Bear in a Hat: Russian Studies at Stetson

It's all about Russia!

2012-01-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

http://video.online.ua/281040/amerikatse-v-rossii/

Я вас любил - Пушкин

2012-01-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Я вас любил: любовь ещё, быть можетВ душе моей угасла не совсем;
Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;
Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.
Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно,
То робостью, то ревностью томим;
Я вас любил рак искренно, так нежно,
Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.

The translation reads:

I loved you once: perhaps that love has yet
To die down thoroughly within my soul;
But let it not dismay you any longer;
I have no wish to cause you any sorrow.
I have loved you wordlessly, without a hope,
By shyness tortured, or by jealousy.
I loved you with such tenderness and candor
And pray God grants you to be loved that way again.

Personally, I like it better in Russian. it just feels so much better than when you translate it to English.

I think that all of us have experienced what Pushkin is saying in this poem.

Мой перевод на английский стихотворения Пушкина, под названием "Виноград"

2012-01-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

ВИНОГРАД

Не стану я жалеть о розах,
Увядших с легкою весной;
Мне мил и виноград на лозах,
В кистях созревший под горой,
Краса моей долины злачной,
Отрада осени златой,
Продолговатый и прозрачный,
Как персты девы молодой.

Grape

I shall not regret the roses,
Wilted by a mild spring;
Grapes on the vine are dear to me,
In my hands and ripened under the mountain's shadow.
The beauty of my lush valley,
And the delight of a golden autumn,
Oblong and transparent,
Are like the fingers of a young maiden.

Hetalia, Part 3: Russia and the Baltic Trio!

2011-12-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

So if you've been keeping up, this would be the third and final and nearly-forgotten-about (sorry) installment of the Russia blog posts, by yours truly: Taylor Takushy-face + Katya (Taylor Takoushian and Katherine Fanning)! But not the actual country -- you see, we're talking about the character from the popular anime, Axis Powers: Hetalia, which personifies and parodies the countries of the world and their respective histories.

Without further ado, the introduction! As we've heard mentioned a couple times in class, there are three countries that border Russia and have important relationships with it: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. They are known as the Baltic Trio, and are all more or less absolutely terrified of Russia.

Latvia is the youngest of the Baltic states, and the most sensitive. Though he wishes he had siblings, the other two do not think of themselves as his brothers. He is easily intimidated by Russia, and arguably the most dominated, as he has tried and failed to oppose Russia various times. He attempts to please Russia, but ends up doing things blindly and bluntly, and is basically emotionally tortured for it.

Lithuania is the oldest of the three Baltic states and a shy, gentle type. He was once the partner of Poland during their days as a superpower, but were split apart when Russia partitioned him. In the main storyline, he is shown as an underling of Russia as part of the Soviet Union. He is often intimidated by Russia even in the modern day -- Russia admitted that one of his goals in life was to see "a crying and confused Lithuana come crawling to [him]." He is actually deeply attracted to Belarus, and is unaware of her utter loathing of him!

And last but not least, is Estonia!

The studious one of the three Baltic states, who is really into computers and allegedly has the most luck in avoiding Russia and problems due to his wit (though this conflicts with Estonia's actual unlucky history). When something dangerous or unfortunate happens to Latvia, he can usually be heard screaming his name.

And that is the end of our three-post special on Russia's role in Hetalia! Thank you for such a great semester, guys ):

Russian Enlightenment

2011-12-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

The Russian Enlightenment

Starting during the 18th century, Russia experienced a time of enlightenment in which the government began to actively encourage the proliferation of the arts and sciences. Scholars refer to this period as the Russian Age of Enlightenment. Catherine the Great who was the ruler of Russia in this period advocated for several "enlightened" reforms, especially in regards to the gentry of Russia. Educational reforms were perhaps some of the largest reforms introduced by Catherine creating several state-run schools and institutes encouraging a moral and intelligent society. Some large amounts of reforms came in restructuring the political organization and establishing a new set of laws.

Honestly, this era was a reflection of Catherine's desire to make Russia equal politically, culturally, and intellectually to its European counterparts. Many intellectuals of this era saw these reforms as efforts toward Westernization and rejected much of the liberal traditions of the West. By the end of the era, all of Catherine's efforts still did not achieve in matching Russia on an intellectual or cultural scale with the European Nations, but it did make it a significant military and political power of the age. Additionally, the reforms would provide the foundation of Russian intellectual development for the next century. So even though Catherine's reforms were partly unsuccessful in bringing Russia into the light of Western thought, it provided the key for subsequent Russian thinkers to open the door to a new age of cultural progress.

-Anthony McRae

Modern Russian Music Ypok 5

2011-12-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

After seeing some of the songs sung at Dr. Steeves house last Friday, I decided to look up some other, more modern, music. This web site gives certain links to different types of music. Once you click the link, musicians and bands will be on display along with a sample of their music. Enjoy!

Russian politics

2011-12-13T09:49:00.000-08:00

so this was all over the news last night and after sitting in the library being forced to watch it since they refuse to shut the new televisions off i actually started paying attention and found it sort of interesting. It's not in line with what I usually pay attention to but i think all this studying has gone to my head...

~Hannah

Deanna and Brittany portfolio 5

2011-12-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

convo 4 pg 151

Deanna and Brittany portfolio 5

2011-12-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

conversation 3 page 151!

Deanna w. & Brittany O Portfolio 5

2011-12-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

conversation 2 page 151

Brittany Ooman/ Deanna Wotursky portfolio 5

2011-12-12T19:07:00.001-08:00

first conversation from page 151....4 more to come!Just working on pronounciation.

Great Russian Authors: Anton Chekhov

2011-12-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

The link is for 201 Stories by Anton Chekhov. Your first question probably is "Who is Anton Chekhov and why would I want to read 201 of his stories?"

Well Anton Chekhov was a Russian writer, born in 1860, who basically invented the short story. In addition to being responsible for formulating the literary concept of Organic Unity (Chekhov's gun) and stream of consciousness he wrote really good short stories.

His works show life in Russia at the time and are a wonderful way of learning about life and culture in Imperial Russia from a humorous or at least interesting perspective.

That said, if you like Chekhov's stories, you should probably read his plays too. Chekhov was basically a master of drama and entertainment as well.

Could black holes be our salvation?

2011-12-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

Russian astrophysicist Vyacheslav Dokuchaev proposes that planets with life could orbit massive black holes.

In light of the holiday season...

2011-12-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd just post some clips from one of my favorite dances from the Tchaikovsky ballet The Nutcracker. I've loved this ballet for as long as I can remember, and I've seen so many different versions over the years. The television station Ovation has done a "Battle of the Nutcrackers" for a few Decembers now in which they compare the latest versions from the some of the most famous ballet companies in the world and have viewers vote on a favorite. The link is to the website where you can see the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from each competitor.

--Kristen Moisio

Solaris

2011-12-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

Tarkovsky's third feature film, Solaris is a stunning psychological drama which is in part a response to Kubrick's 2001. Because of its incredible art direction and camera work, Solaris is an absolutely beautiful film even though it is almost entirely set within a space station.

http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=GG9Anstjlro&feature=mv_sr

Бременские музыканты

2011-12-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

Aka the Town Musicians of Bremen.
This is an old Soviet cartoon based on the folktale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. Despite the title, the musicians never arrive in Bremen.

