Russian Language Centre

#рки

Tapochki: the unofficial Russian visa. No slippers, no entry

Russian Word of the Day: Загогулина (zagogulina)

A zagogulina is a squiggle, a twisty thing, a doodad, or basically anything you can’t properly name.

But here’s the fun part:

The word became legendary in the 1990s when President Boris Yeltsin was discussing economic reforms and complained that his team kept adding unnecessary “загогулины” to government plans.

Translation:
“We had a simple idea… and then somebody added a weird little complication.”

Since then, Russians have used загогулина for all sorts of unnecessary twists, detours, bureaucratic nonsense, and mysterious design choices.

A road bends for no reason? Zagogulina.

Government paperwork needs six extra forms? Zagogulina.

Your IKEA instructions suddenly make no sense? Definitely a zagogulina.

Spent the evening celebrating a dear Russian friend’s birthday.

She looked absolutely stunning, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was full of music and wonderful company.

These are the moments that remind me how lucky I am to have good people in my life.

Had a great birthday party to celebrate Kristina’s 50th anniversary! Best wishes from all of us!

Went to see a Belarusian standup comedian Vania Usovich. Middle of the week entertainment

I’m launching a brand new Instagram account dedicated to everything happening at our Russian Language Centre, Manchester.

On the new page, you’ll find:
• practical language tips you can actually use
• GCSE & A-Level exam support
• live streams
• behind-the-scenes of lessons and learning
…and plenty more to help you (or your kids) succeed in Russian

This account isn’t going anywhere — it’ll stay my personal blog, with more of the social side, everyday life, and the usual chaos of my busy schedule.

So now you get the best of both worlds:
📚 learning & exams → follow the new account
🥂 life & socials → stay right here

If you’re interested in learning Russian or preparing for exams, come join us on the new page