. Oh, and a special THANK YOU goes to Norman, who surprised me with a new RODE PodCaster microphone. The sound quality has gone up since I started using it. Thanks, Norman, if you are listening:)Now , for the lesson! Давайте начнём!

Today you will learn how to write Russian Cursive letters "У,Ф,Х,Ц,Ч" .(updated on November 25, 2009)To answer Chris' question about forming a cursive 'ф' in the middle of a word I made a little demonstration vid.

8th of March - Women's Day .It's Women's Day in Russia today, a holiday of spring and attention to women. It's one of most important holidays in Russia. The celebration is similar to a combination of Valentine's Day and Mother's Day in the West, but better. This is a national holiday and a day off. Several nations celebrate this, but only a few acknowledge it as an official, non-working holiday .If you forgot to send a rose on Valentine's Day, it's only half the trouble. But if you forgot to send flowers to the special women in your life you are in a really big trouble!On this day Russian men congratulate all women in their lives (mothers, wives, daughters, grandmothers, girl-friends, teachers) by presenting them with first spring flowers, candy and cards, and self-made short poems. My Dad always presented my Mom with red carnations early in the morning, while reading a poem specially-written for this occasion.Every woman of any age is honoured on this day. Russian women are surrounded with flowers, poems, love and care. They are not allowed to do any work in house that day: men do all cooking, cleaning and take care of the children. The Women Day - 8th of March is the best holiday for Russian women of any age.In other countries where the 8th of March is celebrated, it's usually a celebration of feminist and women's rights groups. But in Russia, where the life is different in many ways, the 8th of March is one of most favorite holidays for all Russian women, along with New Year and Christmas. For Russian Women the 8th of March "Women day" is a holiday of Love and Spring. One of my most favourable memories are of this Day:)Letter 'О' is represented by word 'очки' (glasses)Letter 'П' is represented by word 'паровоз' (steam engine)Letter 'Р' is represented by word 'рыба' (fish)Letter 'С' is represented by word 'сыр' (cheese)Letter 'Т' is represented by word 'телефон' (telephone)

Russian Cursive (Letters "Й,К,Л,М,Н")Letter 'Й' is represented by word 'Йогурт' (Yogurt)Letter 'К' is represented by word 'Кошка' (Cat)Letter 'Л' is represented by word 'Лодка' (Boat)Letter 'М' is represented by word 'Машина' (Car)Letter 'Н' is represented by word 'Носки' (Socks)

Добрый день, мои дорогие слушатели ( Hello, my dear listeners)! Welcome to 'A Spoonful of Russian' , where we learn Russian one bite at a time. Добро пожаловать ( Welcome)!(Samir's audio message)I thank all the listeners who stuck with the show since the beginning and welcome the newcomers. I appreciate all the mail that you send my way. Questions, comments, suggestion and even criticism....I read them all and try to reply as time allows. We've covered a lot of ground already, and there's more to come!And now, for the lesson.(Please follow the video for this lesson. Just click on the title of the blog entry.)Letter 'З' is represented by word 'Зонтик' (Umbrella)Letter 'И' is represented by word 'Иголки' (Pins)Letter 'Й' is represented by word 'Йод' (Iodine)

(Please follow the video for this lesson. Just click on the title of the blog entry.)Добрый день, дорогие друзья! You are listening to and viewing 'A Spoonful of Russian' podcast, where we learn Russian 'one bite at a time'! I am your host, Natalia. Давайте начнём (Let us begin)!First, I want to take just a few seconds to thank all those who contributed to this show either by donating through PayPal, purchasing products with 'Spoonful of Russian' logo at my cafepress.com store of going to russiantable.com online grocery store via the link on the right. Thanks to you I was able to purchase Snapz Pro X software that enabled me to record visual lessons for you, just like this one.And now for our next Russian letters in cursive......-------------------------------------------------I'd like to ask my listeners to e-mail me short accounts of the reasons behind your interest in Russian language and culture. You can either shoot me an e-mail telling me why you love Russian or send me a short audio. If you want me to play it on the show, let me know.Всего хорошего и до скорой встречи (All the best, and see you soon) !-------------------------------------------------

Today I'll show you how to write Б,В,Г in cursive.(Please follow the video for this lesson. Just click on the title of the blog entry.)