"In the story a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster, all past their prime years in life and usefulness on their respective farms, were soon to be discarded or mistreated by their masters. One by one they leave their homes and set out together. They decide to go to Bremen, known for its freedom, to live without owners and become musicians there.

On the way to Bremen, they see a lighted cottage; they look inside and see four robbers enjoying their ill-gotten gains. Standing on each other's backs, they decide to perform for the men in hope of gaining food. Their 'music' has an unanticipated effect; the men run for their lives, not knowing what the strange sound is. The animals take possession of the house, eat a good meal, and settle in for the evening.

Later that night, the robbers return and send one of their members in to investigate. He sees the Cat's eyes shining in the darkness and thinks he is seeing the coals of the fire. He reaches over to light his candle. Things happen in quick succession; the Cat scratches his face with her claws, the Dog bites him on the leg, the Donkey kicks him and the Rooster crows and chases him out the door, screaming. He tells his companions that he was beset by a horrible witch who scratched him with her long fingers (the Cat), an ogre with a knife (the Dog), a giant who had hit him with his club (the Donkey), and worst of all, the judge who screamed in his voice from the rooftop (the Rooster). The robbers abandon the cottage to the strange creatures who have taken it, where the animals live happily for the rest of their days."

Got that summary of the plot from Wikipedia.

I like the cartoon better than the story. Cute music and even cuter artwork.

Unit 5: зеленый борщ

2011-12-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I am not a fan of traditional russian борщ, but I must admit that one of my favorite Russian dishes in indeed зеленый борщ.I hate beets, so this green-colored soup is perfect for me! It's real easy to make and while I have tried several recipes, my friend Ira from Ukraine definitely has the best one.

First you will need: boiled: 2-4 eggs (boil, then chop), 1/2 cup rice, and 2 potatoes (peeled and cubed). chopped: 2 onions (preferably green), 2 sticks of celery, 1/2 of a cucumber, scallions, about 1 bag of spinach, and carrots. Dill, parsley, salt, and sour cream.

*The amount of the ingredients differs depending on how much you plan to make.

**The great thing about this recipe is that you can add or subtract any of the ingredients and it will still be delicious. Personally, I cannot stand dill so I use chives instead.

The rest of the recipe is very easy. Add all ingredients to a pot of LIGHTLY boiling water and cook until favorable consistency and temperature is achieved. Season to taste and serve hot or straight from the fridge :)

2011-12-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Women in Russia
Women make up 46.9% of the unemployment in Russia. They normally work in public health services, education, finance, and information/ accounting services. Equal pay in some industries does not exist though it is in the constitution. Many of the higher wages is to those of higher power and men 9 times out of 10 hold those positions. In Russia there are protective laws that prohibit women from too hard of jobs such as, working at night or carrying too heavy weights. It is also a required 3 year maternity leave for child care, so most businesses do discriminate when looking to fill a position. Last but not least pensions in Russia. The age for pension from the government is 55 for women and 60 for men. The pension that is given to them is only about 1500 rubles a month which averages out to be about $50 so many people have to get side jobs just too survive.

The Russian Protests

2011-12-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

Here's what you need to read to catch up on the Russian protests:

http://en.gazeta.ru/news/2011/12/10/a_3923638.shtml - And pretty much everything else on газета.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/world/europe/thousands-protest-in-moscow-russia-in-defiance-of-putin.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16125445 - good pictures here

http://russiaprofile.org/politics/51037.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2011/12/2011121053755418485.html - watch the video!

http://www.economist.com/node/21541444

Through all of this, I keep thinking of Richard Pipes when he came to Stetson last year. He was adamant that change would never come to Russia because it's people were too apathetic, too cynical, and didn't believe in democracy. Hmph...

Trololo

2011-12-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

As with everything else the internet finds entertaining, this is a strange one. Trololo is a "RickRoll"-esque video which gained popularity in late 2009. The old Russian song, similar in style to American jazz scat music, is titled "Я очень рад, ведь я, наконец, возвращаюсь домой" or "Indeed I am very glad that I am finally returning home". The performer is Edward Hill, who was given a few honors for being a popular and talented singer during the Soviet era. The result is a silly video of him failing to lipsynch a song that he supposedly sung. It's a cultural thing on a few different levels due to the age of the song, the popularity of the singer, and the video's resurgence as a joke in America. Give it a try, it'll stick with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=251Lp4fOmcM (Video)

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/trololo-russian-rickroll (Article)

Blog Post Unit 5

2011-12-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Apparently favored by Ivan the Terrible, ukha is a Russian “fish soup” that’s light and simple to prepare.

A true Russian staple, fishermen would prepare the soup over an open fire with whatever fish was caught that day.

Soups have always played an important role in Russian cuisine. Ukha began life as a simple broth but in the 16^th and 17^th centuries it evolved into a more diverse and elaborate dish that was served in the lavish Russian courts.

Although ukha is made from fish, it’s not technically a fish soup in the strictest sense. Traditionally, fish was used simply to flavor the water for broth with herbs and seasonings and then root vegetables such as potatoes and onions were added.

Nowadays you can use any freshwater fish, from salmon to cod, although typically smaller fish, such as perch, are used.

Fish soup was an important part of pre-revolutionary Russian cuisine; especially on Russian Orthodox fast days when meat was forbidden.

Typically, freshwater fish such as carp is more frequently eaten inland, while salmon and trout are more common in northern areas.

The fish can be preserved by salting, pickling, or smoking.

- Ezri

2011-12-09T19:14:00.001-08:00

Winter Extravaganza 2011

2011-12-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

Tutoring on Wednesday

2011-12-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

No tutoring this Wednesday (12-7). Please contact Christine Jacobson to set up an appointment.

Exporting Raymond

2011-12-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

If you haven’t seen Exporting Raymond yet, I highly suggest you do. The documentary follows the journey of a writer/producer from Everybody Loves Raymond as he tries to adapt his show to a Russian audience. The film reveals a lot about the differences between American and Russian humor in a sometimes hilarious way. As you can see, it takes him a while to warm up to the cultural differences and a few interesting characters...

Trailer

Head of Comedy

Costume Designer

The film's facebook page

Watch it!

Russian Folk Remedies

2011-11-30T15:05:00.001-08:00

Because medicine is expensive in Russia, the people prefer to use home remedies because they aren't as expensive, they're easier, and they seem to work great!

For a sore throat there are three different remedies you can use. They are: 1) bring a cup of milk to a gentle boil and stir in two tbsps. of honey and serve warm. 2) take three tbsps. of honey, and one tbsp. each of finely chopped onions and grated apples. 3) grate beets and squeeze out the juice until you have eight ounces and then add one tbsp. of vinegar, gargle the mixture five times a day.

For a headache there are two different remedies: 1) gently massage your temples with a grated lemon. 2) drink a cup of green tea laced with fresh mint.

For colds there are two different remedies: 1) pour two cups of boiling water over four tsps. of fresh raspberries and raspberry leaves and let the mixture steep for four hours, drink the warm concoction four times a day. 2) chop four tsps. of horseradish very fine, wrap the bits in hot gauze and then tie the gauze to the back of the head.

For nasal congestion: 1) cover one chopped garlic clove with one tbsp. of vegetable oil and let it steep overnight, strain it in the morning and use as nose drops.

