Russian Phrases
List of Mammals, Birds, Plants, Insects & Arthropods, Marine Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians, Flowers & Shrubs, Mushrooms, Trees, Marine Invertebrates, Sea Birds, Trees,  and Marine Plants
Bibliography/Reference Material
The Vegetable Bibliography
Resources we often use
Storyteller for classroom or onsite visits

Russian Phrases

The symbol [‘] denotes stress on that syllable. Knowing where stress should lie makes words much easier to pronounce.

 

[u] = “oo” sound as in boot                  [i] = ‘ee’  sound as in see

[ai] = “i” as in “hi”                                 [ui] = as in weed (or French ”pfui”)

[“]  =   “softens” preceding consonant. It helps to smile as you pronounce it.

 

English                                               Transliteration

Hello                                                    Zdrah’vstvuitye

Hi                                                         Pree-vyet

Goodbye                                              DasVe dan Ya

Good morning                                     Dobra Otra

Good afternoon                                   Dobra Dien

Good evening                                      Dobra Viche

Thank you                                           Spah c ba

You’re Welcome                                 Pa shal e sta

How are you?                                      Kak dee la

Good                                                   Hor e show

May I?                                                  Moah’zhnah

I am from California.                           Ya is Kalifo’rnii

Yes, No                                               Dah, Nyet

This, This is                                        E’tah

Peace                                                  Mir

Friendship                                           Dru’zbah

My friend                                              Moi drug (male), maya’pahdru’ga (female)

Happy Birthday!                                  Si dniom razhdeneeyah

Bless You!                                          Bud” zdorov

One, two, three, four                           Ahdi’n, dvah, tri, chetui’rye

five, six, seven                                    pyat”, shyest”, syehm”

eight, nine, ten                                     voah’syem”, dyehvyat”, dyehsyat”

mature woman/grandmother              bah” boosh kah

mouse                                                 mwihsh” kah

pen                                                      rooch” ka

ear                                                      ooh” hah

Pancakes           blee nee”

Soup with beets borscht

Potatoes             kar tohsh” kah

Milk                     mah lah ko”h

Rice                    reess

Soup: cabbage, potatoes, meat         shchee

Water                 vah dah”

Breakfast            zav trak

Lunch                 abyed

Evening meal     ooz hen

Rice                    rees

Soup                   soup  (sounds the same)

Coffee                kof ye

Milk                     mal a ko  (long o sound)

Wine                   vee no

Beer                   pee va

Salt                  sol

Pepper            pyeryets

Sugar              sakhar     k is soft sound   

Sandwich        boot er brod

Bread              khlyeb    k is soft sound  

Meat                mya sa

Fish                 ree ba

Juice                sok

Tea                  chi   i is a long sound

Cake                tort

 

Phrases by situation:

Glad to meet you                               Oah’chen priya’tna

Thank you very much                        Balsho’y  spa c ba

I don’t understand                              Yan nyeh pahnima’yu

           

Toasts:

To peace!                                          Zah mi’r!

To health!                                           Nah adaro’ahvyeh

To peace and friendship!                 Zah mi’r i dru’zhau

Live in Peace and Harmony            Zhit Mirno

 

Key Question words

Where?                                              Gdyeh?

What?                                                 Chto’ah

Who?                                                  Kto’ah

 

Sentences

I am an American.                             Ya amerika”ny ets.

And I am a Russian.              A ya russ”kii.

What is your name?                          Kahk vass zahvut”?

My name is Mary.                              Myenya”zahvut Meri.

This is my friend, John.                     Eh”tah moi drug”, Juan.

Please come--                                   Paidyo’mtye pahzh’aluista--

We’ll shoot the cannon.                    M’ui vuist’relim iz pu’shki.

This is a Charleyville musket           E’hta mushk’et Charlivill

That is a cannon                                E’hta poos’hka

The Russians lived here                   Zdy’yes” zhi’li ‘russkiye

    for thirty years                                  tri’dtsat” ly’et.

