Russians seem to avoid using N, S, E, W

[Svetlana Malykhina]

I second the opinion that avoidance of using geographic coordinates is deeply embedded 'russian way' of describing urban places. From my observation, it seems like those who are sailing, hiking and driving around the places are more likely to use N S E W while telling the directions to places. Likewise those who know something about the starry sky, can locate the North Star and read by starlight can easily navigate a city at night.
Astronomy and geography are sets of universal skills, aren't they?  
 
Svitlana Malykhina
--- On Fri, 3/9/10, Melissa Smith <mtsmith02 at YSU.EDU> wrote:


From: Melissa Smith <mtsmith02 at YSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Russians seem to avoid using N, S, E, W
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Date: Friday, 3 September, 2010, 0:26


I don't know what knowledge is typical in any culture. I personally 
like studying maps and carry the directions of the compass in my head, 
but I've been astounded when I try to teach points of the compass, and 
my students on a commuter campus don't know which way is home! I think 
it's only going to get worse, since GPS tends to indicate the direction 
you happen to be headed. The route that one needs to take is the most 
relevant information, and directions of the compass involve an extra 
layer of abstraction from one's personal world.

You may not need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is 
blowing, but if you want to communicate this information to someone 
else, you need a shared system of coordinates!

Melissa


On 9/2/10 2:43 PM, Richard Robin wrote:
> The fact that Russians don't use compass directions has always been
> frustrating to me. Whenever I come out of a Moscow metro station that 
I have
> never seen before, my first instinct is to try and figure out where 
north
> is. If I know that, I can find almost anything. But alas, on a cloudy 
day or
> at night, with no sun for guidance, I know that no one I ask will be 
able to
> tell me where north is. Of course, in the northern part of the city, I 
can
> use Ostankino as a marker. But elsewhere it's hopeless. Maybe I should 
carry
> around a compass.
> 
> Perhaps I'm atypical, even for an American. My wife is ready to 
divorce me
> every time I say something like "It's on the southeast corner of 
Wisconsin
> Avenue and Reservoir Road."
> 
> -Rich Robin
> 
> -- 
> Richard M. Robin
> Director Russian Language Program
> The George Washington University
> Washington, DC 20052
> 202-994-7081
> 
> 
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------------------------------------

Melissa T. Smith, Professor
Department of Foreign Languages and 
Literatures  
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH 44555
Tel: (330)941-3462

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