For cough: 1) small pieces of paper covered with mustard flour (called gorchichnki) are soaked in very warm water and placed on the chest for ten to twenty minutes while the person is underneath a blanket; after the treatment, the person stays in bed all night so as to not lose the the warmth generated by the gorchichnki.

Ashley Johnson Blog Entry 4: Matryoshka Dolls

2011-11-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

Matryoshka dolls are a set of wooden dolls that decrease in size and are placed inside one another. The dolls are usually a female figure wearing a traditional Russian jumper and the dolls are commonly painted very extravagantly. The first Matryoshka doll was carved my Vasily Zvyozdochkin and designed by Sergey Malyotin with an inspiration from the Japanese doll Honshu. The name Matryoshka means little matron which is a form of the Russian name Matryana. The doll's name is also referred to metaphorically when describing the "recognizable relationship of objects within objects". It is also considered similar to the onion metaphor, when describing that one must peel back the layers of the onion to get to the center.

Ashley Johnson Blog Entry 3: Dinner Etiquette

2011-11-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Russians are very traditional in their ways of being social among one another. For instance, there is a particular etiquette when eating in the Russian culture. A big thing among the Russians is that one MUST arrive on time and if there is a need to be late, it should be no more than 15 minutes afterward. When guests arrive at a house they must immediately take off their shoes at the door an are given guest slippers and should be dressed in semi formal attire; something that is considered nicer than everyday wear. When eating, the meal does not start until the guest initiates a start and the food is always served first to the oldest male at the table. The utensils are also placed in a specific place: fork on the left and knife on the right side of the table. When receiving food or drink it is usually considered rude to deny something, however, when alcohol is served take it and either leave it or drink it all and men usually pour the drinks of the women sitting next to them.Toasts are occur often at the Russian tables and it is considered bad luck to toast with an empty glass. No one should leave the table before the host does because this is considered rude, and afterward it is considered hospitable to help clean off the table. Russians are very superstitious and follow these not only to be polite but to avoid bad luck or bad omens.

Ashley Johnson Blog Entry 2: Unity Day

2011-11-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

Unity day is a recently adapted holiday in Russia celebrated on November 4th, where peace among different religious and ethnic groups is advocated. The day is a spin off of a holiday that was usually celebrated on November 4th which commemorated the uprising which freed Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian occupational forces on November 4, 1612. The czar, Alexei Mikhailovich established the holiday that was celebrated until 1917 when the Bolsheviks replaced the holiday in 1918, having it celebrated on November 7th instead of the 4th. The day officially became Unity Day in 2005 when the parliament decided to take the November 7th holiday of the list of public holidays and then replaced it again to Unity Day on November 4th. The day is celebrated greatly by the Russian orthodox Christians who usually hold a church service to honor Our Lady of Koran. Afterward there is a feast where people speak about unity among social groups. Others still celebrate the holiday as they did before, still considering it a place marker for the November 7th holiday.

Потап и Настя - Крепкие Орешки

2011-11-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

I don't remember how I found this group, but I love them and constantly have one of several of their songs stuck in my head. This one is sort of what we talked about in class (кино и фильмы) and it's quite catchy, as are most of their songs. Идите и послушаете!

The Balalaika

2011-11-21T23:57:00.000-08:00

As a guitar enthusiast, I'm fascinated by the string instruments that various cultures embrace. Of course, Slavic culture has its own: the балалайка. Wikipedia, the source of all human knowledge, answers all of your burning questions concerning this cherished churner of beauty:

"The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass balalaika and contrabass balalaika (Note: that's the contrabass on the left). All have three-sided bodies, spruce or fir tops, backs made of 3-9 wooden sections made usually from maple, strung usually with three strings.

The prima balalaika is played with the fingers, the sekunda and alto either with the fingers or a plectrum, depending on the music being played, and the basses and contrabasses (equipped with extension legs which rest on the floor) are played with leather plectrums"

Here's Aлексей Aрхиповский on the prima to demonstrate what the full potential of the балалайка:

Cool Russian Beatboxer

2011-11-21T21:21:00.001-08:00

Amazing.

--Kristen Moisio

Karina's Blog Entry

2011-11-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was a child, my favorite salad was one that my parents made and they called it a Russian salad. I thought that's what only my family called it but I typed in Russian salad into the search box on yahoo and I found information on it. Apparently that's what a lot of people call it! As you will see, the official name for the salad is Salad Olivier. It is named after the man who invented it. The recipe that I found says to use bologna, but you can substitute it with any other meat. When I was a child my parents would make the salad with bologna but when I got older, they started making it with meat because I confessed that I wasn't a fan of bologna. I know there are different ways to make this salad. You can add or subtract ingredients based on your taste. You don't have to put eggs in the salad if you don't like them but it does add to the flavor of the salad and you don't have to put a meat in it. I have eaten a Russian salad that didn't have any meat in it. Well, if you do decide to make it, I hope you're not disappointed! Also here is a link to the information about the salad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad_Olivier

Anna Netrebko-Russian Soprano

2011-11-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a few links of the world's new leading soprano. She studied at Moscow Conservatory, and is now a household name (for those who talk about opera).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cih5Au3mJIQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=416E8bsHTR8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cGY_Hm7cwc

Emmy Minteer's Unit 4 Blog Post

2011-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

http://losingmusings.tumblr.com/post/6407173260/scheherazade-op-35-mvt-ii-rimsky-korsakov

here's part II of Luke Ford's Anastasia/political tales ... enjoy!

Unit 2 Blog Post--The Winter Palace

2011-11-17T15:42:00.000-08:00

I found this youtube video about the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Its the 'Russian Culture' section of the Hermitage and its set up to look like it did while the Tsars still lived there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9cBD8Dm0po

Unit 4 Blog Post--Should We Be Worried?

2011-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

http://rt.com/politics/putin-medvedev-soviet-collapse-577/

So I came across an article like this one in the New York Times and decided to do a bit more research. As far as I have seen, Prime Minister Putin has been recently making comments about the fall of the Soviet Union--a tragedy in his opinion. As we know, Putin plans to run for President again in the next election, and as Prime Minister, he had already extended the Presidential term, so if Putin wins we will be hearing "President Putin" for a potentially long while. This proves to be a bit worrisome, with the President of Ukraine looking to forge strong ties with Russia and Putin dwelling on the former Soviet Union--what will come of this?

Hvorostovsky's Dark Eyes

2011-11-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

This is a link to a Russian baritone that I am in love with, Dmitri Hvorostovsky. His performances of Russian folk songs, such as очи чëрные, are amazing. I especially enjoy his performance as Eugene Onegin in the Tchaikovsky opera.

Unit 4 Dialogue - Taylor and Corrine

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here is our Dialogue!

Just click download and play and there you have it :)

Deanna Wotursky port 4 blog

2011-11-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

Everyone’s heard of the mail order bride, the exotic women men buy from foreign countries to marry. This topic interests me because one of the top searched items on Google when searching Russia is Russian mail order brides. On one hand the term “mail order bride” is offensive to some people but on the other hand people view this as an economic trade. I don’t personally have a view on it but hey, who are we to judge?
In history, mail order brides came about when women posed in catalogs to basically be bought by a man. This type of exchange wasn’t based on love but on looks, if the man found this woman attractive and desired a wife they would get married. Typically involves a man from a more developed country and a woman from Asia, what use to be the Soviet Union or many other undeveloped countries.
Now-a-days these exchanges have brought on a million dollar industry which may be a positive, but on the downside the woman aren’t always treated as they should be.

