He Was Human — And That Was Already a Lot

(Based on the song “Ведь нет другой такой” by Mikhail Shufutinsky, 2016) Introduction There are songs where a single line becomes destiny.In Mikhail Shufutinsky’s «Ведь нет другой такой», the line that defines the entire composition is: «К счастью привыкнуть нельзя.»You cannot grow accustomed to happiness. This thought works on three levels: When sung by Shufutinsky, […]

When a Man Sings a Lullaby In cultures where lullabies are usually sung by mothers, Sergey Kurenkov’s “Little Princess” sounds unique.It is not just a song — it is a document of tenderness, a father’s voice dedicated to his daughter. Kurenkov in the early 2000s was about 35 years old — not a youth, not […]

How culture, age, and gender shape goodbyes🔗 Choose your language✍️ Author’s Column | Tymur Levitin Founder, teacher, and translator at Levitin Language School🔗 Teacher’s profile One moment — two truths Sometimes two songs tell the same story, yet sound as if they came from opposite banks of a river.So it is with Alexander Marshal’s “Отпускаю” […]

Author’s Column by Tymur LevitinPart of the series: “Instinct. When language is not enough.” 🔗 Choose your language:➡️ Russian version➡️ Ukrainian version 🐺 Introduction She doesn’t scream her pain. She doesn’t flaunt her strength. She simply leaves—if no one listens. And if you’ve ever met one like her, you’ll never mistake her for anyone else. They call her many […]