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xiv Things Y'all Should Never Do In Russia

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America is a "melting pot" of different cultures and ideas, and every bit a outcome Americans aren't (unremarkably) super-sensitive near people who do things a bit differently than we exercise. Just most of the earth's cultures evolved over centuries, sometimes millennia, and ofttimes in relative isolation. That's 1 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 affair, and they do things that tin come across every bit stupid and rude.

That'southward why it's a good idea to exercise your homework before visiting any foreign nation. You don't really want to piss anyone off, not just because it sucks to get into an altercation with someone whose language you don't speak, simply also because y'all never really know what tradition dictates ought to happen to those who defy tradition. So only in case y'all're planning a summer vacation to Russian federation (Simply why? Seriously, get to Paris.), here's a list of the top things you should never do while you're in Mother Russia.

Don't clothing gloves when yous milk shake hands

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If you're going to be in Russia in the summertime, you don't have to worry too much about this rule because Russia is freaking hot in the summer and you're non likely to be wearing gloves. Only the rest of the fourth dimension, Russia is like a balmy afternoon on Neptune and if you don't wear gloves your fingers might actually snap off when you try to take your phone out of your back pocket.

Even so, at that place are occasions when you're simply not allowed to article of clothing gloves, and no one in Russia cares how common cold your wussy strange 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 because y'all don't want to touch the disgusting Russian person. Hopefully, yous can see why that might be considered a bit rude. And actually, a handshake only takes a couple seconds, and then you can put your glove back on.

Never decline a potable

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Be warned, if yous are trying to stay abroad from alcohol, Russia is a terrible place to travel. The Russians are friendly, generous, and they like vodka. Really, that's not simply some horrible cliche.

So when you go to Russian federation, await to be offered a beverage. And according to PRI, when y'all get to Russia, don't wait that y'all can merely say, "No thank yous, I don't drink" considering no 1 will sympathize with or empathise that for some people alcohol is a life-ruining forcefulness of devastation — they will simply call up you're being insufferably rude. (Tip: Some travelers say you can use the sometime "md's orders" excuse to politely dodge the alcohol without raising whatever eyebrows.)

Likewise existence obligated to take alcohol when information technology's offered to you, y'all are too at risk of finding out what the Russian hospital organization is like after y'all become so intoxicated that you need medical attention. Because the Russians will non just offering you lot one drink, they will continue to make full your glass until you 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 proficient idea. If you ever let your glass get down to less than one-half total, expect a refill.

Don't leave empty bottles sitting on the tabular array

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The Russians are really superstitious people — a 2013 poll establish that more than than half of the Russians surveyed believed in things like omens, star divination, 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 canteen left sitting on a tabular array is an omen of financial hardship, or perhaps fifty-fifty grief and suffering. Don't worry, though, no one expects you lot to get up and eolith it in a recycling bin or annihilation — traditionally, you simply put it on the floor.

No one is sure where this superstition came from, just it'southward thought that Cossack soldiers brought it dorsum from French republic after the Napoleonic wars. When eating in Parisian restaurants, the Cossacks figured out that their waiters would charge them for the empty bottles on their table rather than for the total bottles they got from the bar, and 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 enjoy "your mama" jokes, even though near "your mama" jokes are notoriously unfunny and offensive. And however there still seem to be thousands of variations of them and nosotros still all seem to have at least 1 friend or family member who insists on telling the latest.

If you have a "your mama" joke in your repertoire of funnies, you'll want to avert throwing information technology out as an ice-breaker while y'all're in Russia. Russians are almost universally unamused past jokes about a person's female parent, or fifty-fifty a person's male parent. In fact co-ordinate to Russia Beyond, you might exist better off just not making jokes at all when you're in Russia considering the Russian sense of sense of humour doesn't really line up with the American 1. Y'all might even 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 see information technology.

Don't fence with a babushka

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Okay, so get-go of all, information technology's not "bab-OO-shka," information technology's "BAH-boo-shka." So don't say it incorrect because the Russians will exist pissed at you. 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 yous exactly how you've offended them. According to Way to Russian federation, you can expect to be shoved aside, cut in forepart of, and mostly looked down upon by every babushka you meet, and you'd better non practice or say annihilation well-nigh it because babushkas rule Russian federation.