Today you will learn to write Russian cursive "А". I will include more than one letter in my future lessons.Thanks to one of my listeners I was able to upload a "Russian Cursive Workbook" in the DOWNLOADS section on the right.The Cyrillic alphabet was adopted by the Slavs in about the 9th century. Although it is named after St. Cyril (Constantine), it was not invented by St. Cyril. It is based on the system of Greek capital letters. If you know the Greek alphabet, many of the letters will be familiar to you.The Cyrillic alphabet, with some modifications, is used by many nations in Europe and Asia, including Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, and Mongolia, to name only a few.Few Americans write in cursive script anymore. All Russians write in cursive. You won't need to learn cursive to "get by" such as reading street signs or newspapers, and Russians will be able to read your notes if you print your letters. But you'll need to learn cursive to read Russians' handwriting. If you want to learn "good Russian" then learn to write in cursive. If you just want to "get by" on vacation you can skip this.Russian cursive letters looks quite different from Russian printed letters. Some letters look like English cursive letters, but represent different letters. The bane of Russian cursive is the letters м т л и ш щ ц, which look almost identical.Upper- and lower-case cursive letters look quite different. Thus Russians use three distinct alphabets: printed, upper-case cursive, and lower-case cursive.In this example, each letter--upper and lower case--is followed by the same letter in Russian cursive. You will notice that in the block style, the only difference between the upper and lower case letters is the size. In the cursive style, certain letters distinguish between upper and lower case.(Please follow the video for this lesson. Just click on the title of the blog entry.)-----------------------------------------------------

Ученье свет, а неученье тьма(Knowledge is light, ignorance is darkness)Век живи - век учись(Live and learn)And the last one is quoted around our house quite often:)Повторенье - мать ученья(Repetition is the Mother of learning)I thought I would start talking about the Russian sound system. Since I want to be true to the podcast's format and keep it short'n'sweet and to the point ... It will take us several lessons. Some of the items used for pronunciation practice will be isolated syllables or words whose meaning is of no immediate relevance, while others will be complete sentences that you will be able to add to your Russian phrase book and practice it as often as you'd like. You should not concern yourself with the grammatical forms of the sentences used at this point. You should simply learn them in the form given to you, striving to imitate your teacher as closely as possible. You must always keep in mind the importance of the spoken models presented.  While descriptions, transcriptions, and diagrams maybe of some help, you should rely mainly on the spoken model in your attempts to approximate the sound patterns in Russian. Remember always that at the early stage of instruction it is the sounds of the language that are our primary concern, not the written forms, which are a secondary and imperfect system of representing speech. While Russian spelling is more regular than that of English, there are places where it does not represent the sound system accurately. Strive always for good pronunciation, and don't let the written forms mislead you!Next time we are going to talk about the Russian Accented Vowels, but for now I will leave you with a few phrases you should just listen to without trying to repeat. Listen to them as many times as you'd  like to. (YouTube link to this list)Это дом. Это он. Он там. Это мама. Это она. Это папа. Это он. Это Анна. Она тут. Это Антон. Он там. Мама дома. Она дома. А папа там. Анна тут. А Антон там. Song in Russian - (Дорогой Длинною, performed by Nani Bregvadze).Ехали на тройке с бубенцами, А вдали мелькали огоньки... Эх, когда бы мне теперь за вами, Душу бы развеять от тоски! Дорогой длинною, погодой лунною, Да с песней той, что в даль летит звеня, Да со старинною, да с семиструнною, Что по ночам так мучила меня. Да, выходит, пели мы задаром, Понапрасну ночь за ночью жгли. если мы покончили со старым, Так и ночи эти отошли! В даль родную новыми путями Нам отныне ехать суждено! ...ехали на тройке с бубенцами, Да теперь проехали давно!---------------------------------You rode on a troika with sleigh bells, And in the distance lights flickered.. If only I could follow you now I would dispel the grief in my soul! By the long road, in the moon light, And with this song that flies off, ringing, And with this ancient, this ancient seven-string, That has so tormented me by night. But it turns out our song was futile, In vain we burned night in and night out. If we have finished with the old, Then those nights have also left us! Out into our native land, and by new paths, We have been fated to go now! ...You rode on a troika with sleigh bells, [But] you've long since passed by!-----------------------------------ekhali na troyke s bubentsami, A vdali mel'kali ogon'ki... Ekh, kogda by mne teper' za vami, Dushu by razveyat' ot toski! Dorogoy dlinnoyu, pogodoy lunnoyu, Da s pesney toy, chto v dal' letit zvenya, Da so starinnoyu, da s semistrunnoyu, Chto po nocham tak muchila menya. Da, vykhodit, peli my zadarom, Ponaprasnu noch' za noch'yu zhgli. esli my pokonchili so starym, Tak i nochi eti otoshli! V dal' rodnuyu novymi putyami Nam otnyne ekhat' suzhdeno! ...ekhali na troyke s bubentsami, Da teper' proekhali davno!Closing word, reminders, etc.I love hearing my subscribers speak Russian. I encourage all who are listening right now to record yourself saying Привет, Наталия or Здравствуйте, Наталия. I would love to open up my next podcast with your greeting! Twitter @russianspoonfulEmail:  spoonfulofrussian@gmail.comWebsite: speakrussian.blogspot.comYou can also leave a voicemail by dialing 209-980-RUSS (209-980-7877) and I will play your recording on the air and will try my best to answer.#1 Fan, here is the answer to your question: "I love my wife" in Russian is "Я люблю свою жену"

