Product Description

Teach Yourself Russian Language, Life & Culture is a concise and lively overview of Russia: the country, its languages, its people, their way of life and culture and what makes them tick.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #571672 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-27
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Synopsis
What is the mysterious Russian soul? Where can you find palm trees in Russia? How much has Russia changed since the end of Communist rule? What do Russia's human 'walruses' do during the winter months? This book answers these questions, and many more, in a concise and lively overview of Russia: the country, its languages, its people, their way of life and culture and what makes them tick. If you are studying for examinations which require a knowledge of the background of Russia and its civilisation, or if you are learning the language, in, for example, an evening class and want to know more about the country and how it works, this is the book for you. If your job involves travel and business relations, it will provide valuable and practical information about the ways and customs of the people you are working with. Or if you simply have an interest in Russia for whatever reason, it will broaden your knowledge about the country and its inhabitants. The book is divided into three sections.

Chapters One and Two deal with the forces - historical, geographical, geological, demographical and linguistic - that have brought about the formation of the country we know as Russia and the language we know as Russian. Chapters Three to Seven deal with the wealth of creative aspects of Russian culture from the beginnings to the present day. These chapters take a look at the main areas or works of literature, art and architecture, music, traditions and festivals, science and technology, fashion, and food and drink, together with the people who have created and are still creating them. Chapters Eight to Twelve deal with aspects of contemporary Russian society and the practicalities of living in present-day Russia: the way the political structure of the country is organized, education, the health service, the workplace and how people spend their leisure time. Chapter Twelve looks at the country's relations with the wider world, and takes a glance at the future. Each chapter ends with a section entitled 'Taking it Further', where you will find useful addresses, websites, suggested places to visit and things to see and do.

Each chapter also contains a list of useful words and phrases which will help you to talk or write about the subject in question. The new edition takes into account any developments in Russian culture and society which have occurred since first publication.

About the Author
Stephen Webber comes from Glastonbury, England, and is a Lecturer in Russian Studies at the University of Birmingham. Tatyana Webber was born and educated in Yaroslavl', Russia, and moved to England in 1990. She teaches Russian at the City Technology College in Birmingham.

Customer Reviews

A reader from Kazan, Russia
As a Russian studying in the UK, I am often asked a lot of questions about Russia by my British and iternational friends. Very often I did not have the answers! So, I was actually looking for a suitable source on Russia. This excellent book is the best of this kind - it manages to compress a great deal of information and insights about all aspects of Russian life into just some 250 pages. It is refreshingly free of the usual stereotypes about Russia, but is still realistic. So, for a taste of what Russia is, I can certainly recommend this book.