When recounting the epic timelines of historical sea voyages, we often need to describe actions that span prolonged periods. To express "during," "over the course of," or "throughout," Russian uses two derivative compound prepositions: в течение and в продолжение.
Both of these prepositions are formed from a preposition and a noun, and both require the phrase that follows them to be in the Genitive case.
A crucial spelling rule for Russian learners: even though they look like nouns in the prepositional case, as fixed compound prepositions, they both always end in the letter -е (never -и).
В течение (During / Over the Course of)
Use в течение to indicate that an action occurred during a specific block of time or an ongoing event. It is the most standard way to translate "during."
| During the entire voyage, the sailors did not see land. | В течение всего плавания матросы не видели землю. |
| The captain did not use a compass during this voyage. | Капитан не использовал компас в течение этого плавания. |
В продолжение (Throughout)
В продолжение functions almost identically and also takes the Genitive case. However, it slightly emphasizes the continuous, uninterrupted nature of the event, translating closer to "throughout."
| Throughout the severe storm, the vessel could not sail. | В продолжение сильного шторма судно не могло плыть. |
| Throughout the month, the vessel sailed toward the horizon. | В продолжение месяца судно плыло к горизонту. |
Epic Timelines
These prepositions are perfect for framing historical narratives. Whether you are describing a years-long exploration toward the horizon or a tense standoff during a mutiny, в течение and в продолжение anchor the action in time.
| Over the course of several years, they studied this unexplored ocean. | В течение нескольких лет они изучали этот неизведанный океан. |
| Throughout the entire mutiny, the captain maintained his calm. | В продолжение всего бунта капитан сохранял спокойствие. |