FLRU 2520 Russia Today
Zita Dabars. The Russian Way. Study Guide
5. Attractig Someone's Attention
- What are the Russian terms for addressing people?
- What are the terms for attracting the attention of a salelsperson?
6. Babushka
- What does babushka refer to?
- What is her role in the family?
- What is her social role?
7. Ballet and the Russian Theater
- What's the name of the theater in Moscow where you can see ballet?
- Can you name one Russian ballet?
- How do Russians exoress pleasure about a performance?
- How do they express displeasure?
What do theatergoers usually do during intermission?
9. Bribery and Blat, "Pull"
- What is the proverb that describes the Russian attitude toward bribing?
- When are some typical instances when one is expected to offer a bribe to get something done?
- What is the meaning of "blat"?
- List some examples when Russian's use "blat"
- What's the difference between bribery and blat?
11. Celebations and Holidays
- What is the most significant Russian church holiday?
- What are some typical Easter foods?
- How specifically is Easter celebrated in the church
- How do Russian greet each other on Easter Day? And what is the reply?
- When is Russian Orthodox Christmas?
- Who is the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus? Who accompanies him at Christmas parties?
15. Compliments
- What is the Russian word for complementing someone?
- How do Russians and Americans react differently when complimented?
16. Crafts
- What is the city of Palekh famous for?
- What is a matryoshka?
18. Dating, Marriage, and Divorce
- When do Russians normally start dating?
- What is the English meaning of the Russian word for dating?
- Where would they normally go on a date?
- What is "the street of strolling"?
- At what age do Russians normally marry?
- Where did Russians get married before the 1990s?
- Where does the couple normally go immediately after the wedding ceremony?
- When the guests shout "gorko", what is the couple supposed to do?
- What are some of the main reasons for the high rate of divorce among Russians?
20. Education and Upbringing
- When does school start in Russia?
- Until what age is school compulsory in Russia?
- What are some recent changes in secondary education in Russia?
- How do Russian children feel about cheating?
- When do Russian students choose a profession?
- How many years does it take to graduate from a university or institute?
21. Family
- Why do Russians tend to prefer to live in extended families and in close proximity to other family members?
- What are he Russian terms for family members?
26. Gestures
- How do Americans and Russians compare in their use of gestures?
- What gesture do Russians use to suggest "let's have a drink"?
27. Gifts
- What's likely to happen if you complement a Russian on sime item?
- Other than on birthdays, when do Russians like to give gifts?
- On what occassions do they give most generous presents?
- As a foreigner visiting a Russian family, what are some appropriate presents you should bring to your hosts?
- When do Russian open gifts? Why?
- How are Russians likely to react when given a gift?
28. Greetings, Salutations, and Leavetakings
- How do you greet someone in Russian?
- How do you greet someone with a particular time of the day?
- How do Russians greet each other differently from Americans?
- What is the most frequent way to say "farewell"?
- How do Russians leave a social gathering differently from Americans?
34. The Intelligentsia
- To what group of people did the word intelligentsia refer in the nineteenth century?
- What did the Bolsheviks think of them?
- What did Stalin think of them?
- What kinds of priviledges did they receive?
- What was the status of the intelligentsia after the demise of the Soviet Union?
42. Uncultured
- What are some specific examples of what Russians consider unacceptable behavior that might not be considered as such in America?
43. Patronymics
- How do Russians address each other formally?
- How does a Russian form a patronymic for a man and for a woman?
45. People's Names and Name Days
- According to the census of 2000, what are some typical popular Russian male and female first names?
- How can you usually tell the gender of a person by the first name?
- How do some devout Russian Orthodox select a name for a child?
- What is person's "name day"?
46. Physical Distance and Contact
- What are the views of Russians and Americans regarding physical distance when speaking with someone?
- What are some other examples of physical contact among Russians?
- How do Russians greet an acquaintance that they have not seen for a while?
- What does a Russian mean when he/she says that the building you are looking for is only a "5 minute walk from here"?
47. Politics and Parties
- When did the rule of the Russian Communist party end?
- What is Gorbachev's contribution to the Russian political system?
- What role did the "Popular Fronts" play?
- When did the first contested elections in the Soviet Union take place?
- When was the Soviet Union officially desolved?
- What are the three main groups of political parties in Russia?
- What is the political and economic ideology of the current communists?
- What is the political and economic ideology of the nationalists?
- What is the ideology of the democratically oriented parties?
- Describe the reorganization of the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, that Putin's Unity Party instituted. What was the main purpose of the reorganization?
- What do Russian's think of Putin? Why do some like him? Why don't some like him?
49. Punctuality
- How do Russians view punctuality differently from us?
- What about deadlines?
- If a Russian invited you to dinner at 6, when should you actually show up and NOT show up?
50. Religion
- Historically, what has been the relationship between the Russian church and the state?
- How did the role of the church change in the 1990s?
- In what religions did Russian search for new sources of moral and spiritual guidance?
- What's Billy Graham's contribution to the spread of religion in Russia?
- What is the view of the Russian Orthodox church to the work of missionaries in Russia?
- What are the rough percentages of Russian Orthodox, Catholic, Muslim, Protestant, and Jewish believers in Russia?
51. The Russian Language
- To which family of languages does Russian belong?
- Who were Sts. Cyril and Methodius
- Memorize the pronunciation of the Russian letters.
- What is the approximate number of speakers of Russian?
- What's the reason that Russian is also spoken in some areas of Alaska?
52. Russian Nationality and Citizenship
- How is nationality determined in Russia?
- Nationality and discrimination.
- Nationality and nationalism.
53. The Russian Soul
- Mysteriousness of the Russian soul.
- Contradictions of the Russian soul.
- How is Dmitri Karamazov in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov illustrative of the Russian soul?
- How has Russia's geography contributed to the develpment of the Russian character?
- Love for wide open spaces.
- Dependence on each other.
- Russian generocity and kindness.
- The use of dimiminutives as a linguistic expression of Russian kindness.
63. Superstitions
- What should you do before leaving for a trip?
- What are some superstitions associated with a new baby?
- What might happen if salt is spilled on the table?
- What might happen if a bird flies into a room?
- What mighthappen if your left palm itches?
- What might happen if you drop a spoon or a fork?
66. Television and Radio
- How many dominant television stations are there in Russia?
- What are some game and their American equivalents that you can see on Russian television?
- From where do Russians import their soap operas?
- What's the best radio station in Moscow?