In a famous scene from A Fish Called Wanda (1988), John Cleese (as Archie Leach) speaks some Italian words. “But it’s such an ugly language.” Co-star Jamie Lee Curtis (as Wanda Gershwitz) has a different opinion. Archie doesn’t see it and suggests something better. “How about… Russian?”

Simply the most beautiful language of all, as stated in Why Russian. It’s more elegantly and finely formulated, better reflecting the beauty of the Russian language. “Russian has the grandeur of Spanish, the vivacity of French, the strength of German, the gentleness of Italian, and in addition to that, the wealth and brevity of Latin and Greek.”

Two by Marina Tsvetaeva, one by Joseph Brodsky, one by Nikolai Gumilyov. Four poems sung the way more should be sung. By Polina Agureeva (= Полина Агуреева, Volgograd, 1976). First and foremost an actress, but listen to this.

A poet whose death is often discussed more than his life or work. Just shy of joining the Club of 27, but only by a little. In September 2001, Boris Ryzhy would have turned 27, but in March, he took his own life. From his Завещание (Testament): Договоримся так: когда умру, ты крест поставишь над моей могилой: let’s agree on this: when I die, you will place a cross over my grave.

A poem by Mikhail Lermontov ( Михаил Лермонтов), written long ago (1841), shortly before his life came to an end. It was set to music by Elizaveta Shashina in 1861 and has since been performed by many.

Russians themselves say Умом Россию не понять: the mind cannot comprehend Russia. These are the words (and the title) of a poem (1866) by Fyodor Tyutchev (in Russian Фёдор Тютчев):

Умом Россию не понять,
Аршином общим не измерить:
У ней особенная стать –
В Россию можно только верить.