Why Did the Red Woman Say You Know Nothing Jon Snow
xiv Things You Should Never Do In Russia
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America is a "melting pot" of different cultures and ideas, and as a result Americans aren't (usually) super-sensitive well-nigh people who practise things a bit differently than nosotros exercise. But virtually of the earth's cultures evolved over centuries, sometimes millennia, and ofttimes in relative isolation. That's ane of the reasons why people from other cultures tin get so annoyed at American travelers — American travelers don't always become the whole cultural respect matter, and they practise things that can come across every bit stupid and rude.
That's why it's a proficient idea to do your homework before visiting whatever foreign nation. You don't actually want to piss anyone off, not but because it sucks to get into an altercation with someone whose linguistic communication yous don't speak, merely also because y'all never really know what tradition dictates ought to happen to those who defy tradition. So just in case you're planning a summer vacation to Russia (Only why? Seriously, become to Paris.), hither's a list of the top things you should never do while you're in Mother Russia.
Don't wear gloves when you shake hands
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If you're going to exist in Russia in the summertime, y'all don't have to worry too much about this rule because Russia is freaking hot in the summertime and you lot're not likely to be wearing gloves. Just the rest of the time, Russia is like a balmy afternoon on Neptune and if you don't vesture gloves your fingers might actually snap off when you try to take your telephone out of your back pocket.
Nevertheless, there are occasions when you're simply not allowed to vesture gloves, and no 1 in Russian federation cares how cold your wussy foreign fingers are. According to the Moscow Times, one of these occasions is whenever you are shaking hands. Only why? Because from the Russian perspective you are not wearing that glove out of a desire to have a warm hand, you are wearing it because you don't want to touch the icky Russian person. Hopefully, you can see why that might be considered a bit rude. And actually, a handshake only takes a couple seconds, and and then you can put your glove back on.
Never pass up a potable
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Be warned, if y'all are trying to stay abroad from alcohol, Russia is a terrible identify to travel. The Russians are friendly, generous, and they like vodka. Actually, that'southward not just some horrible cliche.
So when you lot become to Russia, look to exist offered a drink. And according to PRI, when you lot go to Russia, don't expect that you can but say, "No thank yous, I don't drink" because no one will understand with or sympathise that for some people alcohol is a life-ruining force of devastation — they will just think you're beingness insufferably rude. (Tip: Some travelers say you lot can use the old "doctor'southward orders" excuse to politely dodge the alcohol without raising any eyebrows.)
Also being obligated to accept alcohol when information technology's offered to y'all, you are also at take a chance of finding out what the Russian infirmary system is like later on you become so intoxicated that you need medical attention. Considering the Russians volition not just offering you one beverage, they volition go on to make full your drinking glass until you either pass out or die. If you don't want that to happen, nursing your drinks while y'all're in Russia is a really good idea. If y'all ever allow your glass get downward to less than one-half full, await a refill.
Don't get out empty bottles sitting on the table
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The Russians are really superstitious people — a 2013 poll establish that more than half of the Russians surveyed believed in things like omens, astrology, prophetic dreams, and bad luck.
I such superstition has to exercise with empty bottles, specifically, empty bottles that one time had booze in them. According to the Moscow Times, Russians believe that an empty bottle left sitting on a table is an omen of financial hardship, or maybe even grief and suffering. Don't worry, though, no one expects yous to go up and deposit it in a recycling bin or annihilation — traditionally, you merely put information technology on the floor.
No one is sure where this superstition came from, but it'due south thought that Cossack soldiers brought it back from French republic after the Napoleonic wars. When eating in Parisian restaurants, the Cossacks figured out that their waiters would charge them for the empty bottles on their table rather than for the total bottles they got from the bar, so they started leaving a few bottles on the floor to lighten the nib.
Don't tell "your mama" jokes
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For some reason, Americans savour "your mama" jokes, fifty-fifty though most "your mama" jokes are notoriously unfunny and offensive. And yet there still seem to be thousands of variations of them and nosotros notwithstanding all seem to accept at to the lowest degree one friend or family member who insists on telling the latest.
If you have a "your mama" joke in your repertoire of funnies, y'all'll desire to avoid throwing information technology out equally an ice-breaker while you're in Russia. Russians are almost universally unamused past jokes near a person's mother, or even a person's father. In fact according to Russian federation Across, you might be meliorate off just not making jokes at all when you're in Russia because the Russian sense of sense of humour doesn't actually line upwards with the American 1. You might fifty-fifty observe that some Russians are taking your jokes seriously because nothing in their universe has e'er prepared them for the stupidity of the American sense of humor, and therefore they don't actually know information technology when they see it.
