Visitors to Russia who have happened to live there for a period of time longer than you would expect from a tourist, will have noticed the country’s fascinating tradition of celebrating professional days. These are days in the calendar which are different from public holidays and mark professional achievements of groups of workers, specific to an industry. For example, 27th April is Notaries’ Day in Russia, 27th August is Miners’ Day, while 5th October is Teachers’ Day. It’s fairly usual for employees of companies and organisations operating in such industries to have corporate parties, teambuilding outings or other extravaganza on the day.

Many of such days go back to the times of the Soviet Union. For instance, Cosmonautics Day on 12th April is celebrated on that particular day because on 12th April 1961 the first manned space flight was made by Yuri Gagarin. Or Radio Day on 7th May is a professional day of everyone whose work is related to communications. It was introduced in 1925 on the 30th anniversary of A. Popov’s invention of radio.

Some professional days originate from the tsarist days. Russian Students Day is marked on 25th January after in 1755 Empress Elizaveta signed a decree to open a university in Moscow.

A number of professional days are quite recent, such as Russian Sign Language Interpreters’ Day on 31st October, which was only introduced in 2003 to draw the public’s attention to the issue of the deaf in Russia. There are only three sign language interpreters per 1000 deaf people in Russia, while in Finland, for example, the ratio is 300/1,000.

There are international days, of course, such as Translators and Interpreters Day on 30th September or International Nurses Day on 12th May.

Whichever industry you are engaged in, I think it’s quite a nice thing to have a professional day to remember your accomplishments, set new goals and simply share fun experiences with others who are doing the same thing for a living.

Yelena McCafferty, BA (Hons), DPSI, RPSI, APCI
Talk Russian Ltd

With Christmas holidays in the UK nearly on the doorstep, Russia has to wait for their winter break a little longer. The working year will finish on Saturday, 29th December, and the public holidays will start on Sunday, 30th December 2012, lasting until 8th January 2013. The reason why the festivities start later than 25th December is because the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on 7th January. That’s Christmas Day according to the older – Julian calendar. Unlike the Catholic Church or Church of England, the Russian Church did not switch to the Gregorian calendar.

Other public holidays in Russia in 2013 are:

Saturday, 23rd February is the Defender of the Fatherland Day.

Friday, 8th March is International Women’s Day.

Wednesday, 1st May is the Day of Spring and Labour. Thursday, 2nd May, and Friday, 3rd May, are also days off in lieu of 5th and 6th January which fell on Saturday and Sunday within the official Christmas break. This makes it a 5-day spring break for most Russian employees.

Thursday, 9th May is Victory Day. 10th May is also a day off in lieu of the Saturday 23rd February falls on. This combination makes it another long 4-day weekend.

12th June, Wednesday, is Russia Day.

4th November, Monday, is Unity Day.

It is worth keeping a note of these days if you do business with Russia. When Russian companies are closed for holidays, it’s unlikely you will get a quick response to your email enquiries and your phone call may not be answered. Sending a brief note of congratulations to your Russian business partners will not go amiss either. At the end of the day, it all helps to build a closer and more successful relationship with Russian customers.

Yelena McCafferty, Talk Russian Ltd

If Russia remains an enigma for many foreigners who find it hard to work out its people, politics, mentality and language, Belarus has been even more of an unknown quantity.

It is a relatively small country, with the population of less than 10 million people, and the majority of them are ethnic Belarusians while ethnic Russians account for only less than 10%. Despite that, the country has two official languages: Belarusian and Russian. The two are similar but separate languages and it’s quite unusual to find a Belarusian citizen who can’t speak Russian. Even so, in friendly chats I had with some Belarusians I learnt that many of them regret having failed to keep their authentic origin, calling themselves “Ivans who can’t remember their own ancestors”. With history taking over people’s ways and traditions and the two nations very closely interlinked in culture anyway, it’s very difficult to change anything when it’s too late and out of their control.

The name Belarus literally means “White Rus”. And while many Russians will claim that “Rus” stands for Russia here, there is another theory: “Rus” refers to Eastern Slavic lands which now cover mostly Belarus and Ukraine.