Today we'll talk about nouns and genders. Keep in mind that we are going to look only at singular nouns in nominative case (more on the 6 noun cases later).As you know, a noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, event or idea. All Russian nouns are divided into 3 genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. It's important to know the gender of a noun, since it needs to agree with other parts of speech. Let me give you an example: красивая девушка (a pretty girl) is correct, while красивый девушка is not. Ending -ый of the adjective красивый denotes masculine gender.Learning gender rules is not an easy process. Many times you will be able to determine the gender of a noun simply by using your biology knowledge. Ex.: мальчик (masculine), девочка (feminine), etc. But most of the time noun gender is random and unchangeable. Gender rules MUST be memorized. However, the secret is simple: the ending of a noun determines its gender. After learning a few rules you'll be able to instantly recognize whether nouns are masculine, feminine or neuter.Here's a Russian Noun Genders table for your convenience.(Click the table for an enlarged view)Highlights:*Every Russian noun has a gender (masculine, feminine or neuter)*Every adjective or verb must agree with the gender of a Russian noun (and pronoun)*Most masculine nouns end in a consonant, as well as -ь or -й*Feminine nouns usually end in -а, as well as -я, -ия, and -ь*Most neuter nouns end in -о or -е, but can also take endings like -ие, and -[м]я*A handful of Russian nouns appear to be feminine by their endings, are in fact masculine. Commit them to memory!-------------------------------------------It's been a while since I added a Russian song to my podcast. So many of you requested this feature back! I promise to add one when I get a chance to obtain license-free Russian music. May 9th is the Victory Day in Russia. (День Победы). To mark this day I am including a well-known song from the Soviet era called «В землянке» - "In the Dugout" performed by Михаил Гулько.Here are the lyrics of the song and its translation.В землянкеМузыка: К.Листов Слова: А.СурковБьется в тесной печурке огонь, На поленьях смола, как слеза. И поет мне в землянке гармонь Про улыбку твою и глаза. Про тебя мне шептали кусты В белоснежных полях под Москвой. Я хочу, чтобы слышала ты, Как тоскует мой голос живой. Ты сейчас далеко, далеко, Между нами снега и снега. До тебя мне дойти не легко, А до смерти - четыре шага. Пой, гармоника, вьюге назло, Заплутавшее счастье зови. Мне в холодной землянке тепло От моей негасимой любви. В землянкеin English: The fire beats in the tiny hearth, Resin shines on the wood like a tear, An accordion sings about love, And your eyes and your smile reappear. The trees have whispered of you to me, In the snow-white plains of Moscow, Oh, my love, if it only could be, If you heard me here singing alone. You are far, far away at this hour. Snows between us and winter's hard breath. To rejoin you is not in my power, Though just four steps divide me from death. Sing, accordion, mocking the storm, Call back joy, drive off sorrow and doubt. In the cold of the dogout I 'm warm For the fire of our love won't go out. -------------------------------------------------In closing, I'd like to thank Bethany for her lovely greeting that I started today's lesson with. To the rest of my listeners: you are welcome to send in your greetings in Russian. Don't forget to visit speakrussian.blogspot.com for some lagniappe* (11 years in New Orleans have taken their toll:) . Send all your questions and comments to spoonfulofrussian@gmail.comДо свидания и всего хорошего, друзья!-------------------------------------------------* (Lagniappe derives from New World Spanish la ñapa, “the gift,” and ultimately from Quechua yapay, “to give more.” The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean “an extra or unexpected gift or benefit.”)

