Листопад (listopad) – meaning “the fall of leaves,” the word describes just that: the magical time when leaves of all shades from gold to auburn fall from the trees somewhere in late September-early October. This period is known in Russia as золотая осень (zolotaya osen), or the golden fall.
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Туман (tuman) – fog, an unfortunately common occurrence as we move into the colder months. Sometimes it’s so dense we start sharing memes about Godzilla hiding in it.
Ветер (veter) – wind, something to consider while you are planning your outfit for the day – something it is so strong, it will make the temperature several degrees colder.
Облачно (oblachno) – cloudy. However, this word might suffice in summer, but in fall, we would more commonly say something like пасмурно (pasmurno) – gloomy, or even хмуро (khmuro) – grim.
Заморозки (zamorozki) – frost, the not-quite-snow you’ll see covering the grass and the ground after a colder night. It can be quite pretty to look at, a change of scenery to color even a gloomy day.
Сыро (syro) – damp. Even if it isn’t raining and there is no dense fog, it can still often feel like you are walking in a cloud in fall in St. Petersburg. That’s when we say it’s сыро or there is сырость (syrost).
Learn to describe rain in Russian: Speak like a Russian: Speaking of Rain
Кутаться (kutatsya) or закутаться (zakutatsya) – to bundle up or cosy up in your coat (пальто – palto) or, more typically, a scarf (шарф – sharf).
Резиновые сапоги (rezinovye sapogi) – wellingtons. They might not be fashionable, but they, combined with wool socks, will allow you to confidently brave any rainy day, no matter how deep the puddles.
Зонт (zont) – umbrella. Another St. Pete year-round essential. You can choose to carry a tiny зонтик (zontik) to fit into any bag, or a respectable зонт-трость (zont-trost), a cane umbrella, to play along the city’s cultural capital status.
Хтонь (khton) – it could mean “supernatural evil,” but in the fall context is often used to mean “doom and gloom.” Though we are unlikely to reach quite this level in September, late October and early November are just the time to make use of the word.
Luckily, fall is not just doom and gloom! It’s also pretty fallen leaves and stunning landscapes. Follow our guide to experience the most picture-perfect fall this year.