Don't fence with a babushka
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Okay, and then first of all, information technology's non "bab-OO-shka," information technology's "BAH-boo-shka." So don't say it incorrect because the Russians will be pissed at you. And second, respect the babushka. Babushka is a title and a condition symbol. Babushkas are tough and terrifying and they are not afraid to tell yous exactly how you've offended them. Co-ordinate to Manner to Russia, y'all can expect to be shoved aside, cut in front end of, and more often than not looked downwardly upon by every babushka y'all run across, and you'd better not do or say annihilation well-nigh information technology because babushkas rule Russia.
If you don't know what a babushka is, y'all'd better know before you get on that plane: A babushka is an elderly Russian woman. In fact United states Represented says when a Russian woman becomes a grandmother, she achieves a kind of status that's "something only curt of gaining sainthood."
And so basically, what a babushka wants, a babushka gets. As a traveler who is not a babushka, y'all are obligated to permit her elbow you aside, cut in front of you, and yell at y'all for transgressions y'all don't sympathise considering you lot don't speak Russian. Be prepared.
Don't whistle indoors
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Most Western superstitions about bad luck are specific to the person who offended the tradition — everyone else is normally spared. Walking under a ladder, for case, is a solo transgression. So is opening upward an umbrella indoors. But in Russian federation, violating the rules of superstition sometimes means dragging everyone else down with you, then that'due south why yous actually do have to know all the Russian superstitions earlier you spend time at that place.
According to Relish Russian, you should never whistle indoors because for whatever reason, whistling is associated with financial hardship. Information technology's especially bad form to whistle in someone else's house because it'south not merely you who might suffer financial misfortune, simply also your hosts.
Like most long-running superstitions, no one really seems to know for sure where this one came from. In the W nosotros have a similar dominion about not whistling indoors, but our rule is not attached to a bad-luck thing. Information technology's possible that the Russian superstition started out the aforementioned mode, and so morphed into "shut upwards already or y'all'll whistle all your money away!" Does it actually matter, though? At least the Russians have a proficient manner to shut that abrasive crap downwardly.
Don't testify up empty-handed
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This is really merely mutual sense no matter what land yous're in — whenever you lot're invited to someone's habitation, you should bring a bottle of wine or a nice dessert to share with your hosts. If you're not already doing this, yous might demand to accept an etiquette class or just stay in America where you're complimentary to show up to your friend's firm bearing null simply the words, "Where'southward the beer?"
According to Russian federation Beyond, when you lot're invited into a Russian dwelling you're expected to bring something with you, typically a food or drink item that will be served with the repast. Make sure information technology's something y'all actually relish — if you're non a vino drinker and y'all brought a bottle of wine, your hosts might be annoyed at yous for refusing to partake.
There are some other do's and don'ts that household guests have to call back — for case, exercise bring alcohol but don't bring vodka because your hosts might recollect you're insulting them. Exercise bring flowers for any women in the house, just non yellow flowers or flowers in even numbers. If at that place are children in the dwelling, it'southward customary to bring something for them, as well, like a small treat or a fun activity. And maybe take notes because that'southward style as well much to call back.
Don't let a woman deport heavy things
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Hither in the Due west, women pride themselves on their independence. Sometimes, Western women will even get offended at offers of help because those offers, still well-intentioned, imply that they can't take intendance of themselves — which is ane of the reasons why you don't see so many random acts of knightly in the 21st century. Some of us miss it and some of us don't, but more often than not speaking offer to hold a door or carry something heavy for someone just because she'southward female person isn't actually a matter anymore in America.
In Russia, though, this brand of knightly hasn't ever gone out of mode. According to Russian federation Beyond, the Russians believe that a man has a responsibility to help a woman out when he sees her carrying something heavy. If you're a woman traveling in Russia, information technology's a good idea to just have the help when it'south offered — the Russians don't mean to imply that you lot can't have intendance of yourself, they're just genuinely trying to assist. If you're a homo traveling in Russia and y'all see a woman struggling with something heavy, you should also offer to help. And if she'due south your traveling companion, you're probably non going to make many good impressions with the locals if you let her struggle with her own suitcase.
Don't accept an offer of kindness until it's been offered several times
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Y'all've almost certainly seen this play out in a sitcom: Person A offers to do some kindness for Person B. Person B refuses, and Person A says, "No, really I insist." Person B refuses once again, and and so on and then forth until anybody is mad at each other. In Russia, this is all function of the tradition of souvenir giving.
According to World Speaking, when someone in Russian federation offers you a gift, y'all should never, e'er take outright, even if it'southward something yous really demand. Instead, you should let the person offer a 2nd time, and so you should refuse once more. If that person is really serious near giving you a gift, he or she will offering a third time, and at that indicate it's probably okay to say yes. But it's definitely not polite to just jump on the offer immediately — y'all must at to the lowest degree make a show of being unwilling to have the gift, and then the other person can make a evidence of beingness willing to give it to yous.
