TOP 5 MOST POPULAR RUSSIAN FOLK SONGS

5 legendary Russian songs that people know and sing all over the world

Each of the following songs has an interesting backstory, and is well-known both in Russia, and outside its borders. Check out the list and if you think anything is missing, write a comment.

5 Podmoskovnye Vechera

“Подмосковные вечера” (Moscow nights) is one of the best known Russian songs abroad. Originally, it was called Leningrad Nights but the title was changed after it was used for a documentary.

At first, the song was not particularly popular but suddenly – and much to the surprise of those who wrote it – the USSR couldn’t get enough of it. Soon after it started making waves abroad when young American pianist Van Cliburn (who won the first International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958) became a symbol of the thaw in Russian-American relations at the time.

4. Калинка-малинка

Today there are reports that the song was written by Ivan Larionov about 150 years ago. The song’s popularity in Russia and abroad is explained by the fact that it is included in the repertoires of many different music groups. The popularity of the song is so great that the title “Kalinka-Malinka” has become a common name of Russian restaurants abroad.

3. Валенки

Valenki are traditional Russian winter footwear, essentially felt boots: the name valenok literally means “made by felting”.

Here is the translation of “Valenki” song into English.

Valenki, oh valenki, you’re old and worn

You are now unwearable

And so I can’t go out to see my sweetheart

Valenki, oh valenki, you’re old and worn

Valenki, oh valenki, you’re old and worn

Oh, you Kolya, Kolya, Nikolai, sit at home and don’t go out

Don’t go to that end of the street, and don’t give rings to the girls

Valenki, oh valenki, you’re old and worn

Valenki valenki

Instead of bringing presents, you’d better patch up your valenki

Valenki, oh valenki, you’re old and worn

Valenki, oh valenki, you’re old and worn

Both God and people are witnesses to my love

I went barefoot through the frost to my sweetheart

Valenki, oh valenki, you’re old and worn

Valenki valenki

2. Катюша

Katyusha (a diminutive from of Katerina/Catherine) was written in 1938 but it wasn’t until WW11 that people went crazy for the song. It’s about a girl longing for her lover who joins the army and is sent to a distant outpost.

Some believe its success is down to the fact that a famous Russian rocket launcher used by the military was also nicknamed Katyusha – the weapon played an important role in WWII.

1.Finally number one… Ой, мороз, мороз

“Oy, Moroz, Moroz” (Oh, frost, frost…) is a great song that will help you to feel a real Russian winter, how cold you might be outside and how warm it is when you get back home to your family.

Enjoy Russian with “Enjoy Russian” Language School! Apply for a Russian language course

KEEP CALM AND LOVE SNOW!

International annual contest of ice and snow sculptures in Petrozavodsk

While looking for a perfect Russian language course in Russia we pay attention not only to professionalism of Russian tutors but also to the eventful and interesting life of the Russian city we are going to stay. In February Karelian city of Petrozavodsk becomes the cultural and international center which gathers together people from the whole Republic and different countries. Traditional Russian and Karelian songs and dance styles, sport competitions, exhibitions and workshops – that is how the Contest of Hyperborea gained its’ popularity. Joining this colorful event makes learning Russian in Petrozavodsk thrilling, mysterious and wonderful!

Blowing off the snowflakes from Karelian legends and Russian history

When Russian people live with snow for that long (in Petrozavodsk – from November till April) they take it as an advantage and become very creative. “Let’s turn the massive snow cubes into masterpieces” they say. More than 100 participants create about 35 great stories and monuments with no regrets that they are in danger of melting. Artists come from Italy, France and Spain, Norway, Finland and Sweden, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Canada and the United States. The fact that some of them are professional sculptor does not play any role, because their material is snow and ice! Participants are given only one week to turn the giant ice/snow cube (there are two nominations and they can choose the material to work with) into the live story and after that the jury and Petrozavodsk citizens decide on the best one.

It is really difficult to decide what impress you more, artists or their masterpieces while you take a walk on the Onego lake embankment in February. The process of creation is so magnificent – you may see here Russian fairy tales’ characters coming to life and you feel the synergy of human being and Mother Nature. You can find here the scenes out of Karelian and Finnish national epic Kalevala, animals, outrageous and surreal characters.

It is like blowing off the snowflakes from legends and history: more time master spends with his creation, the more snow goes away. And every year artists bring to life new and extraordinary ideas.

What keeps people warm in the gloomy Karelian weather?

