This document provides an overview of Russia, the Russian language, and Russians. It includes brief biographical information about the author Ekaterina Vylomova. It then covers basic facts about Russia, including geography, climate, population centers, and travel destinations. It discusses the history and development of the Russian language. It also compares and contrasts features of Russian and English grammar and lexicon. Finally, it notes cultural differences in greetings between Russians and Americans.
1. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Russia, Russian language and Russians
Ekaterina Vylomova
Fulbright scholar at Montclair State University
March 19, 2014
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
2. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Brief bio
Brief Bio
MSc, Bauman Moscow State Technical University
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
3. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Brief bio
Brief Bio
MSc, Bauman Moscow State Technical University
BSc, Bauman Moscow State Technical University
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
4. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Brief bio
Brief Bio
MSc, Bauman Moscow State Technical University
BSc, Bauman Moscow State Technical University
Yandex School of Data Analysis (Moscow Institute of Physics
& Technology)
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
5. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Briey
Brief Information
the largest country in the world
bordering with 18 countries
65% of its territory is permafrost
the lowest temperature is -71 C(-95.8 F)
Population
143 million people
Moscow: 12 million people
Saint Petersburg: 5 million people
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
7. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Moscow. Red Square
Ìîñêâà. Êðàñíàÿ ïëîùàäü
Moscow.Red Square
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
8. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Saint Petersburg
Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðã - îêíî â Åâðîïó
Window to the West and the Venice of the North
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
9. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Saint Petersburg
Ñàíêò-Ïåòåðáóðã - îêíî â Åâðîïó
Window to the West and the Venice of the North
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
10. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Travel across Russia
Ïîåçä Ìîñêâà-Âëàäèâîñòîê! Moscow-Vladivostok train!
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
11. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Travel across Russia
Ïëàöêàðòíûé âàãîí(Platzkarten-Wagen) - èäåàëüíîå ìåñòî äëÿ
îáùåíèÿ! Couchette car: a perfect place for communication!
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
12. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Travel across Russia
Èëè ïîåõàòü íà ìàøèíå...
or go by car...
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
13. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Travel across Russia
Àëòàé. Ãîðû
Altai mountains
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
14. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Travel across Russia
Óðàëüñêèå ãîðû
The Ural mountains
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
15. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Travel across Russia
Àëìàçíàÿ âîðîíêà, ã. Ìèðíûé, ßêóòèÿ
Massive diamond pit in Mirny, Yakutiya
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
17. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Travel across Russia
Ïåòðîïàâëîâñê-Êàì÷àòñêèé
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
20. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Basic Facts
Briey
Most common languages
more than 100 languages
92% are Russian native speakers
Most common: Ukrainian, Belarusian, Armenian, German,
Tatar
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
22. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Briey
Turgenev I.S.,1882
Âî äíè ñîìíåíèé, âî äíè òÿãîñòíûõ ðàçäóìèé î ñóäüáàõ ìîåé
ðîäèíû,- òû îäèí ìíå ïîääåðæêà è îïîðà, î âåëèêèé, ìîãó÷èé,
ïðàâäèâûé è ñâîáîäíûé ðóññêèé ÿçûê! Íå áóäü òåáÿ - êàê íå
âïàñòü â îò÷àÿíèå ïðè âèäå âñåãî, ÷òî ñîâåðøàåòñÿ äîìà? Íî
íåëüçÿ âåðèòü, ÷òîáû òàêîé ÿçûê íå áûë äàí âåëèêîìó íàðîäó!
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
23. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Briey
Turgenev I.S.,1882
In days of doubt, in days of painful thoughts about the fortunes of
my native land, you alone are my support and stay, o great, mighty,
truthful, and free Russian language! If it weren't for you, how could
I not help falling into despair in view of everything that is taking
place at home? But it is impossible not to believe that such a
language was given to a great people!
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
24. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Briey
History of Russian language
Slavic language of Indo-European family
IX cent. Cyril and Methodius(Thessaloniki) established Russian
alphabet
IX-XVII church language only
Peter I reforms: beginning of Russian literary language
(Derzhavin)
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
25. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Briey
History of Russian language
XVIII: Russian poetry era
Alexander Pushkin: founder of modern Russian literary
language
Russian language proved to be suitable for the poetry
development. This is the best criterion for estimation of
phonetic properties of language.
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
26. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Briey
Àëåêñàíäð Ïóøêèí
ß âàñ ëþáèë: ëþáîâü åùå, áûòü ìîæåò,
 äóøå ìîåé óãàñëà íå ñîâñåì;
Íî ïóñòü îíà âàñ áîëüøå íå òðåâîæèò;
ß íå õî÷ó ïå÷àëèòü âàñ íè÷åì.
Alexander Pushkin
I loved you; even now I may confess,
Some embers of my love their re retain;
But do not let it cause you more distress,
I do not want to sadden you again.
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
27. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Number poems
Cheerful
2(dva) 15(pyatnadtsat') 42(sorok dva)
42(sorok dva) 15(pyatnadtsat')
37(tridtsat' sem') 08(nol' vosem') 5(pyat')
20(dvadtsat') 20(dvadtsat') 20(dvadtsat')!
Sad
511(pyat'sot odinnadtsat') 16(shestnadtsat')
5(pyat') 20(dvadtsat') 337(trista tridtsat' sem')
712(sem'sot dvenadtsat') 19(devyatnadtsat')
2000047(dva milliona sorok sem')
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
28. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
What does Russian speech look like?
What does Russian speech look like?
