Today we want to show you a Video of History of Russian Martial Arts. This Performance had place at XXIII International Festival of Martial Arts “Bercy 2008” in Paris. They fight like they dance!
For our readers who wants to know more:
The name of the team of fighters is “Kombat-Russe“, they live and train in Perm.
When we have raining in Moscow (Unbelievable! It’s raining in December!!!) some places in Russia have real winter. Russia Today tells us about one of such places: The coldest town on earth! Don’t be in hurry to wish be rather there: it’s -70C there now.
We have a very interesting documentary video in our collection. This video shows that thousands of Jews come to one little Ukrainian town Uman to celebrate there Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year). Yes I wanted to publish it tonight — but this documentary was in Russian so I found a better one in Hebrew! [Think that for most of our readers Hebrew is the same strange language as Russian but this video is interesting to watch because it shows us the festival from inside point of view!]
For our readers who wants to know more why all these Jews come to celebrate Rosh Hashana in Ukraine town Uman:
Uman is the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the Rebbe of the Breslov group of Hasidic Jews. Rabbi Nachman spent the end of his life in Uman, and specifically requested to be buried there. During Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year) there is a major pilgrimage by Breslov Hasidim and others to visit the grave in Uman; this has increased in recent years to the point where some 30,000 chassidim attend each year (mainly men). This practice dates back to 1811, the year after Rabbi Nachman was buried in Uman. The Rebbe told his hassidim, before he died, that they should join him for Rosh Hashana, and this is why the devout Breslov Hassidim still visit him every year for the Jewish new year.
The Holy Month of Ramadan is being celebrated by Muslims all over the world. 20 million Muslims of Russia joined the month of fasting and religious rituals as a way of making family ties stronger. For practicing Muslims, Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is intended to teach self-control and discipline:
We’d like to wish a belated Ramadan Mubarak (blessed Ramadan) to all our Muslim readers: May your Ramadan be full of joy and may God accept our sacrifice and our pure intentions. Many of us have experienced difficulties and pain in the last year. Let’s use this holy month to turn to our Creator and ask for mercy, forgiveness, guidance and tranquility. Remember that fasting is not just about hunger and thirst. It’s about re-dedicating yourself to Allah; trying to become an excellent person in every way; and remembering those less fortunate than us. It’s a spiritual recharge to carry us through the year.
The First of September is one of the nicest holidays in Russia “Knowledge Day”(День Знаний)! I think all Russians like this holiday day when the school year traditionally starts in Russia. Education always was a priority in Soviet Union and it’s still priority in contemporary Russia. Kids really like school and really miss school especially at the and of August! Grown and old people like this holiday too because they remember their happy days at school!
Today we will watch a couple small videos from Russian TV:
Feel the mood of the Holiday:
Education is a priority in Russia: Russian president Dmitry Medvedev came to a Krasnodar school and had a lesson of art with kids 🙂 :
Some facts of this school year:
This year 13 300 000 pupils go to school that is 400 000 less than last year cause of demographic hole.
To sell chips, soda, gum, and cookies with cream will be forbidden in school since this year – and we think that is a good idea.
In some schools they’ll try to have electronic journals where parents can find out grades of their kids through Internet.
Best wishes and we hope you remember the school years and smile – any case that is our youth!
Today we have one of the most important Orthodox Holidays: Saviour’s Transfiguration (Праздник Преображения Господня), popularly known in Russia as the Apples Feast (Яблочный спас/Yablochnyi Spas):
This important event in Christ’s life on earth occurred not long before His Crucifixion. In order to sustain His disciples’ faith when they would see Him suffering, the Lord first showed them His divine glory. Taking along three of His disciples – Peter, John and James, the Lord ascended a high mountain, called Mount Tabor, to pray. While Christ was praying, the disciples fell asleep from fatigue. When they awoke, they saw that Christ was transfigured: His face shone like the sun, while His garments had become radiant as light. Two prophets – Moses and Elias – appeared to Him in their heavenly glory and spoke with Him about His forthcoming suffering and death. Seeing all this, the disciples’ hearts were filled with extraordinary joy. When they saw that the prophets were about to withdraw from Christ, Peter, trying to hold them back, cried out: “Lord! It is good for us to be here; if You wish, we will make three tents here: one for You, one for Moses and one for Elias.”