Video Vocabulary #1 - Common Greetings and Phrases. You can find a PDF file of the vocabulary in the DOWNLOADS section of the site.p.s. Isn't the sound of that BALALAIKA great in the video?

If you ask a Russian 'How are you?' (КАК ДЕЛА) you might hear more that just a simple "OK". But for starters we'll learn some simple replies. Here are the transcripts of the dialogs from our lesson.#1(- Как дела, Эмили?- Хорошо, спасибо. )#2(- Как дела, Эмили?- Хорошо, спасибо. А у вас?)("I am fine as well" - "Тоже хорошо" )#3(- Как дела, мам?- Так себе...)#4(- Как дела, мам?- Ничего хорошего, Эмили...)Word/Expressions list:Provided below are the lyrics to the song you heard on the show (click for a bigger view) Email me with any questions or comments. And yes, the lessons WILL get more challenging.

How do you say 'Goodbye' in Russian? This show teaches you a couple of ways to do that. As you listen, the images below will help you visually.- Пока, Эмили.- Пока, мам.- До свидания, Эмили.- До свидания, папа.Sorry for the quality of the show's audio. Was out of town, and recording was made on my notebook. I am hoping that I'll have all my usual gear unharmed (by hurricane Katrina) when I go back to New Orleans, La. on Monday.

