• Russian humor thrived even during the Soviet stagnation period of the 1970s and 1980s?

Facts on topics related to Russian humor

Russian language

• IBM's Automatic Language Translator machines used by the US Air Force had optical disks that stored thousands of Russian-to-English translations?
• Soviet literature declared Russian the "world language of internationalism", denouncing French as the "language of fancy courtiers" and English as the "jargon of traders"?
• Anna Marly originally wrote Chant des Partisans, the song that became the anthem of the French Resistance following the prohibition of La Marseillaise, in Russian?
• forced labor of Hungarians in the Soviet Union was dubbed malenkij robot (corrupted Russian for "a little work") in Hungary?
• William Morfill was the first professor of Russian in Britain?
• The Enchanter is the last work of fiction written by Vladimir Nabokov in Russian but was first published in English after his death?
• The Gift, the last novel written by Vladimir Nabokov in Russian, was initially poorly received and partially rejected?
• Firestar's Quest, a book in the Warriors fantasy novel series, has been translated into Russian?
• although Russian is the most widely used second language in Ukraine, it has no official status in the country?
• due to a bureaucratic error Sir Curtis Keeble was placed in charge of 2000 Russian refugees despite not speaking fluent Russian?

Russian literature

• Soviet scholars coined the term ‘democratic satire’ to describe the three-century old Russian tale of Frol Skobeev?
• Vladimir Nabokov described D.S. Mirsky's book A History of Russian Literature : From Its Beginnings to 1900 as "the best history of Russian literature in any language, including Russian"?

Russia

• 17th century Russian diplomat Pyotr Ivanovich Potemkin (pictured) is reputed to have insisted on lying in bed during an audience with the King of Denmark, who was himself confined to his bed, to demonstrate equality between Russia and Denmark?
• Abkhaz writer Fazil Iskander publishes articles for the Russian newspaper Kultura?
• aluminium alloys developed by Russian metallurgist Igor Gorynin are claimed to have the highest specific strength of all known weldable metallic materials?
• Armenian composer and musician Ara Gevorgyan composed the music for Russian prima ballerina Anastasia Volochkova's "Golden cage" ballet dedicated to the Bolshoi Theater?
• aviation historian Randy Acord was awarded the Alaska–Siberian Lend Lease Award for his role in improving Russian–North American relations during World War II?
• Chechen military commander Said-Magomed Kakiev has been declared a Hero of the Russian Federation four times, making him one of the most decorated Russian citizens?
• Chinese immigration to the Russian Far East has led to fears of Chinese irredentism in Russia, even though there are less than 35,000 Chinese in all of Russia?
• Count Orlov's Marble Palace, decorated with 32 shades of Russian marbles, currently houses the largest exhibition of Pop Art in Saint Petersburg?
• Emperor Paul of Russia ordered the name of his mistress Anna Lopukhina to be given to warships and to be inscribed on the standards of his Leib Guard?
• England brokered the 1617 Treaty of Stolbova between Sweden and Russia?