Suddenly a bright cloud enveloped them and out of the cloud they heard the voice of God the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” In great fear the disciples fell to the ground.
Christ came and touched them, and said: “Arise and do not be afraid.” The disciples arose and saw Christ in His usual appearance. Through His glorious Transfiguration the Lord also showed us how mankind will appear in future life, in the Heavenly Kingdom, and how our entire world will then be transfigured.
In Russian folklore the feast of the Second Saviour is associated with the custom of eating apples and other fruits that had been blessed in church, and with the following events in nature:
Ripe apples are picked on this day and blessed in church.
The nights are becoming cold.
The cranes begin to fly away.
It is customary not to eat any fruits or vegetables before the Second Saviour, except cucumbers.
On the feast of the Second Saviour even a beggar will eat an apple.Read more about all Three Saviours here.
Today we watch two videos:
Blessing of First Fruits” for the year. Transfiguration
This is a very unique video: how they celebrate Saviour’s Transfiguration in the Church of Our Saviour’s Transfiguration. This video is full of light: in the nature and in the faces of kids (in Sunday’s Church School), in voices of pray and in the site of the Church what was raised from ruins! (This long video is in Russian but we hope it will be interesting for you!)
Best wishes and since we are allowed to eat apples now please don’t forget “An apple a day keeps doctor away!”
We get a lot of questions from English speaking people “How to say Happy Birthday in Russian?” So today we’ll answer. When someone has birthday Russians say “С Днём Рождения!“. And they pronounce it somehow like that “S dniom rajdenia!” Here are I tried my best:
And we don’t have a song “Happy Birtday to You!” but we have a “Crocodile Gena’s Song” from cartoon “Cheburashka and Crocodile Gena”:
For our readers who wants to know more about Crocodile Gena and his song:
The 50-year-old Gena works as a crocodile in a zoo. He plays the garmon and likes to sing. His two well-known songs are “Pust’ begut neuklyushe…” One rainy day, which happens to be his birthday, Gena sings the song “Пусть бегут неуклюже пешеходы по лужам…” (Let the pedestrians run clumsily over the puddles), which contains the line: “unfortunately, a birthday happens only once a year.” This song, written by Vladimir Shainsky, has since become known as “Crocodile Gena’s Song”. It continues to be extremely popular among Russophones of various ages and generations.
And we found a translation of the lyrics:
Пусть бегут неуклюже Пешеходы по лужам, А вода — по асфальту рекой. И неясно прохожим В этот день непогожий, Почему я веселый такой.
Я играю на гармошке У прохожих на виду… К сожаленью, день рожденья Только раз в году.
Прилетит вдруг волшебник В голубом вертолете И бесплатно покажет кино. С днем рожденья поздравит И, наверно, оставит Мне в подарок пятьсот «эскимо».
Я играю на гармошке У прохожих на виду… К сожаленью, день рожденья Только раз в году.
Let the pedestrians walk clumsily through the puddles And let the water run over the asphalt in a river. It’s unclear to the passersby, On this rainy day, Why I’m so happy.
But I’m playing the concertina For all the passersby to see. Unfortunately, Birthdays Only come once a year.
I wish that a wizard Would fly in, in a light blue helicopter, And show a movie for free. He would wish me a happy birthday And probably, leave as a present 500 ice cream sandwiches.
But I’m playing the concertina For all the passersby to see. Unfortunately, Birthdays Only come once a year.
For our readers who wants to know more about How to say Happy Birthday in different languages
We found the link for you where they write Happy Birthday in 161 different languages!
Ivana Kupala Day: (John the Baptist Day; Russian: Иван-Купала; Belarusian: Купалле; Ukrainian: Івана Купала; Polish: Noc Kupały or Noc Świętojańska) is celebrated in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine currently on 7 July in the Gregorian or New Style calendar, which is 24 June in the Julian or Old Style calendar still used by many of the Orthodox Churches. It is opposed to the winter solstice holiday, or Korochun. (Wikipedia)
So today we learned and watched something new… Hope it was intereseting for you!
