Gofredo, Ramil R.

May 20, 2017

Asian and Filipino Literatures

North Asia

CountryCapital
KazakhstanAstanaKyrgyzstanBishkekTajikistanDushanbeTurkmenistanAshgabatUzbekistanTash
kent
Its the largest landlocked country in the world, with Russian to its North, China to the West,
Uzbekistan down South and the Caspian Sea on its Western Border.
Kazakhstan is landlocked, but it has a naval force, which is based on the similarly landlocked
Caspian Sea.
Most of the country is extremely flat and barren. This is the famous steppe (semi-arid and
generally without trees, this area is extremely hot in summer and very cold in winter).
The country is nominally Muslim, but there are few outward signs of this. Mosques are not
frequently seen or heard. The many years of Soviet rule, when religion was downplayed, have
diluted its importance in the country as a whole.
Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country by size in the world. Its a huge place with a very small
population of only 16 million people.
Kazakhstan is home to the Baikonur Cosmodome, the worlds first and largest space launch
facility. It is leased by the Russians until 2050.
The New Year for Kazakhs is called Nauryz, and it is celebrated on the 22nd of March.
The largest water body inside the bounds of the country is Lake Balkhash, which is one of the
biggest lakes of the world. The lake has a unique quality about it. One half of the water remains
saline, whereas the other half of the lake has fresh water.
KAZAKHSTAN COOL, FUNNY AND FUN FACTS
The name of the major city and the former capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty, mean a place full of
apples.
Almaty has a brand-new Metro System all individually decorated and designed. Very fancy for a
subway! It was about 50 cents per ride for adults (all destinations are the same price).
Virtually nothing is written in English and very few people speak the language. If you dont
speak Russian, at least come with a phrasebook to help you get around.
Often times pipes for water and gas are above ground! This makes it easier to repair them if
needed.
Apples are reputedly to originate from Kazakhstan and there are still wild apple forests in the
country.
The Lake Balkhash, which is one of the biggest lakes of the World has a unique quality about it.
One half of the water remains saline, whereas the other half of the lake has fresh water.
After the formation of former USSR the path of two rivers, Ama Dariya and the Syrdariya, which
were the main source of water for the sea, was diverted.
Interestingly, it is believed that Kazakhstan was the place where the horses were first tamed to
ride. It is also said that Kazakh means a free rider.
One of the popular monuments in Kazakhstan is the Issyk burial mound, located in Almaty. It is
the burial place for a young Scythian, interestingly known as the Golden Man because the
clothes the corpse was wearing was covered with a number of plates of gold.
KAZAKHSTAN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL FACTS