Brandis and Georgia Dialogue Unit 4

2011-11-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

http://www.mediafire.com/?u29q5nwnspblc9z

Karina and Lindsay Dialogue for Unit 4

2011-11-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here's our dialogue!

Хеталия: Россия (PART 2)

2011-11-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hello again everyone, Taylor Takoushian and Katherine Fanning here with PART 2 of the blogs about the character of Russia from the webcomic-turned-animated show Axis Powers Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya!

If you don't know what we're talking about, click here to view our previous blog post about Russia himself, which should explain everything really.

Anyhoo, on to this blog's topic. which will be Part One of Russia's Relationships~!

Two other characters that Russia commonly interacts with are his two 'sisters', who are the personified nations of Ukraine and Belarus.

Cuties, aren't they?

Lets start off with Russia's older sister, Ukraine~!

Ukraine is depicted as having short blonde hair (which she keeps held back with a blue or green headband and clips), blue eyes, and wears a long-sleeved white blouse and blue overalls. Her most notable physical feature, however, is her large breast size, representing Ukraine's status as a major agricultural nation ("large tracts of land"). She can also be seen carrying a pitchfork at times.

Ukraine is the oldest of the three siblings and is constantly getting dragged into some sort of mess. She is described by her brother as being very warm-hearted and motherly, having taken care of him and Belarus when they were little. He also notes that she's a bit of a cry-baby, yet with a big heart. She apparently has chest and back pains due to her assets. She was the one who gave Russia his scarf, which he continues to wear today.
Unlike Russia and Belarus, Hetalia's author Himaruya Hidekaz has not yet chosen a definitive human name for Ukraine. (However, the fans tend to call her Yekaterina or Katyusha.)

Now for Russia's younger sister, Belarus~!

Belarus is portrayed with long, blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She wears a long navy blue dress, a white hairbow (shown in one illustration to be on a headband), a white waist apron, and black shoes with black thigh-highs. Russia has also stated that she is "a very pretty girl" while Lithuania stated that she can be "strong yet cute"

Belarus is most highly noted as prettymuch the only character able to instill fear in Russia himself, who is normally the one everyone else is wary of. She is also shown to carry around a knife at points, most notably in the "Meeting Of The World" comic strip where she's holding it to a traumatized Latvia's back as her brother scares him.
Despite her cute appearance, Belarus is an intimidating, harsh young woman who has a deep infatuation with her older brother Russia, to the point where she wants to get married to him.
[I just want to add a quick note here for anyone who is perturbed by this: Please keep in mind that this is NOT incest. Remember that these characters are the embodiments of COUNTRIES, so are technically not 'related' as normal humans are.]

However, he doesn't feel the same way, and feels disturbed by her very presence. Her love for him is as obsessive as it is unrequited, though much to Russia's dismay; the latter does not deter her. She is shown to stalk after him, as well as stick by his side to intimidate those who she feels might stand in their way. Her human name is Natalia Arlovskaya. (though there are alternative spellings at the moment)

Below is concept art of their military outfits.

And here we have posted the episode of the anime where Russia introduces his two sisters to us and tells us about them. Its only 5 minutes long so go ahead and watch it~! [this is the original version of the episode which originally aired in Japan, so the voices are in Japanese. BUT ITS GOT ENGLISH SUBTITLES SO ITS ALL GOOD ;D]

We hope you've enjoyed our latest installment of the Хеталия Россия blog series, and be sure to tune in next time for more about our Russian friend~!

Meanwhile in Russia...

2011-11-15T14:52:00.001-08:00

а тепреь что-то другое... в россии... rated, like, r... for ribaldry and renching... but very funny.

Emmy Minteer & Katherine Fanning Recording Unit 4

2011-11-15T13:44:00.003-08:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vZUHzojPbRNeHvbCi

Emmy Minteer and Katherine Fanning's Russian Recordings!

Ezri and Stephen speakin' da Russian :D

2011-11-15T13:44:00.001-08:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vRJy2LMIi4FCKSEHj

The Dark Years of Stalin

2011-11-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

The Dark Years of Stalin

In the year of 1924, the great leader, Vladmir Lenin, died from heart-related issues. It was in the sadness of this time that a new leader named Joseph Stalin would rise to power in Russia. Earlier in 1922, Stalin had been elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party and had slowly gained power through the party. Following the death of Lenin, he effectively put down all opposing groups within his party and consolidated power into his hands. He then proceeded to exile his antagonist, Leon Trotsky, from the nation in 1929 and to affirm his concept of socialism in one country which would be the Soviet approach for many years.

During the 1930s, Stalin launched a Five-Year Plan which called for collectivization and industrialization to achieve a planned economy. The result was a large famine from 1932-1933 in which many people throughout the Soviet Union suffered. In addition to this, Stalin introduced harsh state control policies that led to several thousand people being executed and millions more being deported. It was a dark era in Soviet history, and the experienced certainly changed the culture of the nation as a whole. Looking back on it, the years of Stalin show us the consequences of allowing individuals or groups to have unbalanced, excessive power.

Vocaroo Link: http://vocaroo.com/?media=vtJAQz5N71cunuNvT

Dialogue 4!

2011-11-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vd8suKakmKuTNKaDm

Billie And Ashley's Dialogue for Portfolio 4

Kristen and Alecsa's Dialogue

2011-11-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Americans vs. Russians

2011-11-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

I found this website on the differences and similarities of Americans and Russians. It explains Russian outlooks and how they came to be that way. It focuses more on Russia than America but it gives you an idea.

Ethan's Dialogue

2011-11-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vyueAWZRjLyQkVpJP

Alexander Nevsky

2011-11-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

Directed by Eisenstein and released in 1938. It's certainly not Eisenstein's best or most interesting film but it is very entertaining. Aesthetically, it reminds me of The Adventures of Robin Hood, only in black and white. http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=tPT6sjgPGHk&ob=av1n&feature=mv_sr

DEANNA AND BRITTANY SPEAKIN' RUSSIAN PORT 4.

2011-11-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=v9YvrZ6nFZviiT5D2

Medvedev and Obama

2011-11-14T19:13:00.001-08:00

And missiles!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/11/14/only-problem-with-obama-is-eu-missile-shield-medvedev-says/

Hannah's blog post unit 4

2011-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

History in the making... or any way I find it pretty interesting.... Anyway last year there was a famous Japanese pop star, Sho Sakurai, who traveled to Russia as part of a program they do yearly called "24 hour TV" and he was able to interview Mikhail Gorbachev. When he arrived Gorbachev took his preassigned notes and asked for them to simply sit and talk. And so for 30 minutes the pair sat and held a serious conversation about nuclear disarmament and poverty. At the end of the interview Gorbachev complimented the young idol telling him “I’m glad to see a surefooted young person like you.” He was pleased to know there were such good young people and that the youth of our time can change the world if we set out minds to it. I actually watched the interview and found it quite touching because after his discussion the idol went and actually did a short documentary on poverty in Romania.

