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This horse nicknamed ‘Karamelka’ (‘little caramel’) lives in a former tsarist residence outside St. Petersburg and all the tourists find her cute to boot! 🐴😍
Video by:
www.tg-me.com/tsarskoe_selo
🔔 Gateway to Russia
Video by:
www.tg-me.com/tsarskoe_selo
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This is how people in the #Russian Arctic city of Norilsk have fun.
Video by:
www.tg-me.com/visitnorilsk
🔔 Gateway to Russia
Video by:
www.tg-me.com/visitnorilsk
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How to have breakfast "until the cranes (crow)" and drink “until the roosters (crow)”?
The famous ‘Slavic Bazaar’ restaurant, located in the very center of #Moscow, was renowned among connoisseurs of sumptuous feasts for its meals “до журавлей” (“do zhuravlei” or "until the cranes (crow)").
It went as follows: A boisterous group would gather for a late breakfast, say, to celebrate a successful deal. Sometimes, these gatherings would last until three o'clock in the afternoon: champagne, liqueurs and other drinks flowed freely throughout.
Until it was time for the "cranes". A guest who splurged 50 rubles on cognac in a special crystal decanter decorated with cranes (the equivalent of several months' salary for an average worker) could keep the container. Some even held competitions to see who could collect the most "cranes": one regular got as many as seven.
However, other "bird" feasts were also known. In some taverns, patrons drank… “до петухов” (“до журавлей” or "until the rooster crows"). There, too, it wasn't just the quantity consumed, but also the design of the glassware. Vodka was served in a special decanter, inside which a figurine of a rooster was placed. The liquid created the illusion that the bird inside was quite large. Shot after shot, the decanter was drained until nothing remained but the glass figurine. This was called "getting drunk until the rooster crowed". Typically, this was where the libations and, indeed, the gathering itself, ended.
Credit: Tula Museum of Fine Arts; Museum of Art Glass https://vk.com/steklomuseum
🔔 Gateway to Russia
The famous ‘Slavic Bazaar’ restaurant, located in the very center of #Moscow, was renowned among connoisseurs of sumptuous feasts for its meals “до журавлей” (“do zhuravlei” or "until the cranes (crow)").
It went as follows: A boisterous group would gather for a late breakfast, say, to celebrate a successful deal. Sometimes, these gatherings would last until three o'clock in the afternoon: champagne, liqueurs and other drinks flowed freely throughout.
Until it was time for the "cranes". A guest who splurged 50 rubles on cognac in a special crystal decanter decorated with cranes (the equivalent of several months' salary for an average worker) could keep the container. Some even held competitions to see who could collect the most "cranes": one regular got as many as seven.
However, other "bird" feasts were also known. In some taverns, patrons drank… “до петухов” (“до журавлей” or "until the rooster crows"). There, too, it wasn't just the quantity consumed, but also the design of the glassware. Vodka was served in a special decanter, inside which a figurine of a rooster was placed. The liquid created the illusion that the bird inside was quite large. Shot after shot, the decanter was drained until nothing remained but the glass figurine. This was called "getting drunk until the rooster crowed". Typically, this was where the libations and, indeed, the gathering itself, ended.
Credit: Tula Museum of Fine Arts; Museum of Art Glass https://vk.com/steklomuseum
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It’s commonly believed that #Russian has only singular and plural forms. However, historically, Russian, like many other languages, also had a ‘dual number’.
This grammatical category was lost over time, but we can still hear its traces today. The ‘dual number’ has survived in the names of paired body parts. For example, if you ask a Russian person to form the plural of the word ‘глаз’ (‘eye’), they will immediately answer: ‘глаза́’. This is precisely the ‘dual number’ form. According to the rules for forming the plural, it should be ‘глазы’. 👀
In phrases like “Два брата” (“Two brothers”), the word ‘брата’ has the form of the singular genitive case, but, historically, it’s the nominative case of the ‘dual number’ from ‘брат’ (while the plural form is ‘братья’).
