A Spoonful of Russian - Learn Russian Online from Russian Tutor

Click on the title "Vacation Note" to hear my message. I have a few photos to go with my audio note. All of them were taken in Texas outside Tyler.






I can't waith to get back to work on the next "A Spoonful of Russian" lesson!

Привет, дорогие слушатели. (Hi, dear listeners). Сегодня суббота, 22 октября. (Today's Saturday, Oct. 22nd.)
Let's check your homework from the previous lesson#7:
Exercise 7.1
1. Туристы летают в Мексико-Сити из Нью-Йорка ___на самолете___ .
Tourists travel from New York to Mexico City (by plane).
2. Люди ездят на работу ___на автобусе___ в Атланте.
People go to work in Atlanta (by bus).
3. Поездка в Европу ___на теплоходе___ 3 месяца.
The journey to Europe (by boat) is 3 months long.
4. Мы ходим ___пешком___ к бабушке.
We walk (by foot) to Grandma's house.
5. Я поеду к врачу ___на машине___ завтра.
I will drive (by car) to the doctor's office tomorrow.
6. Они катались со спуска горы ___на лыжах___ .
They went down the side of the mountain by (on skis).
Exercise 7.2
1. Дорога идет ___вдоль___ берега.
The road goes (alongside) the shoreline.
2. Где находится магазин? Он ___за углом___ .
Where is the store located? It's (around the corner).
3. Кафе ___рядом___ с метро.
The cafe is (next to) the subway.
4. Я вас видел вчера. ___Куда___ вы шли?
I saw you yesterday. (Where) were you going?
5. Никак не мог найти мою ручку. ___Где___ 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):___Увидимся!___
2. After you have dropped your kids off at the grandparents' house, you tell them (see you later):___Пока!___
3. Your late afternoon meeting began at 3:30, but you arrive (late) at 3:45: ___поздно___
4. You hope that you find those keys (soon): ___скоро___
5. The concert started at 8 p.m. and you arrived exactly at 8 p.m. You were (on time): ___вовремя___
6. You check your e-mail (every day):___каждый день___
------------Phone Conversations------------
(the audio files of the conversations are on the 'Downloads' page)

Two friends
(ring)
-Алло?
(Hello?)
-Алло, Маш. Привет. Это Наташа.
(Hello, Masha. Hi. It's Natasha)
-А, Наташ, привет. Как дела? -- should be 'Как жизнь'
(Oh, it's you Natasha. How are you?) -- should be 'How's life/What's up'
-Да так, ничего нового. Вот подкаст делаю. А ты чем занимаешься?
(Nothing much. Just working on my podcast. What about you?)
-А у меня времени ни на что не хватает. Мои дети сейчас занимаются каратэ, балетом, да еще и футболом! Нужно везде успеть.
(And I have no idea where my time goes. My kids are going to karate, ballet and even soccer practices now! Gotta make it everywhere on time)
-Может найдете часик поиграть с нами в парке?
(How about finding an hour for a play date with us at the park?)
-С удовольствием, Наташ. Давай встретимся во вторник в 5 вечера?
(I'd love to, Natasha. Let us meet on Tuesday at 5pm)
-Давай. Ну, до встречи.
(OK, See you then)
-Пока.
(Bye)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
School Principal calls a Parent
(ring)
-Алло?
(Hello)
-Добрый день. Могу ли я поговорить с Марией Витальевной?
(Good afternoon. May I speak with Maria Vitalyevna?)
-Да пожалуйста, это я.
(Yes, of course. This is she)
-Мария Витальевна, с Вами говорит Наталия Николаевна, директор школы, где учится ваша дочь Катя.
(Maria Vitalyevna, this is Natalia Nickolayevna, the principal of Katya's school)
-Да, я Вас слушаю.
(I see. I am listening)
-Дело в том, что нам нужно встретиться и поговорить о Катином поведении.
( The thing is, we need to have a talk about Katya's behaviour)
-Что-то серьезное произошло?
(Something bad happened?)
-Пока нет. Но может произойти. Вам в пятницу вечером удобно? Скажем в 6 часов?
(Not yet, but may happen in the future. Is Friday night OK for you? Say about 6pm?)
-Да, конечно. На каком этаже ваш кабинет?
(Sure. That'll be fine. Which floor is your office?)
-На втором. Всего хорошего, Мария Витальевна.
(It's on the 2nd floor. All the best, Maria Vitalyevna)
-Спасибо за звонок, Наталия Николаевна. До свидания.
(Thank you for calling, Natalia Nickolayevna. Good-bye.)
-До свидания.
(Good-bye)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Миленький ты мой" ("My Sweetie")
Автор текста: народные
Автор музыки: народные
Миленький ты мой
Возьми меня с собой
Там в краю далёком
буду тебе женой
Милая моя,
Взял бы я тебя
Но там в краю далёком
есть у меня жена.
Миленький ты мой
Возьми меня с собой
Там в краю далёком
буду тебе сестрой
Милая моя,
Взял бы я тебя
Но там в краю далёком
есть у меня сестра.
Миленький ты мой
Возьми меня с собой
Там в краю далёком
буду тебе чужой
Милая моя,
Взял бы я тебя
Н...

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)

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: [email protected]
- twitter: @russianspoonful (with hashtag #askNataliaW )
- YouTube: youtube.com/spoonfulofrussian
I 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: [email protected]
### 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/Mosfilm
https://www.youtube.com/mosfilm
Some 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 thr...

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