• To let people of Petrozaavodsk fully enjoy the Festival organizers do their best:
• They cook Fish soup – about 200 liters!
• Arrange Fishermen contest and fire show;
• Invite people of all ages to participate in ice-race called “Ice Onego”;
• Organize workshops and exhibitions, compete in songs singing and outdoor Karelian games

Join Enjoy Russian group course in February  or choose an individual one and you will see (and feel) that Hyperborea is the coolest event ever!

Sauerkraut sounds German, though mostly in Russia people eat it that much

It’s getting cold, there are not so many fresh vegetables left (those that are in supermarkets are imported and not delicious), so all types of pickled things are coming back to the shop shelves.

Because summers pass by in the blink of an eye and winters drag on forever, pickling is an important part of Russian cuisine. In order to preserve the harvest of the summer, Russians pickle everything they can — from cabbage to mushrooms to apples to whole tomatoes.

A bit of history

The process of соление (pickling) is well-known in Russia, and any traveler visiting Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus will undoubtedly come across several traditional pickled dishes that seem strange and exotic. With a relatively short growing season, preserving food has always been of special importance in Russia.

Traditionally, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine developed their own original methods of preservation without using vinegar. Besides соление (salting), these cultures also often use квашение (fermentation), and мочение (steeping). Even in the 12th century, the people of old Rus’ salted their cucumbers and fermented their cabbage.

In modern Russia

Nowadays there are not so many people, who pickle vegetables themselves. Mostly those are gradmas, who live in a village or have a dacha and own vegetable garden there. Younger people prefer to buy pickled vegetables in shops or markets. The favorites are usually pickled cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage.

Sauerkraut in the Russian way

Sauerkraut is finely cut cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid that forms when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage.

Try Russian food in Russia and learn Russian in Petrozavodsk! Apply for a Russian language course

Last weekends to apply for the next group Russian course in Russia starting from October, 16! 

Hurry up! There are not so many places left! 
Levels: A1 (elementary), A2+ (basic) 
Duration: from 2 to 6 weeks 
Cost: 320 euro for 2-week tuition (40 lessons) + 150 euro for 2-week Russian homestay with breakfast 

APPLY: http://enjoyrussian.com/apply-standart/ 
Ask a question: info@enjoyrussian.com 

Reach fast progress in Russian in a short time! 

Distance is nothing if you want to learn Russian in Russia.

Each year students from distant countries prove that. They take long trips to participate in Full Russian Language Immersion Programs and learn Russian fast.

8824 km to achieve desired goal

Exactly that distance should be covered if you live in Singapore and want to study Russian in Petrozavodsk. Last year we were happy to host students from this country for the first time.

Tong and Kay Lin

Tong and Kay Lin have been studying in our school for 2 weeks. They tried to do as much as they can. They even visited Saint Petersburg and Velikiy Novgorod while studying in Petrozavodsk. But the main result of their staying in our city is Russian language progress:

«I improved my knowledge in the six grammatical cases and also picked up useful everyday phrases from the program», – Kay Lin

«I improve a lot in speaking and listening and I hope to come for 3 months study in summer period», – Tong.

with Russian volunteer

Experience Russian winter

Welcome tea for foreign students

Jackie

In 2017 another student from Singapore has been studying in the school for 10 weeks. When Jackie came she couldn’t say a word in Russian. By the end of the program she could write a small text and tell about her life in Petrozavodsk.

Get to know Russian culture

Russian tea

Debra

The most admirable student for us is Debra. She has come to Petrozavodsk to study Russian, but she is going to stay here less than for one week. She explains that she doesn’t have time to stay longer, but she really wants to study Russian. Just after her arrival to Petrozavodsk she came to the school and had 2 individual Russian classes.

As you see distance is nothing for those who really want to know Russian! And would you like to study this language? Choose any course and come to Petrozavodsk!

Hall’s cultural factors. Why are the Russians so hospitable?

Do you know that there is a scientific background behind the different levels of hospitality among different nations? An anthropologist Edward T. Hall’s theory is well known to people dealing somehow with intercultural relations. Put simply, he highlighted several vital factors – time, space and context - to which every ethnic nation has a certain attitude and consequently divided the countries into groups. On the one hand that approach seems to be of high interest only to a narrow circle of people. But let us give you example and you see how close it stands to reality.

Learn Russian in Petrozavodsk and feel at home

Note: we focus here mainly on one part of Hall’s theory – high- and law- context cultures, leaving aside two other dimensions. There are many ways to explain what “context” is. Basically you can view it as an attitude towards the rules and information.  For instance, law-context culture implies having fragile and rare bonds between people with personal relations not interfering into business ones. Representatives of these cultures always put it clear and describe every tiny detail not to confuse someone. Often the task for them is more important than relationship. The demand for extra information is pretty high and the main message is kept in the words, not in the communication context. According to Hall, the USA, Germany, Switzerland and North European countries are in law-context-cultures group.

