Galina Sergeyevna Usova is a poet and translator of English prose and poetry. For the last few years, she has been standing outside St. Petersburg’s Polytechnic Institute metro station selling her books.

Konstantin Ushinsky: "Four Wishes" 

On how much more difficult it is becoming to have a civil conversation in Russia.

A short story by Konstantin Ushinsky, the noted pedagogue, is the subject of this issue's language learning page.

Mayakovsky on what makes children good or bad.

Vladimir Mayakovsky, "Good and Bad"

The many ways that spitting has worked its way into the language.

Blackface and bananas raise racist concerns ahead of soccer match, a linguist links Siberian Ket and Navajo languages, and video bloggers bring bubbles and pets to parliament. 

Known as a female Chekhov and skilled at painting the human condition as hilarious and hideous in one stroke, Teffi is a little-known author you should get to know. 

In this issue’s Uchites, we look at Vladimir Vysotsky and read one of his poems. 

A look at the many ways of taking a break, linguistically speaking.

A random query led us down a rabbit hole to see how online translation engines are humming these days. Won't you join us?