М is for Maya (kovsky)

This letter is just like the English M, except that the lower-case version is identical to the upper-case version: Мм. It also looks different in handwriting: it begins unconnected at the bottom and has just two peaks: Мм.

Mayakovsky, full name Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky/Владимир Владимирович Маяковский, (1893-1930) was a preeminent poet of the Soviet Futurist movement. My cousin Kolya is a big fan of him, but I don't quite understand him myself.

Л is for luk

This letter is pronounced like the English L. Sometimes, it appears in a simpler form like an upside-down V. In handwriting, it looks like Лл. The little curl in the front is not connected to the preceding letter.

Лук (luk) is...an onion!

К is for kushyetka and kniga

Though made with a little extra flourish, this letter is indeed equivalent to the English Kk. In handwriting, it looks like Кк.

Кушетка (kushyetka) is couch and книгa (kniga) is book. Mama is reading me stories and poems from a book of the author Aleksandr Pushkin, while sitting on the couch.

Й is for iod

This letter is a variation on the last one, but shorter in sound. It is called an "i kratkaye" or "short ee." It often forms diphthongs, meaning it combines with another vowel to make one sound. In handwriting, it is the same as Ии, but with the short sign on top: Йй.

Йод (iod, pronounced "yode") is iodine, which was used as an antiseptic in years gone by. Few other words start with Йй!

И is for igrushki

This slightly familiar looking letter is actually a vowel that makes the "ee" sound. In handwriting, it resembles the English letter Uu: Ии.

Игрушки (igrushki) are toys! I have nesting dolls called матрёшки (matryoshki), Sasha has a traditional paddle toy with pecking chickens, and Volodya has a wooden doll that wobbles back and forth on a weighted base.