And the opposite group contains high-context countries. Here we have strong people bonds as well as high commitment to long-term relationships. Many words are unsaid and many rules are unwritten but the people are still aware of them keeping all this extra information in mind. Hints and metaphors, use of non-verbal communication and process-before-product attitude – that’s how we know the culture is from high-context group. Japan, France, Spain, Italy and the Middle East countries are here as well as Russia.

Keeping that information in mind helps to explain the willingness of Enjoy Russian School to do its best. We do focus on relationships with students and never let them deal with problems by themselves, even if it’s not our working time. We cooperate with the host families that are ready to offer comfortable stay for our students. We don’t wait the moment you ask us for help. We can read between the lines! And not because we are so cool and want to show off. It’s high-context culture! Choose our course and experience Russian hospitality!
Let us know what you think about the Hall’s theory. Do you personally have these high or law context features? 

The best evaluation for us - satisfied and happy students!

"I have to say that I felt like at home.The family, staff at the school, volunteers, everybody was great...ah and the other students from UK, what a lovely three girls.I like the fact that eating out was very cheap in comparison with the prices of my country, and the food was so delicious...I gained 3 kilos, I am happy about that!" - Lydia from Spain

Do you have questions? Ask our coordinator: info@enjoyrussian.com
Apply for the best course for you: http://enjoyrussian.com/3719/

Learn Russian through immersion

A piece of advice from our Russian language teacher Olga

Learning Russian through immersion, you learn to let your fears go. You have to speak the language, or... Read more http://enjoyrussian.com/3661_useful_info/17584/17997/

Join our immersion program http://enjoyrussian.com/3686_programs/3689_autumn_russian_courses/

Enjoy 'White Nights' in Petrozavodsk, enjoy Russian language classes with native speakers, make new friends and have fun!

Elementary level (2 weeks): July 18-29
Price: 450EUR (including tuition fee for 40 hours of Russian + homestay with breakfast)

Basic level (2 weeks): July 18-29
Price: 450EUR (including tuition fee for 40 hours of Russian + homestay with breakfast)

1 Certificate level (2 weeks): July 18-29
Price: 450EUR (including tuition fee for 40 hours of Russian + homestay with breakfast)

Deadline for applying: June 19

Learn Russian and remeber the difference!

Would you like to know more about Russian language? Join our effective courseshttp://enjoyrussian.com/3686_p…/3687_summer_russian_courses/

"I liked the diversity of the content. We did different types of work: audio, video, writing, reading. It was great that I had 2 weeks of individual course and 2 weeks of group course. The volunteers are great! We had the National food party at Yana's house; it was funny with all students and volunteers. It is so nice that they join to our program so often" Elena

APPLY: http://www.enjoyrussian.com/3719/

"I really liked the program and the lessons. Olga is an amazing teacher!" Ahmet

APPLY: http://www.enjoyrussian.com/3719/

Our students have a good opportunity to learn about Russian education from inside. They have many contacts with Russian students and also they can visit different classes at Russian schools. For Example Neil often visits English classes, Elena - Russian classes and Rahel is working with junior school pupils.

Come to Russia!

APPLY: http://www.enjoyrussian.com/3719/

Would you like to have unforgettable June in Russia? We invite you to be a volunteer in summer camp "English non-stop" and learn Russian for free!

Read more from our websitehttp://enjoyrussian.com/3686_programs/19077/

Awesom fishermen!

What do you think is the most unusual thing in Petrozavodsk that could remind about USA?

There is a wonderful Onega embankment in Petrozavodsk! This place could be called cultural center of the city. It is famous for many monuments and sculptures donated by sister cities and located along the embankment.

The first one which initiated the whole gallery of sculptures was “Fishermen”. It was a present from the twin city “Duluth” (Minnesota, USA). It was installed in 1991. Author - sculptor Rafael Consuegra. There are Russian and American fishermen throwing a fishing net. According to the author this net symbolizes the joint creative work.

Come and watch! http://enjoyrussian.com/3686_p…/3689_autumn_russian_courses/

"Our schedule is flexible according to personal wish. It is really convenient. Our teachers change the strength and speed of the studying according to students’ knowledge. The teachers know what I really need" М.

APPLY: http://www.enjoyrussian.com/3719/

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS IN SUMMER 2016

If you want to get new intercultural experience and improve or learn Russian language for free – WELCOME to the International English language summer camp “ENGLISH NON-STOP” in Petrozavodsk (Karelia, Russia).

Read more http://enjoyrussian.com/3686_programs/18785/