Russian language

[Quinault]

My husband and i have been thinking about what language to teach our kids as a second language. Lushootseed (my native language) is essentially dead and it is pretty complex to learn/teach outside the rez. My husband has always been interested in Russian, he taught himself a small amount when he was younger actually. We decided we want to learn Russian as a family. I was thinking about picking up some Russian lessons, some Russian cartoons (from this seller on ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Kino-Bazaar ) and work on it from there. But it is difficult to know exactly what these movies are about! In general we are pretty strict about movies out kids watch. I am OK with some magic, but that is something i take on a case by case basis-it deplends upon how they approach it. I am fine with magic in the LOTR sense around my kids. That is just pure fantasy, a fairy tale essentially.

In any case, can anyone suggest some good Russian language cartoons/movies that my kids would enjoy?

[stanley123]

My husband and i have been thinking about what language to teach our kids as a second language. Lushootseed (my native language) is essentially dead and it is pretty complex to learn/teach outside the rez. My husband has always been interested in Russian, he taught himself a small amount when he was younger actually. We decided we want to learn Russian as a family. I was thinking about picking up some Russian lessons, some Russian cartoons (from this seller on ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Kino-Bazaar ) and work on it from there. But it is difficult to know exactly what these movies are about! In general we are pretty strict about movies out kids watch. I am OK with some magic, but that is something i take on a case by case basis-it deplends upon how they approach it. I am fine with magic in the LOTR sense around my kids. That is just pure fantasy, a fairy tale essentially.

In any case, can anyone suggest some good Russian language cartoons/movies that my kids would enjoy?

Dersu Uzala is an excellent Russian language film which can be enjoyed by the whole family.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dersu_Uzala_(1975_film)

[Heorhij]

Quinault, I can recommend a cartoon series, titled "A Village Called Prostokvashino" ("Ceло Простоквашино"), based on a novel for children by Eduard Uspensky, a Moscow-based writer who was especially prolific in the 1980-s and 90-s. I am not sure how you can get it in the US, but you might try the all-powerful Netflix.

It's a wonderful cartoon for kids of various ages - from very young to adolescent. The plot, in short, is this: a very urban boy from a family of city intellectuals has a talking cat; this cat shares with his owner his nostalgia about living in a countryside, and persuades the boy to move to a village. They build a house in that village and live there, experiencing all marvels of the rural living (they even buy a cow and milk it, and at the end it turned out that the cow knew how to talk, too, just like the cat; she just did not bother because "what's there to talk about").

The characters in that cartoon series - the boy, his parents, the cat, other talking animals, the village mailman Pechkin, and other - are just terrific. You will laugh and laugh together with your kids.

[_Seraphim_]

This Russian animation is absolutely precious!... my wife and I watch it often.  It is very suitable for Orthodox children (and adults  ).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCsJZV7aCdY
(it has subtitles in English)

[Rosehip]

"Prostokvashino" is indeed charming! Another to which I am very partial is "Cheburashka". A most adorable little creature. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sICgWJ46_4E

Make sure the children learn "The Song of Cheburashka" (sung at birthdays), and that they get to meet Crocadile Genna! Totally adorable!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4LA5ui4VvU&feature=related

[ma2000]

I was raised with the Russian cortoons with the wolf and the rabbit. You can find some on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf_w2Rb20qw
The Rabbit doesn't win!!!

I recently saw some very interesting cartoons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tveZG41h1GA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdPw8dZx9I0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9VCt_EZBu8


And the most interesting, but not very appropriate for the kids, because they wouldn't understand much:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqSHyVVuy5g

[Heorhij]

Ma, that cartoon about the wolf and the rabbit that you mentioned ("Nu, pogodi!" - Rus. "Ну, погоди!" - "Just You Wait!") used to be one of my favorites when I was growing up, in the 1970's. The person who did the Wolf's voice was Anatoliy Papanov, a brilliant Russian comical actor.

[Heorhij]

Rosehip, I second your partiality to Cheburashka!

In addition to the song of Cheburashka, there was also a wonderful song of Gena the Crocodile in that cartoon, very philosophical, kind of "bittersweet," about his birthday:

"Пусть бeгут нeуклюжe пeшeходы по лужам, и вода по асфальту рeкой,
И нeясно прохожим в этот дeнь нeпогожий, почeму я вeсeлый такой..."

And also - maybe it was in the "Cheburashka," or was it in another cartoon? - there was also a great philosophical song about happiness:

"Голубой вагон бeжит, качаeтся,
Cкорый поeзд набираeт ход,
Ах, зачeм жe этот дeнь кончаeтся,
Лучe б он тянулся цeлый год!

Cкатeртью, скатeртью дальний путь стeлeтся,
И упираeтся прямо в нeбосклон...
Каждому, каждому в лучшee вeрится,
Катится, катится голубой вагон..."

[ma2000]

Nu, Zayats, pogodi!
Heorhij, I liked them too. We didn't have many cartoons. We only had one hour on Saturday afternoon on the national television and that was all.

[ma2000]

UIMITOARELE AVENTURI ALE MUSCHETARILOR (The Amazing Adventures of the Mouseketeers - Потрясающие Приключения Мышкетёров) was a cartoon made in Romania that got translated into Russian.

[msmirnov]

Almost all old Russian/Soviet cartoons are wonderful !

Here you can find them all !!! (almost)
Also as wonderful old Russian films !!!

http://multiki.arjlover.net/

[Heorhij]

^Mikhail, thank you so much! What a wonderful Web site.

I will be 51 this month, but I still love good cartoons just like I loved them whan I was 5-7-10-12... Some things never change.