Kazakhstan was part of the former USSR and has been independent since 1991. It is an
authoritarian regime with the same man at the helm since that.
The early residents of the country, who were the antecedents of the current day Kazakhs, were
farmers and relied on agriculture and animal husbandry.
It is believed that it is in Kazakhstan where man first rode a horse, thousands of years ago.
Kazakhstan was amongst the first Central Asian countries, outside Turkmenistan, to breed the
Akhal-Teke horse, in 1930.
Turkestan, the historical center of Kazakhstans culture, was founded over fifteen centuries ago.
The 420-meter (1377.95 feet) high chimney-stalk Ekibastuz GRES-2 is the highest chimney-
stalk in the world, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The thermal power plant
EGRES-2 could be included in the book as the most powerful in the world, but at that moment it
was left unfinished.
In 2010, Kazakhstan was on the 14th place in the ranking of the top 100 countries in terms of
education. In the 2011 UNESCO EFA Development Index, Kazakhstan ranked #4 in the world in
terms of education behind Japan, the UK, and Norway and has remained in the top 10.
55 Interesting Facts about Kazakhstan
Kazakh literature, the body of literature, both oral and written, produced in the Kazakh
language by the Kazakh people of Central Asia.
The Kazakh professional bard once preserved a large repertoire of centuries-old poetry. In the
mid-19th century, for example, a bard might recite a number of works attributed to such 16th-
and 17th-century bards as Er Shoban and even to such 15th-century bards as Shalkiz and Asan
Qaygh. These works have no independent documentation, but they differ significantly in style
from the poetry of the 19th century and therefore may include some features of early Kazakh
poetry. In addition, some of the bards of earlier centuriessuch as Dosmombet Zhraw, who is
reputed to have visited Constantinople (Istanbul) in the 16th centurywere apparently literate.
When Kazakh poetry began to be written down in the second half of the 19th century, these
workswhich included didactic termes, elegiac tolgaws, and epiczhrswere rarely anonymous
but instead were closely identified with the bards of the recent or more distant past who had
composed them, although the circumstances of their creation remain obscure. Among the classic
Kazakh epics known from the 19th century are Er Targhn and Alpams.
By the 17th century, if not before, there had emerged two types of professional bards:
the zhraw and the aqn. These were primarilythough not exclusivelymale professions.
The zhraw performed both the epic zhr and the didactic tolgaw and terme. Prior to the later 18th
century, when Kazakhs began to lose their political autonomy, zhraws were sometimes advisers
to sultans and khans, which granted them high social status. The aqn was an oral poet who
competed with other aqns, usually of different clans, at weddings or other celebrations; these
competitions centred on improvised songs (also calledtermes). While the zhr was the province
of the zhraw, the improvised song had stylistic variants that could be performed by either
professional. Songs that praised a host, poetry, or a musical instrument, for example, were
performed by both zhraws and aqns.
SIMILAR TOPICS
texture
Marathi literature
Tamil literature
Latin literature
Tibetan literature
Western literature
testament
Latin American literature
Swahili literature
local colour
Among the earliest Kazakh bards whose historical existence has been established is Buqar
Zhraw, an adviser to Ablay Khan, an 18th-century ruler of the Middle Horde. Other bards of the
18th and early 19th centuries are Shal Qulekeuwl and Ktesh Raymbekuwl. During the 19th
century several powerful bards, including Makhambet Istemisov and Shortanbay Qanauwl,
chose as their theme the diminution of the Kazakh way of life under increasing Russian pressure.
Among the western Kazakhs of the Little Horde, this oral literary development reached its
culmination in the second half of the 19th century and in the early 20th century in the works
of Bazar Zhraw, who combined the didacticism of the zhrawwith the quick wit of the
improvising aqn. Bazars poetry frequently treats such issues as the types of behaviour that are
appropriate to different stages of life; the responsibilities of different social classes; the
opposition of heroism and cowardice, of contentment and greed, and of wisely employed speech
and idle boasting; the consequences of success and failure; and the nature of literary language,
aperennial Kazakh theme. Bazars long-lived contemporary Zhambul Zhalayevwho died in
1945, nearly a century after his birthbrought the oral aqn style into the Soviet era.
Kazakh oral poetry of the 19th century displays breadth and diversity unmatched by any other
Turkicoral literature. The Kazakh literary concept of humanity is founded upon a complex
interdependency of the natural and the human realms that is expressed through
numerous metaphors dealing with animal life and the forces of nature. A didactic element is
important in these works, but its basis is essentially human; religious models may appear, but
they are one model among others and do not claim the absolute priority that they do in the
literatures of other Muslim Turkic peoples.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Read Between the Lines

In the middle of the 19th century, by which time the Russian conquest ofKazakhstan had largely
been completed, two new factors began to influence Kazakh literature: members of the
tribal aristocracy began to collect Kazakh folklore and oral literature, and, under the influence of
the West, the first Kazakh written literature began to emerge. Chokan Valikanov, Ibray
Altnsarn, and Abay Qunanbaev (Abay Ibrahim Kunanbay-ul)all of whom were writing
during the mid- and late 19th centurymark the beginning of a new and essentially modern self-
consciousness among the Kazakh intelligentsia. Valikanov was the first Kazakh to receive a full
Russian education, and he was befriended by the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. A
descendant of high-ranking Kazakh nobility, Valikanov also intensively researched Kazakh
antiquities and opposed the penetration of Kazakhstan by orthodox Islam via the Russian Tatars.
The poetry of Abay marks the beginning of modern Kazakh literature. Abay was an aristocrat
rather than a professional poet, and he learned Russian, Chagatai, and Persian. Early in his life he
rejected Islamic civilization as a model for the Kazakhs; he instead urged them to blend their
native literary traditions with Russian culture. In his poetic work, he combined
Kazakh aqn verse with Russian models, especially the poetry of Aleksandr Sergeyevich
Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov. He translated Pushkins poetry into Kazakh
and integrated some of these translations into a musical performancestyle called enshi, which
was more lyrical than that of the aqn or the zhraw. Abay thus set Kazakh poetry in a new
direction that proved very influential during the 20th century.
BRITANNICA STORIES

After 1905, restrictions that had earlier been imposed by Russia on the publication of works in
the Kazakh language were eased. Kazakh-language newspapers such as Ayqap, Alash,
and Qazaq, each with a different cultural and political orientation, soon emerged. The generation
of Kazakh writers active at that time, including Omar Qarashuwl and Ahmed Bay Tursunov
(Aqmet Baytrsyn-ul), were chiefly engaged in pedagogic and political activities. The poet
Turmaghanbet Iztileyov was executed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1939 for his translations
of Persian classical literature into Kazakh.
The outstanding figure of Kazakh literature during the Soviet era was Mukhtar Auez-
ul (Auezov). A graduate of universities in Russia and Uzbekistan, he became a successful
scholar, publishing editions of Kazakh epic texts. He began writing fiction while still a student.
By the 1920s he had begun to study Abay, who had been a major cultural influence on his own
family. This study led to the historical novelAba (194547; Eng. trans. Abai). Epic in scope, it
depicts the social environment from which Abay emerged. It is both a moving narrative and a
unique document of Kazakh life during the period of the Russian conquest and thereafter, when
the Kazakh people were faced with fundamental economic and cultural choices for which their
traditional culture had not prepared them.

