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Теракт в Париже / The Terror Attack in Paris

Russian language practice from the contemporary Russian media - mourners at Moscow's French embassy

Audio content: Moscow residents expressing their reactions to the November 2015 terrorist attack in Paris.
Visual content: The French embassy; the informal memorial created by Moscow residents.

Video at tvrain.ru
14 November 2015

As I promised in the last entry, here are some Russian reactions to the mid-November terrorist attacks in Paris. Just as we saw in the previous video, a common Russian response to public tragedy is to bring flowers to a meaningful site. Here the informal memorial has been set up in front of the French embassy. Some particularly interesting comments–both fatalistic and resolute–come at the end, so those are the moments I have transcribed below.


 

0:00-0:25

Мужчина: Скажи всё-таки, почему вы сегодня сюда пришли?
Молодой человек: Чтобы выразить соболезнования гражданам Франции. Это большая утрата для нас. Мы солидарны с ними.
Журналист: У вас был кто-то там, знакомые?
Мужчина: Нет.

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Хозяйка киевского магазина о Евромайдане / A Kievan store owner reacts to the “Euromaidan”

хозяйка киевского магазина

Audio content: A Kievan shopkeeper describes how her store was burned down and wishes for an end to the violence associated with the Euromaidan.
Visual content: Images of the aftermath of the Euromaidan violence, a woman, later a masked member of the “Berkut” special police

Video from Дождь
19 февраля 2014

This post dips into my archives to present some compelling content from the early days of the unrest in Ukraine. The woman interviewed here is the owner of a store in central Kiev that was burned down during the clashes between pro-Russian and pro-European factions in early 2014. Although the ensuing civil war became centered in eastern Ukraine, the events all began in November 2013 on the “Independence Square / Майдан Незалежности” in central Kiev. There protestors demonstrated against the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich’s decision to suspend preparations for a closer association with the European Union. Special government security forces known as the “Berkut” were sent to restore order, leading to violent clashes and the loss of about 100 lives. One particularly bloody clash occurred on February 18 when the police unsuccessfully tried to dislodge the protesters from their positions. This video was filmed a day after that battle and just a few days before President Yanukovich fled the country, setting the stage for the ongoing conflict between the pro-European leadership in Kiev and the pro-Russian population in the eastern provinces of Lugansk and Donetsk. Russia also took advantage of the unrest to annex Crimea about a month after this interview was filmed. The second part of the video features a member of the “Berkut” security force.


 

0:00-3:30

Ведущая: Как живёт мирное население в условиях войны, гражданской войны? Киев ведь мирный город, вообще-то. Вот как, например: знакомьтесь с Ларисой Гейтман-Гедунец [?], хозяйка магазина на улице Грушевского в Киеве—то есть, она была хозяйкой этого магазина—его сожгли. Послушайте, что она рассказывает.

Anchor: How does the peaceful population live amid the conditions of war, civil war? After all, Kiev is a peaceful city, in general. This is how, for example: meet Larisa Geitman-Gedunets, the owner of a store on Grushevsky Street in Kiev. That is, she was the owner of that store—it was burnt down. Listen to what she says.

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Болотное дело / The Bolotnaya Square Case

Russian language practice from the contemporary Russian media. Father of arrested protester.

Visual content: Simply a man standing in front of the Басманный суд / Basmannyi Court in Moscow
Audio content: A father speaking about his son who has been arrested in connection with an opposition demonstration

Video from Дождь
26 февраля 2015

On May 6, 2012, a major political protest march took place. Just as the marchers were approaching the intended endpoint of the march, Болотная площадь / Marsh Square, they encountered a large police force. In the aftermath of the incident, dozens of participants were arrested and accused of crimes along the lines of resisting arrest, disturbing the peace and attacking police officers. Many civil rights leaders viewed the arrested as political prisoners. This became one of the major political cases of recent years. Although many of the imprisoned activists were freed in the mass amnesty of late 2013 and early 2014, investigation of the incident continued. In early 2015, a young man named Иван Непомнящих / Ivan Nepomniashchikh was accused of having interfered with police actions during the Болотное incident and was placed under house arrest.

Update (12/2015):  Ivan Nepomniashchikh was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. He was convicted of hitting a police officer.

Update (August 2017): Nepomniashchikh was released from prison. He is not allowed to participate in large-group events but apparently intends to engage in single-person demonstrations.


Here Ivan’s father speaks with a journalist. The most interesting section starts at 1:45.

0:00
Отец: Во-первых, еще неизвестно, привезут ли его сегодня сюда [or с суда?]. Может быть, до завтра отложат. А насчет меры [пресечения], вот этот государственный адвокат, который вчера расследовать назначил, ну он намекнул, намекнул о двух месяцах. Я, собственно, привез сюда сумку с вещами, зубные щетки и всякую такую..

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