Russia is home to more than 144 million people. It’s a mixture of different nationalities, traditions, religions, even languages. And there are actually plenty of stereotypes and beliefs about Russia. Some of them are complete fiction, some of them appeared thanks to Hollywood movies, but some are definitely true. Let’s talk about the stereotypes in today’s article.
Russians say “na zdorovie” when drinking
Even if you’ve never studied Russian, you probably know, that Russians say “na zdorovie”, when they drink. This stereotype is so common, that most Russians who hear about it from some foreigner, usually don’t argue, although, in fact, they don’t say so! Russians do like to give toasts while drinking, and usually, the speech is longer than just a few words. It’s possible to say “za zdorovie” (for (our) health) but no Russian will ever say “na zdorovie” in such a situation.
Russians are superstitious
This stereotype is true, in fact. Russians believe in many superstitions. You cannot whistle at home – you will lose your money, you cannot go under a ladder, a black cat that crosses the street in front of you brings bad luck, and don’t you dare to spill the salt – will argue with someone. This is just a beginning of a long list of superstitions that are still alive in Russian society. It doesn’t mean that every Russian you meet believes all these, but they certainly will have some favorite ones to follow.
Russians are used to cold weather
Russia is famous for being a cold country. However, to be honest, Russian climate varies a lot depending on region. So the people who live in Northern parts of Russia may be used to 40ºC below zero, but an average St. Petersburg or Moscow habitant will be dying of cold. If you come to St. Petersburg to study Russian in winter, you certainly may witness low temperatures, and notice, how much locals complain about it though.
All Russians have a dacha
Dacha is one of the symbols of Russia, so many foreigners think, that nearly every Russian has one. Dacha is a great way to escape from the city in summer – nice house away from the traffic and rush with a small garden for flowers and vegetables, with a Russian banya. However, far from all Russian has one. It’s not cheap in any country to have a house, even if it’s a small and wooden one.
Travel to Russia, to find out if other superstitions about Russia are true, check our Instagram to see more of Russia, Facebook to find out more about culture and language, and Twitter not to miss the news!
