Thread: Favourite place in Moscow and St. Peterburg

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by MikeM

Originally Posted by TATY

Maybe Политех - Polytech(nic).

That's right, it is short for Polytechnic Institute (or probably now a University).

Ah,ok...the lack of the "k" there threw me.

Easily thrown then. What else could an h in Russian be?

I didn't know that it was necessarily Russian. Foreign names/words are routinely used in Russia. There's a place called "Quo Vadis" there for Pete's sake.

But since it is Russia, it is highly likely it is Russian.

Originally Posted by TATY

But since it is Russia, it is highly likely it is Russian.

Tell you what: the day бизнес-ланч dies a slow, horrible death, I'll start thinking of everything in Russia as almost exclusively Russian.

Politeh - Tiis is short "Saint-Peterburg State Polytechnical University" for me

I was only in Moscow for a few days, but I guess I had two favorite places:

The first is an art museum. Now before you laugh because I don't know the name, maybe somebody could help me out. It's basically the one that has just about every famous piece of Russian-made art in it. Things like "The Great Schism" with that Boyaress being dragged through the snow, and the huge piece where theres a bunch of people looking at Jesus.

My next favorite place is an internet cafe called Собака in the underground mall right next to Red Square. Pretty swank place - you can order drinks and food directly from the computers, and get like 5 liters of Stari Melnik at once

tdk

"Boyarinia Morozova" (by Surikov) and "The Apparition of Christ to the People"(?) (by Ivanov) are held in Tretjakovskaya Gallery - Государственная Третьяковская Галерея

My funniest memory of Государственная Третьяковская Галерея was that there was some non-Russian speaking woman from Texas who insisted that the non-English speaking sales clerk accept dollars for payment. They kept arguing, in their respective languages, until the Texan decided it would be a good idea to just walk away with the postcards she was going to buy. That went over well...it ended with her slamming down the cards and the Russian very pissed off generally...

But you're right; there is some incredible artwork there -- I still slightly prefer the Госсударственный Русский Музей in Spb.

Leof, thanks for the help!

I know this is a bit off-topic, but I think Americans in Russia are just funny in general. For some reason, a lot of church-groups and missionaries like to go there - even if they don't speak Russian. I remember that after living in Saratov for a couple of months, it got really easy to spot an American. It was always priceless to say to them as you were walking by "Hey, whats up man?" in a perfect american accent and look at their expression :P

tdk

hehe

I know this is a bit off-topic, but I think Americans in Russia are just funny in general.

American tourists are funny pretty much anywhere.

Originally Posted by basurero

I know this is a bit off-topic, but I think Americans in Russia are just funny in general.

American tourists are funny pretty much anywhere.

I love the one's here in London, mispronouncing all the names of places.

The H in the -ham suffixes is SILENT!!!!

Originally Posted by Chuvak

Politeh - Tiis is short "Saint-Peterburg State Polytechnical University" for me

Well, that is where you hang out to have fun?

Who said anything about Americans -- I was talking about Texans. (hoping there are no Texans in this forum...)

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by basurero

I know this is a bit off-topic, but I think Americans in Russia are just funny in general.

American tourists are funny pretty much anywhere.

I love the one's here in London, mispronouncing all the names of places.

The H in the -ham suffixes is SILENT!!!!

Well, most Americans don't bother learning the language of any other country they visit, so why should England be an exception?

Right, because all visitors to the US can instantly pronounce every city name correctly. If you're going to bitch at something worthwhile, then fine, but if all you're going to do is bitch and groan because you don't like someone's pronunciation of "Birmingham," then you're just being a douche. And FYI, here it IS NOT a silent "h." See Birmingham, AL.

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Right, because all visitors to the US can instantly pronounce every city name correctly. If you're going to bitch at something worthwhile, then fine, but if all you're going to do is bitch and groan because you don't like someone's pronunciation of "Birmingham," then you're just being a douche. And FYI, here it IS NOT a silent "h." See Birmingham, AL.

Birmingham Alabama, named after Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK, pronounced with a silent H.

eh, say what you want about american tourists, but there are loads of japanese, german, israeli, you name x country etc tourists running around every country in the world. Singling out tourists by nationality is stupid, and why should tourists have to learn every aspect of a certain country to begin with? It is not like they are colonizing (arguable if you want) your country, emigrating there, or taking your jobs. On the other hand they are bringing money into your country and gladly spending it there. The fact that they are there shows that they have some interest in the area as well, and of course there is the negative side of this (bride chasers for example), but it is better than billy bob who stays in his town all of his life.
So next time you think of some tourists crowding up your city square and "ruining" it for you, just remember that you are also hanging out on a message board for learning a foreign language and going to a foreign country, and no matter what you do whether work or study there, how well you speak russian, study the area's history, and try to fit in, you are not a native of this area, placing you in the same category as the idiot in the fanny pack wearing the hawaiian shirt or the guy clicking off photos nonstop.

3 points:
-Birmingham with a "g" prounounced
-Agree in principle with Drew
-Feel a flamewar coming...

Originally Posted by TATY

Birmingham Alabama, named after Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK, pronounced with a silent H.

We kicked your @$$ in the Revolutionary War and we saved your @$$ in WWII (with some help from our friends the Soviets) so you better leave us the hell alone before we start calling you wankers and making you pronounce your H's. It's HUGH with an H.

I can feel the love on this forum, it is so warm and fuzzy...

Back on topic...

My fave place is SPB is the Park Pobedy, no doubt. Just across my dear Kuznecovskaya no.50, where I used to live. I still remember walking there as a kid together with my great-grandma and my grandpa. Pity they replaced the beautiful ice-skating rink with a go-kart track. Ah, memories...