Russia, also known as the Russian Federation, is a state in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. Russia shares borders with the following countries (from northwest to southeast): Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan (by the Sea of Okhotsk) and the United States (by the Bering Strait).
Russians have distinctive traditions of folk music. Typical ethnic Russian musical instruments are gusli, balalaika, zhaleika, balalaika contrabass, bayan accordion, Gypsy guitar and garmoshka. Folk music had great influence on the Russian classical composers, and in modern times it is a source of inspiration for a number of popular folk bands, most prominent being Melnitsa. Russian folk songs, as well as patriotic songs of the Soviet era, constitute the bulk of repertoire of the world-renown Red Army choir and other popular Russian ensembles.
KOROBUSHKA
Oi, palna, palna korobushka
yest i sitits i parcha.
Pazhalei dusha zaznobushka
maladyets kava plicha!
Vidi, vidi v rozh visokuyu.
Tam do nochki pasizhu
i zavizhu chernaokuyu
fsye tavari razlazhu.
Tsenyi sam platil ney malie.
Nye targuysa, nye skupis.
podstavlyay-ka gubi alie,
blyizhe k milamu sadis!
Vot i pala noch tumanaya
shchyot udali maladyets.
Chu idyot prishla zhilanaya,
pradayot tavar kupyets.
Katya byeryezhna targuyitsa,
vsyo bayitsa piridat'.
Parin' zdivitsi tsiluyitsa
prosit tsenu nabavlyat'.
Znayit tol'ka noch glubokaya,
kak paladili anyi
raspryamis ti rosh visokaya
taynu svyata sokhranyi.
Oi likhka, likhka karobushka,
plyech nye ryezhet ryemeshok!
A fsyevo vzyala zaznobushka
biryuzovi pirstyenyok.
Hey! Full, full is my box,
I've got cotton and brocades, too!
Have pity, my sweetheart,
on a fellow's shoulder.
Come, come out into the field of
high-growing rye.
I will wait there till nightfall,
and when I see my black-eyed beauty,
I'll spread out all my wares.
I paid good prices for them.
Don't bargain, don't be stingy,
come, hold out your bright red lips,
nestle closer to your sweetheart."
The misty night has fallen,
the bold young fellow is waiting.
Hark, here she comes!
She has come, the beloved.
And the peddlar sells his wares.
Katya bargains with discretion,
afraid of paying too much.
The boy kisses the girl
and begs her to raise the price.
The night alone
knows how they came to terms.
Straighten up, high-growing rye
keep your secret faithfully!
Hey, light, light is my box,
the strap doesn't cut into my shoulders!
Yet all my sweetheart took
was a turquoise ring.