By Jill Bartholomew, Junior Writer

Published January 29, 2017
Stan is an ancient Persian word meaning land or nation, and Kazakh means wanderer,
adventurer, or outlaw. Therefore, the name Kazakhstan translates as Land of the
Wanderers.[15]
Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country by area in the world, but it has one of the lowest population
densities at 6 people per square mile.[4]
The people who live in Kazakhstan represent more than 120 nationalities.[4]
Ancient Kazakhs were the first people in the world to domesticate and ride horses.[15]
Horsemeat is so essential to Kazakh cuisine that the Kazakh athletes begged the International
Olympic Committee to be able to bring it to the 2012 Games in London.[5]
Prostitution is semi-legal in Kazakhstan.[11]

The traditional Kazakh dwelling is called a yurta, which comes from the Kazakh word meaning
community, people, or family
The traditional nomad home of the Kazakhs is known as a yurta. It is comprised of a collapsible
tent, with a wooden frame, covered in felt. Its name comes from the Kazakh word meaning
community, people, or family.[15]
When a Kazakh shooter won the gold medal at a 2012 international sporting competition in
Kuwait, the organizers mistakenly played the theme music for the film Borat instead of the
Kazakh national anthem. In the film, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen plays fictional
Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev.[7]
Kazakh men do not normally shake a womans hand in mixed company. Upon entering a room,
they usually use both hands to shake hands with every other man in the room.[5]
Kazakhs believe that whistling a song inside a building will make you poor for the rest of your
life.[5]
In 1989, agriculture production fell so low in Kazakhstan that the agricultural secretary of
Kazakhstan proposed they fill meat quotas by killing millions of migrating wild ducks.[5]
Kazakhs officially celebrate three New Year holidays. January 1st is celebrated by the Gregorian
calendar, Nauryz is celebrated on March 22 as the spring equinox, and January 14th is celebrated
from Soviet times and is called the Old New Year.[2]
Kazakhstan is the worlds largest landlocked country but it still has a navy, which is based on the
similarly landlocked Caspian Sea.[9]
There are 27,000 ancient monuments throughout Kazakhstan, including the Golden Man, a
Scythian warrior clad in gold armor, which is also Kazakhstans most important archaeological
find. The Golden Man may very well have been a woman.[13]
Archaeological excavations conducted in Kazakhstan suggest it is the homeland of the Amazons,
the brave tribe of female warriors. Historians have found evidence that Scythian women of the
7th to 3rd centuries B.C. did fight as warriors.[15]

Archaeological excavations in Kazakhstan have found evidence to suggest it may be the

homeland of the Amazons, or Scythian women who fought as warriors in the 7th to 3rd centuries
B.C.
Kazakhs often serve different cuts of meat to guests as symbolism: the tongue is served to
someone who should be more eloquent, and children get the ears to help them listen better.[6]
Out of the 110 elements from Mendeleevs table of chemical elements, 99 have been detected in
Kazakhstan.[12]
Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan is one of the largest lakes in the world. One part of the lake
contains fresh water, and the other is made up of salt water.[6]
Kazakhstan has the main launch site for Soviet and Russian space exploration, the Baikonur
Cosmodrome. It is the worlds oldest and largest operating space launch facility. Sputnik, the
worlds first orbiting satellite, was launched from there in 1957, and the first manned spaceflight
with Yuri Gagarin took off into space from there in 1961. There is actually a separate town called
Baikonur a few hundred kilometers away from the Russian space center. The Soviets gave the
center the same name to cause confusion and help protect its location.[9]
Kazakhstan is home to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the worlds oldest and largest operating space
launch facility
Following the end of the U.S.A.s space shuttle program in 2010, Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan is the worlds only launch site for human space flight, except for Chinas Jiuquan
Space Launch Center.[5]
Kazakhstan became the first former Soviet republic to repay all of its debt to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2000, 7 years before it was due.[13]
Kazakhstan is located in both Europe and Asia. The Ural River, which forms the traditional
boundary between these continents, cuts through Kazakhstan in the west.[15]
The highest point in Kazakhstan is Khan Tengri of the Tian Shan mountain range. At 23,000 feet
(7010 m), it is also the worlds most northern 7000-m peak. The lowest point in Kazakhstan is
the bottom of the Karagiye Depression at 433 feet (132 m) below sea level. Located east of the
Caspian Sea, it is one of the lowest elevations on Earth.[4]
One popular Kazakh game is called kokpar, literally grabbing the dead goat. It is a precursor to
polo, where riders on horseback try to control a ball, which is the headless carcass of a goat or
sheep.[2]
Kazakhstans Tengiz oil field is one of the largest in the world at 12 miles (19 km) wide and 13
miles (21 km) long, covering 970 square miles (2,500 sq km). It is also one of the largest
discoveries in recent history and helps make oil the countrys number one export.[9]
Independent from the Soviet Union since 1991, Kazakhstan has had just one president, Nursultan
Nazarbayev.[8]
Many native Kazakhs may descend from Mongol leader Genghis Khan, who in 1206 set about
creating the largest, continuous land empire in the history of the world. Through his second son
Chagatai, Genghis Khan conquered Kazakhstan in the early 1200s.[15]
Kazakhstans national dish is beshbarmak, which literally means five fingers because it is
traditionally eaten using all five fingers. It is usually served in a large dish placed in the center of
a table and involves large chunks of boiled horse meat or mutton, layered over noodles boiled in
a broth called sorpa, and then topped with onions, garlic, parsley, and fennel.[2]
Apple trees originated in the mountains of Central Asia. Scientists believe that the first apple
trees grew around Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan, as far back as 20 million years ago.
The name Almaty means a place of apples. Many wild apple trees still grow in parts of
Kazakhstan.[9]

