Russian attitudes towards nudity.( I don't mean sex) - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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Russian attitudes towards nudity.( I don't mean sex)
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Posted by: salvatore

Hi all
Just wondering how Russian culture treats the nude body. I have a European background where nudity is not taboo. I am used to European beaches where many of the women, young and old, are naked or topless. I have been to several nude beaches and love to be naked.
I wonder if the attitude towards nudity is one of shame or if it is open and liberal. Again I am not talking about sex here. Just if it is shameful to be naked in general but particularly in public.
Of course I know that the individual will have certain ideas but I would like tp speak in generalities here for the sake of understanding.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond,
Sal

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Salvatore,

Welcome to the Russian Meeting Place.

My impression is that Russians are generally more conservative about the human body than Europeans are.

I wonder if there are any nudist beaches in Russia?

Also, I am sure that Russian laws about nudity would reflect the Russian cultural belief about nudity.

Please Let us know if you clarify this and receive an answer to your question.

Khashyar

Posted by: sidney

Salvatore, my take is that they are much more liberal then americans. On several occasions when I took dates to dance clubs there was also strip tease as entertainment. It was a bit of a new experience for me. What are you to do? Look at the entertainment, talk with your date like nothing is happening. I tried a little of both. I've never been to nude beaches in either ukraine or russia but I'm not saying they aren't there.
Sid

Posted by: Khashyar

Here is an interesting piece of recent news about nudity and Russian law (that implies that Russian law uses religion to define whether public nudity is appropriate or not) :

Quote:

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Russian Court Finds Nude In Ad Violates Religious Norms

In Moscow this week, a Russian trial court has upheld a complaint brought by Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) against a magazine publisher that ran an ad featuring a semi-nude model in its Moulin Rouge magazine. Interfax reported yesterday that the FAS relied on quotations from the Bible and the Koran in demonstrating that the ad violates "the commonly accepted norms of humanity and morality" and contains "offensive images of the religious beliefs of natural persons". Alexander Osokin, lawyer for the publisher, Rodinov Publishing House, says his client will appeal. He said: "we did not insult religious things; the model in the advertisement does not hold any crosses or crescents or other symbols in her hands. The FAS can go too far in this way and turn our state into a clerical one."

Also, I want to point out that although Russians seem to be open to expressing sexuality and sensuality (for example, having strip tease dancing at some clubs), that this may not be the same as their beliefs about nudity.

Although, some Russian condoms have nude breasts on them, whereas no American condoms do (the last time I checked)

Khashyar

P.S... I am going to move this thread to the "Russian Culture" section of the forum.

Posted by: ira156

Hi guys. I think the Russian attitude to nudity and sexuality in general is much more liberal than the US. They may not be as open about it as say the Europeans....but lets face it Russians arent as "publicly open about much at all". In OZ nudity is pretty much accepted ( we have had full frontal nudity on public TV since the early seventies ). I would be interested to know the situation in the UK.

As per your article Khashyar i believe the religious powers that be control a lot of what Americans ( and other countries) are allowed to find acceptable.

Posted by: Cheburashka

We have nude beaches at some of the lakes in Texas. But you know what they say: most of the people who go to nude beaches probably shouldn't be walking around naked at a nude beach.

Posted by: salvatore

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheburashka

We have nude beaches at some of the lakes in Texas. But you know what they say: most of the people who go to nude beaches probably shouldn't be walking around naked at a nude beach.

Yes you are right of course! But it isn't as a voyeur that I go to those beaches. It's for a sense of freedom. And in Europe they aren't necessarily designated as nude beaches. People are just relaxed about nudity and that is refreshing. I was hoping that Russians and Ukrainians had the same attitude.

Posted by: bingism

Well, I've travelled and I've travelled a lot. My generalised perceptions are such:

UK - most people above the age of of maybe late 20s are actually fairly conservative in so far a public nudity. Perhaps conservative is not the right word.... I think "appropriate" is better. By this I mean everything at the right time in the right place... no problems with striptease (male or female), but not in front of the kids honey! Below 25, however, attitudes to sex, nudity, drugs and alcohol are liberal to the point of nearly debauched IMHO. On non-pay TV there is nudity and some sexual scenes, but after the 11pm watershed and not exactly pornographic in nature. With regards nudist beaches and other outdoor naked pursuits, yes they are widely accepted, but again they are in their place and often out of sight, out of mind.

Europe - much more liberal towards the promotion of nudity and sexuality in public, mostly so in Germany, France, Italy, Holland and in some parts of Spain. The rules regarding pornography and the public displays of the sex trades (including TV porn) are far more relaxed although you won't find your typical European prancing around in the nuddy. Again, there are beaches and naked saunas, but they ARE a) advertised and segregated as such, and b) the locals know what is what. You need to be able to read the lingo however to avoid a pleasant (often unpleasant) surprise. WHilst not as conservative as the UK, in general, everything does have its own little slot in the bigger system and would not be widely accepted outside of it.

