Russian around the world

Communities abroad

100

In what New York City neighborhood do ~80% of people speak Russian? 

Brighton Beach, ~80% of this coastal New York neighborhood are ethnic Russian speaking Slavs, Jews, and other post Soviet immigrants, the highest concentration anywhere in the world outside of Russia

200

What Chinese city was once majority Russian?

- Beijing 

- Harbin 

- Tianjin

Harbin. The population was majority Russian from the 1900's-1960s. Originally fleeing the Russian Revolution, also sometimes called 'White Russians' for their opposition to the Bolsheviks. Here, they worked on railroads, creating the city from scratch.      

300

In what state was the southernmost point of Russian settlement in North America

- Oregan 

- California 

- Washington

California. Fort Ross acted as the southernmost point of Russian settlement in North America. Serving as an agricultural hub to feed their starving Alaskan settlements, and as a post to trade with the Spanish

400

On what Island nation exists a city where ~ 15% of the population speaks Russian

- Malta 

- Cuba 

- Cyprus 

Cyprus. In the city of Limassol, ~15% of the population speaks Russian. It has the nickname of Limassolgrad

500

In what continent exists a large community of 'Old Believers' 

- Australia 

- Africa 

- South America 

South America. In the 1600's a group of Russians became disaffected with the Orthodox Church following reforms. They left their homes in European Russia and moved to Siberia. After the October Revolution, they were forced to flee to northern China. Following China's own communist revolution, Old Believers found refuge in Brazil and Bolivia. Today, around 4,000 Old Believers live in isolated self-sufficient homesteads, preferring not to interact with the outside world. They keep the same traditions and lifestyle as they did 400 years ago.

Culture Diaspora

100

What widely popular game did the Soviet Researcher Alexey Pajitnov create in 1984?

- Pac Man 

- Tetris 

- Mario World 

Tetris

 

200

What major tech company did Russian Born computer scientist Sergey Brin co-found 

- Oracle  

- Google 

- Uber 

Google. Sergey Brin Co-founded Google in 1998. His parents moved from Moscow to the US when he was child.

300

What Russian/ Eastern European Supermarket chain serves diaspora communities across NY, NJ, PA, and FL?

Netcost Market

400

What famous Russian Ballet dancer defected while on tour with the Bolshoi Theater in Toronto?

Mikhail Baryshnikov defected from the USSR in 1974 to pursue Western styles of dance. He went on to become a world-famous ballet star and actor in the U.S. He led the American Ballet Theatre and became a major face for both classical and modern dance. 

500

What is the name of the chain of resorts, guesthouses, and bungalow colonies that Russian Jewish immigrants would vacation at in the first half of the 20th century in New York's Catskill Mountains? 

- Varenik River

- Selyodka Mountains 

- Borsht Belt

The Borsht Belt. This collection of vacation destinations served as a summer escape and haven for the first wave of Jewish Russian immigrants who settled in the hot slums of New York and were often discriminated against at other vacation destinations

Are they Russian?

100

What American Actor met with Putin in 2010?

Leonardo Di Caprio, can trace his heritage back to Russia through his maternal grandmother. Even calling himself half-Russian during a 2010 meeting with Vladimir Putin

200

Which of Ashton Kutcher's wives has is from Ukraine and speaks Russian?

- Mila Kunis

- Demi Moore

Mila Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. She moved to the United States at the age of 7 and got married to Kutcher in 2015 

300

What famous Ukrainian Born, Russian speaking actress and model was at one point the highest paid model in the world, and plays major roles in the 5th Element and the Resident Evil movies?

Milla Jovovich was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in LA. She has said before that she was born in Ukraine "pretty much by accident" and spent most of her time in Moscow before leaving for the West in 1980 

400

What famous American filmmaker known for movies like Jurassic Park, E.T., and Ready Player One, is 100% a Russian Jew?

Steven Spielberg. He is often regarded as one of the most important and influential figures in the history of cinema. He is also the highest grossing film director of all time. He has a strong connection to the Russian speaking world, with all of his 4 grandparents being Russian Jews who fled from imperial Ukraine.

500

What Famous Russian-American model and actress does Bradly Cooper have his only child with?

Irina Shayk. She was born in Yemanzhelinsk, Russia, just outside Chelyabinsk. She got her start in modeling by being crowned Ms. Chelyabinsk in 2004. In the US she has done a lot of modeling work, and was the first Russian model on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2011.