Scientists believe that the first apple trees grew in Kazakhstan as far back as 20 million years ago
The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world at 143,250 square miles
(371,000 sq km) and it borders Kazakhstan on the west. It is rich in sturgeon, a fish prized for its
worlds famous caviar.[15]
Kazakh and American women both got the right to vote on August 26, 1920.[10]
A controversial Kazakh wedding tradition that still happens occasionally is alyp qashu, or bride-
napping. The groom-to-be hires friends or relatives to bring the bride, with or without her
consent, to his female relatives, where she is given a special neckerchief, which she must accept
to show she consents to the marriage.[3]
The Medeo Sports Center, located near Almaty, Kazakhstan, boasts the highest skating rink in
the world at 5,545 feet (1,690 m) above sea level. It also has a surface area as large as two
football fields.[3]
Snow leopards live in the mountains in eastern Kazakhstan. They are notoriously shy and may
grow to 150 lbs (68 kgs). Kazakhs have long revered the animal for its bravery, independence,
and intelligence. The snow leopard is considered a national symbol in Kazakhstan.[15]

Kazakhs have long revered the snow leopard as a symbol of bravery, independence, and
intelligence, and today, the animals are very rare in the wild, with estimates ranging from 3,500
to 7,000
Many different species of lizards are found in Kazakhstans deserts, including the gray monitor
lizard, the worlds largest lizard, which is found only in the Kyzlkum Desert.[3]
The Kazakh competition known as kyz kuu (Catch That Girl!) is a lively one, where a young man
on horseback pursues a young woman riding ahead of him. She has to prevent him from getting
ahead of her. If he draws near, she lashes him with a whip. He has to persistand if he cant
catch up by a fixed point in the race, she gives him another lashing. However, if does he manage
to overtake her, she has to kiss him as a reward.[3]
The United States was the first nation to recognize Kazakhstan as a sovereign state, shortly after
it declared independence in December 1991.[3]
The golden eagle is one of Kazakhstans national symbols. Kazakhs revere it as a symbol of
power and strength as it is a master of the skies. The female bird is actually larger than the male,
measuring 3 feet (1 m) from beak to tail. The average bird has a wingspan of 7 feet (2 m).
Golden eagles can also be found in the mountainous regions of the Western United States,
Canada, and Mexico.[9]
A time-honored Kazakh test of horsemanship is called kumis alu (Pick up the Coin). The goal is
for a rider to gallop at top speed and, at the same time, pick up a silver coin from the ground.
Kazakh legend says that Alexander the Great, after seeing an exhibition of kumis alu, was so
impressed that he exclaimed the game could be used in the training of a warrior on horseback.
Today, a white handkerchief is used instead of a coin.[9]
Each year in the traditional Kazakh calendar is named after an animal, such as Year of the Sheep,
Year of the Horse, the Dog, Snake, Pig, etc. The calendar begins with the Year of the Mouse
because a Kazakh folk tale says that the mouse was able to climb on the other animals backs and
was the first to see the sun.[9]
The sun in Kazakhstans national flag has 32 beams, which symbolize progress and prosperity
The sun in the flag of Kazakhstan has 32 beams, which symbolize progress and prosperity.[3]
Kazakh is a Turkic language that contains many words from Russian and Arabic, as well as
Mongol, Persian, and other Turkic languages. It was not written down until the 1860s, using the
Arabic script. In 1940, the Cyrillic alphabet, used in Russian, was adopted along with some extra
symbols to write Kazakh.[3]
25 amazing facts about Kyrgyzstan
The impressive Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral at Karakol CREDIT: ALAMY
Oliver Smith, DIGITAL TRAVEL EDITOR
31 AUGUST 2016 1:01PM
As Kyrgyzstan celebrates 25 years of independence, here are a few things you didn't know about
the country
1. Theyre mad about Manas and long poems
The eponymous hero of the Epic of Manas, a poem of which the longest version extends to a
truly epic 500,000 lines, is celebrated in many ways. There are statues of him, roads, a university,
a planet (yep) and an airport named after him, and an opera about him. The poem is reputed to be
1,000 years old, but most experts believe it actually originated in the 18th century.

