Ask a Russian

[red_elk]

Virgin of Vladimir.
One of the oldest and culturally significant icons in Russian history. Painted by unknown artist in first half of XII century.

From wiki:
"It is one of the most culturally significant and celebrated pieces of art in Russian history. Many consider it a national palladium with several miracles of historical importance to Russia being attributed to the icon."

Following an ownership dispute between Moscow Patriarchate and Tretyakov Gallery, the icon was relocated to the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, which has dual status as a church and part of museum. It is stored inside glass capsule which protects icon and maintains microclimate inside.

Icon was damaged several times throughout history, the clothes were repainted. But the faces remain original work, probably by Byzantinian master.

Spoiler :

 

[timtofly]

Is Siberia getting warmer?

 

[red_elk]

Is Siberia getting warmer?

Yes.

 

[FriendlyFire]

TIL that most the casualties from Napoleans campaign was from diseases, the number of caualties from actual battle was barely 20%
The French were also very lucky to escape, the engineers that built the bridges in the frigid cold waters all died, a testment to their professionalism. Ivan came very close to pocketing Napolean

PS Ivans war and peace movie is still amazing

 

[red_elk]

TIL that most the casualties from Napoleans campaign was from diseases, the number of caualties from actual battle was barely 20%

This is generally true for all wars before antibiotics era, IIRC.

 

[Zardnaar]

This is generally true for all wars before antibiotics era, IIRC.

Yes Napoleons winter campaign is the best example but the sieges or Malta, Vienna, Constantinople and probably Leningrad were also brutal

 

[red_elk]

Interesting fact is that Napoleon's retreat from Russia didn't happen in winter. It was still autumn.
Disastrous (for French) Berezina battle happened in November, after that the remains of their army escaped to the West.
Winter hadn't even started yet. Though November of 1812 was unusually cold even by Russian standards.

 

[Zardnaar]

In the Little Big Hypnodance video they're playing the card game UNO.

You have that game in Russia?

I played it in 1988 when I was a kid. USSR was still around.

 

[red_elk]

No, never heard of it before.
I think it's more a reference to their previous song which supposed to go on the Eurovision.

 

[red_elk]

TEDx video about Russian language, from Slavic roots to Brezhnev era political jokes.
Collective psyche, spirituality, politics, why it matters a lot for modern day Russians.

Also, the speaker doesn't say that, but in the video you can hear how to pronounce "Vladimir" and "Putin" correctly

 

[Zardnaar]

No, never heard of it before.
I think it's more a reference to their previous song which supposed to go on the Eurovision.

Yeah I quite liked the song Uno.

UNO game also teached you math skills and strategy.

 

[AdamCrock]

TIL : "Night Witches" was a squadron of Russian woman bombers (piloting a shabby Po-2 !) , bombing the Nazis to hell , they have not been included in the Victory Parade (because their planes were too shabby - a shame if You ask me ),l but for me, they were the Heroines of us all Nazis got their pants wet and been affraid to light a cigarette during the night !) God Bless girls !

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

TIL : "Night Witches"

Fun fact: they would bait Messerschmidts into pursuing them at a dive, then pull up at the last second. Since the German planes were faster, they couldn't correct in time and would ram the ground at full speed.

 

[red_elk]

Read recently memoirs of Soviet officer who was a private at the beginning of the war and commanded recon platoon at the end. He writes that at first they couldn't compete with German recon troops who were much more experienced. But at the end of war as they learnt how to fight Germans, the situation changed.

One episode was particularly interesting. They got an order to capture important hill fortified by Germans. Usually it's not a job of recon troops, but that was an order. He asked for artillery support, and the barrage should start at 14:00 and end at 15:53 sharp. When the barrage started, they got as close to German trenches as possible, the Germans of course pulled back and laid low. So he ordered his guys - at 15.53 stand up and run to the Germans as fast as you can, without firing a single shot. And they took them by surprise. Germans weren't expecting that the barrage could end not at 16:00, but a few minutes earlier. They took the hill that day without a single wounded.

They lost this hill again afterwards, but that was another story.

 

[Ferocitus]

... but for me, they were the Heroines of us all

One of my favourite "non-Soviet" heroes is John Cairncross, a mathematician who informed the Soviets that the Enigma code had been broken and also gave advance warning of the Battle of Kursk.
For me, it's still remarkable that he was never prosecuted as a spy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cairncross

 

[FriendlyFire]

Of which, one of my favorite story is the one Ivan that surrender to the Fins ....... on behalf of two entire Russian battalions

Iam amazed to finally read about many battles from the Russian perspective what an eye opener.
Stalins favorite put in charge of Crimea, decided that offensive instead of defense in depth sent human waves over the same ground again and again and again until the steppes in the front were carpeted and mixed with the dead all Russians.
All I read previously was that the Russians were preparing to go on the offensive now having read Ivans account I understand how this disaster fell.

 

[red_elk]

Not sure where should I put this - it belongs equally to the Russia thread, Space thread and AI thread.
New version of famous Soviet space-themed song

 

[Ferocitus]

Of which, one of my favorite story is the one Ivan that surrender to the Fins ....... on behalf of two entire Russian battalions

Iam amazed to finally read about many battles from the Russian perspective what an eye opener.
Stalins favorite put in charge of Crimea, decided that offensive instead of defense in depth sent human waves over the same ground again and again and again until the steppes in the front were carpeted and mixed with the dead all Russians.
All I read previously was that the Russians were preparing to go on the offensive now having read Ivans account I understand how this disaster fell.

That just sounds like a Russian version of the Australians and New Zealanders at Gallipoli.
In Australia we celebrate that kind of "victory" and have a public holiday in its honour.

 

[FriendlyFire]

That just sounds like a Russian version of the Australians and New Zealanders at Gallipoli.
In Australia we celebrate that kind of "victory" and have a public holiday in its honour.

Indeed one of my favorite movies, where the leaders order the attackers to remove bullets from their rifles because they didnt want the men to stop charging and try and shoot back.
This should be required watching for all students of our education system in case we should try and cover up the failure, incompetence of the leaders, hide the slaughter and seek to glorify war.

Meanwhile Ivans history, Stalin could do no wrong

 

[REDY]

What does "Врешь - не возьмешь" mean? I have literally translated it but I am not sure.