Here they hunted                               Zdy’es akh’otilis”

    sea otters                                        za marsk’imi babr’ami

I came here from Alaska                  Ya priy’ehkhabsyud’aiz Aly’aski

What’s for dinner?                             Shto na u’zhin?

When do we eat?                              Kahgd’ah m’ui pahk’ushayem?

 

Mammals

black bear  Urdus Americans

black-tailed jackrabbit Lupus californium

bobcat Lynx rufus

brush rabbit Sylvilagus bachmani

coastal black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus

coyote Canis latrans

feral pig, from wild boar Sus scrofa

field mouse (vole) Microtus californicus

gray fox Urocyon cineroargenteus

mole Scapanus orarius

mountain lion (puma) Felis concolor

pocket gopher Thomomys bottae

raccoon Procyon lotor

ring-tailed cat Bassariscus astutus

skunk, striped Mephitis mephitis

spotted skunk (civet cat) Spilogale putorius

 

Birds

American (common) egret Casmerodius albus

black-shouldered kite Elanus caeruleus

blackbird, ch.Brewers Euphagus cyanocephalus

brown towhee Pipilo fuscus

California quail Callipepla Californica

common raven Corvus corax

gold finch (wild canary) Carduelis tristis

golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos

great blue heron Ardea herodias

great horned owl Bubo virginianus & others

house finch (linnet) Carpodacus mexicanus

hummingbird,  Allen’s Selasphorus sasin

                           Anna’s Calypte anna

junco, Oregon Junco hyemalis var.

kestrel (sparrow hawk) Falco sparverius

northern harrier (marsh hawk) Circus cyaneus

pigmy nuthatch Sitta pygmaea

red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus

red-tailed hawk Buteo jamaicensis

robin Turdus migratorius

sparrow, white crowned (weaver finch)Zonotricia leucophrys & others

Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri

swallow, barn Hirundo rustica & others

turkey vulture Cathartes aura

Reptiles & Amphibians

alligator lizard Gerrhonotus multicarinatus

fence lizard Sceloporus occidentalis & others

garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis

gopher snake Pituophis melanoleucus

rubber boa Charina bottae

tree frog, Hyla sp.

 

Insects & Arthropods

beach fly

bumble bee Bombus vasnesenskii

European earwig Forficula auricularia

ground nesting wasp, Vespula sp.

sowbug  Armadillidium vulgare & others

tick, Western black-legged Ixodes pacificus & others

 

Flowers & Shrubs

adder’s tongue Scoliopus bigelovii

azalea, Western Rhododendron occidentale

bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

California poppy Eschscholzia californica

California blackberry Rubus ursinus

caenothus, Pt. Reyes Caenothus gloriosus & others

columbine Aquilegia formosa

coyote bush Baccharis pilularis

Douglas iris Iris douglasiana

hairy manzanita Arcostaphylos columbiana

Himalaya blackberry Rubus discolor

huckleberry, blue & red Vaccinium ovatum, parvifolium

Indian paintbrush Castilleja wightii

lupine, bush & coastal Lupinus arboreus, littoralis

orange monkey flower Mimulus aurantiacus

orchid Calypso bulbosa

poison oak Taxicodendron diversilolum

redwood sorrel oxalis oregana

salal Gaultheria shallon

salmonberry Rubus spectabilis

thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus

trillium Trillium ovata

wax myrtle Myrica californica

 

Mushrooms

Boletus edulis, Amanita muscaria & others

 

Trees

Bishop pine Pinus muricata

blue gum eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus

broad-leafed maple Acer macrophylum

buckeye Aesculus californica

California nutmeg Torreya californica

California bay Umbellaria californica

coastal redwood Sequoia sempervirens

Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii

Grand fir Abies grandis

Monterey cypress Cupressus macrocarpa

oak, live, canyon Quercus wizlizenii, chrysolepis

Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii

red alder Alnus rubra

silk tassle tree, Garrya elliptica

tan oak Lithocarpus densiflorus

willow Salix sp.

