Скалка и сито лежат на верхней полке рядом с формой для пирога.

Because the subject is made of two things: скалка + сито = the rolling pin and the sieve.

In Russian, when two nouns are joined by и and together form the subject, the verb normally goes in the plural:

• Скалка и сито лежат... = The rolling pin and the sieve are lying...
• Compare:
  • Скалка лежит... = The rolling pin is lying...
  • Сито лежит... = The sieve is lying...

So even though сито is singular by itself, the whole subject is plural.

Russian usually does not use a present-tense equivalent of to be in sentences like this.

Instead of saying something like The rolling pin and the sieve are on the shelf with a present-tense are, Russian often uses a position verb such as:

• лежать = to lie
• стоять = to stand
• висеть = to hang

Here, лежат is natural because these objects are thought of as lying on a shelf.

So:

• Скалка и сито лежат на полке = The rolling pin and sieve are lying on the shelf

This is more idiomatic than using a general existence verb.

These verbs often all translate loosely as to be located, but Russian prefers different verbs depending on how the object is positioned.

• лежать = to lie, to be lying horizontally
• стоять = to stand, to be upright
• находиться = to be located, to be situated

In this sentence, лежат suggests the rolling pin and sieve are resting on the shelf, not standing upright.

Compare:

• Книги лежат на столе. = The books are lying on the table.
• Бутылка стоит на столе. = The bottle is standing on the table.
• Музей находится в центре города. = The museum is located in the city center.

Because after на when it means on in a static location, Russian uses the prepositional case.

The dictionary forms are:

• верхняя полка = top shelf / upper shelf

But after на for location, both words change:

• на верхней полке = on the top shelf

Case changes:

• верхняя → верхней
• полка → полке

So the phrase means literally on the upper shelf.

This is a very common question.

With на, the case depends on whether there is:

1. location → prepositional
2. movement toward a destination → accusative

In this sentence, the objects are already there, so it is location:

• на верхней полке = on the top shelf

Compare:

• Книга лежит на столе. = The book is on the table.
  Location → prepositional
• Я кладу книгу на стол. = I am putting the book onto the table.
  Movement/destination → accusative

So here полке is prepositional because nothing is moving.

In the expression рядом с, the preposition с does not mean with in the ordinary sense. The whole expression рядом с means:

• next to
• beside

So:

• рядом с формой = next to the pan / next to the baking dish

You should learn рядом с as a fixed pattern.

Examples:

• рядом с домом = next to the house
• рядом с окном = next to the window
• рядом с формой = next to the pan/dish

Because рядом с requires the instrumental case.

The dictionary form is:

• форма = mold, pan, baking form, dish

In the instrumental singular, it becomes:

• формой

So:

• рядом с формой = next to the pan / beside the baking form

This is a normal feminine noun pattern:

• книга → книгой
• лампа → лампой
• форма → формой

Because для takes the genitive case.

The dictionary form is:

• пирог = pie

After для, it becomes:

• пирога

So:

• форма для пирога = a pie pan / pie dish / baking form for pie

Other examples:

• чашка для чая = a cup for tea
• коробка для обуви = a box for shoes
• форма для пирога = a pan for pie

Literally, it means a form for pie.

In natural English, depending on context, this could be:

• pie pan
• pie dish
• baking tin for a pie
• pie mold

Russian форма is a broad word and can refer to a baking form, mold, pan, or tin depending on context.

So рядом с формой для пирога means the rolling pin and sieve are next to that baking item.

Here are the main nouns:

• скалка — feminine
• сито — neuter
• полка — feminine
• форма — feminine
• пирог — masculine

This matters because gender affects adjective endings and sometimes verb forms in the singular.

For example:

• верхняя полка
  feminine adjective because полка is feminine

If the subject were only one noun, gender would affect the singular verb form in the past tense, and sometimes adjective agreement.

Russian has no articles like English a and the.

So:

• скалка can mean a rolling pin or the rolling pin
• сито can mean a sieve or the sieve
• форма can mean a pan/dish or the pan/dish

Context tells you which is meant.

In this sentence, English might naturally use the if the objects are known already:

• The rolling pin and the sieve are on the top shelf next to the pie pan.

But Russian does not need articles to express that.

Yes. Russian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence:

• Скалка и сито лежат на верхней полке рядом с формой для пирога.

is a neutral, natural order.

But Russian could also say:

• На верхней полке рядом с формой для пирога лежат скалка и сито.

This puts more emphasis on the location first, as in:

• On the top shelf next to the pie pan, there are a rolling pin and a sieve.

The basic meaning stays the same, but the focus changes.

In practice, it describes where the rolling pin and sieve are: they are lying on the top shelf, and they are next to the pie pan.

So the natural reading is:

• The rolling pin and the sieve are on the top shelf
• They are next to the pie pan

Because everything is on the same shelf, English and Russian both understand this easily from context.

The main stress is:

• скалка
• сито
• лежат
• верхней
• полке
• рядом
• формой
• пирога

So the sentence sounds like:

• СкАлка и сИто лежАт на вЕрхней пОлке рЯдом с фОрмой для пирогА.

Stress is important in Russian, because it is not always predictable from spelling.