US - publicly hidden, privately debauched and resented. Although, being a union of 50 (51? oops) mini-countries it's somewhat impossible to generalise. I do feel, however, that the overall feeling is one of confusion, since most people purport to believe in freedom of expression and the right to choose, but would prefer it to remain NIMBY (not in my back yard).

Asia - eek..... where to start?? Outside of certain well known areas, publicly a big no-no!! The overriding attitude, however, is extremely sexist, i.e. it's a man's god-given right to see (and touch should he require) naked female flesh! In Japan, however, it is changing, whereby the younger generation sees it as a bit of fun, but they wouldn't want Daddy to see them looking at it.

Russia - I've been here a while and I can't work it out. The female body is nothing to be ashamed about here, to the point of it sometimes being uncomfortable. Striptease in nearly ALL nightclubs is normal and the sex trade is thriving quite pubicly... you even see adverts on TV in SPb for new private banyas offering "erotik" massage. In the summer the clothes are almost to the point of offending my western concepts, but here no-one bats an eyelid to a group of teenage girls wandering around in bikini-style tops and ultra-mini skirts with G-strings underneath and showing!!! Bottom line is that there is too much of it around, so everything is diluted and eventually people switch off to it!! Two interesting comments from girls I've hung out with:

In a club with striptease... "She's my favourite dancer! What do you think?"

In an open-air bar... "Wow, she has an amazing figure! Look!"

On the darker side, there is still, unfortunately, a predominantly sexist attitude to it. It's OK'ish for men to watch naked girls and (regularly) touch and pay, but a woman shouldn't. However, for those who think that Russian girls are good and Russian men are bad, beware the younger generation. Fuelled on a diet of everything bad about the West and starved of the cultural history that goes with it, there's a new generation of drugged-up, half-naked, promiscuous clubbers! It's not a particularly attractive side of life!!

Please don't attack the generalisations, since that's what was asked for in the original post

Posted by: bingism

PS. sorry to have linked nudity and sex in some parts of my post, but the do go hand-in-hand TBH

Posted by: inlove

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khashyar

I wonder if there are any nudist beaches in Russia?

Plenty, but they are not advertised in a fear of freaks coming out of woodwork. As far as topless beaches go, they can be everywhere, even in the center of a city.

Quote:

Also, I am sure that Russian laws about nudity would reflect the Russian cultural belief about nudity.

There are no laws about nudity as far as I know.

Posted by: inlove

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khashyar

Here is an interesting piece of recent news about nudity and Russian law (that implies that Russian law uses religion to define whether public nudity is appropriate or not)

Russia is a secular country, so Russian law does not use religion to define anything. The complaint was about violating religious beliefs not about nudity as it is. I don't think the publisher's lawyer will have any trouble appealing.

Posted by: Kathy

Quote:

Originally Posted by bingism

However, for those who think that Russian girls are good and Russian men are bad, beware the younger generation. Fuelled on a diet of everything bad about the West and starved of the cultural history that goes with it, there's a new generation of drugged-up, half-naked, promiscuous clubbers! It's not a particularly attractive side of life!!

There is nothing new in this. I saw a lot of that in Ukraine in the 1980's. My husband tells me it was common in the 1970's, too, not only in Ukraine, but in Moscow and St. Petersburg. For example, there were places in all those cities people met for anonymous (heterosexual) sex - something that was confined to bars at least to my knowledge, and in my neck of the woods pretty minimal, at that.

Posted by: Felice

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khashyar

Here is an interesting piece of recent news about nudity and Russian law (that implies that Russian law uses religion to define whether public nudity is appropriate or not) :

Also, I want to point out that although Russians seem to be open to expressing sexuality and sensuality (for example, having strip tease dancing at some clubs),
Strip tease dancing in Russian night clubs is a way to earn some money for provincial boys/girls

[that this may not be the same as their beliefs about nudity.]
True
Although, some Russian condoms have nude breasts on them, whereas no American condoms do (the last time I checked)

I've never seen any condoms yet......Khashyar

P.S... I am going to move this thread to the "Russian Culture"
section of the forum.

Really bottom culture

Posted by: Felice

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felice

Really bottom culture

To be continued

Posted by: GreenBarb

I've talked about this with my wife and from what I can tell attitudes differ from the larger cities to the smaller rural areas. My wife is from what she calls a small city and public nudity is frowned upon she says. On the other hand they do have their strip-clubs also.

We were at a disco one night and the DJ was trying to encouage the girls to go topless for a prize (a lifetime pass for the nightclub). Only two were willing and did show their breasts. They crowd was mixed, the guys were cheering

and the girls were laughing. The girls were laughing because they thought the two that stripped were stupid. As soon as the DJ picked a winner the two girls got dressed as fast as they could and you could see the red faces and ashame. They both left the nightclub straight away. We did not see them there again.

I asked why the girls were laughing at the two girls..... the reply I got was because of what they had done they were considered no better than prostitutes.

Posted by: Felice

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenBarb

I asked why the girls were laughing at the two girls..... the reply I got was because of what they had done they were considered no better than prostitutes.

