Country
Every country has a flag and a coat of arms. The Netherlands has a lion, France has a rooster, New Zealand has a kiwi, and the United States has a bald eagle. In Russia, it’s an eagle with two heads and three crowns, and a man on a horse who has just killed a dragon with a spear.
When you see the current Russian flag, it’s easy to also think of the Dutch one. This puts you immediately on the right track about the origin of the Russian tricolor: the white-blue-red of the Russian Federation directly stems from the red-white-blue of the Netherlands.
Buildings you know from sight but don’t know the official name of. If this were a competition, this one would win: the Pokrov or
St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow, consecrated in 1561, better known as the
Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God on the Moat.
Three friends. Four trips to Russia. Moscow in spring,
Kamchatka in the fall, and in winter to the
Baikal Lake,
Murmansk,
Salekhard, and Saint Petersburg. You have to see what those three came back with. ‘Whatever man wishes to see in our Mother Russia, is there to find.’
Many Russians live in other countries. The numbers are significant here too: estimates range between
20 and 30 million. Meanwhile, the number of people wanting to leave Russia, especially young people, is increasing. This undoubtedly says something about the climate in the broadest sense of the word.
The largest country in the world (
Size Matters) holds a very different position when it comes to population size. The number 1 in surface area is only
number 9 in population and is on the verge of falling out of the top 10. Russia’s population is shrinking.
It may not seem like an exciting topic, but three productions released recently (between April and July 2020) offer an insightful look at Russian villages that you should watch. Varlamov, RussianPlus, and Russian from Russia explore the заброшенные (abandoned), revived, and уснувшими (sleeping) villages, reflecting on the state of the Russian countryside.
Cold, Colder, Coldest: Oymyakon
Country
Siberia probably ranks high on the list of places where people would rather not live. Because yes, it’s cold there. Not everywhere (Siberia is quite
large), but in some parts, it’s extremely cold.
Oymyakon (in
Yakutia) is famous for this. The thermometer has dropped to minus 71 degrees Celsius, making it the world record holder for the coldest inhabited place.
Size Matters
Country
Judging Россия (Rossiya, that’s Russia) is something anyone is free to do. But (= но, which sounds like no) most Russians will barely understand it and care even less. Moreover, there’s a good chance you’ll offend the Russians who do understand it, and make yourself look like a дурак (durak) or fool.
