learning russian!

[snork-ee.livejournal.com]

Is here anyone who'd like to learn, improve and practice russian language in russian-speaking
european communities (for example in european russian-speaking regions)? In this case you'll be able to
completely plunge into language studying (with professional teachers and native-speakers), live
in russian speaking communities, learn russian culture and at the same time you'll stay in Europe
and there will be no need for you to go far away from your home-country (to Russia, Ukraine and so on).

Comments

[oryx_and_crake]

I am curious - what exactly are "european russian-speaking regions" outside of Russia, where you can completely plunge into Russian language study and Russian culture?

[cema.livejournal.com]

There are plenty of places in Europe (and the US) where native Russian speakers live compactly.

[oryx_and_crake]

I know. I used to live in one of these for a few years, myself. But I honestly don't think that living there a person will be able to plunge in any sort of Russian culture. Besides, people in such places normally don't speak Russian en masse, but a horrible mix of Russian, Ukrainian, Hebrew and English (or whatever the main language of the country is).

[insaint.livejournal.com]

That we agree on. :)

I live in a Russian-speaking area of Toronto and there's not much in terms of Russian culture around here. The language mix is about how you describe it, sometimes all at once from one person.

[valeria-kapriz.livejournal.com]

Estonia.

[schwarzer-tod.livejournal.com]

I think we all would like to do this, but (my poverty aside) it would be difficult to learn Russian in a country like Eesti. Could you really live there without learning Estonian too? And isn't there hostility towards Russians?

[oryx_and_crake]

Oh, now I see what snork_ee meant. I was confused for a moment by a picture of people studying English in a place like Brighton Beach. As for Estonia, I don't see much difference in going there and going to St.Petersburg to study Russian. The costs will be probably the same, as will be the time to get there. The only difference is that there will be more Russian-speaking people around you in St.Petersburg than in Estonia.

[snork-ee.livejournal.com]

nope, there is no need to know estonian if you are going to stay here as a tourist or student:) in most cases it will be enough to know a little russian and english.

No there is no hostility to russians. If someone here don't like you it's more common that he or she won't pay attention to you, nothing more.

[caesareanseptum.livejournal.com]

To my best knowledge, all "european russian-speaking regions," re: the Balkans, the Baltic states, Bulgaria, etc. absolutely abhor anything that reminds them of their time spent being oppressed by soviet satellite puppet governments, and thus anyone speaking russian is looked at with an evil eye.

am I incorrect in thinking this?


n.

[cema.livejournal.com]

I don't think you are right about Bulgaria.

I think you are also missing the point about the Russian speaking communities.

[caesareanseptum.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I don't have first hand knowledge... what I do know comes from people who have been to these places, and are russian speakers. As far as what I have heard, people in the Baltic states, for instance, do not respond kindly to those who approach them in russian, and there is a whole lot of tension left over from the soviet era.

What is the point that I'm missing?

[snork-ee.livejournal.com]

nooo! :) in actualt facts estonians and russians are tolerant to each other.

[patodruida.livejournal.com]

I am not sure it would make much of a difference in terms of money if you hail from the Americas. It is the transatlantic flight that costs a hefty amount, not the continental bit of the trip.

I cannot speak for those living in Europe but if I were to go on a study trip it would definitely be to Russia.

As for Russian-speaking communities... they are all over, even down here in Mexico.

So, if you wish to spend your hard-earned money flying to the former Soviet republics, you might as well do it for your own pleasure.

But, then again, that is only my opinion.

[patodruida.livejournal.com]

... which left me wondering. Has anyone posted an entry asking which members of this community have actually been to Russia?
Or, maybe, I should do just that.

[oryx_and_crake]

There was a poll a while ago that showed that about 50% of the community members are native Russian speakers, so there is a good possibility that all these people were either born in Russia or at least visited it..

[jejuneraccoon.livejournal.com]

I am very interested; I am already going to study abroad in London and hope to travel to Russia sometime in the future.

I've only taken two Russian classes, and that was in high school (a few years ago) so I don't remember much.

[oryx_and_crake]

The point of the discussion is whether it is not better to go and study Russian outside of Russia.

[jejuneraccoon.livejournal.com]

The comment was obviously just a statement concerning my own thoughts related to what I felt was the topic at hand -- it's a vague subject.

[snork-ee.livejournal.com]

how great! :) from what country are you?

[snork-ee.livejournal.com]

>>> I am curious - what exactly are "european russian-speaking regions" outside of Russia, where you can completely plunge into Russian language study and Russian culture?


For example - Baltic countries.
North-East region of Estonia (look at the map its near Finland, Latvia, Russia) is completely russian :)

[oryx_and_crake]

Fine, but I still wonder what's the point of going to Estonia instead of, say, St.Petersburg. It's not like St.Petersburg is in Siberia - it is, in fact, just couple of hours' driving from Estonian border. What's the gain, pray tell me?

[snork-ee.livejournal.com]

surely it depends on many factors. If you're, for example, American - maybe it's better to go to St.Petersburg or Moscow. If you're living in a European countries - it's much more beneficial to choose Estonia, because you don't need any special visas, papers, documents etc to stay here. Estonia (and it's north-east region) is much more cheaper for staying and living than,for example, Moscow. Estonia is a nicely small country :) so it's a little better for safety, for travelling (if you want - you can see a great number of beautiful places, forests, rivers, lakes and it wont take much time for going there) and,you know, here is a little more 'european' style of live in Estonia than in Russia.

[oryx_and_crake]

Well, the visas part definitely makes sense.

[quem98.livejournal.com]

Meh. In my not so humble opinion there still isn't anything like the real thing.

I guess for language, it may be better than nothing, but to really understand the culture, there is just no substitute for actually going to Russia. And not just Moscow and Petersburg, the smaller cities as well.

[devinshire.livejournal.com]

iawtc 100%.