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3. But 40 is their favourite number
Kyrgyz is thought to be derived from the Turkic word for forty a reference to the 40 clans
of the great Manas. The countrys flag, a nod to this, features a 40-ray sun.

The Kyrgyz flag - go ahead and count the rays

4. Its sparsely populated
There are just 29.5 residents for each square kilometre of land making Kyrgyzstan one of
the worlds least crowded countries.
5. And mountainous
The mountainous Tian Shan region covers 80 per cent of Kyrgyzstan and the country has even
been described as the Switzerland of Central Asia. Its highest point is Jengish Chokusu, at
7,439 m (24,406 ft).
6. Its landlocked but has a lovely lake
Kyrgyzstan is one of 45 landlocked countries, but does have the consolation of Issyk-Kul, the
worlds second largest high-altitude lake (behind Titicaca in South America). It is 113 miles long,
37 miles wide and reaches a depth of 668 metres (2,192 feet). The lake was a popular holiday
resort during the Soviet era.
7. And a massive glacier
The South Inylchek Glacier is the sixth largest in the world, not including those found in polar
regions. Straddling the countries border with China (the only neighbour to Kyrgyzstan that
doesnt end in the suffix stan), it is 37.6 miles long.
8. The Soviet era is still evident in its capital
Bishkek is a city of vast plazas and dramatic monuments though the statue of Lenin that once
graced Ala-Too Square was moved to a less conspicuous location in 2003, and replaced
altogether in 2011 (by, you guessed it, a statue of that man Manas).

The Victory Monument in Bishkek CREDIT: ALAMY

9. They love mares milk
Kumyz, fermented mares milk, is drunk with great gusto in the steppes of Kyrgyzstan. Horse
meat is also traditionally popular.
11. It has three Unesco World Heritage sites
The Tien-Shan mountain range is one, the network of routes that made up the historic Silk Road
is another, the third is Sulayman Mountain on the outskirts of Osh. It is "the most complete
example of a sacred mountain anywhere in Central Asia, according to Unesco, and has been
worshipped for several millennia. Women who climb to the shrine at the top will, according to
legend, give birth to healthy children.
13. It blows hot and cold
Temperatures can top 40C in summer, in the low-lying Fergana Valley, but in the mountains they
can fall to -30c
14. It has never produced a Nobel prize winner
But its most famous sons and daughters include the novelist Chingiz Aitmatov, the scientist and
poet Kasym Tynystanov, and the ballerina Bubusara Beyshenalieva.
15. There are 11 national parks
Including spectacular Ala Archa, in the Tian Shan mountains. Its a popular spot for hiking, horse
trekking and skiing.
17. Its got petroglyphs
They can be seen by visitors to Cholpon Ata, a summer resort on the shore of Lake Issyk Kul.
22. It has its own White House
The marble-clad seven-storey presidential office in Bishkek is just as imposing as its US
namesake.

The other White House CREDIT: ALAM

Uzbekistan is one of two doubly landlocked countries in the world (that is, a country completely
surrounded by landlocked countries), the other being Liechtenstein
Green tea is the national hot beverage taken throughout the day; teahouses (chaikhanas) are of
cultural importance.
Uzbekistan is Central Asias most populous country and the majority live in rural areas.
Football is the most popular sport in Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan, handshakes are only acceptable if it is between two men. The way to greet an
Uzbek woman is by bowing to her with your right hand placed over your heart.
Russia, country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northernAsia. Once the
preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(U.S.S.R.; commonly known as
the Soviet Union), Russia became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet
Union in December 1991.

Russia is a land of superlatives. By far the worlds largest country, it covers nearly twice the
territory of Canada, the second largest. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and the
eastern third of Europe, spanning 11 time zones and incorporating a great range
of environments and landforms, from deserts to semiarid steppes to deep forests
and Arctic tundra. Russia contains Europes longest river, the Volga, and its largest lake, Ladoga.
Russia also is home to the worlds deepest lake, Baikal, and the country recorded the worlds
lowest temperature outside the North and South poles.

Land
Russia is bounded to the north and east by the Arctic and Pacific oceans, and it has small
frontages in the northwest on the Baltic Sea at St. Petersburg and at the detached
Russian oblast (region) of Kaliningrad (a part of what was once East Prussia annexed in 1945),
which also abuts Poland and Lithuania. To the south Russia borders North
Korea, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, andGeorgia. To the southwest and west it
borders Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as Finland and Norway.

