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14 Things You Should Never Practise 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 do things a scrap differently than we do. Simply most of the earth's cultures evolved over centuries, sometimes millennia, and often in relative isolation. That's one 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 do things that tin come across as stupid and rude.

That'south why it's a good idea to practice your homework before visiting any foreign nation. You don't really want to piss anyone off, not just because it sucks to go into an altercation with someone whose language you don't speak, merely too because y'all never really know what tradition dictates ought to happen to those who defy tradition. So just in example y'all're planning a summertime holiday to Russia (But why? Seriously, go to Paris.), here's a listing of the top things you should never do while you lot're in Female parent Russian federation.

Don't wear gloves when y'all milkshake hands

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If you're going to exist in Russia in the summer, you don't have to worry likewise much near this rule considering Russia is freaking hot in the summer and you're not likely to be wearing gloves. But the rest of the time, Russian federation is like a balmy afternoon on Neptune and if yous don't clothing gloves your fingers might actually snap off when you try to take your phone out of your back pocket.

Still, there are occasions when you're simply non allowed to wear gloves, and no 1 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. But why? Because from the Russian perspective you are not wearing that glove out of a desire to have a warm hand, you are wearing it considering you don't want to touch the icky Russian person. Hopefully, you tin can run into why that might exist considered a bit rude. And really, a handshake simply takes a couple seconds, and then you lot can put your glove dorsum on.

Never turn downward a drink

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Exist warned, if you lot are trying to stay abroad from alcohol, Russian federation is a terrible place to travel. The Russians are friendly, generous, and they like vodka. Really, that'southward not just some horrible cliche.

So when you go to Russia, look to be offered a beverage. And according to PRI, when you go to Russia, don't expect that y'all can just say, "No cheers, I don't drink" because no ane will understand with or understand that for some people alcohol is a life-ruining forcefulness of destruction — they will just think you're being insufferably rude. (Tip: Some travelers say y'all can utilize the old "doctor'southward orders" excuse to politely dodge the booze without raising whatever eyebrows.)

Likewise beingness obligated to accept booze when it's offered to you, you are also at gamble of finding out what the Russian hospital system is like afterwards you become so intoxicated that you need medical attention. Because the Russians will non merely offer y'all one drink, they will proceed to make full your glass until you lot either laissez passer out or die. If you don't desire that to happen, nursing your drinks while you're in Russia is a really good idea. If you lot ever permit your glass get down to less than half full, wait a refill.

Don't get out 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.

1 such superstition has to do with empty bottles, specifically, empty bottles that once had booze 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 1 expects yous to get up and deposit information technology in a recycling bin or annihilation — traditionally, you just put it on the floor.

No one is sure where this superstition came from, merely it'south thought that Cossack soldiers brought it dorsum from France later 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 total bottles they got from the bar, then they started leaving a few bottles on the floor to lighten the bill.

Don't tell "your mama" jokes

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For some reason, Americans bask "your mama" jokes, even though well-nigh "your mama" jokes are notoriously unfunny and offensive. And yet in that location still seem to exist thousands of variations of them and we nonetheless all seem to accept at least one friend or family fellow member who insists on telling the latest.

If you have a "your mama" joke in your repertoire of funnies, you'll want to avoid throwing information technology out every bit an ice-breaker while you're in Russia. Russians are well-nigh universally unamused by jokes well-nigh a person'southward mother, or even a person'south father. In fact co-ordinate to Russia Beyond, you lot might be meliorate off just non making jokes at all when you're in Russian federation considering the Russian sense of humor doesn't actually line up with the American one. You might even discover that some Russians are taking your jokes seriously because zippo in their universe has always prepared them for the stupidity of the American sense of humor, and therefore they don't actually know information technology when they see information technology.

Don't argue with a babushka

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Okay, so first of all, it's non "bab-OO-shka," it's "BAH-boo-shka." So don't say it wrong considering the Russians volition 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 non afraid to tell you exactly how yous've offended them. According to Way to Russia, you can look to be shoved bated, cut in front of, and generally looked down upon by every babushka y'all meet, and yous'd better not do or say annihilation nigh information technology because babushkas rule Russian federation.