Read more in our article https://www.gw2ru.com/education/239934-dual-number-in-russian
🔔 Gateway to Russia
This grammatical category was lost over time, but we can still hear its traces today. The ‘dual number’ has survived in the names of paired body parts. For example, if you ask a Russian person to form the plural of the word ‘глаз’ (‘eye’), they will immediately answer: ‘глаза́’. This is precisely the ‘dual number’ form. According to the rules for forming the plural, it should be ‘глазы’. 👀
In phrases like “Два брата” (“Two brothers”), the word ‘брата’ has the form of the singular genitive case, but, historically, it’s the nominative case of the ‘dual number’ from ‘брат’ (while the plural form is ‘братья’).
Read more in our article https://www.gw2ru.com/education/239934-dual-number-in-russian
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For people who immerse themselves in Russian culture, the question of learning Russian inevitably arises at some point, which would enable them to read timeless texts in the original language. But, where does one learn Russian… outside Russia?
We talked to Spanish professor Rafael Guzman Tirado, who has been “serving”, as he himself says, the cause of promoting the Russian language in the world for 30 years.
Professor Tirado, as well as other global media leaders, will take part in the ‘XVII Assembly of the Russian World’, which will be held on October 20-22 in Moscow, where the status of the Russian language in the world and other issues will be discussed.
🔔 Gateway to Russia
We talked to Spanish professor Rafael Guzman Tirado, who has been “serving”, as he himself says, the cause of promoting the Russian language in the world for 30 years.
Professor Tirado, as well as other global media leaders, will take part in the ‘XVII Assembly of the Russian World’, which will be held on October 20-22 in Moscow, where the status of the Russian language in the world and other issues will be discussed.
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Gateway to Russia
Who is studying Russian abroad in 2025 & why?
There are devoted servants of Russian culture in all countries of the world, who are real enthusiasts of their mission. First of all, these are language teachers. We talked to Spanish professor Rafael Guzman Tirado about the interest in Russian studies around…
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Guess the Russian word with our Indian colleague!
P.S. Catch more of my lessons on YouTube!
#russianclasses
🔔 Gateway to Russia
P.S. Catch more of my lessons on YouTube!
#russianclasses
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How did Peter the Great, the first #Russian emperor, die?
The tsar enjoyed robust health from childhood, but his health steadily declined throughout his life. He worked hard and indulged in revelry, carousing and drinking.
By the age of 50, Peter I suffered from a host of ailments, including hemorrhoids, stomach upsets, kidney colic and cramps and swollen legs. The most troublesome were bouts of urinary retention, which the tsar treated with regular trips to mineral springs in Europe.
In 1724, the tsar's condition deteriorated sharply. He constantly took medication, but it was of little help. Participation in the bitter cold of Epiphany celebrations finally confined him to his bed.
"A man who was patient and magnanimous in other situations could not restrain himself from wailing," was how Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich described the last days of the emperor's life. Peter died on February 8, 1725, at the age of just 52.
The exact cause of death is unknown. Contemporaries and, later, researchers blamed kidney stones caused by syphilis and alcoholism, a "boil near the bladder", cirrhosis of the liver or cancer.
Specialists at the First Moscow State Medical University, meanwhile, believe that kidney stones killed the emperor and that the immediate cause of death was cerebral edema.
Some researchers, however, believe the tsar was poisoned – either on the orders of His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov, Peter's closest associate, or his wife, Catherine. The tsar had accused the former of theft, while the latter, shortly before his death, was caught having an affair – her lover, William Mons, was, subsequently, beheaded.
Artifacts from Peter the Great's funeral and other items from the era can be seen in ‘The Last Triumph of Peter the Great. Eternity Ahead’ exhibition (https://kreml.ru/en/exhibitions/poslednii-triumf-petra-velikogo-vperedi-vecnost ) at the Moscow Kremlin Museums until February 1, 2026.
Credit: Public domain
🔔 Gateway to Russia
The tsar enjoyed robust health from childhood, but his health steadily declined throughout his life. He worked hard and indulged in revelry, carousing and drinking.
