Learning Russian - It's not that tough

Before I get down to some tips for anyone thinking of learning Russian, I must first start with the big question: why should I put in the time and effort associated with learning a new language, especially one that is supposedly as difficult as Russian?

There are as many possible answers to this as there are language learners, but for starters, here are a few general ideas for you to mull over.

Language learning increases cognitive ability by awakening areas of the brain that may otherwise be lying dormant. It gives you a window to other cultures by allowing you into the minds of people from other parts of our ever smaller global village. This newly found worldview will, one hundred percent of the time, provide you with a fresh perspective on your own immediate surroundings. On a more practical note, it really helps to be able to buy a beer or ask for directions when you go abroad.

Then why learn Russian? Well, Russian is spoken not just by the roughly 145 million inhabitants of the Russian Federation, but by a vast swathe of the world across Eastern Europe and throughout Central Asia. With Russian, you can communicate your way from Estonia to China.

Winston Churchill is often quoted as saying that Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside and enigma. The best way to break through the wall of smoke that seems to envelope all things associated with Russia is to learn the language. This is not the daunting task it may appear upon first inspection. How so? Well, the first major hang-up that people have is the Cyrillic alphabet. At first glance it can seem as though an insane spider has crawled over the page. If you look a little closer, however, many of the letters are the same as our alphabet. The rest are either of Greek origin or were invented by the founding fathers of the script, the monks Cyrill and Methodius.

How long does it take to learn the alphabet? About one week and you will be flying. Yes, that's all. And by that I do not mean twenty-four-hour-a-day intensive study. All you need do is take a few words that you already know in Russian and work on those. What's that he said? Words I already know in Russian! Yes, you have, without doubt, come across a host of Russian words without even taking stock. Here are some examples:

Водка - Any guesses? - It's Vodka. The cyrillic letters correspond exactly to those of the English word, with the exception of the first letter В, which is the Russian for V, and the third letter Д, which is the Russian for D.

Волга - Volga. Here again we have the Russian V at the start, followed by our letter O. The next two are new, but also correspond to the English word. They are L (л) and G (г), with our letter A at the end to give you Volga.

Волгоград - Volgograd. Here we have all the letters used above plus the Russian for R (р).

See this Wikipedia entry for more of these words plus interesting explanations.

Once you get to grips with the new alphabet, the rest is just like learning any new language. Start off with a few basic conversational phrases to peak your interest, then work your way through a tried and tested teach yourself book such as the New Penguin Russian or Pimsler's excellent Russian Iaudio course.

Good luck and happy adventures in Russian.

Unusual Russian Names - Children of the Revolution

We have all heard of the common Russian names like Oleg, Vladimir or Tatiana, but have you ever met anyone called Dazdraperma? No, well to be honest, you are not likely to because most people whose parents gave them such a moniker have either died out by now or changed their name years ago.

Across the former Soviet Union, in the collective rush of blood to the head that followed the October revolution, new parents, wishing to show their love and commitment to the cause of the proletariat, took to naming their children in honor of the great leaders and events which helped to shape the new socialist republic. They did not, as you might expect, simply call their offspring Vladimir after Vladimir Lenin. That could be any old Vladimir. Instead, the first three syllables of each of the leader’s three names were used (Vladimir Ilich Lenin) to create Vladilen. These creations often ranged from the sublime to the gruesome. The above example, Dazdraperma, is a shortened version of the Russian phrase da zrastvuet pervoe maya meaning something akin to long live the first of May.

Two of my favorite names from this genre are Reva and Lyutsia. You might guess by looking at them that these come from very revolution itself: the Russian word revоlyutsia, meaning revolution, is split in two. This was most often used for twins, and the endings would be changed to suit a boy or a girl as required. In fact, a good friend of this writer has two aunts alive and living to this day named in this way after the revolution.

Unfortunately, as the popularity of these names has waned over the last number of decades, aunties Reva and Lyutsia are some of the last of their kind. All that seems to remain is the uniform string of Olyas, Tanyas and Pashas. Maybe some variety is not such a bad thing, even if it is a little forced.

