LEVEL: Third-, and Fourth-Year Russian

PARTICIPANT(S): Alyona and Vladimir

UNIT TITLE: Russia Today

DESCRIPTION OF UNIT: In this videoclip, Alyona and Vladimir, theatre students in Saint Petersburg, describe what life is like in Russia today, as opposed to the 1990s. They concentrate on demographic changes in Russia, as well as on the perception that crime has increased. This videoclip is encoded in Apple's QuickTime format; you may need to download the QuickTime plug-in before being able to watch the video.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR UNIT: First watch the video and try to follow the Russian without worrying about whether you are catching every word. To help you initially, there is a short glossary of words and phrases to the right of the video. Watch it as many times as necessary in order to be able to understand it. After watching the video once in this fashion, write a short paragraph in English summarizing what you understood. Feel free to explore other units!

  • ремонт: renovation, remodel
  • становиться / стать: to become ("стать" is also "to begin", as in "начать")
  • спорный вопрос: controversial question
  • зарабатывать деньги: earn money
  • общественный транспорт: public transportation
  • слой: stratum, layer
  • лавка: shop, store
  • перемешиваться: to mix together
  • СНГ: (Союз Независимых Государств = Union ["Commonwealth" in English] of Independent States [successor to the USSR, loosely speaking])
  • явно: obviously
  • набить морду: (colloquial: to punch in the face)
  • пустить: to let in
  • диаспора: diaspora
  • (без)опасно: (without) danger
  • сутки: (no singular form): 24-hour period
  • с одной стороны: on the one hand
  • с другой стороны: on the other hand
  • противоречие: contradiction
  • нищета: poverty
  • толпа: crowd


The Russian Language Video Project was made possible through a generous grant from the University of Denver's
Center for Teaching and Learning.


All video clips and materials on this site (www.du.edu/ahss/schools/langlit/programs/russian/resources) and its subdirectories are the property of Luc Beaudoin and are subject to intellectual copyright. All participants in these video clips have signed an agreement with Luc Beaudoin about their participation in these video clips. This agreement is on file at the University of Denver. All the names of the participants have been changed and any similarity to the identity of any person, living or dead, is unintentional. Any unauthorized use of these video clips or materials will be pursued through all available legal means.

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