Search by tag «Russian language» 63 results

• Swear like a Russian (not): Russian Mat

  It's a common thing to ask someone to teach you a swear word in their native language: you think it’s funny and cool and wins you points. For some, knowing how to swear even helps build their confidence with a language. Then again, swear words and slang hold a special place in every culture, and are very easy to misuse. For this reason, we’ve decided to touch upon this topic, and start with Russia’s most notorious way of speaking: the infamous “mat”.

  23.03.2020

• Speak Like a Russian: the Unfathomable

  To tell you the truth, today started as a total disaster for me. Just yesterday, I had plans to post a nice winter-themed article, and the first thing that I didn't see this morning were any traces of snow. A few hours later, when I was working on a gloomier backup topic, the heavy morning rain gave way to some glorious sunshine, which messed up my plans once again. Needless to say, I was ready to burst out in anger! Then suddenly, I remembered one peculiar Russian expression which helped me calm down, contemplate on the situation that I got myself into, and recall the one word that you definitely have to learn in order to truly understand the Russian culture. 

  18.02.2020

• ITMO’s Science Communicators Hosted a Discussion at the Total Dictation Conference

  At the end of January, Total Dictation hosted the 8th international conference in Moscow, titled “Dynamic processes in contemporary Russian language”. As part of the event, the organizers introduced the author of the text for the 2020 dictation, chose its capital and identified its main theme. Apart from that, volunteers, organizers and experts participated in the discussion on the topic “How popularization in humanities differs from popularization in natural sciences?”, which was moderated by Ilya Stakheev, deputy director of ITMO University’s Center for Science Communication.

  11.02.2020

• Speak Like a Russian: On Kvetching And How Things Go Wrong

  Since early December, I’ve been looking forward to see some real winter: sparkling white snow, chilling winds, lucid sunsets. Yet, all we get now are drizzling rain and cold mud. I don’t know about you, but I find this all very frustrating, which made me choose quite a specific topic for this article. Simply put, our today’s words will have to do with kvetching and bad things in general.

  20.01.2020

• Speak like a Russian: New Year’s Words

  The New Year is almost here, and tomorrow evening will be celebration time. There will be congratulations, speeches and toasts – so let's learn a few basic expressions that’ll help you join in on the fun! 

  30.12.2019

• Speak Like a Russian: 5 Ways to Describe Winter Cold

  Winter is finally here, and since the previous Monday’s article was dedicated to braving the cold, today we’ll focus on the Russian words that you can use to describe it!

  02.12.2019

• Total Dictation and ITMO’s Center of Science Communication Launch a Contest of PopSci Works

  The team of the Total Dictation initiative is launching a new contest for authors of popular-science works on Russian language and literature. Journalists and bloggers who explore topics close to those of Total Dictation, are invited to participate, as well as specialists in the field of science and science communication who are interested in the popularization of the Russian language. ITMO.NEWS spoke to Ilya Stakheev, deputy director of the Science Communication Center at ITMO University and one of the founders of Total Dictation, to find out about the contest’s rules and why participating in it may be interesting not only to journalists and philologists.

  12.11.2019

• Speak Like a Russian: Getting Around, Part 2

  In one of our previous articles, we already touched upon the key Russian words that will help you get around: things like the types of public transport and a few associated expressions. This time, we’ll focus on the words that can help you find a specific place, and the few challenges you might face in the process.

  11.11.2019

• Read News Like a Russian

  In any country, news is more than just what’s happening. It’s an insight into what’s important to the people and how they see the world. Curious about what's happening with buckwheat prices or what’s hot in sneakers? Here's where to put your newly-acquired Russians skills to use (or let Google Translate do the heavy lifting).

  21.10.2019

• Speak like a Russian: Autumncalypse

  We’re halfway through autumn, and it seems that we won’t be getting any late warmth or “sun-lit, golden leaves under a clear blue sky” type of scenery (though I really hope that I’m wrong). Well, don’t you worry! Fall in St. Petersburg is not just about the endless rains, but also sludge, sulk, and an occasional runny nose – the things that will be the topic of today’s Speak Like a Russian article.

  14.10.2019