un-peu-maladroit-blog - Tumblr blog

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One thing I’ve learned in life, if you act really self-assured and confident you can pretty much get away with anything.

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Boris Yegorov, Vladimir Komarov, Konstantin Feoktistov and their flowers back on the ground after their spaceflight aboard Voskhod 1 (1964)

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about summer ‘18 // greece, italy

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So it happens that I recently moved in Paris.

I graduated, and soon I’ll attend my first year at Sorbonne uni, to study something we call “LLCER Russian”. I’ll also audition to enter Conservatories in dramatic art section. Wish me luck!

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The Tragic Destiny of the Romanovs

I’ve seen not too long ago a really complete and interesting documentary on the french-german channel Arte talking about the Romanovs and their fate. I thought it would be great to share it with you all, especially some blogs I follow as @historyofromanovs​ and @romanovdreams​ (don’t hesitate to add some more people that would be interested! I’d love to know what you all think about it, if you haven’t already watched it).

Watch it here!

(Available dubbed in French or German with English or Spanish subtitles.)

»  Collection of Russia’s Revolution related Arte videos *  «

(*displayed in French but available in other languages once you click on the thumbnails - Here is my translation of the page.)

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July 21, 1976 – The first color image of Mars from NASA’s Viking 1 lander.

(NASA)

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A Few of My Favorite Russian Proverbs (with their literal translations)

Большой секрет — знает весь свет.    Big secret—the whole world knows.

Борода не делает философом.  A beard doesn’t make a philosopher.

В темноте все кошки серы.  All cats are gray in the dark.

В Ту́лу со свои́м самова́ром не е́здят. No one brings a samovar to Tula. (Tula is famous as the city where samovars were manufactured. This is the equivalent of “Don’t bring coal to Newcastle.”)

Волко́в боя́ться — в лес не ходи́ть. If you’re afraid of wolves, don’t go to the woods.

Говорить правду — потерять дружбу.  Tell the truth—lose friends.

Доверя́й, но проверя́й.  Trust, but verify.

Доно́счику — пе́рвый кнут. The informer is whipped first.

Друг познаётся в беде́.  You get to know your friend in trouble. (A friend in need is a friend indeed.)

Дру́жба дру́жбой, а де́нежкам счёт.  Friendship is friendship, but count money.

Знать всё — значит не знать ничего. To know everything is to know nothing.

И у стен бывают уши. And even walls have ears.

Когда́ де́ньги говоря́т, тогда́ пра́вда молчи́т.  When money talks, truth shuts up.

На чужо́м го́ре сча́стья не постро́ишь. One can’t build happiness upon another’s grief.

Назва́лся гру́здем — полеза́й в ку́зов. If you called yourself a mushroom—get in the basket. (Sort of like, “don’t just talk the talk—walk the walk.”)  THIS IS NOT CORRECT. THIS ACTUALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MUSHROOMS OR BASKETS. I GOT THE INCORRECT TRANSLATION FROM THIS SITE. THIS ACTUALLY MEANS “In for a penny, out for a pound.”

Не ошиба́ется тот, кто ничего́ не де́лает. He that does nothing makes no mistakes.

NB: any translation mistakes are mine

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Number of parking tickets given to former Soviet embassy employees in Washington, D.C. that remain unpaid: 50,693.

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When Russia banned Vodka,

Perhaps todays most popular clear spirit, vodka is a staple of mixology forming the main ingredient of thousands of popular cocktails.  For hundreds of years it has been a staple of Slavic peoples in the east, so it would be most unusual for a country like Russia to ban it.  In 1914 Russia had entered Word War I against Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  The Russian military was still haunted by its defeat in the Russo Japanese War of 1905, and the Russian government was determined not to have a repeat of that disastrous war.  During the Russo Japanese War one major problem that severely hampered the Russian Army was the issue of widespread binge drinking, boozing, and alcoholism among the ranks of the common soldiers.  So in 1914 Czar Nicholas II decreed a widespread and total ban on Vodka in Russia.