Hannah and Janine's dialogue unit 4

2011-11-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

The Martian curse

2011-11-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

From the pot and into the frying pan. Seems like nothing can go right for Russia's first interplanetary mission in 15 years.

Nikolai Gogol: One of the Greatest Russian Authors

2011-11-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

For anyone that is a fan of Russian literature the name Nikolai Gogol holds immense meaning. A Ukrainian born Russian, his works encompassed the best of both of those worlds. He not only wrote stories of Ukraine that brought the world of the Cossack to life, he was able to create intricate stories of horror set within the modern time.

Linked is the story "The Cloak". It is one of the earliest Russian horror stories, but to simply classify it as such is a bit misleading. Gogol thrived on the surreal with his work and "The Overcoat" is no different. The actions, events, characters, and places all bear some meaning despite their apparent randomness. All of them work together to create what is at root a good ghost story.

But if you aren't into horror, then try reading his other stories like "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich" and "The Carriage", both of which show a lighter side of Gogol.

And of course, if you REALLY love Gogol, try reading "Dead Souls". It was supposed to be the first part in a modern day "Dante's Inferno". Only Gogol never had time to finish it.

Gogol's demise was as surreal as his some of his stories. After going through a religious madness in which he burned many of his manuscripts, he proclaims his actions as a joke and shortly after succumbs to sickness. In that odd and disturbing way Russia lost a literary treasure, and the world became poorer for it.

Some Strange Facts about Russian History

2011-11-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

When Leo Tolstoy and his brother were children, they created a club with a peculiar, almost impossible initiation ceremony. In order to become a member, one had to stand in a corner for a half an hour and not think of anything white.

(….almost impossible? I’m pretty sure that IS impossible…..)

In the memoirs of Catherine II of Russia, it is recorded that any Russian aristocrat who displeased the queen was forced to squat in the great antechamber of the palace and to remain in that position for several days, mewing like a cat, clucking like a hen, and pecking his food from the floor.

(hahaha…I can only IMAGINE what that must have been like)

During the time of Peter the Great, any Russian man who wore a beard was required to pay a special tax.

(Which I find particularly interesting because I thought having a beard at that time was a sign of being a proper Christian… So does that mean men were penalized for being good Christians?)

unit 4 blog post,

EzRi =D

Brittany Ooman portfolio 4

2011-11-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

If you are a city freak like I am, your greatest excitement about going to a new city is inching closer and closer watching the beautiful skyline get bigger and bigger, well, at least I do. However, I find the history of Moscow, Russia skyline to be interestingly unique and make me that much more anxious to visit.
The “Seven Sisters” or “Сталиские высотки” Stalin’s High-Rises are one of the leading architectural creations of his time, also the most historical pieces of work in Moscow its self. After the great patriotic war, Stalin thought that Moscow needed to be renovated in order to compete with the modern cities of the western allies (Sras). Stalin enlisted some of the world’s top architects to turn Moscow into a modern European city, his goal was to rival completed skyscrapers in the USA and in Europe. His goal was to create eight buildings that looked exactly the same, unfortunately they had only created 7, however, had become to be seven of the most beautifully handcrafted buildings in Moscow.
Ukraine Hotel
Leningradskaya Hotel
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building
Kudrinskaya Square Building
Red Gates Administrative Building
Moscow State University
Minisry of Foreign Affairs Building

A Waterpark Never to Be Finished...

2011-11-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to an interesting thing I found whilst browsing. Construction of this water park began in 1997 and stopped three years later.

Russian singer Vitas!!

2011-11-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

The lyrics are very moving and thought provoking.

His full name is Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachyov but his stage name is Vitas. He was born in Daugavpils, Latvia on February 19, 1981 and was raised in Odessa, Ukraine. Vitas was discovered by Sergey Pudovkin and invited him to Moscow based soley on his acting, but he had not heard Vitas' voice yet. He made his debut with Opera No. 2 in Russia in December 2000. He was notable because of his energetic and surprisingly high-pitched vocals. Vitas performed his concert program, Philosophy of Miracle at the State Kremlin Place on March 29, 2002; he was the youngest artist to perform a solo concert there. He tours around Russia, as well as the entire world, bringing his mysteriousness and enchantment to all those that see him. I have definitely been enchanted by him and his voice. Vitas is indeed married to a Svetlana and they have one child so far.

Ivan Pavlov

2011-11-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

This is a tricky blog post because everyone has some knowledge of Ivan Pavlov. In the spirit of Bear in a Hat, though, I wanted to restate that he was Russian and successful. He was the psychologist/physiologist who worked with animals to discover "conditioning". Animals would be presented with a stimulus that they naturally responded to and a stimulus that did nothing for them. Eventually the stimulus that originally did nothing produced the same response as the stimulus with the automatic natural response. Pavlov also did some early work with the digestive system. He won a Nobel Prize in Physiology and is a figurehead for modern psychology. Also, he has a killer moustache.

Ghosts and Ghost Towns

2011-11-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

A ghost town was recently discovered in the Moscow region of Russia. Little is known about the town, which is interesting considering its proximity to the capital city. Check out pictures, here.

On the theme of spooky things, Russian ghost stories tend to be particularly dark. Here's an example:

The Dead Mother

In a certain village there lived a husband and wife—lived happily, lovingly, peaceably. All their neighbors envied them; the sight of them gave pleasure to honest folks. Well, the mistress bore a son, but directly after it was born she died. The poor moujik moaned and wept. Above all he was in despair about the babe. How was he to nourish it now? how to bring it up without its mother? He did what was best, and hired an old woman to look after it. Only here was a wonder! all day long the babe would take no food, and did nothing but cry; there was no soothing it anyhow. But during (a great part of) the night one could fancy it wasn’t there at all, so silently and peacefully did it sleep.

“What’s the meaning of this?” thinks the old woman; “suppose I keep awake to-night; may be I shall find out.”

Well, just at midnight she heard some one quietly open the door and go up to the cradle. The babe became still, just as if it was being suckled.

The next night the same thing took place, and the third night, too. Then she told the moujik about it. He called his kinsfolk together, and held counsel with them. They determined on this; to keep awake on a certain night, and to spy out who it was that came to suckle the babe. So at eventide they all lay down on the floor, and beside them they set a lighted taper hidden in an earthen pot.

At midnight the cottage door opened. Some one stepped up to the cradle. The babe became still. At that moment one of the kinsfolk suddenly brought out the light. They looked, and saw the dead mother, in the very same clothes in which she had been buried, on her knees besides the cradle, over which she bent as she suckled the babe at her dead breast.

The moment the light shone in the cottage she stood up, gazed sadly on her little one, and then went out of the room without a sound, not saying a word to anyone. All those who saw her stood for a time terror-struck; and then they found the babe was dead.

Spooky, huh?

Unit 4 Blog Post--Russian Fairytale

2011-11-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Frog Princess, an old Russian Fairytale (in English):

One Tsar wanted his three sons to marry. He ordered each to shoot an arrow and marry whatever woman lived where the arrow landed. The eldest brother's arrow landed in the courtyard of a boyar's daughter; the middle brother's arrow landed in the yard of a merchant's daughter. The youngest son's arrow went into a swamp. He discovered that a frog had found the arrow and he dutifully but sorrowfully married the frog.