How do you feel about food? Я люблю поесть! (I love to eat!) most people will say. Whether you love it or hate it, we deal with food and talk about food every single day. That reminds me, I have to throw together PLOV (rice-based national dish of Uzbekistan) for tonight (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plov) ....be right back.(Natalia making noise in her kitchen)First, let me give you a list of some popular food items in Russian:Хлеб - breadСоль - saltСахар - sugarЯйца - eggsИкра - caviarМасло - butterМолоко - milkКефир - kefir (a sour-tasting drink made from cow's milk fermented with certain bacteria.)Сок - juiceОвощи - vegetablesФрукты - fruitСыр - cheeseМясо - meatРыба - fishКолбаса - sausageШоколад - chocolateТорт - cakeВода - waterПиво - beerШампанское - champaignВодка - vodkaЧай - teaКофе - coffeeJust to name a few. Now, some dishes in Russian:Салат - saladПлов - plov (Uzbek-style Rice Pilaf)Суп - soupГорячее - main courseБеф-строганов - Beef StroganoffСолянка - Russian Spicy Meat SoupБорщ - Ukranian Beet SoupВинегрет - Russian “Pink” Salad VinaigretteПельмени - Beef dumplingsГрибы Фаршированные - Stuffed MushroomsБаклажанная икра - Chopped eggplant simmered with tomatoes, carrots, pepper and onion.Селедка под шубой - Chilled slices of vinegar-marinated herring, served with sliced onions, turnip salad, boiled potatoes with a touch of butter and fresh dill.Блины - CrepesШашлык - KebabГолубцы - Cabbage leaves stuffed with meat+rice mixtureФаршированный Перец - Stuffed Greeen Peppers--------------------------------------------------------------------Below is the dialog from today's lesson. Let's try to make an order at one of the Russian restaurants. It's lunch time and you are a client, клиент (speaking in masculine gender in this dialog) at one of the nicer Russian resaturants.By now I am sure you will be able to greet your server (официант) properly in Russian. You would say 'Добрый день', 'Здравствуйте', but never 'Привет' or 'Здорово'....Leave the latter for your friends and family.Your официант would probably ask you if you'd want a starter.Официант: Что вы хотите на закуску?Server: What would you like for a starter?Клиент: Порцию фаршированных грибов, пожалуйста.Client: A serving of stuffed mushrooms, please.Официант: Отлично. Что закажeте из горячего?Server: Great. What would you like for your main course?Клиент: Я возьму борщ со сметаной. А винегрет у вас есть?Client: I'll take some borsch with sourcream. Do you have vinaigrette on the menu?Официант: Конечно есть. У нас отличный винегрет!Server: Of course we do. We serve one great-tasting vinaigarette!Клиент: Тогда возьму тарелочку и винегрета.Client: Then I'll take a plate of vinaigrette as well.Официант: Так, а на второе что будем? Позвольте порекомендовать Вам голубцы.Server: OK. What would you have for your second course? May I recommend Golubtzi to you?Клиент: Голубцы так голубцы. Давненько я их не едал.Client: Golubtzi it will be. Haven't eaten them in a long time.Официант: Очень хорошо. Что будете пить? У нас есть чай, кофе, пиво, шампанское, водка. Server: Very well. What are we going to drink? We have tea, coffee, beer, champaign, vodka.Клиент: Ну для спиртного еще рановато, да и компания нужна. Принесите мне просто кофейку.Client: It's a bit too early for alchohol, and one has to have company for that. Why don't you just bring me coffee.Официант: Сделаем так, как скажете! Через парочку минут принесу закуску.Server: Will do as you ask. I'll bring your starter in a couple of minutes.Клиент: Спасибо.Client: Thanks.After your meal, if you are inclined to do so, you can leave a tip (чаевые), which is between 18-20% of your bill. Leaving a tip is still only customary at upscale restaurants in Russia as my sources tell me.---------------------------------------------------------Today, I'm gonna play a song from a Russian comedy called "Кавказская Пленница" ("The Prisoner of Caucasus"). The song is titled "A Song about Bears". It's a funny song about polar bears who spin the axis of the Earth so that the life would go on. :) And how do they do that? They rub their backs against the axis!Где-то на белом светеТам где всегда морозТрутся спиной медведиО земную осьМимо плывут столетьяСпят подо льдом моряТрутся об ось медведиВертится земляЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится быстрей земляЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится быстрей земляТрутся они стараясьВертят земную осьЧтобы влюблённым раньшеВстретиться пришлосьЧтобы однажды утромРаньше на год иль дваКто - то сказал кому - тоГлавные словаЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляГлавные сказал словаЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляГлавные сказал словаВслед за весенним ливнемРаньше прийдёт рассветИ для двоих счастливыхМного - много летБудут сверкать зарницыБудут ручьи звенетьБудет туман клубитьсяБелый как медведьЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится быстрей земляЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится земляГде-то на белом светеТам где всегда морозТрутся спиной медведиО земную осьМимо плывут столетьяСпят подо льдом моряТрутся об ось медведиВертится земляЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится быстрей земляЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится быстрей земляЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится быстрей земляЛя ля ля ля ля ля ляВертится быстрей земля

