Each year, Russians celebrate Масленица (Maslenitsa), or Maslenitsa’s Day, near the beginning of springtime. Today, due to the popularity of Christianity in Russia, this celebration is also referred to as Shrovetide and celebrated as a religious holiday. In this article, you’ll learn about the Maslenitsa festival in Russia, from modern-day traditions to what "Maslenitsa" actually refers to. Let’s get started! 1. What is Maslenitsa? Maslenitsa is an old Slavic holiday, and came to be long before Christianity. The Maslenitsa holiday symbolizes bidding farewell to the winter and welcoming the spring. Maslenitsa is also called "crepe week" because the main dish eaten during this time is crepes. Nowadays, Maslenitsa is also... Show more

Compared to verbs, nouns, and adjectives, conjunctions in Russian don’t decline, agree, or conjugate. Yaaaay! Moreover, they’re very similar to those in English. Once you learn the top ten (well, the top twelve) conjunctions—if you’ve set your mind seriously—your Russian language skills will become undeniably better. Ready to start learning the most basic conjunctions in Russian? Let’s get to our Russian conjunctions list! Table of Contents What is a Russian Conjunction? Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts: И (I) — "And" Conjunctions to Express Opposition: Но (No) — "But" Conjunctions to Express Choice: Или (Ili) — "Or" Conjunctions to Express Condition: Если (Yesli) — "If" Conjunction for Comparison: Как (Kak) —... Show more

Did you know that it’s considered good etiquette in Russia to bring something к чаю (k chayu) or "for the tea?" That means something sweet: cake, chocolate, candies, or a sweet pastry. There are many interesting and exciting Russian customs which may not seem obvious, but definitely are to native Russians. Knowing even basic Russian etiquette for tourists can go a long way during your visit to the country! Let’s start this exciting journey. Learn Russian etiquette with RussianPod101.com’s Russian tourist etiquette guide! Table of Contents Do's and Don'ts in Russia #1: Basic Russian Etiquette Do's and Don'ts in Russia #2: Russian Dining Etiquette Do's and Don'ts in Russia #3: Russian Drinking Etiquette Do's and Don'ts in... Show more

Just imagine that you need to make an appointment to save the world with native Russian super heroes—just for the usual international superhero meeting. :-) Well, you’d definitely need to be able to tell the date...the Russian date. Maybe you have a super ability to read other people’s minds? Well, you still need to learn the dates because Russian superheroes—and actually all other Russians—think in…yep, Russian! Surprise. :-) So, gonna save the world? Learn how to read and tell the date in Russian. Let’s get started with the basics, and you’ll soon see that expressing dates in Russian really isn’t so hard. Table of Contents Russian Dates: Calendar Dates in Russian Days of the Week in Russian Must-Know Phrases and Words to Talk... Show more

Did you know that the woman who gave birth the most times was Russian? She lived in the 18th century and was the wife of a peasant. She had sixty-nine kids! Sixteen pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets. In the past, Russian people tried to have more kids because not all of them were able to survive infancy (rest assured that sixty-seven of the record-holder’s children survived). Since that difficult time, the Russian family has become the core value of many Russians, and has remained so for a long time. That’s why it’s important to know how to talk about your family and ask about your Russian friend’s family. Once family backgrounds are exchanged, you’ll be able to understand each other much better! And... Show more

Going to explore gorgeous Moscow Kremlin or travel back into the XIX century on the tiny cobblestone streets of Saint Petersburg? Or maybe you’re coming to study or work in Russia? Whatever your goal is, knowing useful Russian phrases for tourists will make your life easier in this snowy country. If you’ve had trouble finding travel guides when having road trips in Russia, look no further. RussianPod101.com is here to help you learn Russian travel phrases in English, so that your stay in Russia will be much more enjoyable and comfortable. Please note that hotel staff in Russia usually speak English, so we’re not going to cover hotel phrases in this article. But once you leave your hotel, it’ll become a little bit trickier to find a... Show more

There's hardly a day that passes without numbers. Russians don't differ that much from other nations in this area—they count money, arrange meetings for specific dates, set alarms for a specific time, count the minutes until the end of the working day… Without numbers, you wouldn't even be able to share how old you are. In fact, without learning how to speak Russian numbers, you’ll be like a fish out of water while in Russia! Learning numbers and getting better at using them is essential both in life and in business. This is why here at RussianPod101 we decided to teach you how to say numbers in Russian with Russian numbers' pronunciation, and to help you practice using them right away in interesting exercises. So, let's go ahead and... Show more

You're learning to speak Russian, and it's going well. Your confidence is growing! So much that you feel ready to share your experiences on social media—in Russian. At Learn Russian, we make this easy for you to get it right the first time. Post like a boss with these phrases and guidelines, and get to practice your Russian in the process. 1. Talking about Your Restaurant Visit in Russian Eating out is fun, and often an experience you'd like to share. Take a pic, and start a conversation on social media in Russian. Your friend will be amazed by your language skills...and perhaps your taste in restaurants! Pasha eats at a restaurant with his friends, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment: POST Let's break down Pasha's... Show more

Have you ever tormented yourself about how to apologize and have your apology accepted? It’s hard even in your mother tongue. But when it comes to a foreign language, you need to be even more considerate and attentive. Just learning to say “sorry” in Russian culture isn’t enough; even your gestures and behavior matter when it comes to apologizing, in any language. So, let’s learn how to say “Please, forgive me” in Russian and be on top in any situation. Start with a bonus, and download your FREE cheat sheet - How to Improve Your Russian Skills! (Logged-In Member Only) Body Language for Apology The Main Words to Say “I am Sorry” in the Russian Language Formal Apologies Informal Apologies Peculiar Apologies How to Reply to an... Show more

Have you ever had a teacher who opened your eyes, inspired you, or just made school more bearable? A teacher who left an impression on your life for the better, or helped you through a rough patch? If so, we don’t need to tell you about the power of teaching—or the art of being a truly exceptional teacher. Teachers' Day in Russia seeks to shed light on those teachers, and on the importance of teaching in general. While UNESCO officially established World Teachers' Day in 1994, Russia was celebrating its own National Teachers' Day long before that, as early as 1965. This should be no surprise, considering the pedestal Russians place education and knowledge on. In this article, you’ll learn about how Russia celebrates Teachers'... Show more