Russia



Essential Understandings GEO: Holes in Russia Ice in Russia

HOLES



ICE

The Ice Age

Begging about 2.4 million years ago, and lasting about 10,000 years, Earth experienced a time of below freezing temperature. This period is called Pleistocene epoch. As the planets temperature cooled, ice formed in many places around the planet. For many thousand years at a time, huge glaciers called ice sheets advanced over the land. They formed in cool areas such as the poles and extended towered the equator. These times are known as the ice ages. When earth warmed up it slowly began to melted and retreaded. These periods between ice ages are known as Inter glacier periods. There were several ice ages and inter glacial periods during the Pleistocene Epoch. The most recent ice age began about 100,000 years ago and ended 10,000 years ago.

How Glaciers Form

Glaciers can be formed where ever the yearly snowfall is greater than the amount of snow that melts each year. Glaciers form in cold such as high in the mountains or in polar regains. Unmelted snow made up of mostly air. As the air is squeezed out of them, snowflakes are pressed tightly together. At first snowflakes form small, tight balls of ice called firn. After many years, this ice becomes compressed under its own weight. As more snow accumulates and weight is added above, the balls of firn are pressed together, forming larger and larger crystals known as glacier ice grows large enough that it begins moving slowly downhill. It is pulled by the force of gravity. When this happens, the ice tranphorms into a glacier.

Glacial Formations

Glaciers pick up rocks as they advance. When glaciers retreat, these rocks are left behind. They range in sizes from grains of sand to giant boulders. These pieces of earth are known as till. As the snout of an advancing glacier moves across the land, till is pushed out of the way, swept up and carried along, or hidden under the ice. As a glacier retreats, it often leaves behind ridges of till that that had collected at its snout for many years. These hills are called moraines. Streams of melting glacier ice carve tunnels in the ice just above the ground. This melted water caries till with it. Over the time, tunnels fill with till and become solid ground. When the glaciers melt and retreat, long curving hills of till called eskers are left behind. Eskers trace the path of the streams that once flowed beneath the glacier.

**__Essential Question __** `My Question is to find out the Concept of Russian Folklore, traditions, and food

**__Essential Understandings __** 
 * Russian Folklore **
 * Russian Food **
 * Russian Beliefs (Holidays, Superstitions) **

For now I will talk about Folklore

**There are no fairies in Russian folklore, ** and so there are no fairy tales. 

you will find them called "Russian Fairy Tales" in the most books like scholar books and in many more books. I guess it's a battle worth losing.

But don't say I didn't warn you.  There are adventurous tales, with male heroes, and with female heroes, and funny tales with animals that talk and behave like humans, or with soldiers who are on the way home from a long service and who encounter good, or sometimes bad fortune. What is, a folktale? It's a story. First and most importantly. In Russian, it is called **SKAZKA**. The word is from the same root as the verb "to say" -- **skazat'**. That it is, quite simply, "that which is told" -- a tale. But by implication, it is fiction, not news, something someone came up with. Entertainment. So entertain yourself with the tale Baba Yaga. There are notes to each of them to explain the odd turn of phrase or the strange cultural reference. And the Introduction for those wanting to know more about each type of tale. =//__Here is a Russian Folktale: __////__ Baba Yaga __//= <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Once upon a time there was a man and woman who had an only daughter. When his wife died, the man took another. But the wicked stepmother took a dislike to the girl, beat her hard and wondered how to be rid of her forever. One day the father went off somewhere and the stepmother said to the girl, "Go to your aunt, to my sister, and ask her for a needle and thread to sew you a blouse." The aunt was really Baba Yaga, the bony witch. Now, the little girl was not stupid and she first went to her own aunt for advice. "Good morrow. Auntie," she said. "Mother has sent me to her sister for a needle and thread to sew me a blouse. What should I do?" The aunt told her what to do. "My dear niece," she said. "You will find a birch-tree there that will lash your face; you must tie it with a ribbon. You will find gates that will creak and bang; you must pour oil on the hinges. You will find dogs that will try to rip you apart; you must throw them fresh rolls. You will find a cat that will try to scratch your eyes out; you must give her some ham." The little girl went off, walked and walked and finally came to the witch's abode. There stood a hut, and inside sat Baba Yaga, the bony witch, spinning. "Good day. Auntie," said the little girl. "Good day, dearie," the witch replied. "Mother sent me for a needle and thread to sew me a blouse," said the girl. "Very well," Baba Yaga said. "Sit down and weave." The girl sat at the loom. then Baba Yaga went out and told her serving-maid, "Go and heat up the bath-house and give my niece a good wash; I want to eat her for breakfast." The serving-maid did as she was bid; and the poor little girl sat there half dead with fright, begging, "Oh, please, dear serving-maid, don't bum the wood, pour water on instead, and carry the water in a sieve." And she gave the maid a kerchief. Meanwhile Baba Yaga was waiting; she went to the window and asked, "Are you weaving, dear niece? Are you weaving, my dear?" "I'm weaving, Auntie," the girl replied, "I'm weaving, my dear." When Baba Yaga moved away from the window, the little girl gave some ham to the cat and asked her whether there was any escape. At once the cat replied, "Here is a comb and towel. Take them and run away. Baba Yaga will chase you; put your ear to the ground and, when you hear her coming, throw down the towel—and a wide, wide river will appear. And if she crosses the river and starts to catch you up, put your ear to the ground again and, when you hear her coming close, throw down your comb — and a dense forest will appear. She won't be able to get through that." The little girl took the towel and comb and ran. As she ran from the house, the dogs tried to tear her to pieces, but she tossed them the fresh rolls and they let her pass. The gates tried to bang shut, but she poured some oil on the hinges, and they let her through. The birch-tree tried to lash her face, but she tied it with a ribbon, and it let her pass. In the meantime, the cat sat down at the loom to weave—though, truth to tell, she tangled it all up instead. Now and then Baba Yaga would come to the window and call, "Are you weaving, dear niece? Are you weaving, my dear?" And the cat would answer in a low voice, "I'm weaving. Auntie. I'm weaving, my dear." The witch rushed into the hut and saw that the girl was gone. She gave the cat a good beating and scolded her for not scratching out the girl's eyes. But the cat answered her, "I've served you for years, yet you've never even given me a bone, but she gave me some ham." Baba Yaga then turned on the dogs, the gates, the birch-tree and the serving-maid, and set to thrashing and scolding them all. But the dogs said to her, "We've served you for years, yet you've never even thrown us a burnt crust, but she gave us fresh rolls." And the gates said, "We've served you for years, yet you've never even poured water on our hinges, but she oiled them for us." And the birch-tree said, "I've served you for years, yet you've never even tied me up with thread, but she tied me with a ribbon." And the serving-maid said, "I've served you for years, yet you've never even given me a rag, but she gave me a kerchief."

