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We are pleased to announce the launch of another essay competetion!

Our Essay Contest is designed to challenge our students and subscribers to become creative thinkers and to express their ideas and thoughts in Russian through the art of writing. To speak well without making too many mistakes, you need to write well. As this skill is always lagging behind, we want to motivate development of this skill through essay competition.

The general big topic of our essay contest is: “Города и страны”.

NB! Micro topic are assigned for each level (A1, A2, B1, B2+) 

Entrants have the opportunity to receive:

• Every participant will receive written feedback from the teacher on his/her essay: all mistakes will be corrected and correct options will be given.
• Every participant will be awarded with a 20% discount on any group course or any author’s course.
• The winner of each level (the winner is the one who gets the maximum score) – one free lesson of the author’s course:
• • А1 – a lesson in the course Grammar made Easy
  • A2 – a lesson in the course Reading and Listenin
  • B1 – a lesson in the course Reading of the Russian poetry of 1960’s or a lesson in the course Step to Fluency B1
  • В2 – a lesson in the course Topical conversation about Russia or a lesson in the course All shades of Russian Grammar

Your essay should be written in Russian (Microsoft Word document or PDF) and should not be less than necessary quantity of sentences for your level (find in the table below).

All entrants must submit by email only their essays to social@derzhavin.com by Thursday, April 22, 2021, 4pm Moscow time, and the results will be announced next day – Friday, April 23 (The announcement form is being specified, each participant will be announced via e-mail). Each e‐mail submission will receive a return message verifying that the essay was received. In case you didn’t receive a return message for a maximum 2 days, please clarify with us if we have received your submission.

Essay micro topics for each level, linguistic constructions expected in the text of the essay, and criteria for evaluation are explained in the table below:

Let’s talk about time, plans, dates!

How to talk about plans and future events in Russian? Join our open lesson and you will be able to answer the following questions without hesitation:
– Когда?
– В какой день? / В каком месяце? / В какое время года?
-Какого числа?
– Во сколько?
– Какие планы на …?

Date: April 1, Thursday
Time: 21.00-21.50 Moscow time
Where: ZOOM online
Language: The lesson will be held in Russian.
Price: Free of charge!

Please fill the form to book your place:

Online Russian language classes
Offline Russian language classes

“Первый блин комом!”

Russian Maslenitsa is coming next week! Do you know this Russian carnival? Have you ever heard about the phraseological unit “первый блин комом” and what it means? Join our open lesson and you will understand everything yourself! We will cook pancakes live! You will learn the authentic Russian pancake recipe!
You can cook your own pancakes with us! Just prepare the following ingredients: eggs, milk, flour, sugar, salt, vegetable oil. You will also need a frying pan, a bowl, and a ladle. You will learn how to make Russian pancakes from these ingredients in our culinary master class in Russian!

Date: March 11, Thursday
Time: 21.00-21.50 Moscow time
Where: ZOOM online
Language: The lesson will be held in Russian.
Level: All levels!
Price: Free of charge!

Please fill the form to book your place:

Online Russian language classes
Offline Russian language classes

PUSHKIN MEMORIAL DAY

Fatal Duel

On this day in 1837 the greatest Russian poet Alexander Pushkin died tragically. He was fatally wounded in a duel with Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d’Anthes, a French officer in the service of the Russian empress. It’s believed that d’Anthes attempted to seduce the poet’s wife, Natalia.

The conflict between Pushkin and d’Anthes began when Pushkin faced scandalous rumors that his wife was having a love affair with d’Anthes. Furious Pushkin sent him a challenge to a duel. Shortly after the duel was cancelled because d’Anthes made a proposal to Natalia’s sister – Ekaterina Goncharova. But this marriage did not resolve the conflict. Georges d’Anthes continued to pursue Natalia Pushkina in public. Rumors that d’Anthes had married Natalia’s sister just to save her reputation circulated. Finally, Pushkin sent a highly insulting letter to step-father of d’Anthes – Jacob Heeckeren. As Pushkin knew, the only answer to that letter could be a challenge to a duel.

