If you:
- would like to practise your Russian reading skills
but
- don't have any particular interests you can read about in Russian
- or do have such interests, but not enough vocabulary, or
- find that newspapers are too difficult, or too boring, and
- don't know whether to laugh or to cry when some site offers a link to the complete version of "War and peace" so you can "test" or "improve" your reading skills, or
- couldn't care less about Tolstoi or Dostoevsky, or
- prefer lighter, fun readings
then you've come to the right place.
This is a collection of links to fun, interesting, not too long texts in Russian. Readings you can use to test and improve your reading skills, and at the same time have some fun.
Some of this readings are simplified and used in formal learning contexts. Others are real texts, Russian written for Russians, and not intended as learning material.
I don't pretend to make a neutral list (that's absolutely impossible). And, obviously, I can't offer exactly what fits your taste, but if at least I can suggest you something interesting, I'll be pleased.
Feel free to suggest links! theheap [at] mail.ru (replace [at] with @).
Here we go!
Collections of stories sent in by readers.
Personal stories have a great advantage: they are written by common people with they language used by common people. If you understand these stories, then you know a lot of Russian already!
- realstory.ru. Short stories sent by readers. There is романтика, прикол...
- Служба доверия. Women magazines always have this kind of section: readers send in their love life problems.
- Истории. "Рассказы тех, кто хоть раз в жизни ездил в Московском метро." Stories for those who have ridden the Moscow metro.
- Моя история. You can find stories about: Познать себя, Двое, Дом и семья, Родители и дети. From a psychology portal.
- Няни и гувернантки. People tell about their experiences finding a nanny.
People. Personal sites
- Mouse house: Jane Kats. Jane kats shares her experiences from childhood, her trips, etc.
- Мы в Германии: язык и другие проблемы интеграции. A Russian who lives in Germany writes about the difficulties of being an immigrant.
Other stuff
- Учебник английского языка. 25 mistakes Russian teachers made frequently. Have a good laugh!
- Песня о Буревестнике (The Song of the Stormy Petrel). First, watch this very nice film: Буревестник. If it interests you, read the poem here (it has English translation).
- Как общаться на западе. That is, how to be with people in the West. This is what some (few?) Russians think about Americans.
- Жизнь - Правда.Ру. The Жизнь section of newspaper Правда.Ру always has some odd or gory story.
- Дети пишуи богу. Questions children ask God.
- If you are looking for something really short, quotes, idioms and aphorisms are a very good idea. Keywords: афоризмы, цитаты, пословицы, поговорки.