[ialmisry]

^Mikhail, thank you so much! What a wonderful Web site.

I will be 51 this month, but I still love good cartoons just like I loved them whan I was 5-7-10-12... Some things never change.

I have to admit I feel the same way about the Warner Bros. Bugs bunny, which were old when I saw them.

[SolEX01]

My $0.01 worth.

There are more Greek derived words in English than in Russian although Russian follows from Old Church Slavonic invented by Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

Unless there are tons of Russians in the Pacific NW, Greek is a more "universal" language.  <Insert humble smiley here>

[ialmisry]

My $0.01 worth.

There are more Greek derived words in English than in Russian although Russian follows from Old Church Slavonic invented by Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

Unless there are tons of Russians in the Pacific NW, Greek is a more "universal" language.  <Insert humble smiley here>

I saw plenty of Russian when I was is San Francisco. And yes, I've been told there's more up the  coast, all the way up to, well, Russia.  How many Greeks are up in those parts?

If the concern was words in English, then why not just get out Webster's?  Btw, your point is less now that the Greeks have dumped Katharevousa.

[Νεκτάριος]

My $0.01 worth.

There are more Greek derived words in English than in Russian although Russian follows from Old Church Slavonic invented by Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

Unless there are tons of Russians in the Pacific NW, Greek is a more "universal" language.  <Insert humble smiley here>

I saw plenty of Russian when I was is San Francisco. And yes, I've been told there's more up the  coast, all the way up to, well, Russia.  How many Greeks are up in those parts?

It is especially useful in Alaska since you would be able to see Russia from your house there.  I know a few people that had steady work as interpreters in Seattle due to the number of Russian sailors. 

After English, I think it is a strong argument that Russian is the most important language on the Eurasian landmass.  There is still a large amount of publication in the language and it still remains an important lingua franca (and IME is NOT being replaced by English like many predicted it would be).  I've seen extensive signs in Russian and used it as far east as Ürümqi and interestingly enough found multiple shopkeepers in Istanbul who spoke Russian to me.  That's quite a geographical spread.  So I'd say that in general Russian is probably more useful to learn, but if you attend a Greek parish, want to be able to study patristic literature, liturgical texts etc, then Greek makes more sense. 

[yBeayf]

Lushootseed (my native language) is essentially dead and it is pretty complex to learn/teach outside the rez.

!

You're a native speaker? What dialect? How fluent are you? Have you ever been in contact with Coll Thrush?

As someone with a strong interest in minority languages, and watching too many of them dwindle away to nothing, I beg you, *please* teach your children as much as you can of it. Every language is a unique way of seeing the world, and worth saving, no matter how few people speak it, and when native speakers fail to pass on the language, even if later generations go back and learn it (as I have found with Manx), there's always quite a bit that is lost and never recovered.

[SolEX01]

I saw plenty of Russian when I was is San Francisco. And yes, I've been told there's more up the  coast, all the way up to, well, Russia.  How many Greeks are up in those parts?

The trains brought Greeks to the West Coast and Vancouver even if not in the same numbers as the Russians.  After 4-6 generations of intermarriage, the number of 100% ethnic Greeks on the West Coast is slightly more than the number of surviving WW I Veterans....

If the concern was words in English, then why not just get out Webster's?  Btw, your point is less now that the Greeks have dumped Katharevousa.

So are you saying modern Greek is on its way to becoming a dead language?  Maybe I should have suggested Arabic or Spanish?     If Quinault's TV service subscribes to Al-Jazeera Arabic edition, she and the children can learn how to read from right to left.   

[ialmisry]

I saw plenty of Russian when I was is San Francisco. And yes, I've been told there's more up the  coast, all the way up to, well, Russia.  How many Greeks are up in those parts?

The trains brought Greeks to the West Coast and Vancouver even if not in the same numbers as the Russians.  After 4-6 generations of intermarriage, the number of 100% ethnic Greeks on the West Coast is slightly more than the number of surviving WW I Veterans....

If the concern was words in English, then why not just get out Webster's?  Btw, your point is less now that the Greeks have dumped Katharevousa.

So are you saying modern Greek is on its way to becoming a dead language? 

I hope not (though I like the ancient).  Greece is WAY too Europeanized, and I don't mean in a good way.

The comment on Katharevousa was just stating a fact that many of the cognates went with it.

Maybe I should have suggested Arabic or Spanish?     If Quinault's TV service subscribes to Al-Jazeera Arabic edition, she and the children can learn how to read from right to left.   

As it was in the beginnning...

Well, they're supposed to be a half billion of us by mid century. Unlike the Greeks (and the Russians) we are reproducing.  Btw, the UAE is the place to be right now.

In the interests of self disclosure, those who don't know, I'm an Arabic teacher.

[Quinault]

Lushootseed (my native language) is essentially dead and it is pretty complex to learn/teach outside the rez.

!

You're a native speaker? What dialect? How fluent are you? Have you ever been in contact with Coll Thrush?

As someone with a strong interest in minority languages, and watching too many of them dwindle away to nothing, I beg you, *please* teach your children as much as you can of it. Every language is a unique way of seeing the world, and worth saving, no matter how few people speak it, and when native speakers fail to pass on the language, even if later generations go back and learn it (as I have found with Manx), there's always quite a bit that is lost and never recovered.

I don't know Coll Thrush. I am not a native speaker. I have picked it up on my own. I did work with Vi Hilbert a bit though.

[Quinault]

I would encounter many more Russian speakers than Greek ones here. There are ALOT of Russians in the NW. There is an Old Believers community right outside my home town actually.

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