В тридевятом царстве. (V tridevyátom tsárstve.)
[f trʲɪdʲɪˈvʲatʌm ˈtsarstvʲə]
"In the three-ninth kingdom", a typical beginning of a fairy tale; often used ironically in a reference to a place far away.
Со времён царя Гороха. (So vremyón tsaryá Gorókha.)
[ˌsʌ vrʲɪˈmʲon tsʌˈrʲa ɡʌˈroxʌ]
"Since the times of Tsar Green-pea."; c.f. English, "since time immemorial" = "с незапамятных времён".
Ни к селу, ни к городу. (Ni k selú, ni k górodu.)
[ni k sʲɪˈlu, ni ɡ ˈɡorʌdu]
"Neither for a village nor for a city."; c.f. English, "of no use or relevance whatsoever."
Хоть кол на голове теши. (Khot' kol na golové teshí.)
[ˌхʌtʲ ˈkol na ɡəlʌˈvʲe tʲɪˈʃi]
"Even if you whittled a spike on his head...", said of someone especially stubborn or recalcitrant.
Делать из мухи слона. (Délat' iz múkhi sloná.)
[ˈdʲelatʲ iz ˈmuхi slʌˈna]
"To make an elephant out of a fly."; c.f. English, "to make a mountain out of a mole-hill."
Палить из пушки по воробьям. (Palít' iz púshki po vorob'yám.)
[pʌˈlitʲ is ˈpuʃki pʌ vʌrʌbˈjam]
"To shoot sparrows with a cannon", c.f. English, "crack a nut with a sledgehammer."
Бить баклуши. (bit' baklúshi)
[ˈbitʲ bʌkˈluʃi]
c.f. English, "to fool (away)," "to waste time."
Когда рак (на горе) свистнет. (Kogdá rak (na goré) svístnet.)
[kʌɡˌda ˈrak (na ɡʌˈre) ˈsvʲisnʲet]
"When a crayfish whistles (on the mountain)", c.f. English, "when pigs fly", meaning "never."
Показать, где раки зимуют. (Pokazát', gde ráki zimúyut.)
[pəkʌˈzatʲ, ɡde ˈraki ziˈmujut]
"To show one where the crayfish spend winter", c.f. English, "to punish; to give a piece of one's mind."
Показать Кузькину мать. (Pokazát' Kuz'kinu mat'.)
[pʌkʌˈzatʲ kuzʲkinu ˈmatʲ]
"To show one Kuzma's mother", see above.
Есть человек, есть проблема. Нет человека, нет проблемы.[dubious – discuss] (Yest' chelovék, yest' probléma. Net chelovéka, net problémy.)
[jestʲ tʃʲɪlʌˈvʲek, jestʲ prʌbˈlʲemʌ. nʲet tʃʲɪlkˈvеkʌ, nʲet prʌˈblʲemɨ]
"If there is a person, there is a problem. If there is no person, then there is no problem."
This is commonly incorrectly attributed to Joseph Stalin, the political leader of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953. In fact this phrase was used by Soviet writer Anatoly Rybakov in his novel Children of the Arbat[1].
Щи да каша — пища наша (Shchi da kásha ― píshcha násha.)
[ɕːi dʌ kʌˈʃa ― ˈpiɕːʌ nʌˈʃa]
"Shchi and kasha are our food.", c.f. English, "We are simple people, for this is all we eat."
