August 18, 2021

What's in a Name?


What's in a Name?
Surprising to some, Russia is way more than just Moscow!  Photo by Marjan Blan via Unsplash

We all already know that Russia is full of so many weird and wonderful places, but Yandex.Maps most recent study of their database has given us an even deeper appreciation for all the different places one can visit within the giant country herself. 

The report begins by discussing the different types of municipalities in Russia. Of all the different places listed in Russia, less than 1.5% of them represented cities or suburban-type settlements. The rest of the 98.5% of Russia is a combination of various village types. Some specific types of villages can only be found in certain regions, such as auls in the Caucasus and South Siberian region.  

Most interestingly, the report also took stock of different municipality names. There were a total of 82,000 unique place names in all of Russia, the most common of which was Alexandrovka (unsurprisingly), with a total representation of separate 333 locations. 

Some rather amusing place names only occur once on the map, such as (in translation) Big Peas, Good Bees, or Meringue (unfortunately no New York though).  They also named the place with the most letters (and no hyphens or spaces to separate them). Measuring in at a whopping 23 letters in Russian, Verkhnenovokutlumbetyevo takes the title (and no, don't ask us to pronounce that, please). 

Much easier to type into your GPS are the two-letter named places in Russia, of which the country has many, including several Yams and Yars (spelled with two letters in Russian). In Russia, there are settlements that begin with every letter of the alphabet, except of course for the hard and soft signs. Most frequently, places begin with the letter K and least frequently, the letters that make the vowel sounds for Y (in Cyrillic Ы) and the short I (in Cyrillic Й).

The study also took the time to show us how to get to and from some of these more unusual, yet somehow related places. For instance, you can easily find the route from Ordinary to Happy Life with the help of Yandex.Maps. Alternately, it can take you from Big Grief to Consolation, or if you are feeling really adventurous, from the Moon to Mars

 

You Might Also Like

Locating Lotuses
  • July 26, 2021

Locating Lotuses

Did you know that wild lotus flowers are native to Russia? Well, here's an interactive map of where to find them in the Astrakhan region.  
Regions Measure Up
  • February 23, 2021

Regions Measure Up

RIA Novosti's annual survey, ranking each Russian region by residents' quality of life, has some not-so-surprising results.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

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.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955