Trying to remember the title of a tragicomic Russian novel I had just begun reading 5 years ago, before it somehow disappeared. From what I remember, the main character was an older woman who refused to adapt to the post-communist societal changes in Russia. It followed her story as she faced the changing landscape, and persecution in the face of her commitment to the old ideals.
posted by thegreatfleecircus on Oct 26, 2009 - 14 answers

Let's say I'm a Russian student in my mid-twenties. [more inside]
posted by klue on Aug 28, 2009 - 14 answers

Please help me read The Master and Margarita. [more inside]
posted by cranberrymonger on Aug 19, 2009 - 7 answers

How to translate the scientific/statistical English words "accuracy" and "precision" into scientific/statistical Russian? [more inside]
posted by ZenMasterThis on Aug 14, 2009 - 4 answers

Name That Show Used In That Russian Music Video-Filter: I was at a Russian restaurant in L.A yesterday and saw the strangest music video. I got the name of the artist (Something and Federov?) but the video was chopped up clips from what looked like a British TV show. What TV show or movie was being cut up? Details inside. [more inside]
posted by The Whelk on Aug 3, 2009 - 5 answers

LanguageFilter: How can a native English speaker develop a better sense of grammatical cases? [more inside]
posted by mary8nne on Jul 22, 2009 - 16 answers

studying russian abroad/traveling in russia and central asia/general planning help/etc [more inside]
posted by saraindc on Jul 16, 2009 - 12 answers

How can I watch the discontinued Russian car chase game show "Perexvat/Intercept"? [more inside]
posted by pravit on Jul 10, 2009 - 2 answers

What's wrong with my Russian tortoise? [more inside]
posted by semp on Jul 4, 2009 - 6 answers

There is a movie about a Russian sub that shows up in a small town in maybe Canada? One of the Russians has a problem with spontaneous combustion and has a fire extinguisher with him, and there's a priest from the small town that's handing the situation. What is the name of this movie!? These are all the details I remember, but I know it exists. IMDB/google has been fruitless so far. Thanks mefi!
posted by excitementMD on Mar 15, 2009 - 6 answers

What is a classic, perhaps philosophical, novel about individual freedom to choose? So that no matter how desperate the situation you find yourself in, you always have choices about what to do, how to feel and how to think about your situation. [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on Mar 10, 2009 - 23 answers

Book filter -- Back in 1978, in grade school, our history teacher wanted to know that history could be personal and he read to us the autobiography of a Russian in an orphanage or juvenile detention when he was 12 years old. I thought that it was Solzhenitsyn but I may be wrong because I can't find that anywhere. Help
posted by notned on Feb 17, 2009 - 11 answers

Best online Russian translator? [more inside]
posted by macfly on Feb 13, 2009 - 7 answers

I have a friend whose friends are Russian brides who got married via an internet site. I'm wondering how long these types of marriages tend to last and what they are like. Are there any blogs or research about experiences of these kinds of relationships?
posted by vizsla on Jan 13, 2009 - 19 answers

Russian-speaking mefites, could you please help me with the lyrics to this Manul (aka Pallas Cat) Song? [more inside]
posted by notquitemaryann on Dec 19, 2008 - 3 answers

Russian Translation Filter: what does this say?
posted by streetdreams on Dec 17, 2008 - 3 answers

I'm looking for a 1950-ish science fiction movie. In the scene I most clearly remember, a man and a woman are on the bridge of an alien spaceship. She is a Russian mathematician and he is a pilot. The ship is being remotely controlled and is automatically flying through the solar system. It becomes clear that it is on a collision course with Saturn. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind on Sep 23, 2008 - 5 answers

Anyone speak Russian? I'm looking for any inspiring Russian (English too) quotes that will make my crush feel good. [more inside]
posted by Student of Man on Sep 21, 2008 - 2 answers

Which do you think would be harder to learn, Bengali or Russian? and how long does it take to become conversant in either? Immersion is probably not in the cards. I speak French and Italian and found those pretty easy and fun to learn. But I was in an immersion situation. I'm in Brooklyn, if it matters.
posted by pipti on Sep 2, 2008 - 9 answers

What does the word "стахоўскі" mean? I think it's Russian or Belarusian and it appears in the "Remarks" section of my fiancée's visa for her trip to Belarus. Is it a name? [more inside]
posted by hoverboards don't work on water on Aug 19, 2008 - 10 answers

Calling all Germanic (and Slavic) rockers, ravers and, uh, *insert classical term that starts with "r"*! Help me expand my music collection with European melodies! [more inside]
posted by curagea on Aug 15, 2008 - 13 answers

Conditional search engine selection in Firefox search box based on contents (in particular, character set) of the search query? [more inside]
posted by qvtqht on Aug 7, 2008 - 5 answers

Need to "sayonara, sucker!" in Russian. [more inside]
posted by phunniemee on Jul 30, 2008 - 13 answers

Help me figure out what was the green stuff, "zelionka," that was used on me as a kid when I had the Chicken Pox in Russia! [more inside]
posted by KateHasQuestions on Jul 24, 2008 - 8 answers

I'm planning on moving to Russia for 4-5 months - Moscow or St. Petersburg? [more inside]
posted by mammary16 on Jul 8, 2008 - 18 answers

