A bag with bags, a can of coffee and salt, a warehouse of unnecessary things on the balcony, which "will definitely come in handy" - these and many other habits of Russians become a real wonder for foreigners arriving in the country, and introduce them into stupor. Novate.ru tells what shocks tourists in Russia the most, and why.
A visit to the Russian Federation leaves an indelible impression on the French, British, Germans and residents of other countries. They do not understand how it is possible to walk around the apartment barefoot or in slippers, they are surprised that the guests offer any drinks other than water and look shocked when "these Russians" make their own repairs. What else haunts foreigners, read below.
Habit 1: Eating every last crumb
In Russian families, it is customary to observe the "clean plate rule", that is, to eat up everything that the hospitable hostess of the house put down. And the most beloved guests are those who ask for supplements, because this means that they liked the dish very much. Discreet tourists do not always understand this urge to eat every last bite, and therefore often find themselves in an awkward position. Also, foreigners note that Russians can offer tea, coffee, alcohol as a drink, but they will never remember about ordinary water with or without gas.
Habit 2: Men shake hands
Men's handshaking in Russia is a separate art form. Any day at work begins with a massive greeting in this way. Moreover, you need to extend your hand to every man, otherwise others will think that you do not have good manners. Abroad, this way of greeting is the exception rather than the rule. So, for example, in the United States, a handshake is treated exclusively as an attribute of business meetings, and is not used in everyday life, in the UK they rarely shake hands with a friend when they meet, and they never do it when they say goodbye, and in Japan there is no such thing as handshake.
Habit 3: My home is my fortress
It is not for nothing that the proverb “My home is my fortress” is popular in Russia. To get into an apartment building, you need to go through the seven circles of hell, and this path begins with an intercom. If a foreigner comes to visit who does not know the number of your apartment, then he will have to play a real lottery, namely, to guess where you live. We will tell you why tourists are confused and confused, standing in front of a Russian intercom. The fact is that in Europe and America it is customary to hang a list of the names of all residents and the numbers of their apartments next to the combination lock, so that it is not difficult to find the right person. And in Russia they prefer complete confidentiality, guided by the following logic: if a person knows the apartment number, then he was invited, and if not, then no one is waiting for a guest.
Habit 4: Dressing up in public transport
When Russians go on a trip, they definitely take with them a set of home clothes, for example, pajamas, tracksuit, shorts and a T-shirt. These things are indispensable during a long journey by train and sometimes by plane. But tourists come to a real shock when they see that their "friends on the reserved seat" begin to change clothes immediately after they get on the train. It is not customary for foreigners to do this. They either put on comfortable clothes right away, suitable for long journeys, or simply remain in the same outfit in which they entered the train / on board the plane.
Habit 5: DIY repairs
Saving for Russians is not an empty phrase, so when it comes to repairs, they prefer to do it themselves. Moreover, no one even thinks about capital - cosmetic is considered the ideal option. Another interesting feature is that renovations in an apartment can take years: at first the windows change, after a few months the wallpaper is re-glued, and after a year you can also have tiles in the bathroom change.
It is not surprising that in the eyes of a foreigner, a Russian person is one who knows how to do absolutely everything with his own hands, from fixing a tap to painting walls. Abroad, such skills are rare, but in Russia they are a matter of national pride.
Habit 6: Storing unnecessary items on the balcony
When foreigners enter the balcony of a Russian apartment, they grab their heads, because in most cases there a real warehouse of unnecessary things: boxes, glass jars, old household appliances, sets, small clothes and etc. All these items can be easily compared with a suitcase without a handle: it is both inconvenient to carry and it is a pity to throw it away. The Russians think that they will definitely come in handy, but, as practice shows, no one uses these things.
Habit 7: have a dacha
Love for country houses is in the blood of Russians. They can live in a luxurious apartment in the city center, but at the same time they must have a small summer cottage and a vegetable garden, where they will come in summer, on weekends or holidays. Foreigners believe that under the word "dacha" there is a small wooden house with a stove, furnished Soviet furniture, which should have been stored on the balcony from the previous paragraph, but did not fit there. As for the site, there is a small garden, a vegetable garden and, possibly, a gazebo.
Habit 8: Cramming into public transport like "herring"
A classic feature of any Russian city is the huge amount of public transport. Trams, trolleybuses, buses, fixed-route taxis - foreigners are shocked not only by the variety of transport, but also by its state. Not only are most cars much older than some passengers, but also during rush hour buses there are a lot of people who then ask to pass for the passage or try to make their way to the exit to the desired stop. For people who have come from abroad, this state of affairs is at least strange, and at most shocking.
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Habit 9: Call all employees managers
In Russian companies, it is customary to call managers even those employees who do not manage anything. Job advertisements often indicate that an account manager, sales manager, development manager, etc. is required. There is no such division abroad. Foreigners call a manager a person who is engaged in managing processes and personnel at a certain site of the company, and not just using the word as a prefix to a position.
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Habit 10: Wrap up in warm clothes when the first frost arrives
Many foreigners come to Russia to appreciate the famous "Russian winter", which is a symbol of the country. They are sure that the locals are incredibly frost-resistant, and therefore are surprised when Russians are trying in every possible way to avoid any draft. When the first frosts come, the residents of Russia instantly change into warm clothes, as they believe that it is better to undress in a few hours than freeze in the morning on the way to work. And as soon as the temperature drops to -20, the global heating season begins. Foreigners who pay huge amounts of money for utilities are surprised at the wastefulness of Russians, and do not understand why they are turning their apartments into real Tashkent.
But tourists are shocked not only by habits, but also by food. Another proof of this is the article 7 Russian dishes that make foreigners feel ambiguous
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/181020/56388/