The trouble with reporting on a culture so very different from one's own is that if you do not know the language then misconceptions can occur. My own experience on this blog provides an illustration:
I wrote, about a month ago that 'Prospect Mira' means 'view of the world' Well it doesn't! I could have checked, as there are plenty of willing helpers here, but if you try to check everything then you get nothing done.
I used literal translation. Mira can mean 'world' but it also means 'peace'. In English a prospect is a view, an opportunity or aspiration that can be taken advantage of etc. In Russian it is a wide street.
I should have reported that Prospect Mira means 'Street of Peace'. So now you know
Stalin had many fine buildings placed along its length- good quality office and apartment blocks. Some can be seen above.
I will let you know if I find any more 'errors'.
Do svedanya,
Graham
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