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Lesson Transcript

Hi, everybody!
Do you know what monsters Russian people are scared of? In this lesson, you'll learn about three scary monsters in Russia.
Let’s start with the most popular monster.
водяно́й
[slowly] водяно́й
It means waterman.
The fierce-looking Vodyanoi is a male water spirit
Its skin is black or blue and it looks like an old man with scales, fins, and a fishtail. It rules over mermaids and mermen and surfaces only at night.
That sounds pretty scary, right?
You might have heard about the next monster. The next one is...
Коще́й
[slowly] Коще́й
It can be translated as bone in English.
Thin and bony, Koschchei is one of Russia's scariest monsters.
The hideously ugly Koshchei is immortal and kidnaps young women with the hope to seduce them. Living in the woods, he brings death to anyone who opposes him.
Okay. Here's the last monster.
Баба-яга
[slowly] Баба-яга
Have you heard of this next one? This is the Baba Yaga.
Baba Yaga is a scary old witch with iron teeth. This fearsome old hag has a long nose and a bony body. Living in the woods, she rules the elements but holds no power over the pure of heart.
Let's wrap up this lesson by recapping what we've learned. Listen to the names of each monster and repeat after me.
waterman
водяно́й
* beep
водяно́й
Koschchei, bone
Коще́й
* beep
Коще́й
Baba Yaga
Баба-яга
* beep
Баба-яга
Well done! [pause]
Did you know there is a similar holiday to Halloween in Russia?
Russians know about Halloween but seldom celebrate it. In some regions, celebrating it is even forbidden. The Radonitsa is the festival closest to Halloween, where Orthodox Russians commemorate their departed family. This takes place on the second Tuesday after Easter.
And that’s it! You just learned about three of the scariest monsters in Russia and about Radonitsa, the Russian festival similar to Halloween. Now, learn Russian twice as fast by downloading all your PDF cheat sheets, including survival phrases, pick-up lines, business etiquette, and more! Check out the description below and go to RussianPod101.com now.
I'll see you next time. Пока пока.

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