Never Drinking Whisky Again Lol. Staying With Vodka and Taquilla
14 Things You Should Never Practice In Russia
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America is a "melting pot" of different cultures and ideas, and every bit a result Americans aren't (unremarkably) super-sensitive about people who exercise things a bit differently than nosotros do. But most of the world's cultures evolved over centuries, sometimes millennia, and often in relative isolation. That's ane of the reasons why people from other cultures can get so annoyed at American travelers — American travelers don't always get the whole cultural respect thing, and they exercise things that tin run into as stupid and rude.
That'south why it'southward a good idea to do your homework before visiting any foreign nation. Y'all don't really want to piss anyone off, not but because information technology sucks to get into an altercation with someone whose language you don't speak, but also because yous never really know what tradition dictates ought to happen to those who defy tradition. And then merely in case you're planning a summer vacation to Russia (But why? Seriously, become to Paris.), here's a listing of the top things you should never do while you're in Mother Russia.
Don't wear gloves when yous milkshake easily
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If you're going to be in Russian federation in the summer, you lot don't have to worry besides much about this rule because Russia is freaking hot in the summer and you're not likely to be wearing gloves. Simply the rest of the time, Russia is similar a balmy afternoon on Neptune and if you don't wear gloves your fingers might really snap off when you attempt to accept your telephone out of your back pocket.
All the same, there are occasions when y'all're simply not allowed to wear gloves, and no one in Russia cares how cold your wussy foreign fingers are. According to the Moscow Times, one of these occasions is whenever you are shaking hands. Just why? Because from the Russian perspective y'all are not wearing that glove out of a want to take a warm hand, you lot are wearing it because you lot don't want to touch the icky Russian person. Hopefully, you can meet why that might be considered a bit rude. And actually, a handshake simply takes a couple seconds, then yous tin put your glove back on.
Never pass up a drink
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Be warned, if you are trying to stay away from booze, Russian federation is a terrible identify to travel. The Russians are friendly, generous, and they like vodka. Actually, that's not just some horrible cliche.
And so when you go to Russia, expect to exist offered a drink. And according to PRI, when yous go to Russia, don't wait that you tin can merely say, "No thanks, I don't drink" because no one will empathize with or sympathise that for some people booze is a life-ruining forcefulness of devastation — they will just think you're being insufferably rude. (Tip: Some travelers say you tin use the old "doctor's orders" excuse to politely dodge the booze without raising any eyebrows.)
Besides existence obligated to have alcohol when it'south offered to you, you are besides at risk of finding out what the Russian hospital arrangement is like after you lot get and then intoxicated that you need medical attention. Considering the Russians volition non just offering you lot one drink, they will keep to fill your glass until you either laissez passer out or die. If yous don't want that to happen, nursing your drinks while you're in Russia is a really good thought. If you lot ever let your glass get downwardly to less than one-half total, look a refill.
Don't leave empty bottles sitting on the table
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The Russians are really superstitious people — a 2013 poll found that more than half of the Russians surveyed believed in things like omens, astrology, prophetic dreams, and bad luck.
One such superstition has to do with empty bottles, specifically, empty bottles that once had alcohol in them. According to the Moscow Times, Russians believe that an empty bottle left sitting on a tabular array is an omen of financial hardship, or maybe even grief and suffering. Don't worry, though, no one expects you to go up and deposit it in a recycling bin or annihilation — traditionally, you just put it on the floor.
No one is certain where this superstition came from, but it'south idea that Cossack soldiers brought it back from French republic afterward the Napoleonic wars. When eating in Parisian restaurants, the Cossacks figured out that their waiters would accuse them for the empty bottles on their table rather than for the full bottles they got from the bar, and so they started leaving a few bottles on the flooring to lighten the bill.
Don't tell "your mama" jokes
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For some reason, Americans savor "your mama" jokes, even though well-nigh "your mama" jokes are notoriously unfunny and offensive. And yet there still seem to exist thousands of variations of them and we nonetheless all seem to have at least one friend or family unit fellow member who insists on telling the latest.
If yous have a "your mama" joke in your repertoire of funnies, you lot'll want to avoid throwing information technology out as an ice-breaker while you're in Russia. Russians are most universally unamused past jokes about a person'south mother, or fifty-fifty a person's father. In fact according to Russia Beyond, y'all might exist ameliorate off but non making jokes at all when you're in Russian federation because the Russian sense of sense of humour doesn't really line up with the American i. You might fifty-fifty find that some Russians are taking your jokes seriously because nothing in their universe has ever prepared them for the stupidity of the American sense of humor, and therefore they don't actually know it when they encounter information technology.
