Russia spans 11 time zones with climates from Arctic to subtropical. Weather is a huge part of daily life and conversation. This lesson covers weather vocabulary, seasons, seasonal traditions, and climate across Russia's vast territory.
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| Какая сегодня погода? | Kakaya sivodnya pagoda? | What's the weather today? |
| Сегодня тепло | Sivodnya tiplo | It's warm today |
| Сегодня холодно | Sivodnya kholadna | It's cold today |
| Сегодня жарко | Sivodnya zharka | It's hot today |
| Идёт дождь | Idyot dozhd' | It's raining |
| Идёт снег | Idyot snyeg | It's snowing |
| Солнечно | Solnichna | Sunny |
| Облачно | Oblachna | Cloudy |
| Ветрено | Vyetrina | Windy |
| Туман | Tuman | Fog |
| Мороз | Maros | Frost / Severe cold |
| Гроза | Graza | Thunderstorm |
| Russian | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| градус / градусы | gradus / gradusy | degree / degrees |
| плюс двадцать | plyus dvatsat' | plus 20 (20°C) |
| минус десять | minus dyesit' | minus 10 (-10°C) |
| ноль градусов | nol' gradusov | zero degrees |
Russia uses Celsius exclusively. When Russians say "минус тридцать" (-30°C), that's -22°F! Saying "сегодня минус сорок" (-40°C = -40°F) in Siberia is not unusual in January.
| Russian | Transliteration | Season | Months | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| зима | zima | Winter | декабрь – февраль | Long, cold, snowy — the defining Russian season |
| весна | visna | Spring | март – май | Muddy thaw, then flowering — deeply celebrated |
| лето | lyeta | Summer | июнь – август | Warm, white nights in the north, дача season |
| осень | osin' | Autumn | сентябрь – ноябрь | Beautiful golden leaves, then grey and rainy |
💡 Cultural Insight: Масленица (Maslenitsa) is Russia's biggest seasonal festival — a week-long celebration at the end of winter welcoming spring. Activities include eating stacks of блины (bliny — crepes symbolizing the sun), building snow forts, sledding, and burning a large straw effigy of Winter on the final day. It's one of the most joyful events in the Russian calendar, with roots in pre-Christian Slavic tradition.
| Holiday | Russian | When | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year | Новый год | Dec 31 – Jan 1 | Russia's biggest holiday — gifts, ёлка (tree), Дед Мороз |
| Orthodox Christmas | Рождество | January 7 | Celebrated on Jan 7 (Julian calendar) |
| Defender's Day | 23 февраля | February 23 | Men's holiday — gifts for men |
| Women's Day | 8 марта | March 8 | Huge holiday — flowers for all women |
| Maslenitsa | Масленица | Late Feb/Mar | Pancake week welcoming spring |
| Victory Day | День Победы | May 9 | WWII victory — deeply significant, parades |
Дед Мороз (Grandfather Frost) brings gifts on New Year's Eve, not Christmas. He wears a long blue or red coat and travels with his granddaughter Снегурочка (Snow Maiden). Christmas in Russia (January 7) is a religious holiday, while New Year is the big family celebration with gifts and the ёлка (decorated tree).
— Какая сегодня погода?
(Kakaya sivodnya pagoda?) — What's the weather today?
— Холодно! Минус пятнадцать и идёт снег.
(Kholadna! Minus pitnatsat' i idyot snyeg.) — Cold! Minus 15 and it's snowing.
— Типичная русская зима!
(Tipichnaya russkaya zima!) — Typical Russian winter!
— Да. Но я люблю зиму. Можно кататься на лыжах!
(Da. No ya lyublyu zimu. Mozhna katat'sa na lyzhakh!) — Yes. But I love winter. You can go skiing!
1. How do you say "It's snowing"?
2. When do Russians celebrate their biggest holiday with gifts?
3. What is Масленица?