Extending nearly halfway around the Northern Hemisphere and covering much of eastern and
northeastern Europe and all of northern Asia, Russia has a maximum east-west extent of some
5,600 miles (9,000 km) and a north-south width of 1,500 to 2,500 miles (2,500 to 4,000 km).
There is an enormous variety of landforms and landscapes, which occur mainly in a series of
broad latitudinal belts. Arctic deserts lie in the extreme north, giving way southward to the tundra
and then to the forest zones, which cover about half of the country and give it much of its
character. South of the forest zone lie the wooded steppe and the steppe, beyond which are small
sections of semidesert along the northern shore of the Caspian Sea. Much of Russia lies at
latitudes where the winter cold is intense and where evaporation can barely keep pace with the
accumulation of moisture, engendering abundant rivers, lakes, and swamps. Permafrost covers
some 4 million square miles (10 million square km)an area seven times larger than the
drainage basin of theVolga River, Europes longest rivermaking settlement and road building
difficult in vast areas. In the European areas of Russia, the permafrost occurs in the tundra and
the forest-tundra zone. In western Siberia permafrost occurs along the Yenisey River, and it
covers almost all areas east of the river, except for south Kamchatkaprovince, Sakhalin Island,
and Primorsky Kray (the Maritime Region).

General Facts About Russian Culture

1 // Superstitions are still held by many Russians
Dont give even numbers of flowers, only odd (even numbers are for funerals only)
Dont greet someone across a threshold, it means youll quarrel,
Dont seat thirteen people at a table
Dont whistle in a house
If you spill salt, throw a little over your left shoulder and spit three times
Etiquette in Russia
2 // Polite requests far outweigh demands
Making a polite request can go much farther than making a demand, so when asking for
something, be sure to wisely choose your wording. The same can be said for almost any culture,
but it seems to hold particularly true in Russia.
3 // A refusal to eat may be viewed as offensive
Food in Russia can be a sensitive topic, especially when a host offers it to you and you refuse.
Friendships and relationships with Russians will undoubtedly lead to food and drink at some
point, so when offered, be sure to accept. The threat of overeating is one that many face, so just
be sure to pace yourself and remember that lunch is considered the most important (and typically
largest) meal.
4 // Gift giving
If invited to someones home, it is an unspoken rule that you bring a gift. Small gifts such as a
candle, a bottle of wine, or even some chocolates are appropriate. Its really the thought that
counts more than the gift itself. Gifts for the children of the house are also seen as important, so
be sure to bring a few sweets for the kids whenever you call on a friend.
Conversation Taboos
5 // Criticisms of Russia
While youll likely hear your Russian friends criticize themselves, but be careful not to offer
your opinion on the subject, even if invited to participate in the conversation. It can be interesting
to hear the opinions of others, but its best to avoid offering your thoughts.
6 // Two fingers in a V-sign
The sign often known in the west as the peace sign is actually the equivalent of the middle
finger in Russia, so this is something to be wary of! Swear words in Russian also arent
viewed positively, so they are something else to avoid.
 Introducing yourself
7 // How are you?
In Russia, especially once relationships have been built, long answers to the question how are
you? are typical. In fact, the Western equivalent response of fine, thanks may even be seen as
rude and Russians may be upset by it. When answering the question in conversations with
Russians, especially friends, be sure that youre prepared to answer in a little more detail than
what you may be used to.
8 // Smile when you mean it
Russians are often described as being an unsmiling people but this isnt true. A Russian
proverb states that,Laughter for no reason is a sign of foolishness. This means that Russians
prefer to reserve their smiles for the occasions that merit them. The good news is that a smile
from your Russian friends means much more!
9 // Greeting
A traditional greeting is shaking hands while close friends and family hug. If a meeting or a
conversation goes well, back slaps and hugs are a good sign. A coldness or distance is the
opposite. Strong eye contact is also important failing to maintain eye contact may imply youre
up to no good. It is not unusual for Russian men not to offer women their hand for a handshake,
but if a woman presents hers, Russian men will accept it.
Bonus // Names
When Russians introduce themselves using a name that ends with an a ( Natasha, Misha,
Sasha, Tania), they are likely giving you the intimate form of their birth name (Natasha is
Natalia, Misha is Mikhail, Sasha is Alexander, and Tania is Tatiana). Technically, these names are
only used when you are on TbI terms whereas in more formal cases, Russians will introduce
themselves using their full first name and middle name (their patronymic).
Patronymics are derived from the fathers name and there are both male and female forms. The
endings either mean son of or daughter of. So your friend Vania may introduce himself to a
business acquaintance as Ivan Borisovich and Natasha might go by Natalia Ivanovna. Foreigners
are not expected to have patronymic names for the more formal BbI introductions, but you can
always create your own. The transliteration of my Russian name, for example, is Yana
Davidovna.
This guide was assembled with the support of Culture Smart! Russia. The Culture Smart books
by Kuperard publishers are a part of a series of nearly 100 titles. You can purchase the books
on Amazon and learn more about the company here.
History of Russian literature
27, 2006 12:05
55

