# File lib/russian/transliteration.rb, line 39
    def transliterate(str)
      chars = str.split(//)    
    
      result = ""

      chars.each_with_index do |char, index|
        if UPPER.has_key?(char) && LOWER.has_key?(chars[index+1])
          # combined case
          result << UPPER[char].downcase.capitalize
        elsif UPPER.has_key?(char)
          result << UPPER[char]
        elsif LOWER.has_key?(char)
          result << LOWER[char]
        else
          result << char
        end
      end

      return result
    end