The duel took place on the 8th of February in the suburbs of Saint-Petersburg at the Black River. D’Anthes fired first. He critically wounded Pushkin. The bullet entered Pushkin’s hip and penetrated his abdomen. Pushkin managed to rise and make a shot, but only lightly wounded d’Anthes in the right arm. Two days later Pushkin died of peritonitis. The funeral service in Saint-Petersburg was attended by thousands of people.

«Pushkin is our everything»

Alexander Pushkin made a huge contribution to Russian culture  ……….

Be Careful, Flowers!

It all started with the fact that my beloved gave me a bouquet of pretty daffodils at our romantic date. When I arrived home, I immediately bragged to my relatives about what an attentive and good friend I had. But all the joy was darkened by my dear great-grandmother, whispering in my ear: “Be careful with him! Perhaps he is selfish and a big braggart, if he chose these flowers for you. And I must say that my great-grandmother was brought up as a French governess, and always had impeccable taste and refined manners. It was she who told me that evening all the wisdom of language and symbolism of flowers.
Today not many of us know that about one hundred years ago a bouquet of walnut leaves was presented as a hearty thank you, and hazel flowers were given to a girl with a secret request for a kiss. There were strict rules when choosing flowers for women, young girls and even young girls. A terry rose, for example, denoted childlike grace. A white lilac meant inexperience. A pink bud – blossoming youth. Mimosa – modesty. Lily of the valley: happiness and secret love. Daisy – innocence and purity. All of these flowers were only decent for young girls and would have been ridiculous for women in adulthood. So, think twice before you give your mother or grandmother a sprig of white lilac or rosebud….

The role of tongue twisters in learning Russian

Tongue twisters are an indispensable tool in improving pronunciation.

They enable foreign students to pronounce sounds and sound combinations without equivalents in their first language. For example, [c] and [ш], [р] and [л], [ц] and [ч].

Letter «Ц» (also known as Tse) is a letter of the Cyrillic script, not the easiest one from whole Russian alphabet, unusual writing and not at all easy pronunciation. The pronunciation of the letter «Ц»is obtained by a combination of the sounds [t] and [s]. In Russian the letter «ц» is always pronounced hardly before the sounds [a], [o], [y], [э].

You can practice pronunciation of the letter «Ц» and its sound together with our teachers and students at our  —-> youtube chanel

So… What’s 4th November?

Internationally, it is of little significance, but in Russia it is a national holiday.

Why study Russian?

Russia might be the biggest country in the world, but surprisingly, the language with the most speakers in the world is Mandarin Chinese, with a whooping number of 918 million speakers! Spanish is second on the list, with 460 million speakers and English comes in third at 379 million! Impressive, huh?

In the grand scheme of things, the English Language is clearly not the most utilised language in the world, yet when it comes to picking up a second language as a skill, English is the the most popular language to learn as it is widely recognised as the international language for communication. Therefore, any individual who has a great command of the English language instantly has a competitive edge against someone who doesn’t speak the English language.

You might ask, so why study Russian?

FREE e-Learning resources to help you learn Russian

Who doesn’t love freebies? Learning a language for free? Sounds like a good idea, no?

The advantages of e-learning during this Covid-19 pandemic

Covid-19 has put a spanner in the works for most of us and essentially forced our lives into confinement.

The unfortunate result of this pandemic is dwindling productivity as well as a creative brain drain. What better way to combat this by picking up a new hobby?

The benefits of Online Classes and why we recommend Derzhavin Institute…

The Covid Pandemic, which has brought about many unnecessary and unfortunate disruptions in our daily lives, has stopped many of us in our pursuit of our scholastic ambitions.

But no fret!

A multitude of changes has been made in the realm of education for us to move forward as a sector and most schools have decided to implement a lesson format that is available to all in this pandemic – online classes!

But what sets Derzhavin apart from our counterparts?

Volunteering in Russia

Russia is the biggest country in the world, and it is larger than we can imagine – it occupies more than one eighth of the Earth’s inhabitable land area and has nine time zones across it’s states. Russia has the largest reserve of mineral as well as energy resources in the world and its lakes contain about one quarter of the world’s drinkable water. Across the country, there is a diverse range of habitable surroundings, people and culture.

