How to Dress Your Child (and Yourself) for Russian Winter Posted by yelena on Feb 26, 2010 in Culture
I’ve only been with this blog for a few weeks and I’m already breaking «расписание» [schedule] that Josefina and I planned for this month. I was supposed to tell you how to make a particularly tasty Russian salad. But I feel that, given the time of the year and the fact that many of «наши читатели» [our readers] plan to travel to Russia at some point, there are «более важные» [more important] things to talk about.
Specifically, I want to talk about how to dress for a Russian winter in order to avoid stern talking-to’s from the ever-present «бабушки» [old ladies; lit. grandmothers]. But let me back up and say that there are two ways of dealing with «бабушки». First is «игнорировать их замечания» [to ignore their comments]. Second is to bundle up.
In reality, since «бабушки» can’t be outnumbered and have nothing better to do but spend their days «судача» [tattling] about you, the only way to avoid their dirty looks and «колкие замечания» [barbs] is to bundle up.
Technically, you can try defending your under-dressed self with the following proverb:
«Держи голову в холоде, живот – в голоде, а ноги – в тепле»
[Keep your head in the cold, belly – starving, but feet – warm]
But I doubt it would help (never helps me when I am being lectured by my own Mom on this subject).
And if you don’t think this is a serious issue, then read a comment from one of this blog’s readers, Kari, who was asking a while back for advice to “fight off the babushkas that invade my private space with their concern over my daughter’s warmth! I tell my husband that just ONE more comment that I am (a bad mom) not dressing my child more enough from Russians in the city and I just may explode!”
So, here’s a quick primer on how to dress yourself and your child for Russian winters.
«Колготки» [tights] – admittedly, is not the item to be visually inspected by «бабушки» [the old ladies], but better be safe than sorry. Warm tights are a must for women and children (of both sexes). Men will have to wear «подштанники» [warm ankle-length undergarments that go underneath the pants, hence the name].
«Свитер» [sweater] – layer it over a shirt, «водолазка» [a turtleneck sweater], or anything that doesn’t look thick and warm. If you are dressing a child, put a couple of sweaters on.
«Носки» [socks] – whether you wear «колготки» [tights] or not, put on a pair of very warm woolen socks. The thick and itchy white or grey hand-knitted ones, made and sold by «бабушки» are the best.
«Пальто» [coat], «шуба» [long fur coat], or «куртка» [jacket] – which one you are going to end up wearing depends largely on your gender and your personal preferences. Generally, however, men do not wear «шуба». Whatever it is you wear, it has to look very warm, very thick, and very bulky to be «одобренно» [approved] by «бабушки».
«Шапка» [hat] – you might as well stay home and wait for summer if you don’t wear a hat. And when you do put one on, make sure it covers your ears. When choosing a hat for a small child, get the one «с завязочками» [with strings that tie under the chin; lit. with the ties].
«Шарф» [scarf] – men can get away with wearing short and fairly thin (think flannel or thin felt) ones also referred to as «кашне» [neckscarf]. These are typically worn over a «свитер» [sweater], but underneath «пальто» [coat] or «куртка» [jacket].
Children must have their thick wooly scarves tied over their coats. Whether you tie the scarf in the front or in the back depends on the age of your child. Under 5 – tie in the back so that the child doesn’t get a chance to fiddle with the knot. Plus you’ll score some extra points for pulling the thus-tied scarf over the child’s mouth so he or she «не дышит холодным воздухом» [don’t breath the cold air].
«Варежки» [mittens], «перчатки» [gloves] – remember, «мужики варежек не носят!» [men don’t wear mittens]. Mittens are generally for children. Again, for some extra approval points, sew the mittens onto a length of elastic ribbon and thread it through the arms of your child’s coat.
Finally, «сапоги» [boots] – let’s just say, get the warmest boots you can find and you’ll be good to go. When selecting boots, think of lots of snow, iced-over sidewalks and possibly long waits for «автобус» [a bus], «троллейбус» [a trolleybus] or «трамвай» [tram or streetcar] and you’ll naturally avoid all the high-heeled low-cut no-good fashion nonsense.