As someone who works in the Russian translation business, I can say that while a substantial proportion of UK trade is with Russia, Belarus is finding its way in international business too, despite a controversial political climate.

Most of the Belarusian economy remains “controlled by the state” and heavily relies on Russia as its main partner for various imports, including energy. However, more and more British consultancy firms are keen to develop links in Belarus, especially in the construction and interior design industry. In the last couple of years we have had three different clients pitching for business in Belarus and not just in construction related to hospitality, but residential developments, too. Some of Talk Russian’s customers have been successful in penetrating the Belarusian market even by exporting such basic goods as cosmetics and baby products.

Belarusian goods have a great reputation in Russia, too. I’ve been told Muscovites love Belarusian dairy products and even clothes, something highly competitive in trendy Moscow.

My husband has been to Belarus this year and says locals are very friendly, like most Slavic people, and the views in some of the pictures look beautiful too. A lot to explore in Belarus, for sure.

Yelena McCafferty, Russian Translator and Interpreter, Talk Russian Ltd

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This month I was kindly invited to the launch of the Conservative Friends of Russia (CFoR) Club, which was held in the grounds of the Russian Ambassador’s residence in London. The party was well-attended with more than 200 people enjoying the company of each other. Richard Royal, the Club’s Founder, mentioned they could have easily doubled or tripled the capacity, the waiting list of those keen to come along was long.

My conversation with others showed that the attendees were from various walks of life. Apart from members of the UK’s Conservative Party I met business people trading with Russia or interested in establishing trade relations with Russian partners, Russian nationals running successful businesses in the UK, people interested in Russian art and culture and simply those fascinated with everything Russian.

There is certainly a lot to be amazed by. The largest country in the world continues to arouse political controversy. The beauty of the CFoR Club is it encourages discussions, regardless of political views, and you do not need to be a member of the Conservative party to be a member of the CFoR Club. It provides a perfect platform for people interested in similar things to network and exchange ideas.

As Richard Royal said: “The “Friends of …” model is familiar within British political parties – there are many such groups including those dedicated to America, Israel, India, Poland and Azerbaijan – but there has never been one for Russia, which is unusual given the size of its economy and its importance on the international stage.”

This was echoed by A.V. Yakovenko, the Russian Ambassador in London, who highlighted Russia’s growth, promising economic prospects and importance of political dialogue. His Excellency was very kind to allow the Club to use his residence and gardens at the Russian Embassy for this event, and the guests were impressed and grateful for the hospitality, enjoying a few drinks and the barbecue in the Russian style.

A Russian TV crew made a video package about the launch, which can be viewed here. Or here is the Club’s own video.

A Russian myself, I personally welcome all Russian initiatives in the UK as they contribute to a better understanding of this country which is still a bit of a mystery to others, and I certainly look forward to future CFoR events.

Yelena McCafferty with Ambassador A.V. Yakovenko.

One of the things which have amazed me since my move from Russia to the UK more than 10 years ago is the English way of naming their streets. There seems to be a tendency to follow history and description. Let’s take Kings Crescent, or Princess Ann’s Close, or Prince’s Gate – they follow the royal theme. Then there is Robin Hood’s Walk, Scott Ellis Gardens, Wellington Road – streets named after a person. Streets with a geographical reference speak for themselves: Cambridge Street, Guilford Avenue, London Road, Windermere Road, Bath Road, wherever such roads used to take at the time of carts and horses…

But I especially like the descriptive names, they have a distinct connotation to something around even if it has been lost over the years: Beech Walk, Castle Hill, Chestnut Close, and I have a particular liking of Weeping Willow Lane.

Russian street names are steeped in history, too. They tend to go after historic personalities and events though, there is certainly Lenin Street in every city and town, Gagarin Street is another example; Constitution Square and Revolution Square sound very prominent but may be a little unusual to a foreign ear.

You do find some similarities, though. If there is St Peters Hill in the UK, there is Молочная гора (Milk Hill) in Russia. You can find even very close equivalents, e.g. Baker Street and улица Пекарская.