When the tsar ordered his daughters-in-law to make him fine shirts and bake him fine bread, the frog turned into a beautiful princess, Vasilisa the Wise, at night when everyone else was sleeping and made the best shirts and bread.

The Tsar then announced a feast at the palace and commanded his sons to come with their wives. There for the first time Vasilisa the Wise appeared for everyone to see, including her husband Ivan. Later at the dance, Vasilisa performed magical feats with the wave of her sleeves. The wives of the other sons tried to do the same but only succeeded in making a mess.

Prince Ivan, the youngest son, wanted his wife to remain a beautiful princess so he ran home and burned her discarded frog skin. Vasilisa sadly told him that now she would have to become the prisoner of the sorcerer Koshchei the Deathless, and she disappeared.

Searching for her in the forest, Prince Ivan spared several animals who promised to help him in the future. He then came to the hut of a Baba Yaga, a grandmother spirit, who told him he could only free his wife by killing Koshchei. Koshchei's death was well-hidden at the point of a needle, in an egg, in a duck, in a rabbit, in a chest at the top of an oak tree.

Although Ivan could not get the chest out of the tree himself, the animals he had spared broke each thing open until Ivan had the egg. He broke it, broke off the tip of the needle inside, and Koshchei died instantly. Ivan lived happily ever after with Vasilisa.

Flagler charter school to emphasize Russian language

2011-10-31T09:29:00.001-07:00

Looks like a charter school that specializes in Russianlanguage and culture is starting soon in Flagler:

Flagler charter school to emphasize Russian language
BY ANNIE MARTIN, STAFF WRITER
October 30, 2011 12:45 AM
PALM COAST -- Students and parents will be able to choose a school with an international flair next year.
A new charter school in Flagler County that specializes in Russian language instruction should open in time for the 2012-2013 school year.
The Global Outreach Charter Academy of Palm Coast will pair Russian language instruction with traditional academic subjects for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The Flagler County School Board approved the school's application in September.
Though Flagler County didn't gain many students overall, two of the three charter schools grew this year. The largest, Imagine School at Town Center, picked up close to 300 students and added a two-story, $2.4 million classroom building. Global Outreach Academy already appears to be a hit. About 100 students, mostly from Russian-speaking families, have said they're interested.

Read more here.

Disney Channel Russia

2011-10-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

SURPRISE! I'm writing a blog post about Disney. Specifically Disney in Russia. I had no idea what I was going to write about but as I opened my Google account and checked my RSS feeds, I found this little tidbit.

http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/press_releases/archive/2011/10/26/the-walt-disney-company-and-uth-russia-to-launch-free-to-air-disney-channel-in-russia.aspx

That's right! 75% of the Russian television audience will now have free access to a free Disney Channel! Lucky Russians. Next thing they need is a theme park...

Хеталия: Россия

2011-10-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

Now we [Taylor Takoushian & Katherine Fanning] know probably none of you in this class watch anime, but thankfully one exists that we can relate to this class: Hetalia: Axis Powers. Originally a webmanga/webcomic by artist/author Hidekaz Himaruya, this anime recently became ridiculously popular, starring the personified countries of the world playing out their cultural stereotypes and histories with satirical humor.

And of course, there is glorious Russia.

Glorious, downright adorable Russia.

You just wanna hug him, don't you?

Believe it or not, Russia is portrayed as a very split character! He is introduced as sweet, soft-spoken, and filled with positive intentions, but it is rapidly shown that due to the strain of his bloody history, he has partially snapped. Russia frequently exhibits an intimidating aura. Russia is completely aware of his volatile personality, and generally has all of the innocence and cruelty of a small child.

Russia's character design depicts him with a slightly prominent nose, beige-blonde hair, blue-ish eyes and has him rather tall, about 182cm, and he is usually clad in a standard beige, winter trenchcoat adorned with a military medal, a scarf given to him by the character Ukraine (his "big sister" whom he misses dearly), and is seen holding sunflowers, vodka, and/or a faucet pipe. Sunflowers, because Russia hates the cold and longs to live in a sunny place filled with such flowers, vodka for obvious reasons, and the faucet pipe...... well, who knows.

In the profiles of the published manga, he is described as a large young man who is seemingly bighearted and innocent, but is in reality childishly cruel. He comes off as intimidating without even saying a word, his gentle smile and disposition only intensifying the aura of dread which seems to constantly hang over him. He is often described as gentle and naive, and not malicious, but insane. Though he is capable of being incredibly cruel-minded, Russia himself is unaware of it.

Russia hates the cold mostly because every year he is attacked by General Winter. However, General Winter is his most powerful ally in the face of war.

His given human name is Ivan Braginski, or Иван Брагинский, and in fan-works the diminutive "Vanya"/"Ваня" is sometimes used.

Himaruya, the author/artist, has also created various female versions of the characters, Ivan included. as you can see below.

Isnt she a cutie? The female version of Russia does not have an official given name at the current time.

Below, there's a video clip from the English-dubbed version of the show, here we get to see BOTH SIDES OF RUSSIA. (and a really freaked out France)

We hope you enjoyed this little expose on Hetalia's Russia.

Stay tuned for more blogs about him, his sisters, and his foreign relations with the other Nation people~!

До свидания~!

большой театр

2011-10-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Instead of talking about an actual opera for this blog post, I decided to talk about where most of the operas are performed! The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow boast some of the best artistic performances in Russia. Not only does this amazing venue house the State Opera company, it also produces ballet performances! The theatre just went through a 6 year renovation, and they just announced, today, that they will have a grand re-opening! Read more about it from it's website and Wikipedia!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jR5b7KrdEMP0SpqIBXzvfJ-QqgLQ?docId=CNG.14aa3c39acb7aa2afe81b730b6f7ceeb.d1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshoi_Theatre

http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/

Putin Sings for Charity

2011-10-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Although this video is a little old I thought it was still worth watching. In it, Vladimir Putin is surprising no one by being a little bit ridiculous and singing "Blueberry Hill" at a charity dinner for children in St. Petersburg last year. Honestly I don't think Vladimir Putin can shock anyone anymore by being a little absurd.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/12/13/132030597/video-russia-s-putin-sings-blueberry-hill-at-charity-dinner

Alla Pugacheva

2011-10-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

For my blog I'm going to be introducing you to an extremely famous Russian singer by the name of Alla Pugacheva. I grew up listening to her because my parents would always play her music in the house and in the car. They grew up listening to her, as did millions of other Russians.In order to get a clear idea of how influential she was in Russian society, both during the Soviet Union and after its collapse,here is an article about her that I found. I hope you find it interesting. I am also posting one of her most famous songs so you can hear her voice and hopefully you enjoy her music just as much as I did growing up! This song is one her older songs.Enjoy!!

P.S. I didn't know if I could add a second link or how to do it so here is the address for the music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e3QJhipWNY

Natural Resources

2011-10-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Russia has one of the greatest reserves of natural resources in the world. So why don't we hear more about Russian resources being used? Probably because they're way off in Siberia. The remoteness of these resources makes them expensive to mine.

So what resources does Russia have, anyways?

Minerals! Russia may hold as much as half of the world's coal reserves, and even larger amounts of petroleum. They also have about 40% of the world's supply of natural gas.

Ferrous metals! Iron ore deposits south of Moscow near the Ukrainian border contain so much iron ore that they have actually caused a deviation in the Earth's magnetic field. Russia also has adequate quantities of manganese, nickel, tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum and other iron-alloying elements.