Literature is the most complete and expressive manifestation of the Russian creative genius. It
conveys not only aesthetic, moral and spiritual values and beliefs; literature is also our
philosophy, the way to get insight into life, as leading Russian philosophers note. Great Russian
poets and writers have always been the voice of this people's conscience and soul, and had to
suffer for it.
The priority of literature in the cultural life of the Russian people can be explained by its origin
and the meaning it got from the moment of its appearance. Written language and literature were
introduced to Russia from the outside, along with Christianity. Book appeared in Russia in the
form of a sacred scripture, thus determining the place and role of literature in the history of
Russian culture. Yet, one should not forget about the riches of folk creativity, the vivid source of
primordial knowledge and inspiration for men of letters and thinkers of all times. The language
and spirit of folk poetry in the form of songs, fairy tales, epics, etc. introduced genuine life and
imagery to Russian literature. Thus, literature in this country developed as a blending of folk art
and church scriptures, reflecting the mixture of pagan and Christian traits in Russian cultural
tradition.

Folk poetry

The national epos expressed in folk poetry had three stages of development: mythological, heroic
and historical. Slav mythology has been much interfered with later Christian influences, yet we
still can perceive something about the beliefs of this people through certain pieces of spoken
lore, kept till this day. These can be observed in sacral songs, which were used to accompany
pagan rites and symbolized the interaction or fighting of various forces of nature. Mythology is
also obvious in oldenfairy tales, which, however, were much altered with later additions of
plentiful details. Olden beliefs can also be traced in spells,riddles, proverbs and sayings.

Bylina (coming from the word 'byl' or something that really happened) is a heroic epic speaking
about bogatyri (mighty heroes), who protect the land of Rus from enemies and act for its
unifying. They possess certain supernatural powers and have something in common with the
Greek mythological heroes, though seem to have real prototypes. The images of bogatyri, such as
Mikula Selyaninovich or the ideal mighty peasant Ilya Muromets, bespeak the high moral values
of the Russian people. Bylinas are a poetic memorial of the past that present interesting types and
paragons of personal and social virtues.

Later bylinas gave way to historic songs, more precise reflections on stormy historic events of
the Tatar yoke, the unifying of Russia by Ivan the Terrible, etc. Lyric songs reveal the inmost
thoughts and feelings of the Russian people. The general mood of folk lyrics, peculiar for its
poetic gentleness and tenderness, is remarkably sad and wistful, at times jumping to wildly
hilarious and even riotous. Such features can be accounted for by the harsh yet beautiful nature
of this enormous land as well as the hard conditions of life. Listening to lingering, plangent and
spacious sounds of a Russian folk song can probably give the insight into the'mysterious Russian
soul'.

The imagery and vivid style of Russian folklore bear comparison with the best specimen of
European literatures.

Church influence and early literature

For centuries church literature remained the major spiritual and moral pabulum for the Russian
people. In that way it was influencing the formation of the national character. Later the Russian
scribes provided a theoretical foundation for the idea of the unity of the Russian land and the
national and religious originality of the Russian realm. So, the Russian literature once and for all
marked its connection with the development of the nation and the state. Even so, it was never
limited by the national frames, due to plentiful translations.

The most important scriptures of the Kievan period are the teachings by metropolitan Ilarion
(11th century), Povest Vremennykh Let (11th-early 12th century, the oldest chronicle), teaching
by Prince Vladimir Monomakh (11th - early 12th century), Lay of Igor's Warfare (12th century),
Wanderings of Daniel (12th century). All these texts are examples of vivid poetic creation. This
was the epoch of extensive literary activities, which gave rise to patterns of literary forms and
genres for the following centuries. Russian literature of the late Middle ages is remarkable for its
feeling of Russia being the chosen one (the theory of Moscow as the third Rome). Inner
upheavals of the 16th - 17th centuries imparted to literature certain features of religious and
political publicism. In some cases these works arise to a high artistic level. Such are the
Messages of Ivan the Terrible and The Life of Avvakum Petrovich, originally blending the
church and bookish language with lively folk speech. At the same time, folk-lore poetry attained
real power, beauty and expressiveness; however, scribes of the Old Rus hardly ever resorted to
this plentiful source. The late 16th century saw rapid development of the secular story of
manners, which often interpreted the 'wandering' plots of the western and oriental literatures.