Sounds like cognates are the single greatest friend to folks learning Russian. However, as with most good things there are pitfalls. And these pitfalls are called 'false cognates'. A 'false cognate' is a word that shares a similar pronunciation between two languages, but means one thing in one language and something else in the other. You'd sound pretty silly if a Russian asked you what you were doing ('Что вы делаете?') and you'd answer 'Я читаю магазин' (which means 'I am reading a store')....'False Cognates" examples.The dialogue at the beginning of the show:

Добрый день, друзья! Как дела? Хорошо? Отлично. (Hello, friends! How are you? Doing well? Great!)It's December now, and I am a bit late with my coming back to the 'Spoonful of Russian'. I was hoping to get it started again in November, but....like they say in Russia: "Люди предполагают, а Бог располагает!" Which literally means "People make plans, but everything is in God's hands'. To quickly bring you up to date we are in our new house in Charlotte, NC and lovin' it! Still lots of things to do around the house to make our home --> thus lack of time for making podcasts:( For all the listeners who were asking about our trip to my hometown in Russia - the trip did not materialize for a couple of reasons. The Russian embassy told me I had some problems with my Russian passport at the last minute when I had the tickets in my hands! Then the airline company refused to refund us after we told them we were not going to Russia. But enough of that. Let's get to our lesson.-------А теперь давайте окунемся в сегодняшний урок = Let us dive into today's lesson. We are in the middle of great family holidays now. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving (День Благодарения) and now you are looking forward to Christmas (Рождество)! One thing these 2 holidays have in common is family gatherings. Dads, Moms, Grandmas, Grandpas, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, cousins, daughter, sons, grandchildren....get together for a very special time. Would you know how to label a specific branch of your Family tree in Russian? To help you out I made a chart of the family members and relations. All family members have gender-specific names. Please, listen carefully as I pronounce the words. You are welcome to pause this podcast recording, rewind and repeat.(click on the chart for a larger view) ...-----For the musical part of the podcast I chose a timeless song performed by a singer from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia - Nani Bregvadze. The song is called "Снегопад" or "The Snowfall" where the snowfall stands for the end of one's youth. The singer is pleading with the Snowfall to wait and not to knock on her door. She still has love and tenderness to give, and hopes to share. The text is full of beautiful metaphors and similies. Almost 40 years have passed since Nani sang the song for the first time, but it still resonates in people's hearts, because the theme is eternal. "СНЕГОПАД"Я еще не успела испить свою осеньА уже снегопад сторожит у воротОн надежды мои как дороги заноситИ грозит застелить надо мной небосводСнегопад, снегопад, не мети мне на косыНе стучи в мою дверь, у ворот не кружиСнегопад, снегопад, если женщина проситБабье лето ее торопить не спешиНе спеши, снегопад, я еще не готоваТы еще не успел мою душу смутитьНеизлитую боль лебединого словаНе тебе, а ему я хочу посвятитьСнегопад, снегопад, не мети мне на косыНе стучи в мою дверь, у ворот не кружиСнегопад, снегопад, если женщина проситБабье лето ее торопить не спешиЯ еще разобьюсь о твою неизбежностьГолубая метель запорошит мой домЯ прошу, снегопад, не заснежь мою нежностьНе касайся любви ледянящим крыломСнегопад, снегопад, не мети мне на косыНе стучи в мою дверь, у ворот не кружиСнегопад, снегопад, если женщина проситБабье лето ее торопить не спешиТоропить не спеши, торопить не спеши --------That's it. Now you can call your family members using the words you've learned today. But be advised, when addressing your brother, he might have a negative reaction to the word. It's somewhat close to the English word 'brat' :)I want to apologize for not answering all of your e-mails. After the move I have taken up some new responsibilities and am very short on spare time. But I still welcome all your input and comments.This lesson's recording quality leaves much to be desired, but I promise next lesson will be much better.----------