By the age of 50, Peter I suffered from a host of ailments, including hemorrhoids, stomach upsets, kidney colic and cramps and swollen legs. The most troublesome were bouts of urinary retention, which the tsar treated with regular trips to mineral springs in Europe.
In 1724, the tsar's condition deteriorated sharply. He constantly took medication, but it was of little help. Participation in the bitter cold of Epiphany celebrations finally confined him to his bed.
"A man who was patient and magnanimous in other situations could not restrain himself from wailing," was how Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich described the last days of the emperor's life. Peter died on February 8, 1725, at the age of just 52.
The exact cause of death is unknown. Contemporaries and, later, researchers blamed kidney stones caused by syphilis and alcoholism, a "boil near the bladder", cirrhosis of the liver or cancer.
Specialists at the First Moscow State Medical University, meanwhile, believe that kidney stones killed the emperor and that the immediate cause of death was cerebral edema.
Some researchers, however, believe the tsar was poisoned – either on the orders of His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov, Peter's closest associate, or his wife, Catherine. The tsar had accused the former of theft, while the latter, shortly before his death, was caught having an affair – her lover, William Mons, was, subsequently, beheaded.
Artifacts from Peter the Great's funeral and other items from the era can be seen in ‘The Last Triumph of Peter the Great. Eternity Ahead’ exhibition (https://kreml.ru/en/exhibitions/poslednii-triumf-petra-velikogo-vperedi-vecnost ) at the Moscow Kremlin Museums until February 1, 2026.
Credit: Public domain
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Why a student from Serbia is learning #Russian 🇷🇺
"When I speak Russian, some Serbs understand everything and some nothing!" says Ema Varga.
Ema has been studying Russian for only three years, but already speaks it quite fluently. She is in love with Russian literature and decided that she needed to learn the language, in order to be able to read her favorite writers in the original text. One of her favorite pastimes is speaking Russian with her Serbian friends and observing whether they understand or not.
This year, Ema studied at the summer school of the Pushkin Russian Language Institute in Moscow and now wants to connect her life with Russia.
Video by: https://www.pushkin.institute/
🔔 Gateway to Russia
"When I speak Russian, some Serbs understand everything and some nothing!" says Ema Varga.
Ema has been studying Russian for only three years, but already speaks it quite fluently. She is in love with Russian literature and decided that she needed to learn the language, in order to be able to read her favorite writers in the original text. One of her favorite pastimes is speaking Russian with her Serbian friends and observing whether they understand or not.
This year, Ema studied at the summer school of the Pushkin Russian Language Institute in Moscow and now wants to connect her life with Russia.
Video by: https://www.pushkin.institute/
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Why was this #Russian master called the ‘Stradivarius of balalaika makers’?
The Russian folk balalaika only acquired its classic form in the late 19th century, when musician Vasily Andreyev perfected it for concert music. Many instruments for his orchestra were made by brilliant, self-taught master Semyon Nalimov (1857-1916), whom his contemporaries called the ‘Stradivarius of balalaika makers’.
"Instruments of his making – balalaikas, domras – have no equal, at least, up to this day, in the beauty of their tone and the artistic perfection of their work," Andreyev said of him.
The master craftsman made his balalaikas primarily from maple and spruce. Legend has it that even the windows and doors of Andreyev's estate served as materials for his first instruments.
In total, Nalimov created about 300 instruments, each of which was personally inspected by Andreyev. The instruments were labeled with the master's name and work number. And although his balalaikas cost 3-4 times more than those of other makers, Nalimov made no secret of his work. On the contrary, he trained others and gave away his designs to copy for free.
Nalimov's instruments received the highest awards at prestigious exhibitions, including the ‘World's Fair’ in Paris (1900). Instruments based on his models are still made today.
You can still see Nalimov's balalaikas and domras even today: for example, at the ‘Museum of Music’ in Moscow and the ‘Andreyev Museum’ in Bezhetsk.