If yous don't know what a babushka is, you lot'd better know before yous become on that plane: A babushka is an elderly Russian woman. In fact Usa Represented says when a Russian woman becomes a grandmother, she achieves a kind of status that's "something just curt of gaining sainthood."

So basically, what a babushka wants, a babushka gets. As a traveler who is not a babushka, y'all are obligated to let her elbow yous aside, cut in front of you, and yell at you for transgressions you don't understand considering you don't speak Russian. Be prepared.

Don't whistle indoors

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Virtually Western superstitions about bad luck are specific to the person who offended the tradition — anybody else is usually spared. Walking nether a ladder, for example, is a solo transgression. Then is opening up an umbrella indoors. But in Russian federation, violating the rules of superstition sometimes means dragging everyone else downward with you, so that's why you really do take to know all the Russian superstitions before you spend time in that location.

According to Enjoy Russian, yous should never whistle indoors because for whatever reason, whistling is associated with financial hardship. It'south especially bad course to whistle in someone else's house considering it's non just you lot who might suffer financial misfortune, simply too your hosts.

Like most long-running superstitions, no one really seems to know for sure where this 1 came from. In the Westward we take a like rule nigh non whistling indoors, but our rule is not fastened to a bad-luck thing. It'southward possible that the Russian superstition started out the aforementioned way, and then morphed into "shut up already or you'll whistle all your money away!" Does it really matter, though? At least the Russians have a practiced style to close that annoying crap down.

Don't show up empty-handed

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This is really just common sense no thing what country you're in — whenever you lot're invited to someone's domicile, you lot should bring a bottle of wine or a nice dessert to share with your hosts. If y'all're not already doing this, you might need to accept an etiquette grade or just stay in America where y'all're gratis to testify up to your friend's house bearing cipher but the words, "Where'southward the beer?"

According to Russia Beyond, when you're invited into a Russian home you lot're expected to bring something with you lot, typically a food or drink item that volition be served with the meal. Make sure it's something yous actually enjoy — if you lot're not a wine drinker and you brought a bottle of wine, your hosts might be annoyed at y'all for refusing to partake.

There are some other do'southward and don'ts that household guests have to remember — for example, do bring booze just don't bring vodka because your hosts might recall you're insulting them. Do bring flowers for any women in the house, but non xanthous flowers or flowers in even numbers. If there are children in the home, it'due south customary to bring something for them, too, like a small treat or a fun activity. And peradventure take notes considering that'southward way besides much to remember.

Don't let a woman carry heavy things

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Here in the West, women pride themselves on their independence. Sometimes, Western women will even get offended at offers of assist because those offers, even so well-intentioned, imply that they can't have intendance of themselves — which is one of the reasons why you don't run into and so many random acts of chivalry in the 21st century. Some of the states miss it and some of u.s. don't, but more often than not speaking offering to hold a door or carry something heavy for someone just because she's female isn't really a thing 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 has a responsibility to help a adult female out when he sees her carrying something heavy. If y'all're a woman traveling in Russian federation, it's a skilful idea to simply accept the help when it's offered — the Russians don't hateful to imply that you tin can't take care of yourself, they're only genuinely trying to help. If yous're a human traveling in Russian federation and yous come across a woman struggling with something heavy, yous should also offer to help. And if she's your traveling companion, yous're probably non going to make many skilful impressions with the locals if yous permit her struggle with her own suitcase.

Don't accept an offer of kindness until it's been offered several times

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Y'all've near certainly seen this play out in a sitcom: Person A offers to exercise some kindness for Person B. Person B refuses, and Person A says, "No, really I insist." Person B refuses over again, and then on and then along until everyone is mad at each other. In Russian federation, this is all part of the tradition of gift giving.

Co-ordinate to World Speaking, when someone in Russian federation offers you a souvenir, you should never, ever have outright, even if it's something you actually need. Instead, you should let the person offer a second time, and then you should refuse again. If that person is really serious about giving you a gift, he or she volition offer a tertiary time, and at that signal information technology'due south probably okay to say yes. Just it's definitely non polite to just jump on the offer immediately — yous must at least make a show of being unwilling to have the gift, then the other person can brand a bear witness of being willing to give it to you.

