Oxford Russian Dictionary: Russian-English / English-Russian 4th Edition

Firstly, as you can probably tell from the website's "Look Inside!" feature, this is not a Russian-Russian dictionary, but rather a combined Russian-English and English-Russian one. For those who are uncertain (as I was) whether to buy the more extensive Oxford Russian Dictionary or the less costly Compact Oxford Russian Dictionary, let me provide some counsel.Being published in 2013 [whereas the bigger version's latest (4th) edition is from 2007], the compact one is more up-to-date and is the better choice if you really need portability. Another slight advantage going for it is the indication of "key words" in both the Russian-English and English-Russian sections, which is nice if you're browsing through the dictionary, aiming to learn only the more common words and phrases.My main peeve with the compact version, however, makes trying to browse it--well--trying, because unlike some paperbacks, the binding on this book springs it back shut as soon as you let go of it, even when open to the middle pages. When I'm reading a regular (non-reference) book and come across an unfamiliar word or phrase, I often first look it up in a dictionary, then go back to my regular book to check it's context, then perhaps go back to the dictionary to see what other meanings it may have and in what other contexts it can used. Of course, I suppose a bookmark could just be inserted into the dictionary each time, so that one could go back to the same page.Nevertheless, I really appreciate the ability to read the bigger (hardcover) version without having to constantly hold it open. Because of this, plus the inclusion of more entries and more detail within its entries, I think it is well worth shelling out the extra cash for the bigger book. I ended up buying both, but the bigger one certainly serves as my default, especially for studying in earnest at my desk. The compact one I keep near my TV set to quickly look up a Russian word while I may be viewing a Russian movie or when it suddenly comes to me, as I'm watching the tube, "I wonder how you say...in Russian."

Great dictionary!

I have at least a dozen Russian Dictionaries including the official Soviet Union, 4-volume 1957 edition printed in Moscow. For about the last 25 years I have used on an almost daily basis, the Third Edition of The Oxford Russian Dictionary. While it was not an absolutely complete work, it was more than adequate for my means. I have not thrown the old dictionary away. It is on my library shelf and will remain there until they throw it away with my body. I have spent many enjoyable moments looking up thousands and thousands of words. The left hand side, the Russian Language part, is very heavily stained from being in contact with my fingers. The right hand side, the English Side is almost stainless. It was perfect for my needs and I am sure that the Fourth Edition will also be the same. There is one minor difference between the old Third Edition and this new Fourth Edition that nobody will notice unless they had the old, Third Edition. The print quality is not as good. Obviously, this new edition was computer printed. It lacks the touch of the human hand. It has no soul!

We have been using the Oxford dictionaries for years. The Mini is a fantastic book. Much better than most out on the market that are much larger (size) but have fewer needed words.This is the big brother for that one. Easier to read and handle.We still come across words that don't translate accurately (E->R) the word: Silly translates as glupi. However, it does not convey the meaning properly (glupi in Russian is closer to dumb/stupid than goofy, frolicking fun).The big thing you will notice with the Oxford books is the words used in them are much more common to everyday language in both languages. Over teh last 7 years we've tried many different Rus/Eng dictionaries, but constantly find ourselves disappointed with them and keep returning to Oxford.

I resisted getting this edition, because I didn't want the extra size and weight that came with having both Rus-Eng and Eng-Rus in one volume. But my old Oxford Rus-Eng dictionary got damaged in travel, so I decided I would "upgrade." It actually was an upgrade, since this new edition has made an innovation with respect to the old: all of the idiomatic phrases associated with a given word are in bold, which makes them much easier to locate. This seems such an obvious thing to do, I don't know why it hasn't always been standard. It makes a big difference, so I am very happy with this dictionary. Before, it was always such a tedious process to read through the whole list of phrases given with a word's definition, hoping the one that had you puzzled would be there.