u/mot-and-most

Hey everyone 👋
I’m the organizer of the Linguistic Salon in Murten and I wanted to share something honestly.
On June 17 we’re hosting our very first German-Russian evening at Bar Muratum. I’m really excited… and also a little nervous.
Why? Because I don’t speak German (yet!). I’ve been learning for a while, but this will be my first time moderating a bilingual evening in a language I’m still very much a beginner in.
Still, I believe it’s going to be a lovely evening. The format stays the same: cocktails and snacks, half the time in Russian, half in German, interesting topics, light games, and a relaxed atmosphere. I’ll do my best to keep things flowing and comfortable for everyone.
This event is perfect for:
Russian speakers who want to practice German in a friendly setting
German speakers who want to practice or keep up their Russian
People who are patient, open-minded, and enjoy helping each other
I’m counting on the group to be supportive and understanding — just like our French-Russian meetings have been so far.
If you’re around Murten / Bern / Fribourg area and this sounds fun (even if your level isn’t perfect), please come. Your presence and good energy will help make it special.
Date: June 17
Time: 18.30
Place: Bar Muratum, Murten
Would love to see some of you there. And if you have experience with language exchanges where the moderator is also learning — I’d really appreciate any tips or encouragement in the comments ❤️
Спасибо / Danke / Thank you!

In 1996, French photographer Frédéric Chaubin took his camera and embarked on a journey through the former Soviet republics. What he found completely redefined how the world perceives late-Soviet architecture.
Instead of the usual grey, monotonous buildings we often associate with the USSR, Chaubin uncovered bold, futuristic, and almost extraterrestrial structures built mostly in the 1970s–90s. These buildings had such a unique, otherworldly aesthetic that he coined the term “Cosmic Architecture” to describe them.
His groundbreaking book CCCP. Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed (2011) became a massive bestseller. For many Western readers, it was a revelation — these weren’t just provincial copies of international modernism. They were wild, expressive, utopian constructions that looked like they belonged on another planet.
In the preface, Chaubin explained his mission: to tell the stories of Soviet architects who were “trapped in a cage” yet desperately longed for creativity and freedom.
“There is no need for any special techniques to make the photos more expressive. The buildings are astonishing in themselves. The main goal was to preserve the natural context so that viewers could see in them fragments of another era.”
The project remains one of the most powerful visual documentations of Soviet futuristic architecture. Many of these buildings still stand today — decaying, forgotten, but incredibly photogenic.
🔭 Had you ever seen this “cosmic” side of Soviet architecture before? What’s your favorite example?

Hey r/Switzerland / r/languagelearning / r/russian / r/French
My name is Ari, and I started a linguistic salon in Murten at Bar Muratum.
Every two weeks we gather:
Russian speakers who want to practice French
French speakers who want to practice Russian
First half of the evening — French only.
Second half — Russian only.
I moderate gently: bring interesting (non-boring) topics, small games, icebreakers. Everything happens over cocktails and snacks in a very relaxed atmosphere.
The next event is 17 of June.
If you’re in the Bern/Fribourg/Lake Murten area and love languages — come say hi. No pressure, all levels welcome.
Who else misses real-life language practice in Switzerland? Drop a comment if you’d be interested in German-Russian edition too (first one coming soon!).