 

Marine Mammals

Blue, fin whales Balaenoptera musculus, physalus

California sea lion Zalophus californianus

elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris

Gray whale Eschrictus robustus

harbor seal Phoca vitulina

Humpback whale Megatera novaeangliae

Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Orca whale Ornicus orca

porpoise, harbor Phocoena phocoena

porpoise, Dall’s Phocoenoides dalli

Steller sea lion Eumotopias jubatus

 

Fishes

cabezon Scorpaenichthyus marmoratus

kelp greenling Hexagrammos decagrammus

lingcod Ophiodon elongatus

rainbow seaperch Hypsurus caryi

rockfish Sebastes sp.

salmon, chinook & coho Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, O. kisutch

 

Marine Invertebrates

California mussel Mytilus californianus

gum boot chiton Cryptochiton stelleri & others

limpets, Collisella sp. & others

purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

red abalone Haliotis rufescens

sea stars Pisaster ochraceous & others

 

Sea Birds

black oyster catcher Haematopus bachmani

black Brant  Branta bernicla

brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis

Canada goose Branta canadensis

common murre Uria aalge

double-crested cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus

gulls, Western Larus occidentalis & others

loon Gavia sp.

osprey Pandion haliaetus

pigeon guillemot Cepphus columba

scoter Melanitta sp.

surfbird Aphrizia vergata

 

Marine Plants

bull kelp Nereocystis lutkeana

feather boa kelp Egregia menziesii

iridescent seaweed Iridaea acordata

pink coralline alga Lithothamnium pacificum

sea palm Postelsia palmaeformis

 

Former Inhabitants

California condor Gymnogyps californianus

sea otter Enhydra lutris

 

 

 

 

Reference Material

This is a partial list of reference materials on Fort Ross, Russian America and the Native inhabitants of California and Alaska. Many more titles are available in the Fort Ross Library and Bookstore. Titles marked * are out of print but available in the library.

Titles marked in bold are favored titles by Fort Ross staff.

 

 

Alaska Geographic Society. Russian America, Vol.26, No.4. Alaska Geographic. Anchorage. 1999.

*Alekseev, A.I. The Odyssey of a Russian Scientist: I.G. Voznesenskii in Alaska, California and Siberia. Limestone Press, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Arlen, Karen W. et. al. They Came Singing—Songs of California's History. Calicanto Associates, 1995.

Chaussonnet, Valerie. Crossroads of Alaska: Native Cultures of Alaska and Siberia. Arctic Studies Center. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1995.

*Chernych, E.H. "Agriculture of Upper California." The Pacific Historian, Winter 1967, 10-28.

Chevigny, Hector, Lord of Alaska: The Story of Baranov and the Russian Adventure. Binford & Mort, Portland, Oregon. 1971.

Chevigny, Hector, Russian America: The Great Alaskan Venture. 1741-1867. Binford & Mort, Portland, Oregon. 1992.

Crowell, Aron L.; Amy F. Steffian; Gordon L. Pullar eds. Looking Both Ways, Heritage and Identity of the Alutiiq People. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks. 2001.

Dmytryshyn, Basil; E.A.P. Crownhart-Vaughn; Thomas Vaughn, eds. The Russian-American Colonies: 1768-1867. Oregon Historical Society Press, 1989.

Duhaut-Cilly, Auguste Bernard. A Voyage to California, the Sandwich Islands, and Around the World in the Years 1826-1829. August Fruge and Neal Harlow, trans., eds. University of California Press. 1999.

Essig, E.O.; Adele Ogden; Clarence John DuFour. Fort Ross, California: Outpost of Russian Alaska, 1812-1841. The Limestone Press, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1991.

Fedorova, Svetlana G. Ethnic Processes in Russian America. Antoinette Shalkop, trans. Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum. 1975.

*Fitzhugh, William W. & Aron Crowell. Crossroads of Continents: Cultures of Siberia and Alaska. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1988.

Ford, Corey. Where the Sea Breaks Its Back: The Epic Story of Early Naturalist George Stellar and the Russian Exploration of Alaska. Alaska Northwest Books, Anchorage, Alaska 1995.

