December 23, 2021

Bunkers, Beglov, and Bad Weather


Bunkers, Beglov, and Bad Weather
In Odder News

In this week's Odder News, Russians are an optimistic people, bunkers are coming back, and St. Petersburg's governor has been invited to Africa.

  • Polls indicate that 61% of Russians believe 2022 will be better than 2021. A journalist at Komsomolskaya Pravda concludes that Russians are a positive people after all! The survey data comes from 1,000 Russians living in both cities and villages. No doubt, Russians are tired of the almost-two-year-long pandemic and are hoping that 2022 will be the year that we move past it.
  • Among unpleasant winter weather in St. Petersburg, word of the snow not being cleared from St. Petersburg streets and sidewalks has reached the president's ears. A group of men in Africa has recorded a video telling St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov, "Come here, we don't have any snow you need to clear away." The men danced around with photographs of Beglov to a RockerJoker song that includes "Sanya, stay with us." Check out the hilarious video here.
  • Terje Stepaschko, a native Norwegian with Norwegian roots, cannot catch a break because of his Slavic-sounding last name. One of his sons constantly has to prove that he has the right to work in Norway and is asked what it is like being an immigrant in Norway. He thinks people should stop using the sound of a last name to determine how to treat people – which we agree with.
  • "What's good for an American is good for a Russian": Rich Russians are following mid-twentieth-century Americans in building nuclear bunkers beneath their homes. According to Komsomolskaya Pravda, these bunkers began to be constructed in the 1960s during the Cuban Missile Crisis. So-called "preppers" in America continue to build bunkers, and Russian oligarchs are copying their idea. Half a dozen Russian companies advertise these bunkers, with the basic unit starting at R7.6 million ($102,676). Check out some cool infographics outlining Russian bunker design, here.

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This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

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Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

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93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

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