In both countries the way streets run determines their name ending, it can be a simple Street, or Avenue, Way, Close, Place, Square, Lane, Crescent, Road, however, there doesn’t appear to be such a variety in Russia: we have улица (Street), проспект (Avenue), переулок (Lane), площадь (Square), and even микрорайон (Estate). Perhaps this is because, with Russia being such a vast country, the layout is rather predictable – mostly straight!

And while lots of streets were renamed after the Soviets came to power, to do away with the tsar and the Russian empire, some of them have recently received their original name again. Somehow I can’t see this happening in the UK, it would be too tricky to re-write history…

Yelena McCafferty, Russian Translator and Interpreter
Talk Russian
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14 Russian interpreters joined by a Polish interpreter met up in Nottingham this month for the 5th networking lunch over the last few years. The busy atmosphere in Piccollino restaurant certainly set a tone to our lively discussions. The main issue on the agenda was the government’s contract with Applied Language Solutions, a commercial company now providing court interpreting services in England and Wales. Serious concerns were raised by colleagues due to unqualified, un-vetted and inexperienced people being sent on court assignments, leading to potential miscarriages of justice. We shared first-hand evidence we had been collecting since the contract began in February 2012, some of which had already been publicised on the RPSI Linguist Lounge. We agreed to continue raising awareness among colleagues who to date had been working in other sectors of the interpreting profession and might not be aware of the full picture.

As usual, we talked about tricky working situations we found ourselves in and about various ways of maintaining professional conduct in a sensitive environment.

The meeting was an excellent opportunity for continuous professional development as well as a team-building exercise and it was great to see people we had never met before, who came from as far as Portsmouth, Bedford and Manchester. We enjoyed each other’s company so much that we are already planning the next get-together!

Yelena McCafferty, Russian Interpreter and Translator, Talk Russian

Russian interpreters meet up in Piccolino, Nottingham

As the country hosting Euro-2012 Football Championship along with Poland, Ukraine has naturally enjoyed a certain interest over the past few months and this curiosity will only grow as we head towards the opening ceremony.

To an inexperienced traveller, Ukraine is probably just a former republic of the Soviet Union, often confused with being part of Russia. Russian is indeed very widely spoken in Ukraine, however, the official language is Ukrainian. Both Russian and Ukrainian belong to the same subgroup of East Slavic languages.

Ukraine gained independence when the USSR collapsed in 1991. Since then it has kept its reputation as a breadbasket of Europe, thanks to its fertile soil; sugar production has always been big too. The country still needs help in developing larger scale farming which is a great opportunity for British businesses to share their expertise to their commercial advantage.

Major British retailers, such as Marks and Spencer, Next, Mothercare have a presence in Ukraine as well and are said to be doing well.

Ukraine’s population is 46 million with a high percentage of highly educated people, the country has a strong tradition in science and technology. A growing number of Ukrainian students have been coming to the UK to take courses too. Learning English has been popular, although the number of people who speak English fluently, especially in the provinces, is still low.

Ukrainians are renowned for their good sense of humour. And although for a non-Ukrainian/Russian speaker an interpreter may be required, any cultural issues are easily overcome at a friendly dinner hosted by this extremely hospitable nation. And Euro-2012 should demonstrate just that.

Yelena McCafferty, Russian Translator and Interpreter, Talk Russian
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The last days of 2011 remind us of all the good things we have experienced during the year, and some of our achievements will follow us into 2012. And while Britain will get back to work in the first days of January, for Russia Christmas holidays will only begin. Russian Christmas is celebrated on January 7th, and, after a 10 day break, the first working day in Russia will be on January 10th.

Russia remains an attractive country for many exporters and investors, with UK-Russia trade growing by an average of 21% year-on-year. For those businesses enjoying a good relationship with their Russian partners, it is worth noting those public holidays when most offices in Russia will be closed. It would, therefore, be an idea to re-schedule any important phone calls for another date and, in addition, perhaps to send a friendly note on the occasion.

So here are the Russian public holidays in 2012 in addition to the Christmas break I mentioned above:

23rd February is the Defender of the Fatherland Day.

