Russians enjoying a frozen Lake Baikal near Irkutsk in Siberia. Photo by SRAS Graduate Rylin McGee
Russian MiniLessons: Winter Clothes
Published: October 5, 2020
The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal its English translation.
In the Soviet era, Russians had more limited choice of winter clothes than nowadays. Both men and women used to commonly wear a type of ะดัะฐะฟะพะฒะพะต ะฟะฐะปััะพ ั ะฟะพะดะบะปะฐะดะบะพะน ะธะท ะฒะฐัะธะฝะฐ ะธ ะผะตั ะพะฒัะผ ะฒะพัะพัะฝะธะบะพะผ woolen cloth overcoat with a cotton-padding lining and a fur collar. If a person wanted to look more fashionable, he/she wore ะดัะฑะปะตะฝะบะฐsheepskin coat rather than the ะดัะฐะฟะพะฒะพะต ะฟะฐะปััะพ.
Nowadays, of course, people still wear a ะทะธะผะฝะตะต ะฟะฐะปััะพwinter coat of some sort, but the most popular kind is ะบะฐัะตะผะธัะพะฒะพะต ะฟะฐะปััะพcashmere coat. ะัะฑะปะตะฝะบะฐ is popular as a more expensive option, but the most common and cheapest winter coat is ะฟัั ะพะฒะธะบdown-padded coat. These are usually made of a synthetic outer layer, but stuffed with natural down. A thick layer of natural down is a very good insulator and can keep one warm a long time in sub-zero temperatures.
The warmest winter coat, though, is the ััะฑะฐ ะธะท ะฝะฐัััะฐะปัะฝะพะณะพ ะผะตั ะฐ a coat of natural fur. These are still very common and very popular in Russia, where the anti-fur movement has made little headway in dissuading Russians from what they consider a very practical and comfortable choice of clothing. The second warmest option is the ะบะฐัะตััะฒะตะฝะฝัะน ะฟัั ะพะฒะธะบhigh quality down-padded coat. The ะดัะฑะปะตะฝะบะฐTooltip content is rated third. The ะบัััะบะฐ ะฝะฐ ัะธะฝัะตัะธัะตัะบะพะผ ััะตะฟะปะธัะตะปะตjacket with synthetic heat insulation material, while popular in the west, is one of the least practical options for living through a harsh winter.
As for the ััะฑะฐ, when choosing a material, ัะฐะผัะน ััะฟะปัะน ะผะตั the warmest furย is that of ะฑะพะฑะตั,beaverย ะฝะพัะบะฐ,minkัะพะฑะพะปั,sableะบะฐัะฐะบัะปั,astrakhan furะบัะฝะธัะฐmartenย and ะพะปะตะฝัdeer. The fur of male animals is considered warmer than the fur of female animals.
ะะฐัะตััะฒะพ ะผะตั ะฐfur qualityย can be assessed by ะฒััััั ะธะฒะฐัั ััะฑัrustling the fur coat. You should be able to hear the ััััะฐะฝะธะตrustling, distinctly, then the fur is considered to be of good quality.
Another way is ะปะตะณะพะฝัะบะพ ะดััะฝััั ะทะฐ ัะตัััะธะฝะบัplucking lightly on a strand, ะตัะปะธ ะฒะพะปะพัะบะธ ะฝะต ะพัััะฒะฐััััif no hair comes out, it means that the fur is of good quality.
As for ะฟัั ะพะฒะธะบ, the warmest ะฟัั downis that of the ะณะฐะณะฐ eider duck, then ะณัััgoose, ะปะตะฑะตะดัswanย and ััะบะฐduck. ะัั ะธะท ะตะฒัะพะฟะตะนัะบะธั ัััะฐะฝdown made in European countriesย is considered to have ะฝะฐะธะปัััะธะต ัะฒะพะนััะฒะฐthe best properties. The best ัะบะฐะฝัfabric for ะฟัั ะพะฒะธะบ is a ัะผะตััblendย of ะฝะฐัััะฐะปัะฝัะต ะธ ะธัะบััััะฒะตะฝะฝัะต ะฒะพะปะพะบะฝะฐnatural and artificial fibers.