If you don't know what a babushka is, y'all'd better know before you become on that airplane: A babushka is an elderly Russian adult female. In fact US Represented says when a Russian adult female becomes a grandmother, she achieves a kind of condition that's "something just short of gaining sainthood."

And then basically, what a babushka wants, a babushka gets. As a traveler who is not a babushka, yous are obligated to let her elbow yous bated, cut in forepart 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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Most Western superstitions nearly bad luck are specific to the person who offended the tradition — anybody else is usually spared. Walking under a ladder, for instance, is a solo transgression. So is opening upward an umbrella indoors. Only in Russia, violating the rules of superstition sometimes means dragging everyone else downwards with you, then that's why you really do accept to know all the Russian superstitions before y'all spend time there.

According to Bask Russian, you lot should never whistle indoors because for any reason, whistling is associated with financial hardship. It's especially bad form to whistle in someone else's business firm because it's non only yous who might suffer financial misfortune, but also your hosts.

Similar most long-running superstitions, no ane actually seems to know for certain where this 1 came from. In the West we have a like dominion well-nigh non whistling indoors, but our rule is not attached to a bad-luck thing. It'due south possible that the Russian superstition started out the aforementioned way, and and then morphed into "shut up already or you'll whistle all your money away!" Does it actually thing, though? At least the Russians accept a expert fashion to close that annoying crap downwardly.

Don't testify upwardly empty-handed

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This is really only common sense no thing what country y'all're in — whenever you're invited to someone'due south domicile, you should bring a bottle of wine or a dainty dessert to share with your hosts. If you're non already doing this, yous might demand to take an etiquette class or just stay in America where you're free to show up to your friend's house bearing nothing just the words, "Where'southward the beer?"

Co-ordinate to Russia Beyond, when you're invited into a Russian home y'all're expected to bring something with you, typically a food or drink item that will exist served with the meal. Brand sure information technology's something you actually enjoy — if you're not a wine drinker and you brought a bottle of vino, your hosts might be bellyaching at you for refusing to partake.

There are some other practice'due south and don'ts that household guests have to recall — for example, do bring alcohol but don't bring vodka because your hosts might think you're insulting them. Practice bring flowers for any women in the house, but not yellow flowers or flowers in even numbers. If there are children in the habitation, it's customary to bring something for them, too, like a small treat or a fun activeness. And possibly take notes considering that's style besides much to remember.

Don't let a woman behave heavy things

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Here in the West, women pride themselves on their independence. Sometimes, Western women will fifty-fifty become offended at offers of help because those offers, withal well-intentioned, imply that they can't take care of themselves — which is one of the reasons why you lot don't see so many random acts of chivalry in the 21st century. Some of us miss it and some of us don't, but generally speaking offer to agree a door or carry something heavy for someone just because she'southward female isn't really a thing anymore in America.

In Russia, though, this brand of chivalry hasn't ever gone out of style. According to Russia Beyond, the Russians believe that a man has a responsibility to help a adult female out when he sees her carrying something heavy. If you're a adult female traveling in Russia, information technology'southward a adept idea to just accept the help when it's offered — the Russians don't mean to imply that y'all tin't take intendance of yourself, they're just genuinely trying to help. If yous're a human being traveling in Russian federation and you run into a woman struggling with something heavy, you lot should as well offer to help. And if she'due south your traveling companion, you're probably not going to make many expert impressions with the locals if y'all permit her struggle with her own suitcase.

Don't accept an offering of kindness until information technology's been offered several times

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You've almost 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, actually I insist." Person B refuses again, and then on and so along until everyone is mad at each other. In Russia, this is all function of the tradition of gift giving.

According to World Speaking, when someone in Russia offers you a gift, you should never, ever accept outright, even if it'south something you really demand. Instead, you should let the person offer a second time, and so you should decline once again. If that person is actually serious about giving you a gift, he or she will offer a tertiary time, and at that indicate it's probably okay to say yeah. Merely it's definitely not polite to only jump on the offer immediately — yous must at least make a show of beingness unwilling to accept the souvenir, so the other person tin make a show of being willing to give it to y'all.

