How the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack fought against Russia

On December 7, 1941, the people of the United States experienced a severe shock – Japanese aircraft dealt a powerful blow to their Pacific Fleet at the Pearl Harbor naval base in the Hawaiian archipelago.

For Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the author of this devastating attack, dealing painful blows to great powers was nothing new. During the Russo-Japanese War, Yamamoto served on the ‘Nissin’ armored cruiser and took part in the defeat of the Russian squadron in the ‘Battle of Tsushima’ on May 27-28, 1905.

During the battle, the ‘Nissin’ was hit 11 times and the future admiral also got his share: “With a deafening roar, the shell crashed into the remaining 8-inch bow gun… Poisonous smoke enveloped the bow of the ship and I was almost blown away by the force of the violent explosion. I hobbled a few steps – and then discovered that… two fingers of my left hand had been torn off and were hanging by just skin.”

Isoroku was incredibly lucky. If he had lost another finger in addition to his middle and index fingers, he would have been immediately dismissed from the armed forces.

In the end, the injuries did not prevent Yamamoto from making a successful military career in the navy and the Russo-Japanese War became good combat training for him.

Credit: Public Domain

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Check out this woolly Russian babushka ‘angel’ 👼

Video by: @cottonolki

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Salekhard in 3 Russian words

Salekhard is the only city in the world located on the Arctic Circle. Here are three of its main symbols.

1⃣ СТЕЛА «66-Я ПАРАЛЛЕЛЬ» (Stela ‘66th parallel’)

This monument was installed in honor of Salekhard’s unique location on the Arctic Circle. In the evening, the stela is illuminated with multi-colored lights, reminiscent of the Northern Lights.

2⃣ ОБДОРСКИЙ ОСТРОГ (Obdorsky Ostrog)

The Obdorsky Ostrog (fortress) was founded in 1595. It was one of the first in Siberia and marked the beginning of Salekhard. In the early 19th century, the fort was deemed unnecessary and demolished, but was rebuilt in 1992.

3⃣ МАМОНТ «МИТЯ» (Mammoth ‘Mitya’)

In prehistoric times, mammoths lived on the site of Salekhard. Nowadays, a sculpture of one of these giants has been installed there. At night, ‘Mitya’ has” glowing tusks and, on New Year’s Eve, he is dressed in a giant Father Frost costume.

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Teriberka, Russia's northern winter wonderland

Video by: @andrewbazanov_photo

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Why was Joseph Brodsky awarded the Nobel Prize for literature?

In this photo, the then 47-year-old emigre poet is literally glowing: a dream has come true! On December 10, 1987, he was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Stockholm.

“For an all-embracing authorship, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity,” the Nobel Prize committee explained its choice.
Brodsky, indeed, had created a new poetic language, liberating it from any kinds of formalization or frames – the vocabulary and the syntax of the poet were not restrained by anything.

In his homeland, Brodsky was bullied, forced to undergo psychiatric treatment and prosecuted for “parasitism”. His poems were banned from publication and’ in 1972’ he left the USSR for the United States.
Overseas, he became better known as an essayist, publishing in English in magazines. Brodsky also lectured at American universities.

Many critics believe that, like most Russian authors, Brodsky was awarded the Nobel Prize only because he was a political exile. Nevertheless, even in emigration, Brodsky himself tried to avoid the image of a victim of the regime and was very apolitical.
In Russia, he was recognized only after his death in 1996. He was dubbed by many as “the last great Russian poet” and even “the Pushkin of our time”.

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Question time!

What can you see/do/experience only in Russia?
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Artist Lyusya Chuvilyaeva paints cats right on porcelain. With St. Petersburg views!

Video by: @moozoriki

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Panda cub Katyusha snatches tasty treat from her mother at the Moscow Zoo

Video by: Svetlana Akulova @svetlanaakulova1 / Ruptly

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How many Russian words starting with 'Т' do you know?

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What is the meaning of the expression “to show you where the crayfish are wintering”?

Nothing good can be expected if someone threatens: “Я тебе покажу, где раки зимуют!” (“Ya tebe pokazhu gde raki zimuyut”) or “I'll show you where the crayfish are wintering!” It means that a person wants to punish their opponent or teach them a lesson for something.

First, we need to figure out where these creatures live. And, second, why does this phrase sound so threatening? Crayfish live in freshwater bodies: with the onset of cold weather, they dig holes for themselves. Finding their “houses” hidden under snags is very difficult. It used to be believed that crayfish caught from September to April were especially tasty. They had to be caught in icy water! A dubious pleasure: a luxurious dinner with delicacies on the table for the master and hypothermia and illness for the servant. So, the order to go in search of “where the crayfish are wintering” implied a very severe punishment.

Over time, this expression had a figurative meaning. No one is forced to catch crayfish anymore, but the phrase is still used as a threat.
An English equivalent would be: “To give someone hell.”

Credit: Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Legion Media; Svetlana Krayushkina/Getty Images)

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