Poetry and tongue twisters can be a great way to improve both your vocabulary and pronunciation in Russian! In Russian, tongue twisters are known as as “скороговорки” (which means something like “fast-sayings”). Below are several скороговорки that are fairly well known in Russia and are often used for “training the tongue.” 1. На горке горько ревет Егорка. […]

Tarkhun is a carbonated soft drink invented in Georgia. Although it was later popularized throughout the USSR, its fame seems to have largely stopped at the borders of the Communist bloc. Derived from a syrup made from tarragon leaves, it has a distinctive taste reminiscent of licorice and sweet basil that most people either love […]

What shapes Georgian national identity? The answer is complex and personal, but one key element is the Georgian national narrative. This includes the heroes and pivotal events taught in schools, the places central to the nation’s collective memory, and the language and beliefs that frame its worldview. A national narrative goes beyond history: it is […]

I originally titled this piece “Ghosts of Holidays Past,” way back in 2006. It was an early project I completed for SRAS, written after just three years with the company. Looking back nearly twenty years later, I can see the youthfulness in my writing. While the boundless optimism of that period has been tempered by […]