This in turn, creates a huge need for volunteers in Russia. Since it’s gradual transition from communism to capitalism, Russia has been facing a unique array of problems that the government has not fully addressed. Volunteers may step up to render help in areas such as environmental work, cultural exchange, social care, education, and more.

Dostoevsky and the temples in his life

Today we celebrate Dostoevsky day in Russia. The theme of religion runs through all the writer’s works.

С днём рождения, Дед Мороз!

November 18th is an important day in russian culture. On this day in Russia they celebrate Ded Moroz’s birthday.
But who is Ded Moroz? Let’s talk about him!

One of the cutest holidays of the year, the International Cat Day takes place every year on August 8.  It should come as no surprise Russians celebrate this occasion, as they are among the biggest cat lovers in the world! In fact, according to a Dalia Research survey, 59% of the Russian respondents declared to have at least one cat. Keep reading to find out where you are most likely to meet one of these lovely furry inhabitants of Saint Petersburg!

Besides being one of the biggest and most awaited music festivals of the summer, the VK Festival is also a perfect opportunity to explore Russian pop culture and watch the most famous bloggers, influencers, stars and entertainers in the country performing live. Don’t miss it on July 20 and 21 in St. Petersburg!

This Sunday July 28, 2019 Russia will celebrate Navy Day, an official holiday celebrated annually on the last Sunday of July to honor the service of all Russian Navy heroes, veterans and active personnel.
Magnificent commemorative naval parades, demonstrations and simulated marine operations are held at naval bases all over the country, but the biggest event is happening here, in Saint Petersburg! But before I tell you all about it, here are some interesting facts about the history of this important holiday you might want to know in advance!

So… you’re spending some time in Saint Petersburg, you didn’t know today was the International Friendship Day and now you have no idea where to take your best friends for a special afternoon? Don’t worry, keep reading and you’ll find the answer to all your problems in this article!

Nowadays, Christianity is the major religion of the Russian Federation and on July 28 every year Russia celebrates the anniversary of a fundamental landmark in its history: the Baptism of Rus (Крещение Руси). It refers to the Christianization of Kievan Rus, conventionally set in the year 988, when Vladimir the Great was baptized in Chersonesus and proceeded to baptize his family and people in Kiev.

If you’ve ever walked down Nevskii Prospect you’ve probably already seen the Eliseevskii emporium. If you haven’t, you’re sure to notice it the first time you do. Between its colourful window displays and its five storey high dark stone walls, adorned with green-bronze statues and detailing, you’d have a very hard time trying to miss Eliseevskii. Despite the shop’s size, when looking for souvenirs, only the first floor is really important. Here you will find one of the most ornately decorated food halls you’ve ever seen.

If you are fortunate to have visited St Petersburg during the summer you’ll notice 2 things. 1, the sun never really goes down all the way and it remains light for weeks, giving this period the name ‘White Nights’ (Белые ночи). And 2, there are many festivities one can attend as a result of this, such as Ballet at the Marinksy Theatre and Concert Hall or carnivals in the suburbs around St Petersburg. But perhaps the most famous festival of all during this time is The Scarlet Sails celebrationIf you are fortunate to have visited St

If you are fortunate to have visited St Petersburg during the summer you’ll notice 2 things. 1, the sun never really goes down all the way and it remains light for weeks, giving this period the name ‘White Nights’ (Белые ночи). And 2, there are many festivities one can attend as a result of this, such as Ballet at the Marinksy Theatre and Concert Hall or carnivals in the suburbs around St Petersburg.

Pull out your map of St Petersburg. Find the Derzhavin Institute and look slightly north west, just below where the Blagoveshchenskiy Bridge crosses the River Neva. Can you see the strange triangular shaped Island? That is Новая Голландия (New Holland).

Ever wondered how кое-кто, кто-то, and кто-нибудь can all translate to someone in English and yet have completely different meanings in Russian? By the time you’ve finished reading this post you’ll be an expert in using the prefix кое- and the suffixes -то and -нибудь with this and other Russian question words.

