CCCP: what does it mean?
Discussion
Yep. it never really was CCCP at all.
As a 1970s plane spotter, it was quite a wrench when Russia dropped their SSSR/"CCCP" aircraft registration prefix for the more logical "RA".
The Beatles may have flown into Miami Beach on a BOAC aircraft, but the aircraft on the soundtrack sound awfully like a Vickers Viscount - something BOAC were highly unlikely to be flying into Miami.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 20th April 18:38
As a 1970s plane spotter, it was quite a wrench when Russia dropped their SSSR/"CCCP" aircraft registration prefix for the more logical "RA".
The Beatles may have flown into Miami Beach on a BOAC aircraft, but the aircraft on the soundtrack sound awfully like a Vickers Viscount - something BOAC were highly unlikely to be flying into Miami.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 20th April 18:38
Yeah, CCCP is pronounced SSSR. The Russian alphabet is mostly based on the Greek alphabet.
BTW if you have not been there, at least a visit to Moscow is worthwhile. You can spend a week on "Red" Square (the word,"krasnoye" that's translated as "red" is really better translated as "beautiful")they have several very interesting museums, one called the "diamond fund" dedicated strictly to diamonds- you can go over to GUM and pick up a damn nice suit for about $200-300 USD equivalent, saving back part of your air fare.
Of course you want to watch what you are doing, don't gawk about with a huge camera and a wad of money like a sign saying "rich tourist, good target". Having studied the language for over 10 years I am more comfortable there than a non-speaker of course, but, it's worth considering as a vacation destination.
BTW if you have not been there, at least a visit to Moscow is worthwhile. You can spend a week on "Red" Square (the word,"krasnoye" that's translated as "red" is really better translated as "beautiful")they have several very interesting museums, one called the "diamond fund" dedicated strictly to diamonds- you can go over to GUM and pick up a damn nice suit for about $200-300 USD equivalent, saving back part of your air fare.
Of course you want to watch what you are doing, don't gawk about with a huge camera and a wad of money like a sign saying "rich tourist, good target". Having studied the language for over 10 years I am more comfortable there than a non-speaker of course, but, it's worth considering as a vacation destination.
M3 Mitch said:
BTW if you have not been there, at least a visit to Moscow is worthwhile. You can spend a week on "Red" Square.
Interesting. Is Lenin's body still preserved in his tomb on the square? There was a proposal a couple of years ago to turn his mausoleum into a disco! But I never thought they were going to embrace capitalism quite so flagrently
Incidently, one of Dan Crukshank's 80 Treasures (in the recent series) was the Moscow Metro. These stations were incredible!
M3 Mitch said:
Thanks is "spacebo" pronounced spa-CE-ba.
Спасибо in the Cyrillic.
Interestingly the same word can be used for "please" and "thank you" - "pozhalsta" po-ZHAL-sta" in the Cyrillic пожалуйста.
I love this site! It doesn't matter what your question is, there'll be an expert waiting to answer it

Well expert is stretching it - but I have been over there a few times. On Lenin - yes, he's still in his glass coffin, and so well preserved it's eerie! He looks like if you tapped on the glass he'd wake up.
You can see Lenin only at certain times of the day and week, in general not on weekends. No cameras are allowed. The whole experience is probably unchanged from Stalin's time.
BTW most Russians have a very positive attitude towards the US and the UK. WWII is still a VERY big deal to them, although come to think of it it's probably a bigger deal to you Brits than the average Yank.
I ran into a WWII vet in Moscow (it was VE day and he had his medals on his suit jacket, as they have the habit of doing) and talked with him a little - Russian-speaking Americans are rare enough, and many "ordinary Joes" have wanted to talk with me just to ask a few questions about the US. Anyway this was during the early days of the latest Iraq situation. Oddly enough he was very supportive of whacking Saddam - said something to the effect of "good show, why the hell didn't you guys do that with Hitler, would have saved me considerable trouble"
Not at all to thread-jack and not saying that I support the Iraq thing 100%. But this guy did have a point about Hitler - How did Churchhill put it? (speaking to Americans) Something like: You didn't join the fight when it would have been easy, and if you won't join it now, while it's hard but do-able, you will eventually be forced to join it when you have no real chance, just to go down fighting - It's an inexact quote and Sir Winston's words are much better than mine, but I think I have the overall idea right...
>> Edited by M3 Mitch on Thursday 21st April 00:25
You can see Lenin only at certain times of the day and week, in general not on weekends. No cameras are allowed. The whole experience is probably unchanged from Stalin's time.
BTW most Russians have a very positive attitude towards the US and the UK. WWII is still a VERY big deal to them, although come to think of it it's probably a bigger deal to you Brits than the average Yank.
I ran into a WWII vet in Moscow (it was VE day and he had his medals on his suit jacket, as they have the habit of doing) and talked with him a little - Russian-speaking Americans are rare enough, and many "ordinary Joes" have wanted to talk with me just to ask a few questions about the US. Anyway this was during the early days of the latest Iraq situation. Oddly enough he was very supportive of whacking Saddam - said something to the effect of "good show, why the hell didn't you guys do that with Hitler, would have saved me considerable trouble"
Not at all to thread-jack and not saying that I support the Iraq thing 100%. But this guy did have a point about Hitler - How did Churchhill put it? (speaking to Americans) Something like: You didn't join the fight when it would have been easy, and if you won't join it now, while it's hard but do-able, you will eventually be forced to join it when you have no real chance, just to go down fighting - It's an inexact quote and Sir Winston's words are much better than mine, but I think I have the overall idea right...
>> Edited by M3 Mitch on Thursday 21st April 00:25
chaparral said:
2 Smokin Barrels said:
dr strangelove said:
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Flew into Miami Beach BOAC........
Didn't get to bed last night
All the way the paper bag was on my knees
Man I had a dreadful flight
(chorus)
Are you going to mention the Georgia girls?
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