после/до + Genitive Verbal Noun

In Russian, the prepositions после (after) and до (before/until) always require the genitive case. When paired with a verbal noun, they focus on the transition between events or the completion of a process.

1. Morphology and Case:
Verbal nouns usually end in -ние, -тие, or -ка, but there are also many common "zero-suffix" verbal nouns (e.g., вход, выход, рассказ, бег). When placed in the genitive, the endings change:

• -ние → -ния (e.g., окончание → после окончания)
• -тие → -тия (e.g., открытие → до открытия)
• -ка → -ки (e.g., проверка → после проверки)
• Zero-suffix masculine nouns add -а/-я (e.g., выход → до выхода)

Note that verbal nouns derived from reflexive verbs drop the -ся/-сь particle (e.g., возвращаться → после возвращения). Verbal nouns can also be used in the plural form to indicate repeated or prolonged actions (e.g., после долгих раздумий — after long deliberations).

2. The Case of the Object:
If the verbal noun is derived from a verb that takes a direct object in the Accusative, that object must change to the genitive case. This creates a 'chain' of genitives: после открытия (Gen.) магазина (Gen.) — after the opening of the store. Note that chains longer than two or three nouns are considered poor style in non-official Russian. However, if the original verb takes the Dative or Instrumental case, or uses a preposition, the noun retains that structure: после управления (Gen.) машиной (Inst.), or до подготовки к экзамену (before preparation for the exam).

3. The Subject of the Action:
What happens to the subject of the original verb? If the verb is intransitive, the subject takes the genitive case: после приезда гостей (after the arrival of the guests). If the verb is transitive and has a direct object, the subject takes the instrumental case: после подписания договора директором (after the signing of the contract by the director). However, if the direct object is omitted, the subject of a transitive verb takes the genitive (e.g., после решения суда — after the court's decision). This can sometimes create ambiguity between the subject and object (e.g., чтение Маяковского could mean Mayakovsky is reading, or someone is reading Mayakovsky's works).

4. Verbal Aspect:
Unlike verbs, many verbal nouns neutralize the perfective/imperfective distinction, meaning one word (like решение) can refer to both the process (solving) and the result (solution). However, when distinct aspectual pairs of nouns do exist (e.g., imperfective подписывание vs. perfective подписание), the perfective form is strongly preferred after после because it focuses on the completion of an event (e.g., после подписания договора — after the signing of the contract). Imperfective verbal nouns are still used when the focus is on a general activity (e.g., до начала чтения — before the start of reading).

5. Register and Usage:
Using complex verbal nouns is typical of official and scientific styles. In casual speech, Russians often prefer using full clauses with the conjunctions после того как or до того как followed by a verb. However, short phrases like до начала (before the start) or после возвращения (after returning) are neutral and used everywhere.

6. Nuance:
Using a verbal noun emphasizes the event as a milestone. For example, до отъезда (before the departure) sounds more like a deadline than just a point in time.