If you want to learn Russian properly, then reading regularly is an absolutely must. When we read, not only will we undoubtedly find new and unfamiliar words, but we also have the chance, unlike in real-time conversation,s to record these new words so they stick with us. Unfortunately for some, this very possibility can make reading quite a frustrating experience. Perfectionists like myself who need to know the meaning and nuances of every single word they meet may find themselves spending more time looking up new words than they do reading the actual book.

What can you do then if you just can’t bear to let a single word pass by unknown? Read on to find out…

The Peter and Paul Fortress is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist destinations in St Petersburg and frequently features in the Derzhavin Institute’s cutural programme. In this blog post we’ll be taking a look at the history of the fortress, explaining what you can expect to see on a tour though the Derzhavin institute, as well as going into the details of a few of the less-well-known aspects of the museums for those who’ve already been there before.

Take a look at this following sentence:

“Мария гуляла в парке с 7 собаками”

If you’re not 100% sure how you would say the number “7” here, then this article is for you.

Memorising the difference in meaning between verbs with the same root and different prefixes can be tricky. This blog is here to help with that process, starting with the most obvious candidate – verbs formed from помнить (to remember).

On May 9th 1945 (Moscow ime) Nazi Germany officially surrendered and the war in Europe ended. This day, known is Russia as День Победы (Victory Day), has a special place not only in Russian history but also in modern Russian society and culture. In this blog post you’ll learn about how Russians celebrate this holiday and about the special events that will be held in its honour this year in St Peterburg.

Novgorod is one of Russia`s oldest cities and has, through its centuries of existence, played an immeasurably important role in Russian history and the development of Russia as a state. The Derzhavin institute often organises trips to the city as part of its cultural program but, seeing as Novgorod is a considerable distance away from St Petersburg, students often wonder whether it is worth their time to travel there or not. If this sounds like you, then read on; the points in this post will help you to make a decision.

Looking for a more unusual way to practice your Russian skills? Why not try a quest?

The Russian Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness, also commonly known as Petr’s and Fevronia’s Day is celebrated in all Russia on July 8 as a Russian alternative to St. Valentine’s Day. It was introduced in 2008 in honor of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia, patrons of marriage and family, as well as symbols of love and fidelity.

Stereoleto Music Festival is a symbol of the city of Saint Petersburg and one of the most anticipated music events of the summer. Now in its 18^thedition, Stereoleto Music Festival 2019 awaits all music lovers in Saint Petersburg for two unforgettable days of amazing music, lots of singing, dancing and fun!

Whether it’s a quick friendly peck or a long passionate smooch, International Kissing Day is the perfect excuse to grab your loved ones and show them some love. There is a million different ways to deliver a kiss to those you care about, and on the 6th of July you can celebrate them all! Keep reading and to find out which are the 5 most romantic spots in Saint Petersburg to take your special someone and pucker up!

Want to improve your conversational Russian skills? Check out this list of need to know Russian conversational phrases.

All you need to know about Dostoevsky Day 2018!

Time to look at some more verbs with prefixes. This time we’ll be looking at verbs created from the verb держать – to hold.

Interested in Russian film or music? Looking for something to do at the weekend? Check out the Russian film Leto!

Not too far from the institute are the blue, star-spotted domes of Troisky Cathedral. For many students who walk past the church their first question is the same, “What’s with the giant column of cannons out front?”

Two major icons of Russian culture celebrate their birthday today. Read on to find out who…

World Chocolate Day is observed on July 11 in Russia, famous for its fine chocolate all around the world. If you want to celebrate the sweetest day of the year buying some Russian chocolate, keep reading to find out how to choose the right kind for you and where to find it in Saint Petersburg!

Peter the Great brought about many radical changes during his reign. But why exactly did he want his people to stop having beards? Read this post to find out the answer to this question!

The 3^rd of September marks the 76^th birthday of Sergei Dovlatov, a writer who rose to fame in the West during the 1970s but who, very sadly, died far too young at the age of 49. Read this post to find out more about Dovlatov, including information about a forthcoming film about the author!

