Russian character traits in the representations of famous people. Mysterious Russian soul (national character of Russians and peculiarities of communication)

N.A. Berdyaev and N.O. Lossky.
Both thinkers, being of a religious orientation, put in the first place the religiosity of the Russian person, which they considered intrinsically inherent in him and from which all the particular moral properties of the Russian soul naturally flowed, above all the permanent - constant and continuous - search for absolute goodness.

The outstanding Russian philosopher Nikolai Aleksandrovich Berdyaev (1874-1948) noted its inconsistency (duality, antinomy) and pronounced political apathy, non-stateness of the Russian people... It is the first of these signs that makes it difficult to understand the characteristics of the Russian soul, and it is understanding this inconsistency is the solution to the riddle of the Russian soul.
Berdyaev unambiguously says: "You can approach the solution of the secret hidden in the soul of Russia, immediately recognizing the antinomy of Russia, its terrible contradictoriness." Inconsistency - and this is the main thing - leads to the fact that Russia lives an "inorganic life" it lacks integrity and unity.
In this connection, Berdyaev remarks: “Imperialism in the Western and bourgeois sense of the word is alien to the Russian people, but he dutifully devoted his energies to the creation of imperialism, in which his heart was not interested. The secret of Russian history and the Russian soul is hidden here. No philosophy of history, Slavophil or Westernizing, has yet figured out why the most stateless people created such a huge and powerful statehood, why the most anarchic people are so submissive to the bureaucracy, why a free spirit people seem to want a free life? This secret is associated with a special relationship between the feminine and masculine principles in the Russian folk character. The same antinomy goes through the whole of Russian life "

About the second main feature of the Russian character Berdyaev says: “Russia is the most stateless, the most anarchist country in the world. And the Russian people are the most apolitical people who never knew how to arrange their land ... "
... And at the same time, according to Berdyaev: “Russia is the most state-owned and most bureaucratic country in the world; everything in Russia is turning into an instrument of politics. The Russian people created the most powerful state in the world, the greatest empire. Russia was consistently and stubbornly collected from Ivan Kalita and reached dimensions that stagger the imagination of all the peoples of the world. The forces of the people, about which they not without reason think that they are striving for an inner spiritual life, are given to the colossus of statehood, which turns everything into its instrument. " there is no contradiction in essence, because in the first case we have in mind the mechanics of government (and in this respect, everything is correct: we have never strived for high-quality government of the country, calling on all sorts of foreigners for this matter, in the initial period of the formation of the Russian state - the Varangians, in Petrine and post-Petrine epochs - all sorts of "Germans"), and in the second - the real practice of creating a state, which was characterized by successful expansion to different parts of the world, primarily to the east.

The most important property of the character of the Russian people is tolerance for foreigners that Berdyaev notes in the following words: “Russia is the most non-chauvinistic country in the world. Nationalism in our country always gives the impression of something non-Russian, superficial, some kind of unremarkable. The Germans, the British, the French are chauvinists and nationalists en masse, they full of national self-confidence and complacency.
Russians are almost ashamed of being Russian; national pride is alien to them and often even - alas! - national dignity is alien.
The Russian people are not at all characterized by aggressive nationalism, inclination of violent Russification.
Russian does not advance, does not exhibit, does not despise others.
In the Russian element, there truly is some kind of national disinterestedness, sacrifice, unknown to Western peoples.
The Russian intelligentsia has always treated nationalism with disgust and abhorred it as an evil spirits ... It is precisely its supranationalism, its freedom from nationalism that is national in Russia; in this, Russia is distinctive and unlike any other country in the world. Russia is called to be the liberator of peoples. This mission is inherent in its special spirit "

The Russian people do not lend themselves well to political organization.
This is due to the fact that “Russia is a country of boundless freedom of spirit, a country of wandering and seeking God's truth. Russia is not the most bourgeois country in the world; it lacks that strong philistinism that so repels and averts Russians in the West. "
And at the same time: “Russia is almost impossible to budge, it is so heavy, so inert, so lazy, so immersed in matter, so humbly puts up with his life.
All our estates, our soil layers: the nobility, the merchants, the peasantry, the clergy, the bureaucracy — all do not want and do not like to ascend; everyone prefers to stay in the lowlands, on the plain, to be "like everyone else"
... This kind of property of the Russian person leads to the fact that in our country there are still no well-developed political institutions that would create an efficiently functioning civil society. However, some elements of civil society, albeit with great difficulty, very slowly, but began to emerge in Russia in the last years of tsarist rule, that is, in the era of constitutional monarchy, but all this was completely ruined by the Bolshevik coup, as a result of which the reins of government in the country took the political elite, while the bulk of the population remained purely indifferent in terms of the manifestation of social initiative (which is reflected in the well-known rule of the Soviet person, namely: "keep your head down").

Berdyaev notes as a negative feature of the Russian character his overconfidence, in connection with which he says that Russia is “a country that considers itself the only one called and rejects the whole of Europe, like rot and fiend of the devil, doomed to perish. Back side Russian humility is an extraordinary Russian conceit. The most humble is the greatest, the most powerful, the only one called. "Russian" is righteous, good, true, divine. Russia is "Holy Russia". Russia is sinful, but even in its sin it remains a holy country - a country of saints living with the ideals of holiness ... Russia considers itself not only the most Christian, but also the only Christian country in the world ... Church nationalism is a characteristic Russian phenomenon. Our Old Believers are soaked through and through with it. " However, this opinion of an outstanding philosopher should be approached with caution, the name in mind that in this case there is a fine line between really excessive self-conceit, which is not good, and a possible underestimation of one's own national role in the formation of the world system of moral relations, which fully corresponds to the spiritual potential of the Orthodox Russian people.

