Lexicon

Please note that, generally speaking, diacritical marks in Russian only appear in dictionaries and children’s books (‘й’ is actually an individual letter), and the letters ‘Е’ and ‘Ё’, while they are individual letters, are usually not distinguished in writing.

You will, if you are a native Russian speaker, notice anomalies in how the characters use Russian and in how they address each other. This is somewhat intentional, as the oldest characters emigrated from Russia around the time of the Russian Revolution, some via Paris, some via Alaska, and some others directly. You’ll see archaic word usage and flat-out ‘wrong’ usages because they have been living in an American context for sixty years, or more.

Also, please note, as with all cursing in any language, context is everything, and there are regional and other variations. Be VERY careful if you try to use these, especially some of the coarser ones. Said at the wrong time to the wrong person, they could put your life in danger!

Words

«аппаратчики» (apparatchiki) - “low-level bureaucrats”
«бабушка» (babushka) - [an] older lady (Lit ‘Grandmother’)
«бабушки» (babushki) - [the] older ladies (Lit. ‘Grandmothers’)
«балалайка» (balalaika) - A three-stringed musical instrument
«Беспредел» - (bespredel) - “Outrageous!”
«блядь» (blyad) - “fuck” or “damn” (as an epithet)
«Большое спасибо» (bolshoye spasibo) - “many thanks”
«вервица» (vervytsa) - “Prayer rope” (Lit. horsetail)
«Гадкий» (gadkiy) - despicable
«глупец» (glupys) - “blockhead”
«глупый» (glupyy) - “stupid”
«Говно» (gavno) - “shit”
«говнюк» (govnyuk) - “shithead”
«Да, отец» (da, otets) - “Yes, father”
«дедушка» (dedushka) - “Grandfather” or “Grandpa”
«Дерьмо» (dermo) - “damn!” (also ‘shit’, but not as emphatic as «Говно»; also ‘BS’)
«Домострой» (Domostroi) - “A set of household rules, instructions and advice pertaining to various religious, social, domestic, and family matters of the Russian society.” (Lit. ‘Domestic Order’)
«дурня» (durnya) - “goofball”
«ерунда» (yerunda) - “nonsense” (as in ‘BS’)
«зайка» (zajka) - “bunny” or “honey bunny”
«зайчик» (zajchik) - “bunny” or “honey bunny”
«комиссары» (komissary) - “Commissars”
«котёнок» (katyonak) - “kitten” or “pussy cat”
«котик» (kotik) - “kitten”
«культурный» (kulturny) - “couth” or “civilized” (lit. ‘cultured’)
«мудак» (mudak) - “asshole”
«мудаки» (mudaki)- “assholes”
«навоз» (navoz) - “manure”
«Наполеон» (Napoleon) - The emperor’s name, as well as a type of cake.
«напуганная кошка» (napugannaya koshka) - “scaredy cat”
«некультурный» (nekulturny) - “rude” or “uncouth” (Lit. ‘uncultured’)
«панихида» (panikhída) - a memorial service for the departed
«пастила» (Pastila) - small squares of pressed fruit paste; sour apples; honey; egg whites
«пельмени» (Pelmeni) - dumplings w/ beef, lamb, and pork
«пидораси» (pidarasi) - “faggots”
«пизда» (pizda) - “pussy”
«пожалуйста» (pozhaluysta) - “you’re welcome” or “please”, depending on context
«политбюро» (politbyuro) - “Politburo” (the de facto governing body of the USSR)
«половой член» (polovoj chlen) - “male sexual organ” (can be polite or rude)
«придурок» (pridurok) - “moron”
«Проклятье» (proklyatye) - “darn” (as in the polite version of ‘damn’)
«свидетелей» (svideteley) - “witnesses”
«спасибо» (spasibo) - “thank you”
«стáрец» (staretz) - “elder”
«старцы» (startzy) - “elders”
«стукач» (stukach) - “stool pigeon” or “snitch”
«сука» (suka) - “bitch” (but could also mean ‘slut’)
«Ты паршивец» (Ty parshivets) - “You brat!”
«ублюдок» (ublyudok) - “bastard”
«Удивлены» - (Udivleny) - “Surprised”
«ѹставъ» (ustav) - book of directives and rubrics that establishes in the Orthodox Christian Church the order of divine services for each day of the year.
«херня» (khernya) - “nonsense”
«Часocлoв» - (Chas Clov) - “Horologion” (Lit. ‘Book of the Hours’)
«шлюха» (shlyukha) - “harlot” (as in a loose woman, not necessarily a prostitute)
«щи» (Shchi) - cabbage soup
«яйца» (yaytsa) - “balls” (as in testicles; Lit. eggs)

Phrases/Sayings/Aphorisms

Chapter 1 »