Every year on the 1^st September, Russia celebrates the ‘Day of Knowledge’ (День Знаний). The holiday bears such a name due to the fact that the day marks the end of summer, the beginning of autumn and, most importantly, the new academic year for students. In other words, the season of long summer days at the Dacha (summerhouse) has ended, and a new year of early-wakeups and homework has begun!

This weekend, the International Festival of Coffee and Tea will come to St. Petersburg! In preparation for this event, read this article to learn more about Russia’s tea and coffee traditions! You can also find a copy of the festival’s programme in English at the bottom of this post.

Cinema has always been an important aspect of Russian culture. Lenin is said to have asserted that, of all the art forms, the most important of all was that of cinema («… вы должны твердо помнить, что из всех искусств для нас важнейшим является кино»). 

seemingly strange dishes on display at canteens and cafes. We hope that after reading this post these feelings of yours will disappear and you will be inspired to try some Russian delicacies!

On this day in 1941, the Germans began their 872-day Siege on the city of Leningrad, as part of their effort to bring down the Eastern Front in World War II.

Next week, a festival will take place at Peterhof to celebrate the closing of its fountains. This annual event is always a hit amongst tourists and tickets are limited. This is why we have written this post – to give you plenty of time to plan your trip!

The World Travel Awards – or the “Oscars of tourism” – recently announced this year’s winners in a wide range of categories, and Saint Petersburg was awarded three of the ceremony’s most coveted prizes, including World’s Leading City Destination 2017!

The Russian realist writer Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev was born on November 9, 1818. In honor of his 199th birthday, read about his life and ten of his most famous quotes in Russian and English!

Unity Day – What is it and how will Saint Petersburg celebrate?

After spending the previous night seeing one the more unusual attractionside which St Petersburg has to offer I spent the next day on a rather more traditional trip…

This weekend was the first of many that I will be spending in Saint Petersburg during my three month stay at the Derzhavin institute. Due to the torrential rain which had been assailing the city all week, I had less of a chance than I would have liked for sightseeing. With relatively good weather forecast for the weekend I was determined to make up for lost time….

Putting the spotlight on some of the best places to eat in St Pete`s.

And where were you on Navy day?

How do you find peace and quiet in a major city? You go up.

If you`re going to be studying in Derzhavin for a while, let`s say more than a month, you might be considering a trip to Moscow for a change of scenery…

If you’ve ever walked down Nevskii Prospect you’ve probably already seen the Eliseevskii emporium. If you haven’t, you’re sure to notice it the first time you do…

According to the weather forecast, Sunday was meant to be another day of the kind of wetness and gloom I had hoped to escape when I left England…

If your visit to the Derzhavin Institute will be your first time in a Russian speaking country it’s be a good idea to get acquainted with some of the common phrases that’ll you’ll hear when you’re out and about before you arrive. 

Today we’ll be looking at majorities, minorities and numbers, and why they’re all incredibly confusing!

Whether your aim is to sound like a native of St Petersburg or the opposite – to keep your Russian clear and region neutral – here are some words you should know about…

Everyone knows that, whilst Russian grammar can be very complicated, it normally follows strict, logical rules with only a few exceptions. This is not really one of those cases…

Here’s the definitive list of places to visit in St Petersburg if you`re looking for a bit of extra, supernatural assistance with Russian, finances or life in general.

I think few people would argue with me if I said that Russian is a pretty difficult language to learn It’s only natural therefore, that all students of Russian encounter difficulties in their studies at some point…

If you want to get around St Petersburg quickly, cheaply and easily you`ll want to get to know the metro…

In today`s post I`ll be asnwering two questions: where to buy gifts for fellow students of Russian and where to buy more traditional souvenirs.

During my last trip to St Petersburg, I was lucky enough to experience first hand the Russian Banya. I was unsure at first but eventually, after some convincing from my veteran Banya-going friend from France, I decided to give it a try. A group of 6 of us from 5 different countries arrived at Vladimirskaya metro station and went straight to the shops to buy beer and snacks (My personal favourites being Baltika 7, dried calamari rings and anchovies). Following this, we entered the unassuming building and I saw that there were many floors, each housing a different method of relaxation, like…

in Russian!

