Russian For All Occasions: A Russian-English Dictionary of Collocations and Expressions presents 10,000 formal and informal modern Russian expressions that users are likely to encounter either in speech or writing. The entries take the form of collocations, phrases or short sentences, and each entry is accompanied by a translation which provides the English communicative fragment corresponding most closely to the Russian original. Longer explanations are provided for phrases that learners might otherwise find difficult to interpret correctly. Entries are arranged thematically, with an alphabetical index of key Russian and English words to help users navigate the dictionary. Russian For All Occasions is a unique resource for intermediate to advanced students of Russian. The range of ready-made and contextualised expressions presented here will help learners improve their active command of Russian.

The Tsar's Happy Occasion shows how the vast, ornate affairs that were royal weddings in early modern Russia were choreographed to broadcast powerful images of monarchy and dynasty. Processions and speeches emphasized dynastic continuity and legitimacy. Fertility rites blended Christian and pre-Christian symbols to assure the birth of heirs. Gift exchanges created and affirmed social solidarity among the elite. The bride performed rituals that integrated herself and her family into the inner circle of the court. Using an array of archival sources, Russell E. Martin demonstrates how royal weddings reflected and shaped court politics during a time of dramatic cultural and dynastic change. As Martin shows, the rites of passage in these ceremonies were dazzling displays of monarchical power unlike any other ritual at the Muscovite court. And as dynasties came and went and the political culture evolved, so too did wedding rituals. Martin relates how Peter the Great first mocked, then remade wedding rituals to symbolize and empower his efforts to westernize Russia. After Peter, the two branches of the Romanov dynasty used weddings to solidify their claims to the throne. The Tsar's Happy Occasion offers a sweeping, yet penetrating cultural history of the power of rituals and the rituals of power in early modern Russia.

Russian For All Occasions: A Russian-English Dictionary of Collocations and Expressions presents 10,000 formal and informal modern Russian expressions that users are likely to encounter either in speech or writing. The entries take the form of collocations, phrases or short sentences, and each entry is accompanied by a translation which provides the English communicative fragment corresponding most closely to the Russian original. Longer explanations are provided for phrases that learners might otherwise find difficult to interpret correctly. Entries are arranged thematically, with an alphabetical index of key Russian and English words to help users navigate the dictionary. Russian For All Occasions is a unique resource for intermediate to advanced students of Russian. The range of ready-made and contextualised expressions presented here will help learners improve their active command of Russian. ir active command of Russian.

Colloquial Russian: The Complete Course for Beginners has been carefully developed by an experienced teacher to provide a step-by-step course to Russian as it is written and spoken today. Combining a clear, practical and accessible style with a methodical and thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Russian in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Colloquial Russian is exceptional; each unit presents a wealth of grammatical points that are reinforced with a wide range of exercises for regular practice. A full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues can be found at the back as well as useful vocabulary lists throughout. Key features include: A clear, user-friendly format designed to help learners progressively build up their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills Jargon-free, succinct and clearly structured explanations of grammar An extensive range of focused and dynamic supportive exercises Realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of narrative situations Helpful cultural points about life in Russia An overview of the sounds of Russian Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Russian is an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Russian. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.

In the heart of Russia, old ways of perceiving the spirits of home and nature still prevail. Fairy stories, folk art, and calendar customs carry hints of the old gods and offer a now rare way of linking human life to the landscape. This is as true for city dwellers and villagers, for the Russian soul is open to the power of myth and the mysteries of the universe. This book explains how Russia's concept of soul ("dusha") and sensitivity to the landscape extends to archaeologists, scientists, and doctors in Russia, who retain an open-minded approach and a keen interest in psychic phenomena, along with folk traditions and faith healing. Author Cherry Gilchrist has traveled often to Russia and researched its traditional lore, gaining knowledge she interweaves into this book. She blends that first-hand knowledge with serious research to paint a lively picture of these remarkable magical traditions and their enduring power.

In the early 1990s, thousands of emigres arrived in the United States from the former Soviet Union. Most of them were Jewish. Forced to leave behind many of their most precious possessions, including photographs and books, they brought with them only the few items they were allowed to squeeze into two small suitcases. But they also brought their most valuable possession of all--their memories. Book jacket.

A stunning volume showcasing the magnificent court dress of the Russian Empire, culled from the authoritative collection at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, photographed with the Winter Palace as a backdrop. Prerevolutionary Russia was renowned for the glamorous and luxurious lifestyles of the nobility, with their opulent palaces and glittering social life. Now, this lavish volume reveals the incredible clothing they wore, from everyday dress and ceremonial attire (traditional holidays outfits and military uniforms) to dress for special occasions, including elaborate evening wear for theater and musical events and fancy masquerade balls. Celebrated for luxurious materials and impeccable craftsmanship, the dress of the Russian nobility was haute couture at its finest. With beautiful photography and details highlighting the hand-spun silks and lace and jeweled embroideries, Russian Splendor highlights the glamour of this gilded age and offers a fascinating window into a vanished world. Essays by Hermitage Museum curators, alongside historic Russian paintings and photographs, place the clothing in a historical context, revealing the rich cultural layers and artistic influences of czarist Russia.

Not even Tolstoy would dare use the eyebrow-raising Russian you'll find in this wickedly humorous language guide by one of Russia's bestselling novelists today. Whether you're traveling to Russia for the first time or you are a student of the language, this indispensable book is your entree to the real and new Russian that has never been taught. You'll be armored with triple-decker curses and insults, endearments and expressions for situations ranging from high-level business meetings to cocktail parties to sexual encounters. Filled with words, idioms, and vulgarisms you won't learn in a classroom, plus twenty hilarious line drawings and a complete index to vital expletives, Dermo! will provide you with the uncensored answers to the questions you always wanted to know... but no translator would ever tell you!

Classic Russian Cooking is a book that I highly recommend. Joyce Toomre has done a marvelous job of translating this valuable and fascinating source book. It's the Fanny Farmer and Isabella Beeton of Russia's 19th century." -Julia Child, Food Arts Joyce Toomre... has accomplished an enormous task, fully on a part with the original author's slave labor. Her extensive preface and her detailed and entertaining notes are marvelous." -Tatyana Tolstaya, New York Review of Books ... should become as much of a classic as the Russian original... dazzling and admirable expedition into Russia's kitchens and cuisine." -Slavic Review What a delightful discovery this is!... an astonishing and immensely appealing work that will serve adventurous readers and curious cooks." -Nahum Waxman, Owner, Kitchen Arts & Letters What a joy to be introduced to Russia's Joy of Cooking by way of a scholar as knowledgeable as Joyce Toomre, who tells us what it was like to be a young housewife in the days of Chekhov and Tolstoy, feasting in Butter Week before the Great Fast, making pirogs and kvass, hazel grouse souffle [acute accent over e] and 'Drunken' plums, gathering berries, pickling mushrooms. A rediscovery of pre-Bolshevik times." -Betty H. Fussell, author of I Hear America Cooking First published in 1861, this "bible" of Russian homemakers offered not only a compendium of recipes, but also instructions about such matters as setting up a kitchen, managing servants, shopping, and proper winter storage. Joyce Toomre has superbly translated and annotated over one thousand of the recipes and has written a thorough and fascinating introduction that discusses the history of Russian cuisine and summarizes Elena Molokhovets' advice on household management. A treasure trove for culinary historians, serous cooks and cookbook readers, and scholars of Russian history and culture. Indiana-Michigan Series in Russian and East European Studies Alexander Rabinowitc