Letters to the Editor

To the Editors:

I received my July-August, 2011 issue of Russian Life and was disappointed that it did not contain the Uchites self learning section. I got my degree in Russian language, culture and civilization in 1989 and really enjoy this section of your magazine to keep up my skills. I hope that you will continue this section in the future. I enjoy the magazine but really like the Uchites section.

Harry Helinski

Broken Arrow, OK

Harry:

The Uchites inserts were created under a grant from the Russkiy Mir Foundation, which also paid for distribution of thousands of copies of the magazine to high school and college students of Russian during the school year. We felt that our paid subscribers would also enjoy this insert, so included it in the entire print run. Many readers have shared your opinion and, as you will see in this issue (although the grant has run its course), we are striving to continue the section, albeit in more modest form. Readers can support its continuance by thanking and patronizing the advertising sponsor...

– The Editors

To the Editors:

My question is a general one concerning learning Russian language. For a beginner who has little exposure to spoken Russian..., is it a wise choice to subscribe to Russian TV and try to pick up some of the language – currently I understand almost nothing spoken – or am I wasting time and money at this point? I currently have this service and enjoy it... but am frustrated I am unable to comprehend.

Kingsley Smith

by email

Kingsley:

If you are indeed a beginner, trying to pick up Russian through TV broadcasts can be frustrating, as Russian newscasters tend to speak rather rapidly, and movie dialog can be laced with difficult colloquialisms and idioms.

Don’t give up, but try supplementing your aural learning with things better tailored to your vocabulary level. There are plenty of online resources, such as those found at learnrussian.org, as well as lots of good Russian podcasts, for example at podst.ru. You can also visit our website and search for “language learning” and it will bring up a compilation we did last year of useful online resources.

–The Editors

To the Editors:

I love your magazine and have been receiving it for many years. However, what drives me nuts when there are articles regarding anything to do with the Orthodox Faith, is that there is almost always references to church services being “mass.”

There is no “mass” in the Orthodox Faith. That is so Catholic! In Orthodoxy, you have Divine Liturgy on Sundays and Holy Days, you have Vespers Saturday evening prior to Sunday Liturgy, or Great Vespers when it’s the evening before a Holy Day. Sometimes Matins follows Vespers, depending on the priest. For short, Divine Liturgy can be referred to as Liturgy when it’s on a Holy Day or Sunday. There are more types of services, but I will stop at these.

Please advise the person that proofreads anything to do with Orthodoxy to correct this horrible error so I can quit pulling my hair out when I see this word “mass”! It really makes me crazy!

Olga Sivinski

by email