Don't argue with a babushka
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Okay, and then outset of all, it's non "bab-OO-shka," information technology'south "BAH-boo-shka." And then don't say it wrong because the Russians will be pissed at yous. And 2nd, respect the babushka. Babushka is a title and a status symbol. Babushkas are tough and terrifying and they are not agape to tell y'all exactly how you've offended them. According to Way to Russian federation, you can look to be shoved aside, cut in front of, and mostly looked downward upon by every babushka y'all come across, and you'd better non practice or say annihilation about it because babushkas rule Russia.
If yous don't know what a babushka is, you'd ameliorate know before y'all get on that plane: A babushka is an elderly Russian woman. In fact US Represented says when a Russian woman becomes a grandmother, she achieves a kind of status that's "something only brusque of gaining sainthood."
And so basically, what a babushka wants, a babushka gets. As a traveler who is not a babushka, you are obligated to let her elbow you lot aside, cut in front of y'all, and yell at you for transgressions you don't empathise because you don't speak Russian. Be prepared.
Don't whistle indoors
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Nearly Western superstitions about bad luck are specific to the person who offended the tradition — everyone else is usually spared. Walking under a ladder, for instance, is a solo transgression. And then is opening up an umbrella indoors. But in Russia, violating the rules of superstition sometimes means dragging everyone else down with yous, and so that'due south why you really practice accept to know all the Russian superstitions before you spend time there.
Co-ordinate to Enjoy Russian, you lot should never whistle indoors because for whatever reason, whistling is associated with financial hardship. It's especially bad form to whistle in someone else's house because it's not just you who might suffer fiscal misfortune, but also your hosts.
Like nigh long-running superstitions, no one really seems to know for sure where this one came from. In the West we take a like rule nigh not whistling indoors, just our dominion is non attached to a bad-luck thing. It's possible that the Russian superstition started out the same way, and and then morphed into "shut up already or you'll whistle all your money abroad!" Does it really matter, though? At to the lowest degree the Russians have a practiced way to shut that abrasive crap downwardly.
Don't show upward empty-handed
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This is really just common sense no affair what country yous're in — whenever you're invited to someone'due south domicile, y'all should bring a canteen of wine or a prissy dessert to share with your hosts. If you're not already doing this, you lot might demand to have an etiquette class or just stay in America where you're free to show up to your friend's house bearing nothing but the words, "Where's the beer?"
Co-ordinate to Russian federation Beyond, when you're invited into a Russian home you lot're expected to bring something with y'all, typically a nutrient or drink detail that will be served with the repast. Make sure it'due south something yous really enjoy — if you lot're non a wine drinker and you brought a bottle of vino, your hosts might be annoyed at you lot for refusing to partake.
There are another do's and don'ts that household guests take to remember — for example, do bring booze but don't bring vodka because your hosts might call up yous're insulting them. Do bring flowers for whatsoever women in the house, but not yellow flowers or flowers in even numbers. If at that place are children in the domicile, it'south customary to bring something for them, too, like a minor treat or a fun activity. And maybe take notes because that's style too much to remember.
Don't let a woman carry heavy things
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Here in the Due west, women pride themselves on their independence. Sometimes, Western women will even get offended at offers of help because those offers, however well-intentioned, imply that they can't take care of themselves — which is one of the reasons why you don't see so many random acts of chivalry in the 21st century. Some of us miss it and some of u.s. don't, just more often than not speaking offering to concord a door or comport something heavy for someone but because she's female person isn't really a matter anymore in America.
In Russia, though, this make of chivalry hasn't ever gone out of style. According to Russia Beyond, the Russians believe that a human being has a responsibility to help a adult female out when he sees her carrying something heavy. If you're a woman traveling in Russia, it'due south a proficient idea to merely have the help when it'southward offered — the Russians don't mean to imply that you can't have intendance of yourself, they're simply genuinely trying to help. If you lot're a homo traveling in Russian federation and y'all see a woman struggling with something heavy, yous should also offer to help. And if she's your traveling companion, you're probably not going to brand many good impressions with the locals if you lot let her struggle with her own suitcase.
Don't accept an offering of kindness until it's been offered several times
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You've well-nigh certainly seen this play out in a sitcom: Person A offers to do some kindness for Person B. Person B refuses, and Person A says, "No, really I insist." Person B refuses again, then on and so forth until everyone is mad at each other. In Russia, this is all part of the tradition of souvenir giving.
According to World Speaking, when someone in Russian federation offers yous a gift, you should never, ever accept outright, even if it'due south something you really need. Instead, you should let the person offer a second fourth dimension, and and then you lot should refuse over again. If that person is actually serious about giving you a gift, he or she will offer a 3rd time, and at that indicate information technology's probably okay to say yes. But information technology's definitely not polite to but leap on the offer immediately — you must at least brand a show of being unwilling to take the gift, so the other person tin can brand a show of being willing to give it to you.
