Russian film critic Maya Turovskaya writes in Tarkovsky: Cinema as Poetry that when she attended a special screening of Andrey Tarkovsky’s first film, Ivan’s Childhood, at a meeting of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR, the prevailing opinion amongst the audience was that of awe mixed with confusion. This feeling of mystification, of seeing […]
Here are five Kazakh bands working to bring traditional Kazakh instrumentation and musical styles into modern music. Roksonaki Seamless Kazakh Folk Rock Roksonaki is a Kazakh band that was formed in 2006. Its name means “lightning” in Kazakh, chosen to represent the band’s energetic and electrifying musical style. They are known for their unique fusion […]
Отава Ё is a folk music group founded in St. Petersburg, Russia. This popular folk fusion group started in 2003 as the side project of two bands – Reelroad and Tales of the Forest. The two members of Reelroad, Alexey Belkin and Alexei Skosyrev, paired up with two members of Tales of the Forest, Dmitry […]
Russian soccer caught the world’s attention in 2018, when Russia hosted a very successful FIFA World Cup. The game is Russia’s most popular national sport, ranking just above hockey, and Russia poured millions into new stadiums and renovations on older, Soviet-built stadiums. This construction was made as a point of pride for the Russian government, […]
There are many different things you can do on . One of the first things you do when creating a social media account is to set your , then and . When you meet someone new, you may want to on Facebook or ВК, or on . On the other hand, if you’ve lost touch […]
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal its English translation. The film Star Wars is well-known in Russia and if you look online, there are actually discussions of whether or not a Russian should ever name a […]
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal its English translation. Much of Russia’s modern music language is related to English. For example, the names of most genres can be directly translated: , , , , and even […]
A popular Russian-language site in Kyrgyzstan, Limon.ru, assembled the following list of Kyrgyzstan’s top native hits for 2017. Бегиш feat. Баястан – «Теке» Мирбек Атабеков – «Жолуктун неге» Нурмат Садыров feat. Баястан – «Табышмак сулуу» Гулназ Чыныбек кызы – «Кайда» Абир Касенов – «Жаным» Айгерим Расул кызы – «Озун эле» Non Stop – «Жаныма кел» […]
Eldar Ryazanov is one of Russia’s most popular film directors. Holidays, especially New Year’s, Russia’s most important family holiday, are celebrated by, in part, watching his movies. Although Irony of Fate is the most popular and well-known for this, nearly any of Ryazanov’s films can be found playing in the background of festive family celebrations. […]
Earthquake (Землетрясение) is a 2016 historical drama by Russian–Armenian director Sarik Andreasyan (Сарик Андреасян). The film depicts the massive earthquake, and its aftermath, that shook Armenia on December 7, 1988. Starring Konstantin Lavronenko (Константин Лавроненко), Mariya Mironova (Мария Миронова), Viktor Stepanyan (Виктор Степанян), and Tatev Ovakimyan (Татев Овакимян), the film has seen a lot of […]
7B (7Б) is a Russian rock band based in Moscow. The name 7B comes from a medical code that stands for a subtype of schizophrenia. After being diagnosed with the condition, band founder Ivan Demyan (Иван Демьян) chose to use the name for the band. The current lineup of the band includes Demyan (vocals, acoustic guitar, lyrics), […]
Doctor Zhivago is a 1965 British–Italian romantic drama set in Russia in the years leading up to World War I and the time during World War I and the Russian Civil War. The movie was based on the novel by Boris Pasternak, which was banned in the Soviet Union due to its independent-minded stance on the October […]