Don't criticize Russia
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In the Westward, especially in America, we honey to talk virtually politics, and nosotros especially dear to criticize our government and our politicians. We all consider ourselves to be patriots, but other than that we're pretty polarized about which way the nation appears to be moving and which politicians are most responsible for "destroying our country."
Information technology's kind of natural to take some of that with you lot on vacation, merely if your destination is Russia, Travel Mono recommends keeping whatever criticism of Russian politics that you might take tightly nether wraps. So no comments about Russian ballot interference, don't mention Crimea, and definitely don't make fun of shirtless Putin on a equus caballus.
Russians are too very patriotic, just to them, patriotism ways not making fun of or criticizing the regime and its leaders considering that's not being a good citizen and besides considering the the authorities might put their families in a penal colony. And it's particularly obnoxious to them when a pretentious Westerner shows up, eats all the nutrient, sees all the sights, and complains about Putin. Then only don't do information technology. In that location are enough of other things to talk almost when you lot're in Russia, like "Why is information technology and so damned cold all the time?" and "Why do all those buildings await similar they're topped with scoops of ice cream?"
Don't vesture shoes indoors
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Russians don't believe in wearing shoes indoors. In that way, Russia is like to a lot of Asian countries, where shoes in living spaces merely don't compute. It actually makes a ton of sense, really, and it kind of seems strange that it hasn't actually dawned on all cultures how gross it is to walk effectually the business firm in your shoes. Your home is supposed to be a respite from all the filth and germs of the existent world, and nothing you wear on your trunk is quite every bit filthy and germy as a pair of shoes.
According to Russia Beyond, you lot should always leave your shoes in the hallway whenever you walk into a Russian dwelling. Most Russians keep slippers on manus specifically for their guests because putting your anxiety where someone else'south sweaty, athlete'south foot-covered toes have been is marginally less gross than tracking germs all over the house.
Russians are so germ-averse, in fact, that they volition normally alter into "house clothes" when they come domicile from work because their business firm clothes are cleaner than anything they wore effectually the urban center during the day.
Don't sit down on public transport
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Afterwards a long, difficult day of sightseeing, existence forced to potable alcohol, and non maxim anything bad about Vladimir Putin, you might exist looking frontwards to jumping on the Metro just and so you lot tin can sit down downward for a few minutes. Not then fast, though. Many city-dwelling Russians employ public transportation, and public transportation is frequently at capacity. So on a crowded railroad train there'due south always going to be someone who needs that seat, and in the eyes of the Russians, information technology is terribly uncouth and selfish for you lot to assume that it's y'all, unless you fall into ane of the post-obit categories: Y'all are elderly, you are disabled, yous are a kid, or y'all are meaning.
According to ITMO.news, failure to give upwards your seat for someone in one of these groups is a gigantic faux paus, and you might actually become told off (in Russian!) for beingness a selfish jerk. That's totally not worth resting your feet for a few minutes.
Don't smile
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Popular culture sometimes portrays the Russians as being kind of gloomy, or maybe fifty-fifty angry all the time. There are plenty of goofy explanations about why this might be — perhaps information technology'southward considering they're and so freaking cold all the time or possibly information technology's considering they've finally realized that all their buildings are topped with snow and not scoops of water ice cream. Only information technology'due south actually a misconception that Russians are perpetually in a bad mood — they're not, they're only very selective smilers.
Co-ordinate to the Atlantic, the Russians feel similar they shouldn't smile unless they take a reason to. In fact this is fifty-fifty written into their culture in the form of a proverb, which loosely translated means "laughing for no reason is a sign of stupidity." Then smiling at strangers is considered weird, and uncouth, and maybe even disingenuous. Instead, the Russians believe that you should reserve your smiles for your family, friends, and occasions when you take a good reason to smile.
Don't go out without your passport
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For the most office, Russia is a friendly and hospitable identify. But Russia is not exactly the land of the costless, the home of the unrestricted traveler. Co-ordinate to Russian federation Beyond, the Russian police can stop anyone at whatsoever time for the sole purpose of "checking papers," just like in every movie you've always seen where American travelers get into trouble in countries that aren't the The states. And yep, law do tend to do this based on profiling — if y'all don't look like a Russian, you lot're probably going to become stopped. And if you don't have your passport, you lot might even be taken into custody. Also, you lot'll probably soil yourself considering you lot won't have any idea why yous're existence taken into custody because yous don't speak Russian.
The Russian police tin can hold you lot for upward to three hours while they attempt to figure out who y'all are, and that can seriously interfere with your plans to tour the Peterhof Gardens and Fountains or the Museum of Vladimir Putin. And so don't leave your passport in the hotel because y'all'd rather travel low-cal — you truly do not know when you lot might need it.
Source: https://www.grunge.com/153696/things-you-should-never-do-in-russia/
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