
In May 2016 I went to Belarus — my mother’s homeland — to visit my relatives. Not to be bored I decided to attend classes in the village’s the only school. Just to have fun and see what’s going on there.
There was no security control in that small school so I just came to a class and sat next to a guy I had played football with last evening.
A geography teacher — an old but pleasant lady — came to our class. Seeing me and asked me few questions, she decided to make fun of Russian newcomer a bit:
— So, young Russian boy, do you know anything about Belarus geography? How many subjects we have for example?
— 6 regions and the capital, — I answered fast and calmly. — Name it! — she continued hoping for my failure.
— Brest, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Gomel, Grodno and Minsk, — I answered again.
She fell silent. My neighbor on the desk – a cheerful true village boy with a constant smile on his face – gently hit me with his elbow and whisper said: ”Ask her to name all the subjects in the Russian Federation, now it’s her turn.“ (There are 85 subjects that can hardly be named by anyone even from Russia).
So I did ask her!
The whole class burst in laughing, and the teacher’s face became super funny and defeated. — Well, let’s begin our lesson, — she changed the theme and, smiling, appreciated my victorious joke.
It was probably the funniest moment ever in my school time!
How many subjects does your country have and can you name all of them by the way??


In the Russian Map:
- Green – Republics
- Orange – Krai
- Yellow – Oblast
- Blue – Autonomous Region
- Purple – Autonomous Oblast (Jewish)
- Red: Federal Cities