I'll be taking the Trans-Siberian from Beijing to Moscow, leaving next Saturday. I'd like to spend my five days on the train doing a cram course and learning as much basic Russian as I can. I already know the alphabet, and some very basic phrases (ie. "where is the metro?"). Are there any good online courses I can print out and take with me? [more inside]
posted by pcameron on Jul 7, 2008 - 2 answers

?Russian? translation of this document required
posted by lungtaworld on Jun 5, 2008 - 8 answers

What is this? It's in Russian. Inside is a clear gel.
posted by summit on May 8, 2008 - 9 answers

About a year ago there was a thread bouncing around the net about a Russian painting that some psychiatrist claimed contained clues to the painter's psychological condition(s). Anyone recall this? [more inside]
posted by zardoz on May 8, 2008 - 4 answers

Foreign language "bibles" (superlative, comprehensive language resources) for language-learning lovers? [more inside]
posted by zeek321 on Apr 3, 2008 - 10 answers

Is there any point learning German? [more inside]
posted by greytape on Mar 25, 2008 - 34 answers

I have been reading Curzio Malaparte's Kaput. In it, he describes an Orthodox order of monks who raise families and then enter servitude to be castrated and then become penitents. I can't find any information online about this group though, even a name, any help?
posted by parmanparman on Mar 21, 2008 - 5 answers

What can I do in the short and medium term to improve my ability to evaluate Russian poetry? [more inside]
posted by prefpara on Mar 13, 2008 - 6 answers

Who is the supposed historian (may be an ex-physicist, think he's Russian) who had demonstrated that human written history is only half as old as we believe it to be? I think the core of his argument was that documents referring to events thousands of years ago, actually referred to events hundreds of years ago, that history was fore-shortened. [more inside]
posted by vacapinta on Mar 7, 2008 - 11 answers

Music Filter: Can you recommend some contemporary Russian music? [more inside]
posted by gregb1007 on Feb 16, 2008 - 12 answers

RussianShortwaveFilter. Yes, I'm back with yet another song ID in a foreign tongue... [more inside]
posted by mykescipark on Feb 15, 2008 - 9 answers

What does "peredelok" mean? [more inside]
posted by themel on Feb 11, 2008 - 7 answers

Dirty Russian translation please. I have a Russian co-worker who showed me a russian word (with english spelling) but won't tell me what it means. Words can be found inside. Can you translate? [more inside]
posted by Roger Dodger on Feb 6, 2008 - 6 answers

Gift Ideas for a person interested in Economics and Russian [more inside]
posted by codybaldwin on Jan 3, 2008 - 9 answers

Please settle an ill-informed bar argument re. Russian Roulette. [more inside]
posted by macrowave on Jan 3, 2008 - 25 answers

Russian-translation-filter: Please help me understand the linguistic nuances in Tolstoy's famous quote, "There was something terribly lacking between what I felt and what I could do." (here in English) How accurate is this translation in your view? What is missing from it? What if anything does it add which is not there in Russian? [more inside]
posted by rudster on Dec 19, 2007 - 12 answers

Please help me locate a collection of Russian/Eastern Bloc short stories. I read this book when I was kid because it belonged to my parents and I want to read it again. If not the book, I'd like to find the two most memorable stories. One concerns a snowman and the other is a reflection on life while falling out of a window to one's death. Details inside... [more inside]
posted by thewrongparty on Dec 11, 2007 - 3 answers

Russian narcotics terminology translation help, please. NSFW. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 19, 2007 - 5 answers

CrazyRussianMusicVideoFilter: I saw a great video by a Russian band from maybe 15 years ago, centering around an insane guy (real video, but made to look old), a cat (animated), and a painting that shows a doctor coming to bring him something (just strange). I was told the song was essentially about the same, and possibly titled with something about a cat. The band was named something like ночь, but youtube isn't coming up with anything like what I remember. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
posted by devilsbrigade on Nov 17, 2007 - 4 answers

Does anyone know where I can find valenkis rus boots (with the rubber galosh) either online or in Chicago? The website doesn't seem to exist anymore. I found this one, but I'm not too keen on the Soviet imagery, I just want warm feet. Anyone seen these around?
posted by jules1651 on Nov 14, 2007 - 5 answers

Need female russian authors with two syllable names. To name a dog. [more inside]
posted by mrzarquon on Nov 11, 2007 - 13 answers

Proverb origins? Everyone knows the monkey, but the monkey knows no one. [more inside]
posted by Anything on Nov 3, 2007 - 6 answers

I want to read Russian literature - what do I read? [more inside]
posted by beezy on Oct 17, 2007 - 41 answers

I need to review Russian badly (up to the speaking/writing/listening level of a minor in Russian). I have a semester (two is doable but pushing it) to devote to this. I need some kind of structured process to go about this--while I have textbooks and some materials from years ago it's not enough. Does anyone have any suggestions for other good tutorials? Syllabi? Quick-review websites?
posted by schroedinger on Sep 6, 2007 - 9 answers

When I search Google from the Firefox address bar I get Russian results - why and how can I fix it? [more inside]
posted by jonesor on Aug 2, 2007 - 6 answers