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	Create New Topic   My Posts   My forum buddies   Invite friends   Private messages Russian brides > Main Forum > Smile in Russia Author Post smile Member send PM   block PM add to buddies Send: 2/17/2004 2:41:44 PM   The author: Elena Ivanovna Volkova, the senior lecturer of faculty of foreign languages of the Moscow State University Eve of New year, hours beat a quarter to twelve, on TV there is a President of the Russian Federation and he starts to speak with the serious impenetrable face: "Dear Russians, allow me to congratulate you on upcoming New Year from the bottom of the heart.” His face becomes even more serious, there are solemn in a voice, a little bit gloomy notes: “And to wish you peace, well-being and happiness ". If you would turn off a sound, it is possible to think, that the President expresses condolences on the occasion of someone's death, so serious and even sad looks his face. In the West, after election of the new Russian President, I was frequently asked about why Putin does not smile. Politician without a smile make people from the West feel mistrust and suspicion in secret angry intention against the European community. But Russian people never would select smiling President, because there is an opinion that a permanent smile on the face is like an example from Russian wisdom - "laughter without the reason is an attribute of foolish ". "The man ", the reliable person in Russia should be serious; it gives his character weightiness and validity. There are many foreign companies in Russia today which should understand that the smiling boss can cause mistrust and indulgent neglect in Russian people, as an inexperienced person who badly knows Russian conditions of a life. The western smile, on the one hand, attract Russian people, but form another hand, it gives them impression of children's naive mind. But it does not mean that Russians can not smile, or that they do not have senses of humor. Russia has various shades of humor, irony, laughter and sarcasm. But in Russian people behave differently in a society and at home (in friendly conditions). Public and private spheres of behavior are very different. Many years society was under the strict ideological control which did not suppose criticism of a regime and as a result – did not allow jokes about government. People did not trust each other during Soviet time because many of them reported on colleagues and friends, and it was very big risk to be accused in unreliability. Vigilance held down behavior of people, and desire to show fidelity of a party adjusted on serious manners. At home, between close people they tried to fill that lack of freedom and heat: the kitchen in the Russian house 70-80-s years had turned to debatable comic club where the political joke and a sharp joke prospered. Those years there was a certain type of the friendly company which usually had a funnyman in the center - the person who could support constantly cheerful spirit of a feast, cause explosions of laughter and arrange draws. The period of Brezhnev’s government can be named an era of a political joke. Jokes were comic and sarcastic. Many comic jokes derided Brezhnev’s dementia, for example: " Leonid Ilich Brezhnev meets in the Kreml Margaret Thatcher and diligently reads a greeting: - Hello, dear Indira Gandi! The translator corrects him: "It is Margaret Thatcher, Leonid Ilich ". - Dear Indira Gandi! - Do not you see? This is Margaret Thatcher, Leonid Ilich. - Certainly, I see, that this is Margaret Thatcher, but here, on the paper that my secretary gave me, it is written " Indira Gandi!!!” About Stalin and stalinism (the time when Stalin was a general secretary of USSR) composed basically sarcastic jokes, but black humor, such as: "Two friends during stalinizm were siting together and drinking in the evening and having frankly conversation between each other. A question: who was arrested the next morning? The answer: the one who has overslept ". It is hard to understand such a joke if you do not know how deep the fear penetrated a life of people, and that the friend could hasten to report on the friend to have time to make it before him. The culture of a political joke has created special type of black humor which has given a sneer to Russian smile. Russians frequently smile ironically, chuckling or playing a trick between friends. Very rare you will notice an open friendly smile on Russian’s people faces, which, for example, is very often you can see on American’s faces. Today the western managers teach the Russian employees to smile friendly, according to western sample and it is difficult for the Russian people, especially in sphere of service. During Soviet time there was a classical type of a saleswoman, the woman with the frowned face which meets the buyer as the personal enemy and necessarily finds an opportunity to curse it, to humiliate. This type of the salesman, the bureaucrat, employee in a laundry or stewardess was kept till these days, but gradually it is superseded with the western type of the smiling girl from a modern supermarket. But still - friendly smile hardly gets accustomed in sphere of Russian service. smile Member send PM   block PM add to buddies Send: 2/17/2004 2:50:18 PM   One of the reasons is naturalness, a spontaneity of Russian character: the Russian person does not accept a conditional polite smile " for all ", it looks for us an artificial mask, a false mask behind which is indifference. The smile in Russia still keeps sincere character of personal sympathy, and roughness in sphere of service - sincere expression of indifference, weariness or irritation. In Russia the tradition of "a social spooning” is not advanced, conditional language of