Non-ferrous metals! Mostly copper, but there's a smaller amount of aluminum as well. The North Caucasus contains a large amount of lead and zinc ores, which are commonly found with copper, silver, gold, and a bunch of other rare metals. Russia has one of the largest gold reserves in the world, and mercury deposits can be found in the southern and central Urals and in south central Siberia.

Raw minerals! Potassium, magnesium salt and apatite (not to be confused with appetite). Rock salt can be found in the southwestern Urals, and sulfur can be found in the Urals and in the middle of the Volga valley

I suppose it shouldn't be such a surprise that Russia contains such a large amount of natural resources. Being REALLY REALLY BIG helps, I'm sure.

Deanna Wotursky Unit 3

2011-10-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Russian World of Oil
What do you think of when you see gas prices? Many automatically start complaining about the high prices it takes to fill up your tank now-a-days, but this isn’t the case in Russia. They currently are pumping 650 billion cubic meters of gas per year, and one cubic meter is the equivalent to about 36 cubic feet. Now that is a lot of oil. It is said that they have pumped enough gas to sustain themselves for over a century. They currently are the largest exporter of oil, and are home to most of the largest oil reserves in the world. Russia’s largest oil company is Rosneft, which has recently reported a 10% profit in its third quarter. Rosneft like many Russian companies is majority owned by the government, and they currently drill in Siberia, southern Russia and surrounding areas. They don’t have control of any pipelines but the company runs two successful refineries. This success may not last though because competitors are seeking licenses to drill and research oil in the Artic. This poses a threat to these companies because they have already spent millions in exploring possible oil areas. In all, one of our most sought after natural resources is being used to boost Russia’s economy, and keep their gas prices low.

Taylor & Alecsa's Unit 3 Dialogue (with a little HEBREW)

2011-10-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here's our dialogue~!

http://www.mediafire.com/?vv4ifvtt8a8j3d6

Its in video format, AND I ADDED A TRANSLATION-CAPTION FOR THE HEBREW~ ;)

Blog post unit 3-hannah

2011-10-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

So people of our generation are always complaining about the US and how its run; apparently this is common throughout the world, even in Russia. Basically this article talks about young Russian scientists who have decided that they want more control over what they do... sounds like the terrible twos all over again...

Стефан и Эзри гоборят по-русски.

2011-10-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vxSPCX9nl43nxo3e6

:D

dialogue:unit 3 Ashley and Deanna

2011-10-26T12:10:00.001-07:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vm37Ufzpjeoe1BkqI

Kira Plastinina, fashion prodigy

2011-10-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Kira Plastinina is a Russian fashion designer who I've been following since she debuted in 2007. The amazing thing is that this fashion designer happens to be of the youngest in the business, and she's taking it by storm. By fourteen she was a brand, and by sixteen, she was selling her designs to celebrities like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears while opening stores all over the globe. She is the daughter of a prominent Russian businessman, so people often think that her success is only a product of her wealth. But, while her wealth did help her get her start, it is her talent that keeps her a true contender in the fashion world.

The link is of a 2008 article about her from New York Magazine, and below is a youtube video of her Fall 2011 collection at New York Fashion Week.

http://youtu.be/fYOfAo3JH2M

--Kristen Moisio

Dialogue: Unit 2 Ashley and Deanna

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=v0kBuCi1whb2zKZx7

Emmy Minteer Blog Post Unit 3: Russian Story (via Luke Ford's Tumblr)

2011-10-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

My good friend (and fellow Honors Student) Luke Ford did a series on his Tumblr about Czar Nicholas II of Russia in World War I. It's super interesting, I hope you like it! The others will follow later!

Emmy Minteer and Katherine Fanning Recorded Dialogue for Unit 3

2011-10-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vGP49adJ17K9DJafF

The Truth of Anastasia?

2011-10-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Anastasia

My favorite disney movie of all time was Anastasia and she was one reason I wanted to learn Russian (don't judge) I have always been interested in the real story other than the disney version. So I researched it and this is what I found.

Dialogue for Unit 3

2011-10-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

Billie V. and Brittany O. Dialogue for Unit 3

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vAAWtAYfoKq80CzVT

Ethan's Unit 3 Dialogue

2011-10-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=v1ofj0mC8DghV9lx8

Russian Skit-Corrine G, Kristen M. Unit 3

2011-10-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

Tyler and Anthony's Speaking Lines.

2011-10-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vCEWuxYrQFehuOYiM

DEANNA AND BRITTANY SPEAKIN' RUSSIAN PORT 3.

2011-10-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

http://vocaroo.com/?media=vXJHz9YAOarF8Bf84

Russian Sweets

2011-10-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

There is a link to a recipe for Kulich. I thought it was interesting that the dish is very similar to the Italian Panettone, which is a common holiday dessert in Italian households.

"Desserts feature at many traditional Russian celebrations, such as the delicious soft cheese and dried fruit 'Paskha' served at Easter. Many Russian desserts come from Western European influences, started in the early 18th Century by Peter the Great's fascination with all things Dutch, German, French and Swedish.

Many popular Russian desserts and baked goods feature berries, varieties of which we never see in New Zealand, such as the bilberry. These desserts have come from the Central Asian countries that were eventually annexed by Russia and formed part of the Soviet Union.

Baked desserts are also very popular, like the small sweet pies and dumplings called vareniki which are filled with preserved fruit or tvorog (a dry soft cheese similar to quark). Whilst they are often eaten as a dessert, because they are so filling they also can be served as a sweet luncheon dish or for afternoon tea.

Perhaps most well known are Russian pancakes or 'blini'. These are not strictly for dessert as they are often served with savory accompaniments such as mushrooms or caviar. In February, Muscovites celebrate the end of winter and the coming spring with a week dedicate to blini, called 'Maslenitsa'."

Maman, regardes - tout ces russes!

2011-10-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

Mommy, look at all those Russians!

Nice, in the south of France, has been home to a Russian community for a long while now. A Russian Orthodox Church bears witness to this. The problem is, Russia wants to reclaim the property on which the church stands. It's an interesting battle, if nothing else!

Урок 3 Dialogue: Brandis and Georgia

2011-10-25T18:03:00.001-07:00

http://www.mediafire.com/?rc74vxl92qo629x

Unit 3 Dialogue with Karina and Lindsay

2011-10-25T17:17:00.001-07:00

We speak Russianly so well! :-D

Nihilism: Rejecting Authority (Unit 3)

2011-10-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Nihilism: Rejecting Authority

The decade of the 1860s was a time of progressive change throughout Russia. In 1861, serfdom was abolished effectively by Alexander II, and new European ideas had begun to spread through the intellectual communities. It was during this period that the Nihilist movement developed in Russia. Originally coined by Ivan Turgenev, Nihilism was a Russian movement that rejected all authority and advocated the eradication of traditional values in Russia. Heavily influenced by Marxist philosophy, Nihilists saw the Czarist Monarchy and the Boyar class as the oppressive bourgeoisie that owned the means of production. They also believed that the emancipation of serfdom was simply a transitional stage to the serfs becoming industrial workers.
Truly speaking, Nihilism was a sort of an embodiment of the prominent philosophies circulating through Europe at this time. People in Russia were finally seeing things for how they "really" were, and so they wanted to change their country for the better. Nihilists thought themselves as revolutionaries fighting to bring about that change through whatever means necessary. Of course, they did not succeed in doing this and even brought more violence and trouble to their nation. Nevertheless, the Nihilist movement changed the history of Russia and influenced many revolutionary groups to come.