Fort Ross Interpretive Association. Fort Ross Cookbook. Fort Ross. 1994

Fortuine, Robert. The Alaska Diary of Adelbert Von Chamiso: Naturalist on the Kotzebue Voyage 1815-1818. Cook Inlet Historical Society, Anchorage, Alaska, 1986.

*Gibson, James R. Imperial Russia in Frontier America. Oxford University Press, New York, 1976.

Gibson, James R. Otter Skins, Boston Ships, & China Goods: The Maritime Fur Trade of the Northwest Coast 1785-1841. University of Washington Press, Seattle. 1992.

*Golovnin, Vasilii M.  Around the World on the Kamchatka 1817-1819. Ella Lury Wiswell, trans. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 1979.

Heizer, Robert F. Seven Early Accounts of the Pomo Indians and Their Culture. Archaeological Research Facility, University of California, Berkeley. 1975.

Heizer, Robert F. &  Albert B. Elsasser. The Natural World of the California Indians. University of California Press, Berkeley. 1980.                                 

Istomin, Alexei A. The Indians at the Ross Settlement: According to the Censuses by Kuskov, 1820-1821. Fort Ross Interpretive Association. Fort Ross. 1992.

*Khlebnikov, K.T. Colonial Russian America Reports, 1817-1832. Basil Dmytryshyn & E.A.P. Crownhart-Vaughn, trans. Oregon Historical Society, Portland. 1976.

Khlebnikov, K.T. The Khlebnikov Archive: Unpublished Journal (1800-1837) and Travel Notes (1820,1822, And 1824). Leonid Shur, ed. John Bisk, trans. The Rasmuson Library Historical Translation Series, Vol. V. University of Alaska Press. 1990.

Kroeber, A.L. Handbook of the Indians of California. Dover Publications, New York. 1976.

Langdon, Steve J. Native People of Alaska. Greatland Graphics. Anchorage, Alaska, 1993.

Lightfoot, Kent G.; Thomas A. Wake; Ann M. Schiff. The Archaeology and Ethnohistory of Fort Ross, California. Vol. 1. Number 49. University of California Archaeological Research Facility. Berkeley, CA. 1991.

Lightfoot, Kent G.; Thomas A. Wake; Ann M. Schiff, eds. The Archaeology and Ethnohistory of Fort Ross, California, The Native Alaskan Neighborhood, A Multiethnic Community at Colony Ross. Vol. 2. Number 55. Contributions of the University of California, Archaeological Research Facility. Berkeley, CA. 1997.

Litke, Frederic P. A Voyage Around the World, 1826-1829: Vol. I: To Russian America and Siberia, 1826-1829. Renee Marshal, trans. The Limestone Press, Fairbanks, Alaska. 1987.

Margolin, Malcolm. The Way We Lived—California Indian Stories, Songs & Reminiscences. Heyday Books. Berkeley. 1981.

Margolin, Malcolm and Yolanda Montijo. Native Ways—California Indian Stories and Memories. Heyday Books. Berkeley. 1995.

Middleton, John. Clothing In Colonial Russian America: A New Look. The Limestone Press. Fairbanks, Alaska. 1996.

*Ogden, Adele. The California Sea Otter Trade 1784-1848. University of California Press, Berkeley. 1941.

Osborn, Sannie Kenton. Death in the Daily Life of the Ross Colony: Mortuary Behavior on Frontier Russian America. UMI Dissertation Services, 1997.

*Oswalt, Robert L. Kashaya Texts. U.C. Press, Berkeley, CA. 1964.

Paddison, Joshua, ed. A World Transformed: Firsthand Accounts of California Before the Gold Rush. Heyday Books. Berkeley, California. 1999.

Pierce, Richard A. A History of the Russian American Company. Vol. 2, Documents. The Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario. 1979.

Pierce, Richard. A. Builders of Alaska: The Russian Governors 1818-1867. The Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario. 1986.

