Activity 1

Русские свадьбы are in many ways similar to weddings in North America, as you learned in Part Two of this chapter. To find out more about how Russians get married, imagine that you are helping some Russian friends prepare for the big day. You have a lot to think about — the свадебное платье, the civil ceremony...


1			The first step in any Russian wedding is to pick a дворец бракосочетания (wedding palace), officially known as ЗАГС, short for the (Отдел) записи актов гражданского состояния, or registry office. This is where the civil ceremony (регистрация брака) takes place. The fanciest and most sought-after дворец бракосочетания in Moscow is Дворец № 1 (Грибоедовский). You'll find photographs of this "wedding palace" at: http://www.hlopoty.ru/catalog/otzyv_m/zags/dv1int.html How would you describe Дворец № 1 to your friends? Would you recommend it? Helpful hint: Click on the photographs to enlarge them.




2			In conversation Russians often use the verb расписываться/расписаться when referring to the act of getting married in a registry office. For example: Лариса и Ваня познакомились в апреле, а уже в мае расписались! The primary meaning of this verb is: "to sign one's name." Review the photographs of Дворец № 1. Can you explain why Russians use this verb to refer to the civil wedding ceremony?




3			Russians definitely dress up for the civil ceremony. Your friends will therefore need to pick out a свадебное платье. Take a look at the платья for sale at the свадебный салон Соланж: http://www.solange.ru/gallery Click on the link labeled Коллекция 2003. On the next page you will see an assortment of платья. By clicking on the thumbnail photograph you can view a larger picture of the платье and a description. Pick out a свадебное платье for your friends and describe it: Оно дорогое, длинное (long), короткое (short), красивое? Сколько стоит Ваше любимое платье?




4			Following the регистрация брака at the дворец бракосочетания, many Russian couples also have a religious ceremony. In the Russian Orthodox Church, this ceremony is called венчание, from венец, or crown. Your textbook contains a picture of a венчание on page 22. As you can see, crowns are used in the ceremony itself. The Danish painter Laurits Tuxen captured the grandeur of the венчание of Russia's last emperor, Николай II and Александра Федоровна in a famous painting which you can see at: http://tigtail.org/TIG/TVM/B/European/a.%20pre%20WW%20I/Danish-Scandinavian/tuxen/M/tuxen_nicolai-II_wedding.1896.jpg




5			Николай II и Александра Федоровна поженились в 1894 году. When did other famous Russians tie the knot? You'll find the information you need on the sites listed below. Remember: Scan only for the name(s) and wedding date. Look for key words such as свадьба, бракосочетание, (по)жениться, and others from pages 22-23 in the textbook. Make sure to use the appropriate verb in your answer. Президент России Владимир Путин? На ком? Point your browser to: http://www.kharchenko.com/date/jul/28-p.shtml Поп-звезды Алла Пугачева и Филипп Киркоров? Scan the main article at: http://www.peoples.ru/love/kirkorov-pugacheva/love.html

А ЧТО ДАЛЬШЕ?


6			There is no shortage of websites devoted to weddings in Russia. Two of the most complete are: http://www.wedding.ru http://www.svadba-info.ru/

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