- Anthony McRae

Ivan's Childhood

2011-10-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

This was Tarkovsky's first feature length film and it is quite remarkable. If you have 90 minutes to spare I would certainly recommend watching it. So, here is a link to Ivan's Childhood, in its entirety on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-cOMy9k-6s&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1

Hannah and Janine's dialougue chapter 3

2011-10-24T13:16:00.001-07:00

Cold War Redux: The trial of the alleged "Merchant of Death"

2011-10-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Who is the real Viktor Bout? A former KGB official residing in Moscow who says he has “friends” in high places in Russia? The ultimate capitalist, who once had the world’s largest arms transport fleet and was contracted by the U.S. Pentagon during the Iraq War? Or a puppet on the international stage in a show trial reenacting the Cold War? There is no denying the tug of war between the Russia and the U.S. during the extradition battle in the Thai courts. The process was prolonged as both countries flexed their muscle and weighed in heavily. Hence, Bout was not extradited to the U.S. until November 2010.

More and more Russian agents, primarily old KGB Cold War spooks”, have immigrated to the Unites States either to suck up the perks of capitalism, or deal arms to Americans. When the Soviet Union was still intact, Russians with connections to higher power, such as Victor Bout, lived a very capitalist lifestyle, since it was truly a totalitarian form of government with a few percentage were rich. I’m sure he came to America to continue in that lifestyle. Or he might deal arms, such as a Russian “sleeper” agent was dealing certain Barret .50 Caliber infrared scoped in Texas a few years ago, she is back in Russia now because of a spy exchange. It seems that more and more Russians are coming to America to pursue riches that they never got in the former Soviet blocks or to continue in their former lifestyle as a rich high-ranking KGB officer.

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/23/the-u-s-russian-divide-over-%E2%80%9Cmerchant-of-death%E2%80%9D-trial/?iref=allsearch

Tyler Swanson

Man's new best friend?

2011-10-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

I found this article a couple weeks ago and thought it was pretty interesting. Russian scientists domesticate the fox, check it out.

Yeti/ Abominable Snowman / Eastern Bigfoot/ whatever you wanna call it

2011-10-23T10:26:00.001-07:00

Like cavemen who have been lost in time, reports of the Siberian Snowman (aka Chuchunaa) are different from typical Bigfoot sightings reported around the globe. Believed to be living in remote regions of the former Soviet Union, such as Siberia where they are known as Mulen, the Siberian Bigfoot has often been described as wearing clothing, specifically animal skins. Although the Siberian Snowman fits the size and furry descriptions of Bigfoot in North America, the wearing of animal skins and a noted white patch of forearm hair seems to be more indicative of Neanderthal depictions than Sasquatch descriptions. Does the Siberian Snowman truly exist?

In 1928, the government of the Soviet Union began exploring the remote Indigirka and Yana river regions with expedition teams collecting eyewitness accounts of the Bigfoot creatures. Tribes native to the area have lore that has passed down for hundreds of years about the Siberian Snowman which some have viewed as outcasts from human civilization (the name Chuchunaa means "outcast"). In Siberia, the Siberian Snowman Bigfoot is known to penetrate buildings and barns to take food and other items.

Josh Gates and his team from the tv show, Destination Truth, went to Siberia to search for the elusive creature. They found some unidentifiable animal hairs and made a cast of a supposed big foot track. ( I personally watched this episode when it aired in 2010, it was pretty cool I must say, very compelling.)

Ezri, unit 3

Виктор Цои/Viktor Tsoi

2011-10-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Tsoi / http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A6%D0%BE%D0%B9,_%D0%92%D0%B8%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87

(The Russian one gives more sources)

Виктор Цои русский музыкант. Actually, he was part Korean, so one could say he was simply россиянин. Semantics aside though, he was one of Russia's greatest rock stars. Some Americans might know him from one of his songs which was featured in the game Grand Theft Auto 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ1XalSmHmQ.

Starting out during the tail-end of the Soviet Union, his first shows were primarily in the underground music scene of the time. He established himself through his use of political themes during a time when the Soviet Union still practiced censorship.

During the period of Glasnost and Perestroika, Tsoi began to gain more fame as the loosening up of censorship allowed his music to be heard more widely. He and his group eventually become one of the most popular rock groups in the Soviet Union.

Despite this, Viktor Tsoi remained a normal guy. He was dedicated to his family and lived a modest life. These were some of the things that made him so appealing to Russians.

He died in 1990 in a car accident, leaving many Russians sad over the loss of one of the more dynamic figures of Russian Rock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMbOHlOkZbo

Typical Russian Weddings

2011-10-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

In a typical Russian wedding, the groom arrives at his bride's home with his closest friends and pays a 'ransom' for the bride. A ransom would typically include: honey, candy, reading a poem, dancing, singing, etc. but he would only have to do this if he answered a question wrong about his bride. After that is done, they all would ride down to the department of public services or "ZAGS" to register their marriage. Now marrying religiously is an option, but not required since Russia does not recognize it as official. Afterwards, it is customary for the newlyweds and their close friends to go see the sights and have a few drinks for about 2-3 hours then they go to the wedding reception. At the wedding reception it is all fun and games. Literally. There is tons of drinking, drinking games, and games I have no clue what they're called! In the video. There is this one game where someone walks as fast as they can around a plate with their finger on it and then when they lift their finger off of it, they keep on spinning and run into people or people try (and usually fail) to catch them. I think that that looks like so much fun!!! A wedding reception last about 2-3 days and it is full of fun, games, drinking, eating, and sleeping by everyone.

i thought this was funny

2011-10-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Booker Prize is Britain's most prestigious literary award.

Edward Docx has a charming account of his recent visit to Russia for a literary festival, and the scuffle he accidentally started when he explained the Man Booker to the Russian writers.
I begin to explain that the chair of the judges is Dame Stella Rimington and that she is an ex-head of the security services in Britain. And—bam!—that's it: now everyone is laughing. Oh, the west, they guffaw. Oh, England, they chortle. Oh, hypocrisy. Oh, MI5. Oh, MI6. Even the FSB would not dare! You mean, they splutter, that the winner of your most famous literary prize is judged by the security services? It seems I could not have told them a more perfect Anglo-Russian joke if I tried.
I try to explain that they are mistaken, that Dame Rimington is retired and is a now an author herself. Yes, someone cackles, like Putin is retired from the KGB!
Fuck it, someone else suggests, we should set up an international prize for the security services. We should judge the FSB versus the CIA versus MI5 versus FBI and Mossad. We should proudly declare we know nothing whatsoever about security but say that we intend to make the award based on who we feel has the most zippy-looking offices as seen from street level. Had I ever been in the boy scouts? Yes, for a day. Well, then, certainly I was qualified. Let's set it up tonight. A famous meta-realist falls off his chair.
Reading the essay I'm reminded of the... is it Bruce Chatwin?... quotation that the famed Russian hospitality is mostly just the Russian love for seeing a foreigner drunk.

From here.