(no subject)

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

 Again, over time I've accumulated several questions. I appreciate your help with any of them: 

1. In conversation, very often situations arise when someone asks a question and you want to answer "Well it depends on the [some thing -- person/car/situation/city]..." In the past I always said this in the following way:

-Там холодно?
-Ну, зависит от штата

But I noticed that Russians seem to express this more often with the phrase смотря на [thing]. Is this a more natural phrase to use? And can you use it in almost any situation? For instance
-Там холодно?
-Ну, смотря на штат..

-Тебе нравится русский рок?
-Смотря на группу

2. I've noticed that there are a few newer and probably slang ways to express displeasure with a situation. Кошмар is a fairly traditional way. There is also жуть and жесть. Are there any other popular variants like these? Are жуть and жесть the same?

3. What is the difference between "что-то" and "нечто"? Is it just that нечто is more literary?

4. In general is it always fairly safe to use кое-... instead of ...-то? For instance,  кое-как, кое-кто, кое-что instead of как-то, кто-то, что-то? Is it simply a more literary way of saying it? Or is there some other nuance in the meaning?

5. When are казалось and показалось used? Are they just a standard imperfective / perfective pair? What's the difference for instance between

Мне показалось, что ей понравился он. 
Мне казалось, что ей понравился он.

Ukranians, Banyas, and Onion Domesq

[icedink.livejournal.com]

Well, this question is about Russian and Ukranian language, so bear with me.

I was discussing my love of banyas with a fellow American, and he asked, "Isn't that what they call the onion domes, too?"

No, I said. He was surely mistaken. But google did pull up sites referencing them as church domes -- but only for Ukranian churches.

What is the Russian name for the domes on the churches?

Is the Ukranian word for the domes, spelled the same as the Russian баня ?
Does the Ukranian word ALSO mean the wooden cabin full of hot steam and naked people?
If not, what is that called?

Thank you all for your help; I'm finding this question really intriguing.

(no subject)

[beltspinner.livejournal.com]

Can someone give me a quick explanation of the word чтобы? Does it have any particular case governance? Need to begin a clause?

thanks