In cities, Russians often wear ะทะธะผะฝะธะต ะฑะพัะธะฝะบะธwinter bootsย as winter footwear. These are often leather with a lining of insulation. In smaller towns, villages, and regions of the North, ะฒะฐะปะตะฝะบะธ traditional Russian felt bootsย and ัะฝััhigh fur boots can be seen. ะะฐะปะตะฝะบะธ are often fitted with ะณะฐะปะพัะธ, a protective rubber or plastic outer portion. Designer ะฒะฐะปะตะฝะบะธ are also gaining popularity in cities as well. Russian soldiers are outfitted with ะฒะฐะปะตะฝะบะธย as part of their standard issue winter uniforms. They are best suited for a ััั ะฐั ะผะพัะพะทะฝะฐั ะทะธะผะฐdry frosty winterย and are generally not worn after the spring thaw begins.
Russians generally favor ะทะธะผะฝะธะต ัะฐะฟะพะณะธwinter high bootsTooltip contentmade of ะบะพะถะฐ ั ะฒะฝัััะตะฝะฝะตะน ะฟะพะดะบะปะฐะดะบะพะน ะธะท ะฝะฐัััะฐะปัะฝะพะณะพ ะผะตั ะฐleather with an inner lining of natural fur.
An important principle is that ะพะดะตะถะดะฐ ะดะพะปะถะฝะฐ ะฑััั ะผะฝะพะณะพัะปะพะนะฝะพะนclothes should have many layers. It is better to have ะดะฒะฐ ัะฒะธัะตัะฐ ะฟะพัะพะฝััะต ะธ ะพะดะฝั ะฒะพะดะพะปะฐะทะบัtwo thinner sweaters and one thin turtleneckย rather than one very thick sweater. This creates more layers of airs between you and the elements โ which is what, in the end, will keep you warm.
ะัะฐัะธ ะฝะต ัะพะฒะตัััั ะฒัั ะพะดะธัั ะฝะฐ ัะปะธัั ะณะพะปะพะดะฝัะผ.doctors donโt advise to go outside hungryย In winter, one should ะฟะพะฒััะธัั ะบะฐะปะพัะธะนะฝะพััั ัะฐัะธะพะฝะฐincrease calorie content of dietย by adding more meat, fish, and fat.
There are some rules to keep to avoid ะพะฑะผะพัะพะถะตะฝะธะตfrostbite. ะะพะปะพะฒะฐ (ะพัะพะฑะตะฝะฝะพ ััะธ), ัะตั ะธ ะปะธัะพ head (especially ears), neck and faceย should be ะทะฐัะธัะตะฝั ัะฐััะพะผ, ัะฐะฟะบะพะน, ะฒััะพะบะธะผ ะฒะพัะพัะพะผ, ัะตััััะฝะพะน ะผะฐัะบะพะน, ะพัะพะฑะตะฝะฝะพ ะฒ ะฒะตััะตะฝัั ะฟะพะณะพะดัprotected with a scarf, cap, high collar, woolen mask, especially in windy weather.
ะั ะพัะผะพัะพะถะตะฝะธั ะฝัะถะฝะพ ะฑะตัะตัั ะบะพะฝะตัะฝะพััะธ, ะฐ ัะฐะบะถะต ะฝะพั ะธ ััะธ.To avoid frostbite, one should protect oneโs extremities, as well as the nose and ears. In frosty weather, more blood is removed from limbs to heart and brain, making the limbs more vulnerable to frostbite.
Andrei Nesterov leads SRAS' Research Services, performing remote archive research and consultations for researchers around the globe. Andrei graduated from Ural State University (journalism) and Irkutsk State Linguistic University (English). He also studied public policy and journalism at Duke University on a Muskie Fellowship and taught Russian at West Virginia University. As a journalist, he has reported in both Russian and English language outlets and has years of archival research experience. He has travelled Russia extensively and penned many stories on the โreal Russiaโ which lies beyond the capital and major cities. Andrei also contributes news, feature stories, and language resources to the SRAS Family of Sites.
Josh lived in Moscow from 2003, when he first arrived to study Russian with SRAS, until 2022. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. At SRAS, Josh assists in program development and leads our Internship Programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.