великий и могучий

[zombie-laika.livejournal.com]

I keep seeing "великий и могучий русский язык" all over the place. I understand the meaning, but why is this phrase so common? Where did it come from?

(no subject)

[olydiagron.livejournal.com]

Hi!

I have a question about the Russian language 150 year ago. I'm listening to Crime and Punishment right now in mp3, and I have the paper book as well. What I don't understand is that it is so easy to understand....

Except for a few epressions and a few words that are used in another way, and of course words for clothes and instruments that are not used anymore, it is the same as modern Russian! But the book was written over a hundred an fifty tears ago. Swedish books that where written that long ago are really hard to understand (even if they are printed with modernized spelling), the grammar is completely different.

I understand that the spelling is modernized in my edition. But what about the grammar. Hasn't it changed in 150 years?!

Amanda