Another model, she is not a prostitute.........

Posted by: kimchik

Nude magazines, sexshops, nude bars, striptease clubs, topless bading...all (almost) as normal as in Europe, and a lot more normal than in the States. Although the ladies don't walk around in their naked bums...sometimes in the summer I wonder why some of them bother to put that skirt on cause it's smaller than the underwear.......but I don't complain!

Posted by: Felice

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimchik

Nude magazines, sexshops, nude bars, striptease clubs, topless bading...all (almost) as normal as in Europe, and a lot more normal than in the States. Although the ladies don't walk around in their naked bums...sometimes in the summer I wonder why some of them bother to put that skirt on cause it's smaller than the underwear.......but I don't complain!

Do you like my nudes?
At least they have good figures.......

Posted by: Legal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khashyar

My impression is that Russians are generally more conservative about the human body than Europeans are.

I wonder if there are any nudist beaches in Russia?

Also, I am sure that Russian laws about nudity would reflect the Russian cultural belief about nudity.

If you google Нудизм и натуризм в России (Nudism and naturism in Russia) you will see there are many nudist/ naturist associations and organizations.

For example:
Nudist beaches in Crimea
(in Russian) http://www.kandagar.com/pub/crimea/pub17.htm

Russian Naturist Association "Telord" http://www.naturism.ru/

Naturists
http://www.myke.spb.ru/nn/index.par

Russian nudists have their beaches; and the authorities do not bother them.

Olga (Legal's wife)

Posted by: OzGuyLooking

I have only just seen this thread, thanks Olga for bringing it back to the for.

Nudity (and sex even though the OP wasn't talking about it)in Russia is not as big a social issue as in America (in Australia its not a prob at all apart from you don't walk down the street naked).

Like Olga suggested just use google and you will come up with alot of info, and I am not talking about porn sites either although there is plenty of them to.

Posted by: JohnnyLaRue

Interesting I am well traveled and to the poster from oh about over a year ago said about Asia I respectfully disagree 100%

I lived in Japan for about a year and there are NO taboos. Porn shops on main streets with no doors, men reading hentai on trains, the occasional men groping females on trains, pictures of nude women outside the front of porn shops (the porn they have their is well.. very weird!), a store called CondomMania that only sells condoms, tentacle anime, onsens, love hotels, escort/dating clubs... etc

Heck the 3 Japanese women I had relationships with were very liberal when it came to sex and nudity. In fact the one who visited me when I was back Stateside did not change her Japanese norms as she did not shut the door to the changing room at the store when trying on clothes. She also decided to change into the new bra she bought in the car while I was driving!!! Very hard to keep my eyes on the road!! :rofl:

Oh and as far the Brits go any newspaper that has Page 3 chicks in it (the Sun) gets my vote! :P

Posted by: salvatore

Thanks for all the replies. I didnt think when I originally posted this that there would be so many people interested in the topic.
After 18 months of talking to Russian women from various dating sites, it seems that none have a problem going to a nude beach or resort it is just that they have never been to one. ONy one girl out of the dozens said she would never go to one.
Many have been to co-ed saunas and been completely nude without any problems.
So it seems there is not much of a social taboo attached to it.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

I would agree Sal. When I was in Bulgaria at a resort in a 5 star hotel, there were topless women at the pool everyday. No one seemed to mind ... especially me!!!

Posted by: jpierce55

I have seen plenty of women/girls walking around in Kiev (even when snowing) that wore outfits that very little to the imagination, and girls in Moscow that did have their "bums" hanging out with no underwear on.

It seems a very large number of women have no problem showing their bodies off, but looking at the dress of the majority I would say that many still do not believe it is right... thats to say that it is very much a sexual thing the way they dress, and Salvatore I took it that you were referring to a culture where it is just no big deal? I think no innocence is attached to the CIS dress style, while it is accepted I would say a taboo is attached.

I just came back from Kiev yesterday. A woman friend came to my apartment wearing a short low cut dress with high heals on. I have seen many dressed much worse, regardless people gave her harsh stares and rude comments. Likely in part do to the fact I am American but it was obvious they thought her to be a prostitute or something of the sort.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

It vwas probably because of her dress AND because she went to your apartment. When I firsst met my wife, we always said hello and goodbye in the lobby and she never came to my room at night.

We then went to Kiev and when then returned to her city and book separate rooms.

Women are usually very cautious when it comes to meeting men for the first time. Cautions about their reputation ... word gets around fast!

Posted by: salvatore

jpierce, what you are saying is totally different than attitudes towards being naked at a beach or resort. At a beach, there are not many preconceived notions you can have about somebody but when you see them dress, you can make many different judgements on somebody.
When you see a woman dress provocatively then you are left to assume many things about her.

Posted by: jpierce55

I would strongly disagree. A nudist is one thing entirely different.... but for the average person.....

And if there was no taboo attached "It vwas probably because of her dress AND because she went to your apartment." this would not have mattered at all, just my opinion.