📷 Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Public Domain; St.Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, Mikhail Ozerskiy/Sputnik)
🔔 Gateway to Russia
The Russian folk balalaika only acquired its classic form in the late 19th century, when musician Vasily Andreyev perfected it for concert music. Many instruments for his orchestra were made by brilliant, self-taught master Semyon Nalimov (1857-1916), whom his contemporaries called the ‘Stradivarius of balalaika makers’.
"Instruments of his making – balalaikas, domras – have no equal, at least, up to this day, in the beauty of their tone and the artistic perfection of their work," Andreyev said of him.
The master craftsman made his balalaikas primarily from maple and spruce. Legend has it that even the windows and doors of Andreyev's estate served as materials for his first instruments.
In total, Nalimov created about 300 instruments, each of which was personally inspected by Andreyev. The instruments were labeled with the master's name and work number. And although his balalaikas cost 3-4 times more than those of other makers, Nalimov made no secret of his work. On the contrary, he trained others and gave away his designs to copy for free.
Nalimov's instruments received the highest awards at prestigious exhibitions, including the ‘World's Fair’ in Paris (1900). Instruments based on his models are still made today.
You can still see Nalimov's balalaikas and domras even today: for example, at the ‘Museum of Music’ in Moscow and the ‘Andreyev Museum’ in Bezhetsk.
📷 Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Public Domain; St.Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, Mikhail Ozerskiy/Sputnik)
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Is it true that Hitler's remains are kept… in Russia?
Yes, it’s true, but only partially. In Spring 1945, the #Nazi leader's jawbones and a fragment of his skull with a bullet hole were sent to Moscow for examination. They have remained there ever since.
"The FSB archives hold Hitler's jawbones and the State Archive holds fragments of Hitler's skull," claims Vasily Khristoforov, former head of the FSB's Registration and Archival Collections Department. "These materials are unique and unparalleled; they are the only documentary evidence of Hitler's death."
An American expert who contacted the FSB archive helped verify the authenticity of the Führer's body fragments in 2002. He had access to an X-ray of Hitler's jawbone taken during his lifetime.
"He showed us an X-ray we didn't know existed. It turned out that the image had long been in the possession of American intelligence agencies. This X-ray and the jaw fragments we have were a perfect match," Khristoforov says.
Other remains were reburied multiple times after the war in various locations across Germany. In 1970, they were allegedly destroyed on the orders of KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov: they were doused with gasoline and burned, while the subsequent ashes were dumped in a river near Magdeburg.
"This decision was dictated by the fact that both the KGB and the CPSU Central Committee believed that Hitler's burial site could, years later, become a place of worship for supporters of his ideas," Khristoforov notes.
Credit: Fiona Hanson/PA Images/Getty Images; Konstantin ZAVRAZHIN/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
🔔 Gateway to Russia
Yes, it’s true, but only partially. In Spring 1945, the #Nazi leader's jawbones and a fragment of his skull with a bullet hole were sent to Moscow for examination. They have remained there ever since.
"The FSB archives hold Hitler's jawbones and the State Archive holds fragments of Hitler's skull," claims Vasily Khristoforov, former head of the FSB's Registration and Archival Collections Department. "These materials are unique and unparalleled; they are the only documentary evidence of Hitler's death."
An American expert who contacted the FSB archive helped verify the authenticity of the Führer's body fragments in 2002. He had access to an X-ray of Hitler's jawbone taken during his lifetime.
"He showed us an X-ray we didn't know existed. It turned out that the image had long been in the possession of American intelligence agencies. This X-ray and the jaw fragments we have were a perfect match," Khristoforov says.
Other remains were reburied multiple times after the war in various locations across Germany. In 1970, they were allegedly destroyed on the orders of KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov: they were doused with gasoline and burned, while the subsequent ashes were dumped in a river near Magdeburg.
"This decision was dictated by the fact that both the KGB and the CPSU Central Committee believed that Hitler's burial site could, years later, become a place of worship for supporters of his ideas," Khristoforov notes.
