Matryoshka’s diary
This week’s edition of Matryoshka’s Diary is all about Russian traditional houses. Our author Elena tells you about 7 Russian traditional houses which you can still find travelling around Russia – from wooden izba to yurts and beyond.Did you know that Russia is home to many ethnicities and cultures, and as a result of this diversity, there are […]
Russian magic tales which will help you to understand Russian culture This week Matryoshka’s Diary is all about TALES. Our author Elena tells you about Russian magic tales and their unique features. Here is the most common scenario: the hero has one clear, linear task. At the end of it lies his reward, usually a […]
Time out. Navigating Russian cultural life Russians love to stay at home, however, there is plenty to do if you decide to go out. Museums and theatres, clubs and restaurants, concerts and hikes – there are lots of options on offer. You can find entertainments to match not just your interests, but also your budget. […]
Russian “country house” which is much more than that First dachas in Russia appeared in the beginning of the 18th century under Peter the Great. He wanted his subordinates to stay close to him even on vacations, so he granted them plots of land near St’Petersburg. These plots of land were strategically positioned on the […]
Meet Elena, the author of Matryoshka’s Diary Blog Welcome to this week’s edition on Matryoshka’s Diary. Today’s post is a little bit unusual, it’s devoted to the person hidden behind all these interesting facts about Russia, Russian cuisine, culture and literature. Today you will get to meet our author Elena, who will share some interesting […]
Mysterious Russian soul: Navigating Ambiguity This week our author Elena will tell you about the most common mistakes all foreigners make when invited over for celebrations at your Russian friend’s house. This is a very common scenario: you have been working for a global company in Moscow for a month. Your Russian business associate spontaneously […]
The mystery around Russians’ attitude towards foreigners Did you miss Matryoshka’s diary posts? Well, today is your day! Our author Elena Killiakova will help you understand the mystery around the attitude of Russian people towards foreigners. Russians’ ambivalent attitude towards foreigners. How did it emerge? During the reign of Peter the Great (1682-1725), who is […]
The origin of the Russian language Russian language traces its origins all the way back to its prehistoric Indo-European roots. As the Slavic tribes began to settle in eastern Europe, their language began to differentiate into what is currently considered the Proto-Slavic tongue in the Early Middle Ages, which gave rise to the Slavic family […]
Welcome to our new edition of Matryoshka’s Diary. This week our author Elena will tell you about communication in Russia which reveals yet another layer of contradictions. We are going to start with the language and then continue with the conversation. Loshad is just a horse, while loshadyonka is an exhausted working horse Every Russian […]