So, let’s say you «закутали» [bundled up] yourself and your child and are ready to go enjoy the snow – maybe build «снеговик» [a snowman] or «кататься на санках с горки» [sled down a hill]. Here’s the final check before exiting out of your apartment and into «бабушкино поле зрения» [old lady’s field of vision]:
If you can easily move your arms or legs, you are likely underdressed. If your child can, without your help, get up to standing from sitting on the floor, he or she is most definitely underdressed. Quickly, put on an extra sweater.
Follow these simple instructions and leave the old ladies if not speechless (that’s impossible), then at least admitting that you «знаешь, как одеваться по погоде» [know how to dress according to weather].
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Comments:
Josefina:
Лена! Отличный пост! I love it that it only took you two posts to know that this blog is not only ABOUT Russia and Russian culture, but that it is also Russian in the very depth of its soul – thus prone to breaking all plans and schedules in order to follow an inner need and that inner voice (which speaks Russian – of course – and lacks all logic, but sounds like poetry to the heart!) 😀 Excellent!
А я всё-таки очень хочу прочитать про этот вкусненький салатчик… 😉
Katya:
I love this! I learned this the hard way when I lived in St Petersburg, but I got the hang of it in the end.
What I love about Russia in winter is the way the babies look like starfish – they wear those all-in-one snowsuit things that are so padded that their arms and legs stick right out! So cute!
Marinka:
As a survivor of a Soviet childhood, I must chime in that tights are to be worn in the summer as well. There’s a picture of me in a field, surrounded by flowers wearing a dress, with long sleeves and TIGHTS.
OMG.
Vanessa:
I laughed all the way through this post, especially at the part about not being able to bend over! I have so many memories of being scolded because I wasn’t dressed just right. The funny thing is, though, that now I’m the one telling people they need to put on a hat, coat, gloves, scarf, long underwear, boots . . . so they can’t bend over either! :))
felis:
Men will have to wear «подштанники» [warm ankle-length undergarments that go underneath the pants, hence the name].> I believe the word isn’t very widely used. At least I haven’t heard it much around. Instead most of my friends and relatives call the item «кальсоны». «Подштанники» sounds folksy and dated me. Might be used to make fun of a man’s pants which look like underwear.
There’s one more thing you have forgotten to mention – «(тёплые / вязяные / шерстяные) рейтУзы» which I can hardly think of an equivalent for.
felis:
«кальсоны» = long johns
Plus, in cold weather men also wear«нИжняя рубАшка» (= a long-sleeved undershirt) or «футбОлка» (a T-shirt).
In really cold weather, Russian moms put «рейтУзы» (stirrup tights) on both male and female offspring.
Lois Thorpe:
Such good explanations and descriptions, Yelena! I’ll be sure to pass this on to new ex-pats that move to Ukraine. It made me laugh because sometimes I even think this way now, ‘oh, her coat isn’t warm enough,’ etc!
Yelena:
Oh, the infamous рейтузы… Thanks in part to my dad’s jokes on the subject, I always think of them as the single ugliest and most unfortunate piece of underwear ever invented. I might be a bit prejudiced though.
Yes, thanks for bringing up кальсоны. Again, this is another one of those words for which I don’t have much love. On one hand, the word evokes a mix of pity and shame (hey, remember Ивана Бездомного from Master and Margarita?). On the other hand, it sounds like something Карлсон would’ve been wearing if he had a house on a rooftop somewhere in Russia. Am I overthinking this stuff?
felis:
[q] Am I overthinking this stuff?[/q] I belive you are. It’s just what Russian men have to wear in cold weather. Comes with the territory:))
Check it out:
http://www.twenga.ru/dir-Lingerie,Men-s-underwear,Men-s-long-johns
Ivan:
Классный блог, с удовольствием прочитал и с нетерпением буду ждать новых записей.