Search for national originality

From the late 17th century Russian culture is invaded with West European values. The overturn
of the world outlook that coincided with the language and spelling reforms resulted in the
cultural crises of the 18th century. The writers of that time waver between sheer imitation of the
French specimen and looking for their own subjects, language and style. The aspiration for
national originality can be observed throughout the whole period: V.K.Trediakovsky and M.V.
Lomonosov create a theory of Russian prosody; A.V. Sumarokov, along with the tendency to be
the Russian Racine and Voltaire, creates folk-style songs; D.I.Fonvisin writes comedies on
Russian everyday life and uses lively colloquial speech; Derzhavin anticipates the 'sacred genre'
of the later Russian lyric poetry. Drama and poetry firmly stand first in the hierarchy of genres.
The Russian language found its definite form in the creations of N.M.Karamzin, V.A.Zhukovsky,
and A.S.Pushkin.

The epoch of Alexander I was the time of great creative effort; the time when Russian writers
experienced the joy of independent creation, original and authentically national in spirit and
style. The highest expression of it is certainly the creative work of Alexander Pushkin. European
culture was assimilated and reflected upon; later generations develop Slavophil opposition, not
only national and psychological, but also cultural and artistic one.

Romanticism

From the 1840s literature experiences the growth of moral and metaphysical anxiety that finds a
theoretical expression in romanticism. Artistic persons feel uneasy in life, as if in a wrong place.
The theme of 'a needless man' arises in literature:M.Y.Lermontov gave an unforgettable picture
of the spiritual sensations of that time, the mix of exaltation and doubts, in his famous novel The
Hero of Our Time. N.V.Gogol with his bright satire specified the religious and moral topics in
Russian culture, which became the prevailing problematic throughout the 19th century. At the
same time another peculiar feature of Russian art becomes apparent - that is the inseparability of
an artist's creative development from his/her personal destiny.

Great reforms and social issues

The 'great reforms' epoch of the 1860s - 1870s drew the attention of literature towards social
issues. The issue of overcoming the tragic loneliness of a person in this world is solved by
writers in search of this or that form of harmonious social communication, mainly in joining the
life of common people. At the same time there teethes a painful breach between the new coming
aesthetic rise and the new philosophic and religious awakening. Two creative mainstreams start
taking shape in Russian literature. The adherents of 'pure art', such as A.Grigoriev, A.V.Druzhinin
and A.A. Fet stand against the utilitarian moral function of literature, while Leo Tolstoy aims at
'destruction of aesthetics' for the sake of moral transformation of people by means of art.
Religious reflections upon the Russian experience found expression in works by Fyodor
Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, who showed with great artistic power, how isolated and proud human
freedom results in slavery or self-destruction. The prevalence of philosophic topics in literature
conditions the hey-day of Russian novel. However, philosophic motives sound distinct in the
lyric poetry as well (F.I.Tyutchev).

Silver Age

The pre-Revolutionary years see a new uplift in literature, to be called the 'silver age'. The
feeling of life itself alters. 'The sensation of extremity is growing more and more.' (Alexander
Byeli). New depths open up in a person, sometimes these are dark abysses. Stern apocalyptic
rhythm can be felt in the events.

A new blossom of Russian poetry starts in the 1890s. Symbolism has become not only a literary
movement but also a new spiritual experience. Poetry and literature again acquire special vital
importance, as a way to faith and eternity via art. It was a recurrence of romanticism in Russian
consciousness. In a contradictive mixture of rebel and fatigue, self-affirmation and melancholy,
artists strive to go 'beyond good and evil', to transcend the ethics with aesthetics. '

The mysticism of V.S.Soloviev finds a genius poetic commentary in work of Alexander Block.
The religious exaltation of symbolism perceiving a poet as a medium of higher, irrational forces,
meets the reaction of acmeism (Nikolay Gumilev, Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelshtam) with its
orientation on reasonable will in poetic creation. At the same time Anton Chekhov and Ivan
Bunin develop the classic line of Russian literature, enriching it with new achievements in form.

20th century: post-revolutionary

The revolution of 1917 brought an artificial division of Russian literature into domestic and
emigrant literature, with the most outstanding writers finding a safer place abroad. However,
literature retained its unity, based on belonging to the traditions of classical Russian culture, in
this or that way present in creations by Ivan Bunin, Vladimir Nabokov, Ivan Shmelyov, Vladimir
Khodasevich, Osip Mandelshtam, Mikhail Bulgakov, Boris Pasternak, Mikhail Gorky, and
others. It is this line of Russian literature that got universal acclaim in the 20th century.

At the same time, following the traditions did not exclude the search of new forms. Post-
revolutionary prose and poetry demonstrated an incredible variety of stylistic and other novelties.
Great paragons of Russian prose were created by Alexander Solzhenitsyn who managed to give
the second breath to the classical Russian novel. In poetic sphere the worldwide acknowledgment
belongs to Josef Brodsky.

The development of Russian literature in the 20th century speaks of its imperishable universal
meaning and inexhaustible creative capabilities.

Russian literature has become an integral part of the world culture and has been appreciated by
most outstanding men of letters all over the world.