Video

Classic Soviet Cartoons to Help You Learn Russian

For language learners, classic cartoons offer an engaging and accessible way to absorb vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context. When it comes to Russian, few resources are as rich and entertaining as the animated films produced by Soyuzmultfilm, which was the Soviet Union’s and is now Russia’s premier animation studio. Founded in 1936, Soyuzmultfilm has to […]

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Films of Eldar Ryazanov, Moral Voice of the USSR

Aleksei Balabanov and His Films: Cult Classics of Post-Soviet Russia

Music

Estrada: Soviet State Pop that Lives on Today

Estrada is a musical style largely defined by its performance. Its stars are larger-than-life personalities who draw audiences into the show through expressive singing and direct engagement. Most often classically trained vocalists, they often have operatic ranges and typically perform songs written by professional composers and poets. Performances typically lean heavily on spectacle, with large […]

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VIA, VIO, Rock and Roll: Modern Music Enters Soviet Georgia

Orthodox Song: A Modern Genre Struggles in Ancient Tradition