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Now I shall talk about Russian beliefs: Russian beliefs are important to their culture. It keeps the culture solid in my point of view. It helps develop a happy life. I have lots of beliefs.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">New Year holidays and Christmas ** New Year is the first on the calendar and in its popularity. New Year holidays in Russia last for 10 calendar days from the 1st of January until the 10th. The New Year is a bigger holiday than Christmas) in Russia. Since 1992 Christmas has been openly observed in Russia and now the New Year's celebration usually walks into the celebration of the Russian Orthodox Christmas. Russian Christmas comes two weeks later than in other countries, on January 7. This difference is due to the Russian Orthodox Church following the calendar.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Every 8 March, the UN declares this day as the International Women’s Day to celebrate women and the accomplishments they have made to the Russian society. It is traditional on this holiday to present women with gifts and flowers to express appreciation for their work, love and devotion. It can be regarded as the equivalent of Mother’s Day combined with some aspects of Valentine’s Day. Nowadays Russian women hardly ever recollect that this holiday originated as a day of rebellion of women struggling for equal rights with men.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">International Women's Day **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Every May 9th over the victory over the Nazi’s while remembering the great warriors they included in that great battle. While the Nazi’s surrendered to the Soviet union is one of the biggest holidays in Russian History!!!
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Victory Day **

Here are some of their super stitions.

· <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">It is considered bad luck to put one's keys or cap on the kitchen table.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Mothers typically do not show their baby to anyone except the father of that child and the midwife for one month after the baby is born.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Many nationalities have a set of rituals for the guests that they have to follow to see the baby for the first time.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Before leaving for a long journey travelers, and all those who are seeing them off, must sit for a moment in silence before leaving the house. It is often conveniently written off as a time to sit and think of anything one may have forgotten.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">After someone has left the house on a long journey, their room and/or their things should not be cleaned up until they have arrived.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Knocking on wood is practiced in Russia as in other countries. However Russians tend to add a symbolic three spits over one's left shoulder (or simply with the head turned to the left), and Russians will often knock three times as well. Traditionally one was spitting on the devil (who is always on the left).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Breaking a mirror is considered bad luck in Russia, as is looking at one's reflection in a broken mirror. The effect is also more severe than 7 years of bad luck (as in American culture).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">It's good luck to trip on your left foot.

· <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">It is considered bad luck to leave a knife on the kitchen table.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Now I shall talk about Russian Food Caviar Originated from Russia

Caviar is salted fish eggs. The Russians adore this treat. The Russian caviar is called golden caviar it comes from a fish called starlet. Sometimes caviar is eaten with Blini a Russian kind of pancake (English name: Blintzes)

Wine

No one knows who invented wine but some experts believe wine originated from a nowadays place in Russia called caucus mountain. That is how my Report would help benefit people respecting others for talking about Food Beliefs and folklore.

Russian Raisin Bread

Is very famous for its rituals that it is celebrated on, it’s used for Christmas

And Here is the Russian anthem

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Pays the price, works the seasons through frozen days, he thinks of you Cold as ice but he burns for you Mother Russia, can't you hear him too?

Mother's son, freedom's overdue Lonely man, he thinks of you He isn't done, only lives for you Mother Russia, can't you hear him too?

Punished for his written thoughts Starving for his fame Working blindly, building blocks Number for a name, his blood flows frozen to the snow

Red blood, white snow He knows frozen rivers won't flow So cold, so true Mother Russia-he cries for you

Ooh ooh ... Bah dah dah dah ...

Punished for his written thoughts Starving for his fame Working blindly, building blocks Number for a name his blood flows frozen to the snow

Red blood, white snow He knows frozen rivers won't flow So cold, so true Mother Russia-he cries for you