Cat Makes First Parachute Jump

The Russians were the first to put an animal in space, but unfortunately for Laika the dog, he never made it back to Earth. Now a skydiving enthusiast, sixty-year-old pensioner Vladimir Kulikov from Novgorod, Russia has achieved another first for his country by taking his cat skydiving.

Interviewed after the jump, Kulikov was extremely proud of his feline friend who goes by the name of Malysh. "He didn't even pee himself unlike a lot of people the first time they jump".

Apparently, they had been preparing for the jump for five years, but Mr. Kulikov does not go into detail as to what this training may have entailed, other than to say that he personally sewed a jumpsuit and mittens for Malysh.

On reaching terra firma, the cat was presented with a certificate as a souvenir of the great day. Mr. Kulikov added that he now intends to begin work on a special parachute so that Malysh can jump solo, the only problem, he says, is that he is not quite sure how the cat will pull the cord. See footage below.

Cheap Accommodation in Moscow

If you don't have a corporate account or the bank balance to afford a room at the Ritz Carlton, Hyatt or National, short-term accommodation in Moscow can be hard on your pocket. The situation has not been helped by the recent closure and demolition of the mammoth Hotel Russia, which though centrally located beside Red Square, was able to provide rooms for the mid-range traveller due to its ample proportions.

Any prospective visitors to the city who wish to stay in the centre without breaking the bank should think of renting an apartment, especially if travelling in a small group. A number of sites and agencies have sprung up in recent years to cater to this gap in the market. One of the most well known is Waytorussia. Do remember though, that in Russia people gauge an apartment's size not by the number of bedrooms, but by the number of rooms of any kind other than kitchen and bathroom. A "two-room" apartment, therefore, will have one bedroom, a living room/second bedroom, usually with a pull-out sofa bed, and a separate kitchen and bathroom.

Another option for budget travellers to Moscow that has seen much growth over the past two years are hostels. Most of them are located within a short enough distance of the major sites and have all the usual hostel trappings that backpackers have come to expect such as kitchen and laundry facilities. One of the first hostels to open in Moscow, and still one of the best, is Godzilla.

Last but not least, for the truly low-cost experience, Unclepasha.com is a place where people advertise rooms in their own apartments for free, for a small amount of rent, or in exchange for things like English language classes.

Anna Politkovskaya's Killer Identified

The Russian Prosecutor General today announced that the identity of the murderer of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya has been established. The suspect was not named in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.

"All possible steps are being taken to detain person in question", said Vyacheslav Smirnov of the Office of the Prosecutor General.

A report on the news site Polit.ru also states that charges have been brought against FSB officer Pavel Ryaguzov for his involvement in the murder. It is believed that he passed information regarding Politkovskaya's whereabouts to Shamil Buraev, the former head of the of the Achkha-Martanovsky district of Chechnya. Mr. Buraev is himself facing charges for his part in the murder.

Radio Shows of Old

For Russian speakers attempting to remember the radio programmes of their childhood or, indeed, for anyone learning Russian, Staroe Radio [old radio] is a unique resource of stories and poetry often read by the original author.

In keeping with the site's name, the homepage carries a picture of an antique radio which can be clicked to reveal the programming for the day or simply to switch it on.

Today's line-up includes poetry from Bella Akhmadulina, Vladimir Soloukhin and short stories by William Saroyan and Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Hazing of Russian Soldiers

Despite widely publicized incidents of the ill-treatment of conscripts in the Russian army such as that of Andrei Sychev, whose legs and genitals were amputated due to the onset of gangrene following a series of severe beatings by his fellow soliders, the practice of hazing or dedovshchina still continues unabated.

The word dedovshchina is derived from the Russian word dedushka meaning grandfather. This is a reference to the habit of older conscripts initiating the younger during their first months in the army.

A report in Gazeta.ru today tells that Sychev is recovering well with help of prosthesis, but it seems only to be a matter of time before another tragedy of this nature occurs within the Russian armed forces.

Videos published here last September, and shot using mobile phones by "grandfathers" in the process of making sport of their younger brothers at arms, show that this problem is very far from being fully eradicated.

Footage of a soldier being forced to eat toothpaste