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 ะดั€ะฐะฟะพะฒะพะต ะฟะฐะปัŒั‚ะพ ั ะฟะพะดะบะปะฐะดะบะพะน ะธะท ะฒะฐั‚ะธะฝะฐ ะธ ะผะตั…ะพะฒั‹ะผ ะฒะพั€ะพั‚ะฝะธะบะพะผ . If a person wanted to look more fashionable, he/she wore ะดัƒะฑะปะตะฝะบะฐ rather than the ะดั€ะฐะฟะพะฒะพะต ะฟะฐะปัŒั‚ะพ.

Nowadays, of course, people still wear a ะทะธะผะฝะตะต ะฟะฐะปัŒั‚ะพ of some sort, but the most popular kind is ะบะฐัˆะตะผะธั€ะพะฒะพะต ะฟะฐะปัŒั‚ะพ. ะ”ัƒะฑะปะตะฝะบะฐ is popular as a more expensive option, but the most common and cheapest winter coat is ะฟัƒั…ะพะฒะธะบ. 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 ัˆัƒะฑะฐ ะธะท ะฝะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐะปัŒะฝะพะณะพ ะผะตั…ะฐ . 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 ะบะฐั‡ะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝั‹ะน ะฟัƒั…ะพะฒะธะบ. The ะดัƒะฑะปะตะฝะบะฐ is rated third. The ะบัƒั€ั‚ะบะฐ ะฝะฐ ัะธะฝั‚ะตั‚ะธั‡ะตัะบะพะผ ัƒั‚ะตะฟะปะธั‚ะตะปะต, while popular in the west, is one of the least practical options for living through a harsh winter.

As for the ัˆัƒะฑะฐ, when choosing a material, ัะฐะผั‹ะน ั‚ั‘ะฟะปั‹ะน ะผะตั…ย is that of ะฑะพะฑะตั€,ย ะฝะพั€ะบะฐ, ัะพะฑะพะปัŒ, ะบะฐั€ะฐะบัƒะปัŒ, ะบัƒะฝะธั†ะฐย and ะพะปะตะฝัŒ. The fur of male animals is considered warmer than the fur of female animals.

ะšะฐั‡ะตัั‚ะฒะพ ะผะตั…ะฐย can be assessed by ะฒัั‚ั€ัั…ะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ัˆัƒะฑัƒ. You should be able to hear the ัˆัƒั€ัˆะฐะฝะธะต, distinctly, then the fur is considered to be of good quality.

Another way is ะปะตะณะพะฝัŒะบะพ ะดั‘ั€ะฝัƒั‚ัŒ ะทะฐ ัˆะตั€ัั‚ะธะฝะบัƒ, ะตัะปะธ ะฒะพะปะพัะบะธ ะฝะต ะพั‚ั€ั‹ะฒะฐัŽั‚ัั, it means that the fur is of good quality.

As for ะฟัƒั…ะพะฒะธะบ, the warmest ะฟัƒั… is that of the ะณะฐะณะฐ , then ะณัƒััŒ, ะปะตะฑะตะดัŒย and ัƒั‚ะบะฐ. ะŸัƒั… ะธะท ะตะฒั€ะพะฟะตะนัะบะธั… ัั‚ั€ะฐะฝย is considered to have ะฝะฐะธะปัƒั‡ัˆะธะต ัะฒะพะนัั‚ะฒะฐ. The best ั‚ะบะฐะฝัŒ for ะฟัƒั…ะพะฒะธะบ is a ัะผะตััŒย of ะฝะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะต ะธ ะธัะบัƒััั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝั‹ะต ะฒะพะปะพะบะฝะฐ.

In cities, Russians often wear ะทะธะผะฝะธะต ะฑะพั‚ะธะฝะบะธย as winter footwear. These are often leather with a lining of insulation. In smaller towns, villages, and regions of the North, ะฒะฐะปะตะฝะบะธ ย and ัƒะฝั‚ั‹ can be seen. ะ’ะฐะปะตะฝะบะธ are often fitted with ะณะฐะปะพัˆะธ, 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 ััƒั…ะฐั ะผะพั€ะพะทะฝะฐั ะทะธะผะฐย and are generally not worn after the spring thaw begins.

SI_NEW-SEASON-INTEGRATION_9
Designer ะฒะฐะปะตะฝะบะธ are gaining popularity in Russian cities

Russians generally favor ะทะธะผะฝะธะต ัะฐะฟะพะณะธ made of ะบะพะถะฐ ั ะฒะฝัƒั‚ั€ะตะฝะฝะตะน ะฟะพะดะบะปะฐะดะบะพะน ะธะท ะฝะฐั‚ัƒั€ะฐะปัŒะฝะพะณะพ ะผะตั…ะฐ.

An important principle is that ะพะดะตะถะดะฐ ะดะพะปะถะฝะฐ ะฑั‹ั‚ัŒ ะผะฝะพะณะพัะปะพะนะฝะพะน. It is better to have ะดะฒะฐ ัะฒะธั‚ะตั€ะฐ ะฟะพั‚ะพะฝัŒัˆะต ะธ ะพะดะฝัƒ ะฒะพะดะพะปะฐะทะบัƒย 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.

ะ’ั€ะฐั‡ะธ ะฝะต ัะพะฒะตั‚ัƒัŽั‚ ะฒั‹ั…ะพะดะธั‚ัŒ ะฝะฐ ัƒะปะธั†ัƒ ะณะพะปะพะดะฝั‹ะผ.ย In winter, one should ะฟะพะฒั‹ัะธั‚ัŒ ะบะฐะปะพั€ะธะนะฝะพัั‚ัŒ ั€ะฐั†ะธะพะฝะฐย by adding more meat, fish, and fat.

There are some rules to keep to avoid ะพะฑะผะพั€ะพะถะตะฝะธะต. ะ“ะพะปะพะฒะฐ (ะพัะพะฑะตะฝะฝะพ ัƒัˆะธ), ัˆะตั ะธ ะปะธั†ะพ ย should be ะทะฐั‰ะธั‰ะตะฝั‹ ัˆะฐั€ั„ะพะผ, ัˆะฐะฟะบะพะน, ะฒั‹ัะพะบะธะผ ะฒะพั€ะพั‚ะพะผ, ัˆะตั€ัั‚ัะฝะพะน ะผะฐัะบะพะน, ะพัะพะฑะตะฝะฝะพ ะฒ ะฒะตั‚ั€ะตะฝัƒัŽ ะฟะพะณะพะดัƒ.

ะžั‚ ะพั‚ะผะพั€ะพะถะตะฝะธั ะฝัƒะถะฝะพ ะฑะตั€ะตั‡ัŒ ะบะพะฝะตั‡ะฝะพัั‚ะธ, ะฐ ั‚ะฐะบะถะต ะฝะพั ะธ ัƒัˆะธ.. In frosty weather, more blood is removed from limbs to heart and brain, making the limbs more vulnerable to frostbite.

About the author

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov

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 โ€œreal Russiaโ€ which lies beyond the capital and major cities. Andrei also contributes news, feature stories, and language resources to the SRAS Family of Sites.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

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Josh Wilson

Josh Wilson

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.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

View all posts by: Josh Wilson