Don't criticize Russia
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In the West, especially in America, nosotros love to talk well-nigh politics, and we especially dearest to criticize our government and our politicians. We all consider ourselves to exist patriots, just other than that nosotros're pretty polarized near which way the nation appears to be moving and which politicians are well-nigh responsible for "destroying our country."
Information technology's kind of natural to take some of that with y'all on holiday, but if your destination is Russia, Travel Mono recommends keeping whatever criticism of Russian politics that y'all might have tightly under wraps. So no comments about Russian election interference, don't mention Crimea, and definitely don't make fun of shirtless Putin on a equus caballus.
Russians are too very patriotic, only to them, patriotism means not making fun of or criticizing the government and its leaders considering that'south non being a expert citizen and also because the the government might put their families in a penal colony. And it's especially obnoxious to them when a pretentious Westerner shows up, eats all the nutrient, sees all the sights, and complains about Putin. So just don't do it. There are plenty of other things to talk about when you're in Russia, like "Why is it so damned common cold all the time?" and "Why do all those buildings look similar they're topped with scoops of water ice cream?"
Don't wear shoes indoors
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Russians don't believe in wearing shoes indoors. In that way, Russia is similar to a lot of Asian countries, where shoes in living spaces just don't compute. It actually makes a ton of sense, really, and it kind of seems strange that it hasn't actually dawned on all cultures how gross information technology is to walk around the house in your shoes. Your dwelling house is supposed to be a respite from all the filth and germs of the real world, and nothing you lot wear on your torso is quite as filthy and germy every bit a pair of shoes.
According to Russia Beyond, you should always leave your shoes in the hallway whenever you walk into a Russian domicile. Near Russians keep slippers on paw specifically for their guests considering putting your feet where someone else's sweaty, athlete's foot-covered toes take been is marginally less gross than tracking germs all over the house.
Russians are so germ-averse, in fact, that they will ordinarily change into "business firm clothes" when they come up home from work because their firm dress are cleaner than anything they wore effectually the city during the twenty-four hours.
Don't sit on public transport
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After a long, hard day of sightseeing, being forced to drink booze, and not saying anything bad almost Vladimir Putin, you might be looking forward to jumping on the Metro but so you can sit down for a few minutes. Not so fast, though. Many urban center-dwelling Russians utilize public transportation, and public transportation is frequently at chapters. And then on a crowded train there'south always going to be someone who needs that seat, and in the optics of the Russians, it is terribly uncouth and selfish for you to assume that it's you, unless you lot fall into 1 of the following categories: You are elderly, yous are disabled, you lot are a child, or you are pregnant.
Co-ordinate to ITMO.news, failure to give up your seat for someone in ane of these groups is a gigantic simulated paus, and you lot might actually get told off (in Russian!) for beingness a selfish jerk. That's totally not worth resting your anxiety for a few minutes.
Don't smiling
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Popular civilisation sometimes portrays the Russians as existence kind of gloomy, or perchance even angry all the time. There are plenty of goofy explanations about why this might be — maybe information technology'due south because they're and then freaking cold all the time or peradventure it's because they've finally realized that all their buildings are topped with snow and not scoops of water ice foam. But it's actually a misconception that Russians are perpetually in a bad mood — they're not, they're just very selective smilers.
According to the Atlantic, the Russians experience like they shouldn't grinning unless they have a reason to. In fact this is even written into their culture in the class of a proverb, which loosely translated means "laughing for no reason is a sign of stupidity." So grin at strangers is considered weird, and uncouth, and maybe fifty-fifty disingenuous. Instead, the Russians believe that you lot should reserve your smiles for your family unit, friends, and occasions when you accept a skillful reason to smile.
Don't become out without your passport
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For the well-nigh role, Russia is a friendly and hospitable place. But Russia is non exactly the land of the free, the home of the unrestricted traveler. According to Russia Beyond, the Russian law can stop anyone at whatsoever time for the sole purpose of "checking papers," just like in every movie y'all've ever seen where American travelers get into trouble in countries that aren't the The states. And yes, police do tend to exercise this based on profiling — if you lot don't wait like a Russian, y'all're probably going to get stopped. And if you don't have your passport, you might fifty-fifty be taken into custody. Likewise, y'all'll probably soil yourself because you won't have any idea why you're beingness taken into custody because you don't speak Russian.
The Russian police force can hold you for up to three hours while they try to effigy out who you are, and that can seriously interfere with your plans to bout the Peterhof Gardens and Fountains or the Museum of Vladimir Putin. And then don't leave your passport in the hotel because you'd rather travel light — you truly do not know when you might need it.
Source: https://www.grunge.com/153696/things-you-should-never-do-in-russia/
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