Credit: Fiona Hanson/PA Images/Getty Images; Konstantin ZAVRAZHIN/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
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3 tsarist generals who joined the #Bolsheviks
The Soviet government viewed these military leaders with great mistrust. So, they had to work extra hard to change this.
Alexei Brusilov became famous for leading a successful offensive in 1916, known as the ‘Brusilov Offensive’. He later even served as Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Brusilov then joined the Red Army in 1920. According to one version, it was because his son, the commander of a cavalry regiment, had been executed by the Whites.
The general was involved in strengthening the Red Army's combat readiness and developing the cavalry. He died in 1926 and was buried with full military honors.
Dmitry Shuavayev served as the Minister of War of the Russian Empire from 1916 to 1917. The Bolsheviks arrested him immediately after seizing power, but soon released him.
In 1918, Shuvaev joined the Red Army. He taught and served as chief of staff of the Petrograd Military District.
In 1926, the general retired, but he was not destined to live out his old age peacefully. At the height of the mass repressions in 1937, he was arrested for "counterrevolutionary agitation of a defeatist nature" and promptly executed.
At the beginning of World War I, Dmitry Kuzmin-Karavaev headed the Main Artillery Directorate. In 1918, the then 68-year-old general joined the Red Army and began developing artillery weapons.
In 1930, the military leader retired with the right to a personal pension. This right was revoked five years later during the political repressions. Furthermore, he was exiled from Leningrad to Kazakhstan.
During World War II, the aging general was restored to his pension and awarded the ‘Order of Lenin’ for his services. However, he was not allowed to return to Moscow or Leningrad – he died in Murom in 1950 at the age of 93.
Credit: Gateway to Russia (Photo: Niva, №14, 1916 г.; Library of Congress; Public domain)
🔔 Gateway to Russia
The Soviet government viewed these military leaders with great mistrust. So, they had to work extra hard to change this.
Alexei Brusilov became famous for leading a successful offensive in 1916, known as the ‘Brusilov Offensive’. He later even served as Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Brusilov then joined the Red Army in 1920. According to one version, it was because his son, the commander of a cavalry regiment, had been executed by the Whites.
The general was involved in strengthening the Red Army's combat readiness and developing the cavalry. He died in 1926 and was buried with full military honors.
Dmitry Shuavayev served as the Minister of War of the Russian Empire from 1916 to 1917. The Bolsheviks arrested him immediately after seizing power, but soon released him.
In 1918, Shuvaev joined the Red Army. He taught and served as chief of staff of the Petrograd Military District.
In 1926, the general retired, but he was not destined to live out his old age peacefully. At the height of the mass repressions in 1937, he was arrested for "counterrevolutionary agitation of a defeatist nature" and promptly executed.
At the beginning of World War I, Dmitry Kuzmin-Karavaev headed the Main Artillery Directorate. In 1918, the then 68-year-old general joined the Red Army and began developing artillery weapons.
In 1930, the military leader retired with the right to a personal pension. This right was revoked five years later during the political repressions. Furthermore, he was exiled from Leningrad to Kazakhstan.
During World War II, the aging general was restored to his pension and awarded the ‘Order of Lenin’ for his services. However, he was not allowed to return to Moscow or Leningrad – he died in Murom in 1950 at the age of 93.
Credit: Gateway to Russia (Photo: Niva, №14, 1916 г.; Library of Congress; Public domain)
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We’ve already learned the letter ‘Б’, so it's time for the next one! :)
Some popular Russian names contain the letter ‘В’:
🟣 Vladimir Vysotsky was an actor, singer and song writer,
🟣 Vsevolod Meyerhold was a theater director and teacher,
🟣 Vladislav Strzhelchic and Vyacheslav Tikhonov were both Soviet actors,
latter famous for playing Soviet spy Stierlitz.
❓ Do you know female Russian names with the letter ‘В’?
📸 : Galina Kmit, Rudolf Kucherov/Sputnik; Sputnik; Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
#russianclasses
🔔 Gateway to Russia
Some popular Russian names contain the letter ‘В’:
latter famous for playing Soviet spy Stierlitz.
#russianclasses
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