Don't criticize Russian federation

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In the Westward, specially in America, we love to talk nearly politics, and we especially honey to criticize our government and our politicians. We all consider ourselves to be patriots, but other than that we're pretty polarized about which way the nation appears to be moving and which politicians are most responsible for "destroying our country."

Information technology'south kind of natural to have some of that with you lot on vacation, but if your destination is Russian federation, Travel Mono recommends keeping whatsoever criticism of Russian politics that yous might have tightly under wraps. So no comments virtually Russian election interference, don't mention Crimea, and definitely don't brand fun of shirtless Putin on a equus caballus.

Russians are also very patriotic, but to them, patriotism means non making fun of or criticizing the government and its leaders considering that'south not being a good citizen and also because the the government might put their families in a penal colony. And information technology'southward particularly obnoxious to them when a pretentious Westerner shows up, eats all the food, sees all the sights, and complains nearly Putin. Then merely don't practice it. There are enough of other things to talk about when you're in Russia, like "Why is it so damned cold all the fourth dimension?" and "Why do all those buildings look like they're topped with scoops of 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. Information technology actually makes a ton of sense, actually, and it kind of seems strange that information technology hasn't really dawned on all cultures how gross it is to walk around the house in your shoes. Your home is supposed to be a respite from all the filth and germs of the real world, and nothing you lot wear on your body is quite equally filthy and germy as a pair of shoes.

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

Russians are so germ-averse, in fact, that they will usually modify into "house wearing apparel" when they come home from work because their business firm dress are cleaner than anything they wore effectually the urban center during the solar day.

Don't sit on public transport

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After a long, difficult 24-hour interval of sightseeing, being forced to drink alcohol, and non saying anything bad nigh Vladimir Putin, you lot might exist looking forward to jumping on the Metro only and then you can sit for a few minutes. Not and so fast, though. Many metropolis-habitation Russians utilize public transportation, and public transportation is often at capacity. So on a crowded train in that location's always going to exist someone who needs that seat, and in the eyes of the Russians, information technology is terribly uncouth and selfish for y'all to assume that it's you, unless you autumn into one of the post-obit categories: You are elderly, you are disabled, you lot are a child, or you are pregnant.

According to ITMO.news, failure to surrender your seat for someone in ane of these groups is a gigantic faux paus, and you lot might really get told off (in Russian!) for being a selfish wiggle. That's totally not worth resting your feet for a few minutes.

Don't smile

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Pop culture sometimes portrays the Russians equally beingness kind of gloomy, or maybe even angry all the time. There are plenty of goofy explanations most why this might exist — perhaps it'southward because they're and so freaking cold all the time or perhaps it's because they've finally realized that all their buildings are topped with snow and non scoops of ice cream. But it's actually a misconception that Russians are perpetually in a bad mood — they're not, they're simply very selective smilers.

According to the Atlantic, the Russians experience like they shouldn't smile unless they have a reason to. In fact this is even written into their culture in the form of a maxim, which loosely translated means "laughing for no reason is a sign of stupidity." So smile 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 you lot take a skillful reason to grinning.

Don't go out without your passport

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For the most office, Russia is a friendly and hospitable place. Merely Russian federation is not exactly the country of the free, the home of the unrestricted traveler. According to Russia Beyond, the Russian constabulary can stop anyone at whatsoever time for the sole purpose of "checking papers," just like in every film you've ever seen where American travelers get into trouble in countries that aren't the U.s.. And yes, constabulary do tend to exercise this based on profiling — if you don't look like a Russian, you lot're probably going to become stopped. And if you lot don't have your passport, yous might even exist taken into custody. As well, you lot'll probably soil yourself because you lot won't take any thought why you lot're being taken into custody because y'all don't speak Russian.

The Russian constabulary tin hold you for upwards to three hours while they effort to figure out who you 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 get out your passport in the hotel because you'd rather travel lite — you truly practice not know when yous might need it.

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