International Women’s Day on 8th March falls on a Thursday so to make a short three-day break Sunday 11th March will be a working day to make Friday 9th March a day-off.

1st May is the Day of Spring and Labour. It falls on a Tuesday and to make another three-day break the preceding Monday 30th April will be a day off, while 28th April, the Saturday before is a working day.

9th May is Victory Day.

Tuesday 12th June is Russia Day. In a similar scenario to May Day, Saturday 9th June is a working day to make Monday 11th June a day off. This gives Russians another long weekend – 10th to 12th June.

4th November is Unity Day and as it falls on a Sunday, Monday 5th November will be a day-off in lieu.

The last working day in Russia in 2012 will be Saturday 29th December to make up for a day-off on the last day of the year, Monday 31st December.

Yelena McCafferty, Registered Russian Translator and Interpreter
www.talkrussian.com

When I read both English and Russian nursery rhymes to my little son, I couldn’t help drawing parallels and comparing the folklore of these two countries.

Naturally, both English and Russian (or Soviet) short poems for babies and toddlers make a very vivid use of pets and animals. Some first lines are totally identical, e.g. “Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?” and “Кисонька-мурлысенька, где ты была?” A bear is one of the favourite characters, with “The bear went over the mountain” and “Мишка косолапый по лесу идет”. Russians love their hares, foxes, wolves and goats while the English prefer lambs, mice, rabbits and frogs.

Both nations enjoy rhymes about birds: “”Two little dickie birds” and “Петушок” or “Сорока-белобока” spring to mind. Clapping often becomes part of reading. Russians love their “Ладушки” while English children eagerly clap to “If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

Counting rhymes have a special place in both languages too. Many Russians will remember “Раз, два, три, четыре, пять, вышел зайчик погулять”, while English children will recite “One, two, three, four, five, once I caught a fish alive”.

I find some Russian lullabies a little disturbing though, my son got scared in particular by the one which says that if you slept close to the side of your bed, a wolf would come and take you to the woods. I know it is probably meant to stop toddlers from falling off their beds, but the emotional effect it can have on some sensitive children is the opposite to that a lullaby is supposed to make.

A few rhymes in both languages are used as a warm-up or refreshing exercise, e.g. “Heads and shoulders” and “мы писали, мы писали, наш пальчики устали”.

While all these similarities speak about the common ways these nations use to speak to their children, one thing stands out for me. Every now and then an English poem would make a reference to history or a cultural term. If we take “Humpty-Dumpty”, it mentions the King and his men or the story about a pussy cat I referred to above, says the cat has been to London to see the Queen. There is nothing like this in a Russian nursery rhyme and if there once was, it was eradicated when the Soviets came to power. Russia was no longer an empire and poems for older children were full of heroic plots and fable-style messages with one aim: to educate the younger generation.

Whichever the character in the first poem your child recites to you, it leaves you with a fascinating feeling of joy and tenderness, as you hear it from your child…

Yelena McCafferty, Registered Russian Interpreter and Translator.
Talk Russian Ltd, www.talkrussian.com

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The countdown has started for the London Olympic Games as there is less than a year to go before one of the biggest sport events is hosted by London. Preparations are also well under way in Russia where in 2014 the Winter Olympic Games will be held in Sochi. Another major championship hosted by Russia is, of course, the World Football Cup in 2018.

All this, certainly, means there are a lot of commercial opportunities for international companies in Russia as the country still needs to improve its transport and hospitality infrastructure, to design and build numerous sports facilities, in other words, modern Russia is not just all about oil and gas. This was discussed at the recent networking afternoon organised in Birmingham by the Russia Midlands Business Club.

Talk Russian’s sister company, Digimedia, produced a short video about the business club and what it is about. You can watch the video by clicking on the link below.

Some facts on UK-Russia trade:

- It is currently worth 6 billion pounds a year;
- Nearly 600 British companies are active in Russia;
- Russian companies account for 13% of all international IPOs on the London Stock Exchange;
- UK law firms in Moscow are among the most successful in the world;
- Britain’s revenue from Russian tourists accounts for 500 million pounds a year.

Yelena McCafferty, Talk Russian Ltd