(Due to lack of interest in the enhanced version of the podcast I am going to stick with the audio only version. Below is the Valentine's Day enhanced show converted into .mp3 file)Привет! Hey there, all you Russian language addicts and all those who have just subscribed. Welcome! (Добро пожаловать!)It’s Lesson#11 - Love is in the Air. It's been a while since I cranked up my Microphone and my Mac to produce a podcast. My house renovations are still going on, and we are still living with my in-laws. Even though my current environment is not ideal for writing and producing podcasts, I felt that I needed to get back out there for several reasons. I'm still getting lots of e-mails on a daily basis from listeners who express their desire for more of 'A Spoonful of Russian'. Another reason is we are working on getting things ready for our trip to my hometown in Russia this summer, and my daughters are in serious need of freshenning up their Russian:) There are other reasons as well. But personally, I just miss it myself. I miss plotting the idea of the lesson, typing it on my PowerBook (while listening to some nice classical music. Russian, of course), recording it, choosing different audio transitions, piecing it all together in GarageBand, uploading it, and getting your responses later.As much as I'd like to produce lengthy and in-depth lessons on a weekly basis, that would not be possible for the time being. The next few lessons will probably be shorter and carry less info. Hey, it's 'A Spoonful of Russian' after-all:)LESSON - "Love is in the Air"You all know that Valentine's Day ( 'День Святого Валентина' in Russian) is just around the corner. I am not going to go into the history of the holiday. You can do a little research on the subject at wikipedia.org if you want. But wouldn't it be cool to send your sweetheart a valentine written in Russian? I'm gonna show you how to do it. Here are some simple phrases you can use:- "I love You" , of course. "Я Тебя Люблю." For your convenience I created some flash-cards to go with the lesson. - Another phrase you can put down in your valentine is: "Be Mine". And depending on the gender the Russian translation is either "Будь Моим" or "Будь Моей".- "We're Made for each Other" - "Мы Созданы Друг для Друга".- If you are an older couple I have a perfect card for you on Apple site. It's one of the iCards Apple offers. It uses one of my photos that depicts a pair of old boots. It says: "We May be Old, but we Match!" In Russian, "Хоть Мы и Стары, Мы - Идеальная Пара!" You can locate my card on mac.com --> iCards --> under "new in iCards".ENDING WORD and a SONG Now that you have a few phrases in Russian to dazzle your sweetheart, you might want to play this next song for her/ or him. It's called БЕЛОЙ АКАЦИИ ГРОЗДЬЯ ДУШИСТЫЕ. Literally "Sweet-smelling clusters of acacia". It's a romantic song about 2 lovers reminiscing about their time together one summer. The unforgettable time they spent under an acacia tree, listening to the nightingale's song and whispering the words "I am yours forever".БЕЛОЙ АКАЦИИ ГРОЗДЬЯ ДУШИСТЫЕ(А.Пугачев – музыка неизвестного автора) Целую ночь соловей нам насвистывал,Город молчал и молчали дома...Белой акации гроздья душистыеНочь напролет нас сводили с ума.Сад весь умыт был весенними ливнями,В темных оврагах стояла вода.Боже, какими мы были наивными,Как же мы молоды были тогда!Годы промчались, седыми нас делая.Где чистота этих веток живых?Только зима да метель эта белаНапоминают сегодня о них.В час, когда ветер бушует неистово,С новою силою чувствую я:Белой акации гроздья душистыеНевозвратимы, как юность моя!Белой акации гроздья душистыеНеповторимы, как юность моя...