Don't criticize Russia

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In the Due west, peculiarly in America, we love to talk about politics, and nosotros specially love to criticize our government and our politicians. Nosotros all consider ourselves to exist patriots, simply other than that we're pretty polarized about which way the nation appears to exist moving and which politicians are almost responsible for "destroying our country."

It's kind of natural to take some of that with you on holiday, simply if your destination is Russian federation, Travel Mono recommends keeping any criticism of Russian politics that yous 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 horse.

Russians are also very patriotic, but to them, patriotism means not making fun of or criticizing the government and its leaders because that's not being a good citizen and also considering 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 food, sees all the sights, and complains about Putin. So just don't do it. At that place are enough of other things to talk about when you're in Russia, like "Why is it so damned common cold all the time?" and "Why exercise all those buildings look like 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 mode, Russia is like to a lot of Asian countries, where shoes in living spaces simply don't compute. It actually makes a ton of sense, actually, and it kind of seems strange that it hasn't actually dawned on all cultures how gross information technology is to walk around the business firm in your shoes. Your home is supposed to exist a respite from all the filth and germs of the real globe, and nothing yous wearable on your body is quite as filthy and germy as a pair of shoes.

According to Russian federation Across, you should always leave your shoes in the hallway whenever you walk into a Russian habitation. Virtually Russians go along slippers on paw specifically for their guests because putting your feet where someone else's sweaty, athlete'south foot-covered toes have been is marginally less gross than tracking germs all over the house.

Russians are so germ-averse, in fact, that they will usually change into "firm dress" when they come habitation from work considering their house clothes are cleaner than anything they wore effectually the metropolis during the day.

Don't sit down on public transport

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After a long, hard day of sightseeing, being forced to drink alcohol, and not saying annihilation bad almost Vladimir Putin, you might be looking frontwards to jumping on the Metro just then you can sit down for a few minutes. Non so fast, though. Many urban center-habitation Russians use public transportation, and public transportation is oft at chapters. So on a crowded train there's e'er going to be someone who needs that seat, and in the eyes of the Russians, it is terribly uncouth and selfish for you lot to assume that it's yous, unless you fall into one of the post-obit categories: You are elderly, yous are disabled, y'all are a kid, or y'all are pregnant.

According to ITMO.news, failure to give upwards your seat for someone in i of these groups is a gigantic fake paus, and you might actually become told off (in Russian!) for being a selfish jerk. That's totally non worth resting your feet for a few minutes.

Don't smile

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Pop culture sometimes portrays the Russians every bit beingness kind of gloomy, or possibly even angry all the fourth dimension. There are plenty of goofy explanations most why this might be — perhaps it'due south considering they're so freaking common cold all the fourth dimension or perhaps it's because they've finally realized that all their buildings are topped with snow and non scoops of water ice cream. But it'south 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 feel like they shouldn't smile 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." Then grinning at strangers is considered weird, and uncouth, and maybe even disingenuous. Instead, the Russians believe that you should reserve your smiles for your family, friends, and occasions when yous have a practiced reason to grin.

Don't leave without your passport

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For the most part, Russia is a friendly and hospitable place. But Russia is not exactly the country of the costless, the dwelling house of the unrestricted traveler. According to Russian federation Beyond, the Russian constabulary can stop anyone at any fourth dimension for the sole purpose of "checking papers," merely like in every movie you've always seen where American travelers get into problem in countries that aren't the USA. And yes, police do tend to do this based on profiling — if you lot don't look like a Russian, you're probably going to become stopped. And if you don't have your passport, you might fifty-fifty be taken into custody. Also, yous'll probably soil yourself because you won't have any idea why you're beingness taken into custody considering you lot don't speak Russian.

The Russian police can hold you for up to 3 hours while they try to figure out who yous are, and that can seriously interfere with your plans to tour the Peterhof Gardens and Fountains or the Museum of Vladimir Putin. So don't leave your passport in the hotel considering yous'd rather travel low-cal — you truly do not know when you might need information technology.

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Source: https://www.grunge.com/153696/things-you-should-never-do-in-russia/