If you are planning your trip to Derzhavin institute, don`t worry: Russia is a civilized country, and you could buy everything you need here.  In Saint-Petersburg we have a lot of 24 hours` supermarkets, so you could buy all necessary cosmetics, food, and even clothes on your arrival. So you don`t need to take kilograms of unnecessary things with you. But there are some things that you`ve better to take with you. Here you could find a packing list for your trip.

Being a vegetarian while living abroad can be difficult. Sometimes, it can feel like the only thing on the menu for you is a plate of Овощи гриль (grilled vegetables). But you need not worry if you’re living in Saint-Petersburg – the city is full of fantastic vegetarian (and even vegan) restaurants and cafes. All you have to do is find them!

Easter, the most important and celebrated holiday for the Russian Orthodox Church, is observed based on the Julian calendar and often falls on a different Sunday than the Catholic or Protestant Easter. This year, the Russian Orthodox Easter will be celebrated 8 April. As in many countries, the Easter celebrations in Russia are full of significance, traditions, family and delicious Easter treats.

Hear ye, hear ye! Good Ladies and gentle Sirs, it is time to raise your standards, don your finest garb, and head to the lists to enjoy that most regal of spectacles, ye olde medieval tournament!

Considered to be one the greatest of Russia’s poets, Anna Akhmatova, is a symbol of Russia and guardian of its culture and language. Born in 1889 in Odessa, her family quickly took up residence in Tsarskoye Selo outside Saint Petersburg, the city in which she would later reside for the greater part of her life. As a daughter of Russia, impacted by the time period in which she lived, her works reflected the changing tides of Russia by critically and poignantly confronting Stalinist Terror, World War II, and the subsequent Russian Thaw.

Saint Petersburg is a city of culture, history, architecture with delicious food and drink. During a long day of exploring the city, or if you find yourself simply needing to escape from the cold, there is not much better than sitting down in an quaint café and enjoying good conversation with a great cup of coffee. If you are traveling through Saint Petersburg delicious cafes are on just about every street corner. To be sure that you make the most out of your caffeine selection, here is a list of some of the best cafes for ambiance, comfort and of course, quality!

Founded by Catherine the Great and boasting over 4 million paintings, sculptures, documents, artifacts, and other items, the Hermitage Museum is the largest collection of art in Russia and one of the largest in the world. It is well worth a visit any time, but if you don’t have plans, consider going this Thursday – the first Thursday of every month is free to all visitors.

There are endless advantages to learning Russian. It can lead to more career opportunities, it can help you when you travel, it can even help keep your brain healthy for longer. But, that’s not to say that learning Russian doesn’t come without its difficulties. Whether you’ve only just started learning Russian, or you’ve been learning it for a few years, you’ll know how easy it is to get mixed up and make a mistake. We’ve gathered some of our favourite mistakes and have listed them below – hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll avoid making these (often embarrassing) mistakes in the future!

Forget your 300 rouble lattes or mochas – a time café can offer you much more for your money! Read on to find what exactly a ‘time café’ is, where the idea came from, and where to find such places in Saint Petersburg!

Although remembering idioms is not always that easy, you cannot deny that idioms are one of the more interesting parts of learning a new language. We have collected for you some of the more unusual idioms and idiomatic phrases, as well as trivia related to each of them. Enjoy!

There’s no denying it – the weather in St. Petersburg is….challenging (to put it lightly). If you’ve come (or are planning to come) to Derzhavin Institute in Saint Petersburg to study, you’ll need to start thinking about how to survive the cold winter months in the city. The temperatures can drop to as low as minus 30 degrees celsius, and snow can start to fall as early as October (in 2016, the first snowfall happened on October 26th). Therefore, we recommend getting acquainted with some winter vocabulary and stocking up on winter clothing in advance!

Similar to other countries with such long histories, the Russian government has undergone various complete transformations. From early Rus, to the time of the Tsars, to a revolution that birthed the Soviet Union and finally the restructuring into a democratic Russian Federation. The mark of any democracy is the establishment of a free and competitive election process. That is what makes 18 March 2018 a day of significance, the Russian Federation Presidential elections.