dialogue badly gets accustomed in the country which culture instinctively pushes away all superficial, theatrical. Russian consciousness is sincerely and deep , but sometimes it does not have enough ease. Role of a smile as forms of dialogue, greetings in the West, in Russia are played with a glance which people exchange at a meeting. Foreigners frequently discourage or offend of Russian people manner to look against each other in public transport. A look, a glance will tell Russians much more about the person, than a smile. In the literature authors usually do accent on expression of eyes of the hero: Petchorin's eyes remained cold when it smiled, and "radiant eyes" knjazhny Mari in "War and peace" at once make readers like her. Except political and social reasons that stamped gravity, suspiciousness and sufferings on Russians faces, there are the reasons that came from old Russian history and culture. Russian Orthodoxy especially esteems Svjatootecheskoe the legend - works of Saint Fathers of Church of first eight centuries of Christianity. Saint Fathers warned, that the laughter is an instrument of a devil which tempts people, and then is laugh above them. The church in middle Ages pursued national humorous culture, vagrant actors. The god is never laugh anywhere in the Gospel, taught saints, He cries, when find out about Lazar’s death. “Blessed are crying and they will be consoled ", - the Christ says. That is why tears, instead of laughter became especially esteemed in orthodox tradition of spirituality. Irony, sneer, - perhaps, the most characteristic shade of Russian sense of humor. Last thirty years humorists became one of the most popular people in Russia. During Soviet time people gathered at the TV for Arcady Raikin's concerts, then Michael Zhvanetsky has found popularity, and Michael Zadornov today is in the lead. One of last his successful jokes sounds so: " Duma (Russian parliament) works on two new laws: "do not steal" and " do not kill ". They discuss it already in the third reading, but cannot ratify, because they cannot decide one thing " how much do not steal " ?. " The laughter is much more usual in Russia than a polite open smile. Because of many reasons smile cannot be the of Russia. First, Russia as a whole the country of tragical experience of wars, revolts, revolutions. Twentieth century - time of self-destruction, long suicide of the country when the dictatorial regime and Second World War have carried away more than hundred millions innocent lives. In Russia today there is no family which would not lose the relative on war or in camps. Last ten years the fear of government had been replaced with fear of poverty and terrorism: unstable conditions of a life have stamped apathy and despair on Russian faces. After one of the most tragical centuriy, smile on Russian face would look cynically. The grief, repentance and crying can be pertinent expression of a condition of Russian culture today. Place for the smile is in personal contact, personal sympathy and love. Sorry for not perfect translation. TimH Member send PM   block PM add to buddies Send: 2/17/2004 5:37:44 PM   Smile, Your words mirror what I was saying on the thread, Out of the fire and into the frying pan, that many people in Russia would welcome the return of the CCCP with open arms !! Anyone who thinks that it is a good life in Russia, and doesn't understand that about which we speak, should go there and see for himself, it is a real culture shock !! No-one can prepare you for it, and if it doesn't affect you in your heart when you see it then I am sorry to say that you have no human feeling, and I will add that if it does not affect you, then you have not the human feeling that your future bride will want in her man !! I have seen many cities there and seen the the anger at the situation the loss of the CCCP has caused for many people, the desperation, and as you say, the apathy shown by many too. For many it is a daily struggle not to live, but just to survive !! I will mention something that was told to me in Lugansk, by my very close friend Olya (the lady I mentioned in another thread who is a close to me as a sister, and soon to join her husband in the USA). She told me about an American visitor who went there to meet his girl. During a walk in the city he turned to Olya and remarked, "So many miserable looking people here !! Why does no-one smile ?" She indignantly replied to him, thinking him stupid and insensitive, "Look around yourself, what has anyone got to smile about ? Russian/Ukraine people do not smile just for the sake of it !!!!" Reading your words brought many memories back to me, thank you for your posting. Tim Dinand Member send PM   block PM add to buddies Send: 2/18/2004 8:04:32 AM   Hello Elena, Thanks for your nice review. My name is Dinand, editor of HowtoDateaRussianMate Would you mind if I publish your review at our 'mind set / cultural' link? Best regards, Ferdinand PS For every visitor that orders your story you receive $2 smile Member send PM   block PM add to buddies Send: 2/19/2004 4:29:13 AM   I am glade, TimH, you liked this text. It showes exactly how it is in Russia and other FSU states. It is a big difference between us and other world, but I hope this text will help to understand us more. TimH Member send PM   block PM add to buddies Send: 2/19/2004 12:39:12 PM   My pleasure to read your words Elena, it brought back memories, both good and bad, and I was laughing out loud at the humor parts you have recanted :o)) because I know what the Russian sense of humor and irony is like :o) Your Reply: Your name:   New Registration Password:   Forgot password?   refresh Code:   Russian brides > Main Forum > Smile in Russia
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