Smiling: It’s a Russian Thing! Posted by Jenya on Nov 5, 2014 in Culture, History, Russian life
For those of you that have traveled to Russia, you may have noticed that Russians don’t seem to smile in public. Upon traveling there for the first time, my husband pointed this out and made some comment about people looking sullen. When you compare Russians to people living elsewhere, especially Americans, you could easily conclude that they are not happy. In addition to this, due to stereotypes and misinformation, many think that we were all communists, we are all alcoholics, we live under cold and gloomy weather all year, the KGB is everywhere, and that Ivan Drago was a real person. If you believe any of these things, you could easily believe that we are among the most unhappy people on the planet. Fortunately, reality, history, and experience will paint a different picture.
Smiling for no apparent reason, according to some Russians, can make one look insincere. It can make you look silly; it can make people think your elevator does not go all the way to the top floor. During the Soviet era, Russians were fed articles and television programs entitled “Their Customs” which focused on capitalists, their wretched bourgeois lifestyle, and their “contemptible smile.” In a way, Soviets were taught that these westerners smiled as they robbed you of your wealth, grew their own wealth at your expense, and basically ruled the world. These smiles were meant to conceal an evil plot or something vile. Russians smiled at people they knew, not strangers. History has taught us that westerners weren’t the only ones concealing something.
For those of you that have had the privilege of being invited over to a Russian home for dinner, you know that we are capable of laughing heartily, having a great time, smiling, and much more. For many Russian people, it is just not culturally acceptable to be smiling while walking down the street, shopping, or riding public transportation. During the winter games in Sochi a few months ago, an American journalist noticed right away that people didn’t return his smile when he passed by them on the street. He then asked a Russian citizen why that was. “In Russia,” the man replied, “only two types of people smile: idiots and rich people, and rich people never walk down the street.”
When you are fortunate to visit Russia for the first time, be prepared. Understand and celebrate the differences in cultural norms. Do not be surprised if elder women push by you in line for the bus; be prepared to pay more for certain things than Russians do, like gifts, hotels, and cabs; be ready to drink more vodka than you have since college if you are invited over for dinner. Be prepared to be immersed into a very beautiful culture, one that has had its share of ups and downs, one that values kindness, compassion, and humanity. If all countries and cultures were like your own, you’d have no reason to travel to other places. 🙂
Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.
About the Author: Jenya
Born in Russia, I spent the first twenty years of my life in Orenburg, Russia and Mogilev, Belarus. For the last eleven years, I've lived in New Hampshire and Michigan, US. While I continue to absorb and adapt to American culture, I am always thrilled to share my Russian heritage with those who find it interesting. Travel, photography and art play a special part in my life. Twitter: @iamnx2u
Comments:
Delia:
HI Jenya:
I like your stories.
The blog used to be more language oriented. Could you please add some Russian words/expressions when writing about things you like. WE used to discuss language issues with those who study the language and would like to know more. No need to write about Grammar or basic vocabulary as it has been done in the past but interesting vocabulary is always appreciated and we can discuss similarities and differences.
Thanks a lot!
Delia
Jenya:
@Delia Delia, certainly! I will make adjustments 🙂 .
Inna:
very well said and extremely eloquent…
hugo ly:
Yes. Very beautiful indeed, and interesting. My first time i was in Moscow i noticed the people.
just how you described them, later one, a russian family explained to me the russian way of doing things. Thank you for your blogs, this one is really amazing
hugo ly
Michel:
Hi Jenya,
Thank you very much for this wonderful and so interesting post. I noticed that too when I went to Saint-Petersburg last year. At first I was a little bit afraid, because I wondered if this was not due to an inadequate behaviour from me. Later on, I got the explanations from a russian friend.Now I understand perfectly well this way of seeing things, and I would even add that I find it by far more sound !
When I first met this friend, she never smiled to me, and had almost a stern look. But gradually, we have become good friends, shared a lot of things, and now, when we are together she always has such an incredible radiant smile ! And I know this smile is not a fake one !
Jenya:
@Michel Michel, thank you for sharing. It’s funny how the culture we grew up in largely defines our thinking. I remember having similar thoughts when I first came to USA: why is everybody always smiling? It just seemed odd. Now I frequently display a smile on my face when in public. You can say I have been americanized to the bone 🙂 .
Roza:
I second the request for more language content.
Marina:
I grew up in Saint Petersburg and we avoided looking into strangers eyes in public to avoid “invitation”. I live in US since 1997 and I am still uncomfortable of people looking directly into my eyes during social conversations. It considered to be rude in Russia. “что уставился”?
Cheryl B:
Funny, in a way. There are still places in the US where smiling at strangers would be odd, especially on subways in most cities. To avoid “invitation;” yes, same reason. You don’t want to risk a nut latching onto you because you smiled.
In a reverse, when I moved from urban Boston to a small Oklahoma town, that strangers would smile & even say “good morning” on the street just flummoxed me! It took awhile to adjust to folks who were genuinely friendly to strangers.