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Archive for the 'Russian Culture' Category

Russian Food Guide: Traditional Dishes and Quick Recipes

Although Russia is not considered one of the world’s top food destinations, this country has lots of fantastic traditional dishes to offer. Tourists who come to Russia are often astonished by the diversity and flavors of the local cuisine. In this article, we’ll introduce you to the most famous Russian foods and give you some simple recipes that you can try wherever you are.  Let’s start our journey into the world of Russian cuisine! → By the way, to learn more about the topic, you can visit our lesson titled How is the Russian Food? Table of Contents Must-Try Dishes in Russian Restaurants Unique Russian Foods Food-Related Vocabulary How to Cook Russian Food at Home Conclusion 1. Must-Try Dishes in Russian... Show more

The Top 20 Russian Quotes for Language Learners

Although quotes don’t play a very important part in our everyday lives, there are some situations where knowing them can be really helpful. With quotes, we can express our thoughts in a more vivid and concise way.  If you’ve been studying Russian for a long period of time, you’re definitely ready to step up your game and learn some Russian quotes. We’ve prepared a list of twenty famous Russian quotes that you can use to enrich your speech, impress native Russian speakers during a conversation, and make yourself look more intelligent in their eyes. Some of these quotes are of Russian origin, while others are quotes from other languages that have gained popularity in Russia.  Pick your favorites and learn them by heart. We’re sure that... Show more

Get Back to Business: Essential Russian Business Phrases

In many cultures, the sphere of business is associated not only with money, but also with a specific language style. If you plan to do business with Russian speaking partners or move to Russia for work, knowing some Russian business phrases would be useful, as there are situations when everyday language is just not enough. Well, turning to business, I won’t teach you how to earn millions, but I can help you spare a lot of embarrassment by teaching you some fundamental Russian courtesy rules. In this guide, you’ll learn some basic Russian business phrases for various occasions, from job interviews and your first days of work to giving presentations, writing business letters, and making phone calls. Also—the icing on the cake—you’ll find out... Show more

Learn Russian: YouTube Channels to Improve Your Skills

Sometimes learning a foreign language may seem tiring or boring, but that’s not a reason to give up doing it. One of the best ways to make the process of studying more interesting is to add some entertaining materials (like videos) to your normal routine. This is why, when you set out to learn Russian, YouTube can be a great educational tool. If you’re studying Russian, you may have heard about the RussianPod101 YouTube Channel, which is the number-one destination for improving your language skills online. If you’re going to learn Russian via YouTube, this channel is the best one to start with.  That said, there are many other good Russian YouTube channels to help you learn the language. We’re excited to share them with you in this... Show more

How to Say Goodbye in Russian

When you’ve just started studying a foreign language, you may not be able to keep up conversations in it, but you should at least know the basic rules of politeness. Greeting and saying goodbye are the most essential aspects of day-to-day communication, and they can make or break your future encounters with native speakers. Today, RussianPod101.com will teach you how to say goodbye in Russian for a variety of life situations. After learning the following ten phrases, you’ll be much more confident when meeting and speaking with Russians. Let’s get started! Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only) Table of Contents До свидания (Do svidaniya) Пока (Poka) Прощай... Show more

Russian Pronouns: Pronunciation, Grammar & Exciting Facts

Psss, psss, you.  Yes, you.  RussianPod101 has chosen you for a top-secret mission. Don’t worry, no guns or poisoned apples are required. All you need is to equip yourself with a new portion of the Russian language and learn Russian pronouns with us. The thing is that we need you to deliver a message with secret information to a Russian spy. He’ll find you in the crowd on the street himself. The only difficulty is that you can’t name things directly in case there are enemy ears around. You’ll need to just drop some hints, and the Russian agent will understand. How? Well, Russian pronouns will help you. These tiny words replace nouns, and even adjectives, so that only the one who knows what you’re talking about will get the... Show more

Learn the Correct Russian Sentence Structure

Have you ever had difficulties with combining Russian words? We’re sure you know what we’re talking about. Russian word order is important because it makes sentences make sense. Without understanding the main principles of combining words, you won’t be able to communicate with native speakers while, let’s say, vacationing in Russia over the holidays or chatting on social media.Russian sentence structure is one of the most significant parts of learning the grammar rules of this language. If you learn how to make sentences word by word now, you probably won't have problems with more difficult themes in the future. So let's start studying! Table of Contents Overview of Word Order in Russian Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and... Show more

Russian Compliments: Guide to Giving Compliments in Russian

Sincere compliments are wonderful! Every person loves to hear about his or her merits. Compliments make people happy, increase self-esteem, and smooth out sharp edges in relationships. Of course, they’re not obligatory, but they are helpful in many situations. That’s why you should know some Russian compliments if you study this language or simply want to fly to Russia in the future. This article will help you learn about giving compliments in the Russian language. Table of Contents General Information Compliments on Someone’s Look Compliments on Someone’s Skills or Abilities Compliments on Someone’s Personal Traits Compliments on Someone’s Work How to Make Sincere Compliments How to Respond to Compliments ... Show more

Express Your Anger without Russian Curse Words

Everyone experiences anger, regardless of temperament, strength of character, endurance, or other similar factors. Anger is a biologically programmed feeling. It was one of the first emotional experiences available to primitive man, and contrary to popular opinion, anger is a useful emotion. It was given to humans in order to survive. We get angry when something violates our inner peace, threatens our lives, or damages our self-esteem. Scholars say that those who don’t let their anger out suffer both psychologically and physically. Thus, if you study Russian, it’ll be useful for you to learn how to talk about your rage in this language. You need to know angry phrases in Russian by heart so you can put your feelings into words in any... Show more

Life Event Messages: Happy Birthday in Russian & More

Did you know that there’s a Russian holiday called Крещение (Kreshcheniye), or "Baptism," when everyone jumps into прорубь (prorub’), or an "ice hole" in just their underwear? This holiday is in January, so it might be -10°C or -20°C, or even -50°C outside. Russian people believe that it washes off their sins and improves health. This holiday salutes the end of Russian winter holidays, each of which contains even more peculiar traditions. (You thought you were just going to learn Happy Birthday in Russian, didn’t you?) To feel confident in living in Russia and communicating with Russian people, it’s important to know these traditions, especially how people congratulate each other. So, let’s dig into the festive side of life and learn how... Show more