Wherever you go on March 8, you will be sure to see an abundance of flowers. Flowers in the hands of women, children and grandmothers. Flowers lining the streets. Flowers being passed out in cafes and shops. Bouquets wrapped and on delivery. Flowers, gifts and beauty are on every corner, and it is quite possible you will come across special events being held in honor of women and femininity. Around the streets you will hear congratulations, and, if you are a woman, may even receive congratulations or flowers of your own from strangers and business alike.

With over 200 museums to be found in Saint Petersburg, the most well known is the Hermitage. While the Hermitage, Russian Museum, and The Peter and Paul Fortress deserve a visit or two from anyone who spends time in the city, these museums are certainly not the only ones that should spark your interest. Here are my personal top five less visited museums in Saint Petersburg, with a few honorable mentions!

Nikolai Gogol, born 31 March 1809, would go on to become one of the most renowned and influential Russian writers. Gogol can be claimed as the founder of realist literature, laying the groundwork for Russian prose that would influence great writers after him. However, it was in his surrealist writings that Gogol produced some of his most original and celebrated works that delved deep into the darker side of society by comically combing the fantastic with the grotesque.

When you think of theater in Russia, most likely the Russian Ballet performing Swan Lake comes into your mind. With images of the elaborate beauty of the classic Mariinsky Theatre, you can be transported back into a time of unparalleled elegance. As the cultural capital of Russia, Saint Petersburg is home to both classical and modern theatre companies known and respected throughout Russia and the world. Music theatres, ballet and opera theatres, puppet theatres and drama theatres all have something unique to offer.

And where were you on Navy day?

La mia esperienza alle “Banja”. Scopriamo insieme la saune russe!

Anche voi sarete in Russia durante le festività?

Oggi è il 4 di ottobre, e in tutta la Russia è il giorno in cui si celebrano le imprese spaziali degli astronauti di questo Paese. Ricorre infatti l’anniversario di uno dei più importanti eventi della storia del programma spaziale russo, e più in generale dell’astronomia internazionale. In questo giorno nel 1957, dal cosmodromo di Baikonur, in Kazakistan, ebbe luogo il lancio del primo satellite artificiale mandato in orbita intorno alla Terra.

Nata a Mosca nel 1892, Marina Tsvetaeva raccontò la Rivoluzione di Ottobre vissuta in prima persona appena venticinquenne. Già all’età di soli sei anni la Tsvetaeva sapeva scrivere piccole poesie in lingua francese e tedesca, oltre che in russo. 

L’attuale inno della Federazione russa risale al 2000 e fu composto da Sergej Michalkov, lo stesso uomo che aveva scritto anche il testo del vecchio inno dell’Unione Sovietica (1944), con cui l’attuale condivide anche la musica. 

Il Mondiale in casa rappresenta, per la Nazionale ospitante, un’occasione per giocarsela alla grande davanti ai propri tifosi. Ma può diventare anche un incubo, in caso la competizione iridata finisca con una figuraccia. 

Attention music lovers! Are you looking for a place to get your swing on and show off your jazz hands? Then you might want to check out this short list of two of St Petersburg’s best jazz hotspots.

When people first think about Russia, chances are their minds are first filled with images of Red Square, the Kremlin and the colorful tops of St. Basil`s Cathedral. Moscow, the heart and capital of Russia, can be recognized throughout the world. However, only in recent history has Moscow held the title of “capital,” and even then, one of Russia`s other great and well-known cities took its place.

Cities are great and all but sometimes you want you want to get a little bit closer to nature. For all its strengths St. Petersburg`s streets can often seem overly devoid of anything green and growing. Fortunately it has plenty of amazing parks to make up for it.

One of the many unusual but exciting holidays that Russia celebrates every year is “День рисования на асфальте”, literally “drawing-on-asphalt day”, which is observed on July 16. Not only is this holiday highly entertaining for both young and not so young people, it is also a fun way to appreciate this incredibly beautiful variety of street art.

Cities are great and all but sometimes you want you want to get a little bit closer to nature. For all its strengths St. Petersburg`s streets can often seem overly devoid of anything green and growing. Fortunately it has plenty of amazing parks to make up for it.