Russian is an Indo-European language, giving it a shared heritage with the Germanic, Romance, Persian, and Hindi branches. Its closest relatives, however, are the other Slavic languages, such as Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, and Bulgarian. Russian evolved from East Slavic, the language of Kievan Rus, the predecessor of Russia. Ironically centered around Kyiv, the capital of…
Tag: Russia
(Not So) Fun Fact: Isaac Asimov’s Double Pneumonia
When he was young in Russia, Isaac Asimov caught double pneumonia with many other local kids with himself being the sole survivor.
Fun Fact: Isaac Asimov’s Birthplace and Early Life
American writer Isaac Asimov was actually born in Russia to Jewish parents that spoke Yiddish. He didn’t know his true birthday so he made it January 2nd. He never learned Russian but his parents used it as a secret language to his ears.
(Not So) Fun Fact: Belarus’ Partnership With Putin’s Russia
While Belarus and Russia are technically independent countries, in 2000 they signed a agreement called the Union State which creates a very close partnership between the two nations.
(Not So) Fun Fact: Stalin’s Brutal Threat To Soviet POWs
The Soviet Union declared that any Russian soldier that surrendered during World War II would receive the death penalty. But even under Joseph Stalin, most of these cases saw the POWs avoid any real legal punishment and they reintegrated back into society. But almost all of them were deprived of a veteran status.