Posted on March 31st, 2011

Don’t you think that social networks like Facebook and Twitter are addictive? Sometimes I wonder how we managed to live without them… Have you ever experienced logging onto Facebook to reply to your friend’s email and find yourself stuck there for hours, without getting anything done? I know I have…

If you are with me on this, you have been probably wondering if there is a Russian version of Facebook (Фейсбук [FEYS-book]) out there. The answer is yes, there is. Or rather, it’s the same version (for there is one and only one Facebook out there), but its interface is localized and translated for the Russian market. In other words, you can use Facebook in Russian language. Also, I will tell you about a few other popular social networks where Russians spend most of their time, without getting anything done…

Russian Facebook or Facebook in Russian

It’s not a secret that Facebook is popular all over the world, including Eastern Europe. The link to the official Russian version of Facebook is http://ru-ru.facebook.com/, but you don’t need to register all over again, it is the same Facebook only translated into Russian. If you already have a Facebook account, all you need to do is switch to Russian. If you do that, your Facebook interface will be displayed in Russian. Using Facebook in Russian could be a good exercise help you to improve your Russian language skills. The language switch is not permanent, and you can always switch back to your native language. To start using Facebook in Russian, click on the language link (if you are using Facebook in English, click on the word “English”) at the end of the page and pick “Русский”, click on it, and voilà: your Facebook is in Russian!

To make it easier for you to adjust to using Facebook in Russian, I put together a little Facebook vocabulary lesson.

Four main links located in the right top corner of the navigation bar:
Главная [GLAV-na-ya] home
Профиль [PRO-fil’] profile
Поиск друзей [PO-isk droo-ZYEY] find friends
Аккаунт [a-KA-oont] account

When you view someone’s profile, you see:
Отправить сообщение [at-PRA-vit’ sa-ab-SHYE-ni-ye] send message
Подмигнуть [pad-mig-NOOT’] poke
Стена [sti-NA] wall
Информация [in-far-MA-tsee-ya] info
Заметки [za-MYET-ki] notes
Друзья [drooz’-YA] friends

Links you’ll find on your profile:
Запись [ZA-pis’] post
Фотография [fa-ta-GRA-fi-ya] photo
Ссылка [SEEL-ka] link
Видео [VI-dio] video
Опубликовать [a-poo-bli-ka-VAT’] publish
О чём вы думаете? [a CHYOM VEE DOO-ma-i-tye] What’s on your mind?
Редактировать мой профиль [ri-dak-TI-ra-vat’ MOY PRO-fil’] edit my profile

You’ll encounter these words while communicating with your friends on Facebook:
Комментарий [ka-min-TA-riy] comment
Посмотреть все комментарии [pas-mat-RYET’ FSYE ka-min-TA-rii] view all comments
Прокомментировать [pra-ka-min-TI-ra-vat’] comment (verb)
Поделиться [pa-dye-LIT’ -sya] share
Мне нравиться [MNYE NRA-vit-sya] Like
Статус [STA-toos] status
Чат [CHAT] chat
Страница [stra-NI-tsa] page
Группа [GROO-pa] group

Links on News Feed:
Лента новостей [LYEN-ta na-vas-tyey] News Feed
Популярные новости [pa-poo-LYAR-nee-ye NO-vas-ti] Top News
Недавние обновления [ni-DAV-ni-ye ab-nav-LYE-ni-ya] Most Recent

Other Russian Social Networks

Ok, that was easy. Now you know how to use Facebook in Russian. Let’s talk about other popular Russian social networks.

One of the most popular Russian networks is www.vkontakte.ru, to join VKontakte in English use www.vk.com. In fact, if you google “Russian Facebook”, your top search result will be vkontakte.ru. According to Alexa, the site’s worldwide traffic rank is 41.  V kontakte in Russian is в контакте [f kan-TAK-tye] and can be translated as “in touch” or “in contact (with someone)”. The site is similar to Facebook. Here, you can post on your wall, share pictures, videos and music, and read your friends’ news on the News Feed.

Odnoklassniki.ru is the second most popular social network  in Russian speaking countries. Odnoklassniki is одноклассники [ad-nak-LAS-ni-ki] in Russian and it means “classmates”. This site has over 45 million registered users and its traffic worldwide is ranked 102 by Alexa. Odnoklassniki.ru was designed help people to reunite with their classmates and old friends. Odnoklassniki also has a news feed like Facebook (it’s in the top navigation bar and is called “лента” [LYEN-ta]), although it does not allow you to upload music or videos to your profile.

My World, Мой Мир [MOY MIR] is another popular Russian social network, you can find it at my.mail.ru. According to Wikipedia, Мой Мир has over 40 million registered users. Мой Мир allows you to share pictures, music, videos, and even write your own blog.

These are the most popular Russian social networks that I wanted to introduce you to.

Be careful not to spend hours on these networks! I know exactly how it works: First you find yourself laughing very hard at your classmate’s funny pictures.Then, of course, you can’t refrain from making funny comments under the pictures. Then you have to go ahead and join that group that your best friend is a member of, and you’ll spend at least an hour studying every post in it. Then, you just have to find your new colleague on Facebook and check out his cute picture. And because his picture was so cute, you have to go ahead and update your profile with a new picture, and you’ll spend at least 20 minutes going through your folder  looking for one. And then you notice a new video post in the News Feed and you just can’t  stop yourself from clicking on it, which, by the way, will be a big mistake, because later you’ll realize that it’s another poor marketing attempt. And finally, you’ll find yourself enjoying music videos on your old friend’s profile, while reminiscing about good times a few years back….

All right, we got carried away, let’s do some work..

This is all for today. I’d love to hear what you think about Russian social networking websites.
Do you use Russian social networks? If yes, which ones? What do you think about them so far? Do they help you learn Russian?
And, of course, don’t forget to subscribe to russian4real.com for more Russian4real lessons or join Russian4real on Facebook or Twitter for the word of the day and other fun stuff.

I’ll see you soon! Good luck learning Russian!

Viktoria.

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Comments

Садовник и сыновья

Л.Н. Толстой

Хотел садовник сыновей приучить к садовому делу. Когда он стал умирать, позвал их к себе и сказал:

– Дети, когда я умру, вы в виноградном саду поищите, что там спрятано.

Дети думали, что там клад, и, когда отец умер, стали рыть и всю землю перекопали. Клада не нашли, а землю в винограднике так хорошо перекопали, что стало плода родиться много больше. И они стали богаты.

Все бобры для своих бобрят добры.

Приблизительный перевод: All beavers are kind to their baby beavers.

Что посеешь, то и пожнешь.

As you sow, you shall mow.