--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 мин (2009-06-30 10:52:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

а если поговорка:

Вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день! — Here's a fine how d'ye do! / good-bye to our expectations!


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 мин (2009-06-30 10:54:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Здесь варианты http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?a=3&s=����� ����&sc=310&l1=2&l2=1

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 мин (2009-06-30 10:58:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 мин (2009-06-30 10:59:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

вариант: St. Yuri's day

Well ...

The story is as follows:

In the Rusaain history there have been крепостные крестьяне (serfs) see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serfdom.

They had no right to leave their masters.

But on the St. George's day thay had the legal right to go away to any other master.

On some year this right was cancelled.

So, the popular saying "Djn тебе бабушка и Юрьев день" refers to a situation when a peasant have decided to go away and waited for a year (!) and then he comes and says "I want to go away" - and they say to him - this right was cancelled, relax :)

Rather frustrating, you know :)

So this refers to some very unexpancetd change to the current satate of things and the procedure established for many years. But no Judgement Day around here :)

...given the context with Yushchenko

...will get you a cup of coffee. (idiom probably needs economic updating - that [empty promise] and 4 bucks will get me a latte).

He's referring to an empty promise in any event.

I'm submitting this with a "4" for being historically analogous, but it deserves maybe a "2" as appropriate for putting in Yushchenko's mouth as a translation, because each of the expressions is so culturally specific.

"40 acres" (a quarter-section, or 16 ha.) "and a mule" was promised to freed slaves at the end of the U.S. Civil War, according to a land grant issued by Gen. W.T. Sherman, covering at least part of the South. After the assassination of Lincoln, the promise was cancelled.

or "disappointing finale, as expected."

I think that's what he may have meant, though the 30th of November is indeed Юрьев день, or close to it, calendarily speaking. (is "calendarily" a word? Probably not). But for many Russians, the expression is somewhat household, so since there isn't an equivalent proper name in English, maybe going with a meaning is an option. Well, good luck. -E

"Surprise, surprise! But,please, don't be upset!" That is the day when Russian pesants were denied a free pass across neighbouring (and other lands) manors. In a day they prepaired for their journey they were stopped by the officers.It just happened that that day was marked on the calendar as "Yury Day".Say, something you wait for long and when the day comes - anything happens but not that what you were expecting, something that destroys your plans. I don't think that English equivalent exists.