While the law only banned Vodka, it was a de facto alcohol ban as vodka was by far the #1 potent potable in the country.  The effects of the ban were immediate, riots broke out in Moscow and St. Petersburg resulting in the destruction of over 200 saloons.  The military had to put down the riots, leading to the death and injury of thousands.  Obviously, the Russian people were not content with the booze ban.  Russian propaganda claimed that the vodka ban had more or less solved Russia’s social and health problems.  The Russian Government even made boastful claims that hospitals and insane asylums were empty, as were jails and poor houses.  Of course such propaganda was humbuggery.  What’s more the ban on vodka didn’t mean people stopped drinking.  Instead, Russia fell into an atmosphere similar to that of America during Prohibition in the 1920’s.  Bootleggers and illegal distillers smuggled illegal vodka into secret saloons and bars.  The most desperate resorted to consuming industrial alcohols such as varnish, cleaners, and fuels.  Others turned to opiate drugs smuggled from Central Asia.

Perhaps the most hardest hit by the vodka ban was the Russian Government itself, which saw a 1/3rd drop in tax revenues due to lost tax levies on the liquor.  This was especially devastating as it left the Russian Government short on cash to pay for war goods.  The ban also caused a nationwide drop in morale, and arguably could have been one of the many factors which led to the Russian Revolution in 1917.  The Vodka ban lasted 11 years, finally ending in 1924.

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so what’s your best quizup story

so I was playing QuizUp, in the Cold War category, dominating as usual, hitting the ‘random opponent’ button after every match because nobody likes getting curbstomped by my ironfisted grip on the particulars of the Nicaraguan civil war over and over again, or whatever

when suddenly I am randomly paired up with the #1 Cold War trivia guy from Russia.

I’m in the top 10 in the US. Our rankings are displayed right under our names when the matchmaker puts us together. There is a palpable moment of tension. We know what’s about to happen. We are representing our countries. Russia and America. Cold War trivia. Surrender would be worse than breaking our winning streak in a trivia app. It would be a humiliating defeat for our entire sphere of influence. I stood to bring shame upon my country unlike anything since Jimmy Carter chose to send weapons to the military junta in El Salvador even after they murdered all those nuns.

we played 19 straight games against each other, both of us hammering the ‘Rematch’ button any time we lost. I’m delighted to report that the score was 10-9 in my favor when he had to go to dinner. I suggested that I was like Bobby Fischer. He pointed out that, while Bobby Fischer beat Garry Kasparov in that one tournament, Kasparov is obviously the superior player. And also, that I should not take him withdrawing as a surrender: this was more like a Checkpoint Charlie situation, where he was choosing to roll his tanks back first so he could go get food before his girlfriend yelled at him. or something.

but the point is that we ended 10-9, so you can sleep well tonight, America. you’re welcome.

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I may have found my favorite documentary ever! Do Communists Have Better Sex

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl_r7rIcds8

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concept: I’m able to fluently express myself in a wide range of languages. The eyes of native speakers lighten up when they hear me speak their language, complimenting me on my skills. I have now access to culture and people in a way I never had before.

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Learning new languages is so weird because suddenly your brain recognizes new words and you start to think in that language and i just love that feeling of being able to listen to others and being able to understand them and it’s so weird when you don’t even actively notice that you are listening to another language anymore

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Russian palindromes

А Луна канула – And the Moon has sunk

Гене давал Слава денег – Slava used to give money to Gena

Зубрам и лосю солим арбуз – We marinate watermelon for the bisons and the elk

Буду жив, увижу дуб – If I live, I’ll see the oak

И киты – нытики – Even the whales are moaners

Велика, как и лев – She is big, as is the lion

И любит Сева вестибюли… – And Seva likes lobbies

Или сарказм закрасили? – Or have you painted over sarcasm?

Киборгу гробик – A small coffin for the cyborg

Коту скоро сорок суток – The cat will be 40 days old soon

Лето хотел – He wanted summer

Муза, ранясь шилом опыта, ты помолишься на разум – Muse, when you cut yourself with the awl of experience, you will pray to the mind

Мухи и их ум – Flies and their intellect

Нажал кабан на баклажан – The boar pressed on an eggplant

Не диван, а виден – It’s not a couch, but it is visible

Не долог год, а дог голоден – The year is not long, but the mastiff is hungry

Порист сироп – The syrup is spongy

Сенатор крота нес – The senator was carrying a mole

Тише, тарелка маклера тешит—Be quiet, a plate is amusing the broker

Торт с кофе - не фокстрот! – Cake with coffee is not foxtrot!

Удавы рвали лавры в аду – Boas tore laurel in hell

Утро во рту – A morning in the mouth

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