Let's say you want to fly out of JFK to Scheremetyevo airport in Moscow, then take the train to Vladivostok, stopping to drive through the countryside both by car and by horseback. Or maybe you enjoy boat cruises and would love to go down the Volga river! In trying to put all of this into words, you realize that you need to use some new expressions. Here are some examples:Exercise 7.11. Туристы летают в Мексико-Сити из Нью-Йорка _________________________ .Tourists travel from New York to Mexico City (by plane).2. Люди ездят на работу _______________________ в Атланте.People go to work in Atlanta (by bus).3. Поездка в Европу _____________________ 3 месяца.The journey to Europe (by boat) is 3 months long.4. Мы ходим _____________________ к бабушке.We walk (by foot) to Grandma's house.5. Я поеду к врачу ____________________ завтра.I will drive (by car) to the doctor's office tomorrow.6. Они катались со спуска горы ____________________ .They went down the side of the mountain by (on skis).Exercise 7.21. Дорога идет ________________ берега.The road goes (alongside) the shoreline.2. Где находится магазин? Он ___________________ .Where is the store located? It's (around the corner).3. Кафе _______________ с метро.The cafe is (next to) the subway.4. Я вас видел вчера. ______________ вы шли?I saw you yesterday. (Where) were you going?5. Никак не мог найти мою ручку. ________ она?I can't find my pen. (Where) is it?Exercise 7.3 (fill in the blanks by translating the words in brackets)1. Your roommate leaves for a weekend retreat in the mountains, and you say (see you soon):___________________________2. After you have dropped your kids off at the grandparents' house, you tell them (see you later):___________________________________3. Your late afternoon meeting began at 3:30, but you arrive (late) at 3:45: ______________4. You hope that you find those keys (soon): _____________________5. The concert started at 8 p.m. and you arrived exactly at 8 p.m. You were (on time): ____________________6. You check your e-mail (every day):________________________Numbers 11-2011одиннадцатьadeenatsat'12двенадцатьdvyenatsat'13тринадцатьtreenatsat'14четырнадцатьcheytirnatsat'15пятнадцатьpyatnatsat'16шестнадцатьshyesnatsat'17семнадцатьsyemnatsat'18восемнадцатьvasyemnatsat'19девятнадцатьdyevyatnatsat'20двадцатьdvatsat'(end consonants with an apostrophe (') after it is 'soft' )Final words: That concludes our lesson 7. I have all the material we've covered today on spoonfulofrussian.com Don't forget to do the excersizes - we'll check them next time we meet.Oh, and here are the lyrics of the song (you can always view them on your iPod...as you are listening to this lesson, click 3 times)Черный котМузыка Ю.Саульского. Слова М.ТаничаЖил да был черный кот за углом,И кота ненавидел весь дом.Только песня совсем не о том,Как не ладили люди с котом.Припев:Говорят, не повезет,Если черный кот дорогу перейдет,А пока - наоборот:Только черному коту и не везет.Целый день во дворе суета:Прогоняют с дороги кота,Только песня совсем не о том,Как охотился двор за котом.Даже с кошкой своей за верстуПриходилось встречаться коту,Только песня совсем не о том,Как мурлыкала кошка с котом.Бедный кот от усов до хвостаБыл черней, чем сама чернота,Да и песенка, в общем, о том,Как обидно быть черным котом.

Bought a new mic, new headphones, iMac G5 - all set up to produce 'killer shows', yet this show will be the last one before I can get settled in our house.This is show#10 and the last one as far as my introductory lessons go. After almost 7,000 visitors to my site and close to 3,000 subscribers (at one point) I decided to take a sabbatical to re-evaluate the show and make some changes. Renovating of the house damaged by hurricane Katrina is another reason for the break.I would like to thank all my loyal long-time listeners as well as new ones for downloading the show. I really enjoyed getting the lessons ready as well as doing the production itself. I wouldn't be able to do it without you inspiring me.There will be no lesson today. If you sent me a comment or a question - don't worry. I will be answering all the questions via e-mail personally in the days to come. Stay subscribed to 'A Spoonful of Russian' - that way you'll be informed of all the changes.I did include a song in this last show."Сердце" ('Heart')also known as "Как много девушек хороших" ('There are so many nice girls")Как много девушек хороших,Как много ласковых имен,Но лишь одно из них тревожит,Унося покой и сон, когда влюблен.Любовь нечаянно нагрянет,Когда ее совсем не ждешь,И каждый вечер сразу станетУдивительно хорош, и ты поешь:Припев:Сердце, тебе не хочется покоя.Сердце, как хорошо на свете жить!Сердце, как хорошо, что ты такое,Спасибо, сердце, что ты умеешь так любить!