Pierce, Richard A. Russian America: A Biographical Dictionary. The Limestone Press, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1990.

Pierce, Richard A. Russian American Company—Correspondence of the Governors. Communications Sent: 1818. The Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario. 1984.

Rickman, David W. The World of Fort Ross a Picture Book. California History Center. Cupertino, CA. 1998.

Schander, Mary L. Songs in the Air—Music of Early California. Hammers and Picks Productions, 1994.

Shelikov, G.I. Voyage To America, 1783-1785. Marina Ramsey, trans. The Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario, 1982

Smirnova, Galina. Fairy Tales Of Siberian Folks. (English and Russian text) Krasnoyarsk Vital Publishers. 1992

*Smith, Barbara Sweetland & Redmond J. Barnett, eds. Russian America: The Forgotten Frontier. Washington State Historical Society. 1990.

Smith, Barbara Sweetland. Science Under Sail—Russia's Great Voyages To America 1728-1867. Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Anchorage. 2000.

Sturtevant, William C. & Robert F. Heizer, eds. Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8 California. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1978.

Sturtevant, William C. & June Helm, eds. Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 6 Subarctic. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1981.

Sturtevant, William C. & David Danas, eds. Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 5 Arctic. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1984.

Sturtevant, William C. & Wayne Suttles, eds. Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 7 Northwest. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1990.

*Tikhmenev, P.A. A History of the Russian-American Company. Richard Pierce & Alton S. Donnelly, trans. University of Washington Press, Seattle. 1978.

Veniaminov, Ioann. Journals of the Priest Ioann Veniaminov in Alaska 1823 to 1836.  Kisslinger, Jerome , trans. The Rasmuson Library Historical Translation Series, Vol. VII. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks. 1993.

*Von Chamiso, Adelbert. A Voyage Around the World With the Romanzov Exploring Expedition in the Years 1815-1818 in the Brig Rurik, Captain Otto Von Kotzebue. Henry Kratz, trans., ed. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 1986.

*Wrangell, Ferdinand Petrovich. Russian America Statistical and Ethnographic Information. Richard A. Pierce. ed. Mary Sadousk, trans. The Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario. 1980.

 

 

 

The Vegetable Bibliography was compiled during background research on California’s agricultural history and through the development of the Ardenwood’s heirloom kitchen garden. The kitchen garden and Ardenwood Historic Farm are part of the interpretive program of the East Bay Regional Park District

 

Bean, Walton and Rawls, James. California, An Interpretive History. 1983. This popular introductory  text on California history gives an excellent overview of the subject.

 

Berg, Donald, editor. The Kitchen Gardener’s Guide. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1987. This is a fun little book filled with good advice, fun facts and useful information taken from 19th century garden books, journals and seed catalogs.

 

Fisher, Anne. Bears, Pirates and Silver Lace. 1944. A wonderful collection of stories  written for children based on real-life events during the mission, rancho and settler periods in California

 

Haughton, Claire Shaver. Green Immigrants: The Plants that Transformed America.  New York: Harcourt Brace Janovich, 1978. A look at 89 plants, many  of them vegetables, which have changed the American landscape. The book is filled with plant history and delightful information.

 

Jelinek, Lawrence. Harvest Empire: A History of California Agriculture. 1979. A concise, thorough and easy to read account of the factors that shaped the development of California agriculture. Jelinek shows how early  events in the mission, rancho and gold rush days laid the groundwork for California’s emergence as an agribusiness “empire”.

 

Vilmorin-Andrieux, MM. The Vegetable Garden. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. Originally published in 1855, this book has become a classic reference for the heirloom gardener. It is filled with descriptions, histories and culture for hundreds of vegetable varieties.

 

Whealy, Kent. The Garden Seed Inventory Decorah, Iowa: Seed Saver Publications, 1987. This book is an important reference for anyone looking for heirloom or non-hybrid vegetable seeds. It takes every vegetable, lists every  variety  and gives sources where they are available. This book saves you from going through 200 seed catalogs to find the variety  you are trying to find.