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What A Westerner Should Know to Understand Russian Culture
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Posted by: Jill

For those of you who have spent time in the FSU or have known many people from the FSU, maybe you could offer some helpful advice to the newbies.

What do you think a Westerner should do/know/experience in order to understand Russian/FSU culture?

I think (and this is meant for entertainment purposes only

) :

1. Movies with Nikulin (such as Kavkazskaya plennitsa, Brilliantovaya ruka, Operatsia "Y"); also Ivan Vasilievich menyaet professiyu, Beloe sontse pustini, Sobachee serdtse, Osobennosti natsionalnoi okhotoi/ribalki, etc. You will be surprised how much of what Russians say are actually lines from these movies

2. The music of Vysotskyy

3. KVN!

4. The poetry of Yesenin; the prose of Gogol

5. The banya and all of its rituals

6. Ride platzkart for 20 hours or so

7. Above all, learn the language

8. At least once, drink too much samogon

9. Plant potatoes at the dacha

10. Get shaken down for a bribe

11. Know that you should never pass things over a threshhold, whistle indoors, or leave empty bottles on the table

What else?????

Posted by: Jutman

To get lecture in Russian culture, you must put into different level like 101, 201 and so on.

And for 101, these movies and so on belong to 401.

Its also depense on why, you meed to learn about russian culture. To be foriegner to visit Russia a week or two, no, not even the language except for the basic tourist words.
To start a relationship, yes its rather nice to understand the basics of the mentality andd culture, such as the potatoes in the dacha.

Posted by: Pawel_PL.USA

If you're not drunk ... chances are a lot of other people are !

Posted by: Vyesna

Without the language you can't do most of the list because none of that's translated, but I think without the language you can't really do more than scratch the surface of the culture anyway nor will you totally ever understand your other half as well as you could with the language. That's my opinion and those of you who don't speak Russian may not agree, but since you don't speak it you don't know what you're missing.

Posted by: inlove

Quote:

Originally posted by Jill
For those of you who have spent time in the FSU or have known many people from the FSU, maybe you could offer some helpful advice to the newbies.

What do you think a Westerner should do/know/experience in order to understand Russian/FSU culture?

I think (and this is meant for entertainment purposes only ) :

1. Movies with Nikulin (such as Kavkazskaya plennitsa, Brilliantovaya ruka, Operatsia "Y"); also Ivan Vasilievich menyaet professiyu, Beloe sontse pustini, Sobachee serdtse, Osobennosti natsionalnoi okhotoi/ribalki, etc. You will be surprised how much of what Russians say are actually lines from these movies

2. The music of Vysotskyy

3. KVN!

4. The poetry of Yesenin; the prose of Gogol

5. The banya and all of its rituals

6. Ride platzkart for 20 hours or so

7. Above all, learn the language

8. At least once, drink too much samogon

9. Plant potatoes at the dacha

10. Get shaken down for a bribe

11. Know that you should never pass things over a threshhold, whistle indoors, or leave empty bottles on the table

What else?????

OK.. Where do I start.. Here it goes:
1. Movies have to include "The Irony of Fate or Have a Good Steam" (Ironiya sud'by ili S legkim parom). It is a cult Russian movie no Russian can live without. Especially over the New Years ccelebration..Another cult movie to watch is "Gentelments of luck" (Dzhentel'meny udachi)..BTW, all these movies are easily available on DVDs with English subtitles here, in the US at russian video and book stores.

2. Attempt to read Pushkin. At least in english translation, if the language is a big issue.. You might not get much of it, but it's the effort that counts.

3. Above all, make friends with russians that live in your city/region and spend some time with them.

I will think of something more..

Posted by: rams

My gal has a homemade banya (steam bath) at her dacha! That was a blast!

Well, I didn't plant any patatoes but I did dig some up for the banya ( barbecue).

Don't forget to eat "pancakes" with everything this week.

Pick mushrooms and spices in a russian forest. Make sure you let someone else tell you what to pick!

Go swimming in a russian lake.

Go to a major event in the town square.

Posted by: B82

I am working on learning the language. My husband has told me about banya and how much he wants to take me so he can beat me up with some kind of "broom" thing. It sounds like lots of fun and I think it's funny! We'll most likely go someday. Also, know that many Russians like to drink.

Posted by: cedarwind

My GF had me read the works of Lermontov, Pushkin, and Bulgakov.

"The Master and the Margarita" was great and "Heart of Dog" had me laughing for some time.

Should also try music by Nikolay Baskov...The golden voice of Russia

Posted by: Spakoyna

What about Shashlick?

I was a Russian farmer for 5 or 6 weeks! Ya have ta do Shashlick while at the Dachha! We also had a Banya! That took the place of a bathroom! We had an outhouse made out of the nosecone of an airplane!

Posted by: OzGuyLooking

Some people may see this as being picky but it is something I have learned over the last coupla months. Many RW's who are younger than me dont like the references to the soviet union such as saying 'FSU' etc. They feel it is in the past and I was told bluntly by one lady who I am really fond of that westerners concentrate on '70 years of hells holiday' but forget the 1000 and more years of Russian culture before it. I myself see it as a valid point.

Posted by: Kto_Tam

You might want to check out my rather lengthy "If you are Russian ..." addition to my blog today. It is basically the topic of Russian culture and I could use any input from any native Russians. Hoped that I got most of it correct ...

http://accidentalrussophile.blogspo...re-russian.html

Posted by: GreenBarb

B82

I would recommend the Banya, and it is not a broom, it is dried branches with the leaves still on, then soaked in water. It can hurt if the Banya is very hot. You then jump into the snow outside (if it's winter...that's fun) or pour cold water over you. Drink some beer (Pevo) and return to sweat more.

Posted by: Chrismc

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenBarb

B82

I would recommend the Banya, and it is not a broom, it is dried branches with the leaves still on, then soaked in water. It can hurt if the Banya is very hot. You then jump into the snow outside (if it's winter...that's fun) or pour cold water over you. Drink some beer (Pevo) and return to sweat more.

When I had one I think it was Oak branches/leaves they used. Good fun!!

Posted by: Kto_Tam

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrismc

When I had one I think it was Oak branches/leaves they used. Good fun!!

It is generally young fragrant birch branches

Posted by: Raspberry

Shashlik is great stuff! Sounds good right about now...

As for using the steam bath/birch branches, sounds an awful lot like what Native Americans used to do.

What is KVN, incidentally??

Posted by: searcher

Quote:

Originally Posted by cedarwind

My GF had me read the works of Lermontov, Pushkin, and Bulgakov.

"The Master and the Margarita" was great and "Heart of Dog" had me laughing for some time.

Should also try music by Nikolay Baskov...The golden voice of Russia

Wow

I read both of those too!

I also enjoyed heart of a dog very much, great short story.