Ask a Russian

[red_elk]

Leningrad - "Cabriolet"
Brilliant, as usual

 

[red_elk]

Breaking the ice.

 

[Yeekim]

Leningrad - "Cabriolet"

Their screenwriter/director is (half)Estonian btw.
https://m.imdb.com/name/nm5063015/bio?ref_=m_mn_ov_bio

 

[red_elk]

Congratulations to Alexandra Goryachkina with winning the women's chess candidates tournament!
She completely destroyed her opponents and secured 1-st place two games before tournament completion, without losing any games so far.
Since Carlsen is undefeatable, let's hope that Alexandra will be able to bring at least women's chess crown back to Russia!


https://en.chessbase.com/post/womens-candidates-2019-round-12

 

[red_elk]

How academic Legasov looked like in real life
(1986 documentary, from 0:30)

 

[red_elk]

Did you know that in Soviet Russia, people eat cookie-chip chocolates?


Very tasty, by the way.

 

[Yeekim]

An interview with an Estonian Russian soldier convicted of treason.
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/06/estonia-russia-deniss-metsavas-spy/592417/

 

[red_elk]

Zinaida Serebryakova "At the dressing table", 1909.
It's a self-portrait.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Why in the Penal Battalion did the Germans riding the tanks not shoot at the retreating unarmed Russians ?
Sending underequiped units into battle is no surprise especially during the first year of the war, but completely unarmed ? That is too crazy even for Ivan. (At least give them 5 bullets)

Good war movie though, the uncaring commanders, lack of training for conscripts before sent into war, and interesting characters
Please make more movies like this

 

[FriendlyFire]

Ivan did it again
Sub is relatively new as well, so far no one knows the cause.

Fire on Russian navy submersible kills 14 sailors
Some observers speculated the Losharik was even capable of going as deep as 6000 metres, but the claims couldn't be independently confirmed. Analysts suggested that one of its possible missions could be disrupting communication cables on the seabed.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe...rs-defence-ministry-says-20190703-p523j8.html

 

[red_elk]

Little Big - "Skibidi"

 

[Zardnaar]

What's the nicest city outside of St Petersburg and Moscow. Ufa and Saratov look nice in online videos.

 

[red_elk]

What's the nicest city outside of St Petersburg and Moscow. Ufa and Saratov look nice in online videos.

It's hard to pick one, it depends on what you like the most.
Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Novgorod - cities founded in Medieval Rus. Old Russian architecture, Orthodox churches, "Russian spirit".
Samara - beautiful city on Volga.

Kazan - mixture of different cultures.

Spoiler :

Yekaterinburg - city on the Ural mountains, considered "third capital of Russia"

Spoiler :

Novosibirsk - third most populous city, major research center in Siberia.

 

[Zardnaar]

Generally nice looking cities.

How long can you get a visa for? Think I would want to briefly visit St Petersburg/Moscow but travel from Minsk through to Western Siberia.

Russian countryside looks a bit abandoned. That's fine it's real. Globus and Canteen No 1 in St Petersburg look interesting. I have been watching vlogs of life in Russia.

 

[red_elk]

How long can you get a visa for?

I think it's up to 30 days for tourist visa. There are more than hundred countries which have visa-free agreements with Russia, but most of Western visitors do require visa.
Don't know much about the process of getting it for obvious reasons
Heard it's quite tedious, but it could become better last few years. Because in general, the situation with formalities and bureaucracy has improved a lot.

Russian countryside looks a bit abandoned. That's fine it's real. Globus and Canteen No 1 in St Petersburg look interesting. I have been watching vlogs of life in Russia.

Found these tips for first-time travelers. Seems correct from my perspective. The subway system in Moscow is indeed fantastic, can get you anywhere almost for free.

 

[Zardnaar]

I would want longer than 30 days, more like 3 months. Thinking about skipping winter one year.

Working down at port every now and then we get a Russian boat in from Odessa. Da nyet and photos makes for interesting conversation and I want to try some Russian food. Generally don't like big cities so Moscow and St Petersburg seem a bit to touristy. Road trip, train trip and a bar/restaurant for locals would be interesting.

Anyway the crew get taxis to the supermarket and load up on New Zealand chocolate, soda, chips and chocolate biscuits.

 

[red_elk]

Working down at port every now and then we get a Russian boat in from Odessa. Da nyet and photos makes for interesting conversation and I want to try some Russian food. Generally don't like big cities so Moscow and St Petersburg seem a bit to touristy. Road trip, train trip and a bar/restaurant for locals would be interesting.

Odessa is in Ukraine, by the way
Though people from there are very likely to speak Russian in daily life.
If you want to spend long time in Russia and see the country, may be a train trip would be a good idea, like going from Moscow to Vladivostok by Trans-Siberian railroad. It's ~8000 km long and takes about 2 weeks with stops at major cities. Or boat tour by Volga river.
Moscow and St. Petersburg are worth to spend at least few days though.

 

[Peuri]

Is there a Russian news site that's written/spoken in simple Russian (for people with learning disabilities etc.) that chuds like me could use to brush their Russian with?