July 12, 2018

Lost Game, but Newfound Pride


Lost Game, but Newfound Pride
Out But Not Down

1. Team Russia is out of the World Cup, having suffered a loss to Croatia on Saturday. Although fans were disappointed that the miraculous streak of wins did not continue, Russians around the world are proud of their team’s historic performance. Remember, Russia was ranked as the 70th best team as the tournament begun, and only 17 percent of Russians believed the team could make it out of the group stage. So, you could say Russia scored big and exceeded any set goals at the 2018 World Cup! (For those of you hoping for a stop to our World Cup coverage, you’ll have to hold out one more week, as the final is Sunday in Moscow).

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2. It was the opposite of a space odyssey: a Russian cargo ship made the trip to the International Space Station in three hours and 40 minutes, a record time. Russia’s Progress-MS-09 was carrying almost three tons of food, fuel, air and tools. The ship’s return trip will be less glamorous: it will be stuffed with trash and sent to burn up in the atmosphere. As exciting as all of this is, we have to wonder: why does it still take nine hours to fly to Moscow from New York? Oh, right, rocket fuel...

3. Samara is getting hot and steamy, at least if the local public utility company, Samara Communal Systems, gets its way. With Samara getting hit by July heat and an influx of foreigners streaming in for the World Cup, water is becoming an ever more precious resource. In light of this, the utility company offered up a solution: save water by showering with someone else! The response to this must have been bigger than they imagined, because Samara Communal Systems released a follow-up statement, letting the city know that everything was operating normally and that the first statement was a joke. Whether this was more a cause for relief or for consternation, we really couldn’t say.

In Odder News:
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Quote of the Week:

“Save water - take a shower together :)”

Samara Communal Systems tells citizens how to survive through hard times

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Some of our Books

Faith & Humor
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Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Murder and the Muse
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Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Russian Rules
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From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

The Latchkey Murders
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The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

Murder at the Dacha
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Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

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