I have always thought that the Russian language is a mixture
of Spanish with a rounded 'r' , French with a 'zh' sound added
and rough German sounds. (Jeremy's teacher, USA)
For me, the Russian language is something between a walrus'
growl and a Brahms' melody. (Abe, an accountant, UK)
Russian language is like a very badly adjusted radio: it is full of
extra rustles, crackling and squeaking. (Maria, a translator,
France)
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
29. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Tongue twisters
Tongue twisters
Øëà Ñàøà ïî øîññå è ñîñàëà ñóøêó
Sasha walked down the avenue and sucked a biscuit.
Íà äâîðå òðàâà, íà òðàâå äðîâà,
Ðàç äðîâà, äâà äðîâà, òðè äðîâà
Íå ðóáè äðîâà íà òðàâå äâîðà.
There is grass in the yard, there are logs on the grass, don't
chop the logs on the grass of the yard.
Íå õî÷åò êîñîé êîñèòü êîñîé, ãîâîðèò, êîñà êîñà.
A hare does't want to scythe and says that the scythe is skew.
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
30. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Facts about Russian lexicon
Facts about Russian lexicon
Almost all the words starting with 'À' and 'Ô' have foreign
roots: àëãåáðà (Arabic 'al-gabr'), àëüáîì (Latin 'albus'),
ôóòáîë (English 'football').
Many words from France, Germany, Holland (Peter I), Greece,
Poland, Turkic and Arabian origins. Very few from China and
Japan.
Nowadays there are plenty of English words (from IT
business areas): êîìïüþòåð(computer), äåâàéñ(device),
ïîðò(port), òèì-áèëäèíã(team building),
äåâåëîïåð(developer)
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
31. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Russian and other languages: lexical map
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
32. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Briey
Facts about Russian grammarsyntax
Highly inexional morphology
The word order is usually SVO, but it's not xed (ß ïîøåë â
øêîëó. (I went to the school). Ïîøåë ÿ â øêîëó. Â øêîëó
ïîøåë ÿ. Â øêîëó ÿ ïîøåë.). The semantics of each case is a
bit dierent
There are no articles(no the/a/an), so many Russians have
problems understanding them in languages like English
There is incredible number of exceptions to the rules. Just
repeat and memorize!
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
33. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
History
Russian phonetics
Russian lexicon
Russian grammarsyntax
Russian and English
Examples of dierences
YOU
Dierent meanings of 'You': 'âû' if talking to many people, 'òû' if
talking to your friend/family member or person of your age and
'Âû' if talking to somebody you don't know/a person older than
you
False friends
Ìàãàçèí(magazine) - shop, Ëóê(look) - onion,
Àðòèñò(artist) - actor, Ïðîñïåêò(prospect) - avenue
Êëåé(clay) - glue, Ëèñò(list) - leaf
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
34. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Greetings
Smiling and humour sense
Cultural and mental dierences
5 cents of positive
Greetings
Greetings
Two forms of greetings: 'çäðàâñòâóéòå'('zdravstvuite', polite,
formal) and 'ïðèâåò'('privet',informal)
Russians usually don't ask how are you?everyone, but once
they are asked they start giving full and detailed answer:)
Russians say greetings just once. If you keep saying 'Privet'
many times during the day to the same person, he/she will be
confused and saó 'Ìû óæå çäîðîâàëèñü'('My uje zdorovalis').
Russians don't say 'Hi' to anybody on the street and people
they don't know.
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
35. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Greetings
Smiling and humour sense
Cultural and mental dierences
5 cents of positive
Smiling and humour sense
Smiling
Most of Russians don't just smile. Russians perceive smile like an
informative sign meaning there is a great sympathy or any other
mix of feelings
Sense of Humour
Russians have a great sense of humour and love telling short funny
stories (we call them anekdoty)
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
36. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Greetings
Smiling and humour sense
Cultural and mental dierences
5 cents of positive
Cultural and mental dierences
Comfort zone
Russians stand very near to each other in lines, and the 'comfort
distance' in general is much shorter than in Europe.
For Russian people CZ doesn't extend beyond their own
apartments/cars/clothes/etc. They don't care much about others
and everything out of their CZ.
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
37. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Greetings
Smiling and humour sense
Cultural and mental dierences
5 cents of positive
5 cents of positive
Buses
if a person is running after bus, the bus most likely will stop
and let the person in
if you want to get out of a crowded metro or bus, you keep
asking the person in front of you, if she or he is also getting
out('Âû âûõîäèòå?'), and go on like this until you reach
person that is going out, and wait peacefully
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
38. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Greetings
Smiling and humour sense
Cultural and mental dierences
5 cents of positive
5 cents of positive
Most of Russians
are very friendly to foreigners
believe in faith
always complain about their lives/president/politics
ascribe every ailment known to man as 'äàâëåíèå'(pressure)
believe that black cat crossing their road is a bad sign
consider whistling brings bad luck and no money
celebrate SO MANY holidays(New Year, Christmas,
International Women's Day, Victory's Day, Independence Day,
etc.) having 3 more weeks each year for vacation (which is
usually 28 days a year).
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
39. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Greetings
Smiling and humour sense
Cultural and mental dierences
5 cents of positive
5 cents of positive
Most of Russians
don't pay for their education (our Govt pays for it)
travel for vacation to Turkey, Egypt and Goa(India)
'êîñÿò îò àðìèè' - try to avoid serving in Russian army (each
male is required to serve one year)
like playing with words and nd origins ('âðåìÿ'-'âåðòåòü'):)
are very hospitable:)
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians
40. Introduction
Russia
Languages in Russia
Russian language
Russians vs Americans
Greetings
Smiling and humour sense
Cultural and mental dierences
5 cents of positive
Ñïàñèáî!Thank you!
Âîïðîñû? Questions?
E. Vylomova Russia, Russian language and Russians