Berdyaev says that “Russia - fantastic country spiritual intoxication, the country of the Khlysty, self-incinerators, the Dukhobors, the country of Kondraty Selivanov (the founder of the scopic sect that existed in the second half of the 18th century in the Oryol province - V.N.) and Grigory Rasputin, the country of impostors and Pugachevshchina. The Russian soul does not sit still, it is not a philistine soul, not a local soul. In Russia, in the soul of the people there is some kind of endless search, a search invisible hail Kitezh, an invisible home. Distances open before the Russian soul, and there is no delineated horizon in front of its spiritual eyes. The Russian soul burns out in a fiery search for truth, absolute, divine truth and salvation for the whole world and a general resurrection to a new life. She eternally grieves over the grief and suffering of the people and the whole world, and her torment knows no satisfaction. This soul is absorbed in solving the final, damned questions about the meaning of life. There is rebellion, rebelliousness in the Russian soul, insatiability and dissatisfaction with anything temporary, relative and conditional. Farther and farther must go, to the end, to the limit, to the exit from this "world", from this land, from everything local, bourgeois, attached ... The heroically-minded intelligentsia went to death in the name of materialistic ideas. This strange contradiction will be understood if one sees that, under a materialistic guise, she strove for the absolute. Slavic revolt is a fiery, fiery element unknown to other races ”[ibid., Pp. 9-10]. The properties of the Russian character noted by the brilliant philosopher, I think, could not but lead to the idea of ​​Russian cosmism, and also quite naturally the Russians, born in free-thinking France, also picked up the same “extravagant” - so far difficult to understand - idea of ​​solidarity.

The most deeply considered topic Nikolai Onufrievich Lossky (1870-1965) developed in his book "The Character of the Russian People", first published in Frankfurt am Main by the NTS "Posev" Publishing House in 1957, republished in Moscow by the "Klyuch" Publishing House in 1990 year, and then as an article with the same title - in the journal "Voprosy filosofii" in 1996 (No. 4), from where it is cited. This philosopher emphasizes that the Russian idea is a Christian idea, and therefore the character of the Russian person as a Christian is formed under the influence of Orthodox morality, focused on seeking and bringing good, love and truth, “in the foreground is love for the suffering, pity, attention to an individual personality ... "[see. named source, p. 41]. In this regard, N.O. Lossky notes the exceptional role of religious ascetics - monastic "elders", to whom people went for instruction, consolation and blessing, in search of answers to many life questions, both the simplest - material, household, family, and the sublime ones - moral and spiritual, including the meaning of their existence, the Kingdom of Heaven, the meaning of church holidays and other wisdom.

Among the especially valuable properties of the Russian person, the philosopher notes a sensitive perception of other people's mental states, from which live communication of even unfamiliar people with each other follows. In this regard, he writes: “The Russian people have highly developed individual personal and family communication. In Russia there is no excessive replacement of individual relations with social ones, there is no personal and family isolationism. Therefore, even a foreigner, having got to Russia, feels: "I am not alone here" (of course, I am talking about normal Russia, and not about life under the Bolshevik regime). Perhaps these properties are main source recognition of the charm of the Russian people, so often expressed by foreigners, is good knowing Russia"[Ibid., P. 42].

The phenomenon of the openness of the Russian soul, which, in turn, determines the sincerity of the Russian person, is closely connected with the noted property. On this occasion, Lossky writes: "" Living according to one's heart "creates an openness of the soul of a Russian person and ease of communication with people, simplicity of communication, without conventions, without external grafted politeness, but with those virtues of politeness that follow from a sensitive natural delicacy" [ibid. ]. As can be seen from the above, the Russian person is completely alien to everyday - so to speak, everyday - hypocrisy, the presence of a politeness mask (like the same Americans, who always have "mouth to ear", but at the same time often - "a stone in their bosom", or , if not a stone, then an elementary coldness, sheer indifference). For a Russian person, everything is written “in the face”. This is where the gloomyness of the Soviet - and also the post-Soviet - person, noted by almost everyone - both domestic observers and foreigners - is noted for: why the bulk Soviet people, and today the majority of Russians were and are to rejoice?

According to Lossky, one of the primary basic properties of the Russian people is powerful willpower, the derivative of which is passion as a combination of strong feelings and willpower directed at a beloved or hated value. Naturally, the higher the value, the stronger feelings and energetic activity it evokes in people with a strong will. Hence the passion of the Russian people, manifested in political life, and even greater passion in religious life, is understandable. Maximalism, extremism and fanatical intolerance are the products of this passion. As an example, confirming the presence of the latter property among the Russian people, the professor recalls the fact of the self-immolation of many thousands of Old Believers during the reformation of Patriarch Nikon, the most famous of whom was Archpriest Avvakum.

So was the Russian revolutionary movement, in Lossky's opinion, which is also replete with examples of political passion and powerful willpower. Starting with the Narodnaya Volya, who were obsessed with their idea of ​​the need to establish social justice in society - the creation of the Kingdom of God on earth, but without God (!?), And ending with the Bolshevik-Leninists. Regarding the second, he writes: “ Unbending will and the extreme fanaticism of Lenin, together with the Bolsheviks led by him, who created totalitarian state in such an excessive form, which was not, and God willing, there will be no more on earth ”[ibid.].

At the same time, Lossky also notes that in the Russian people there is also a property opposite to strong will and purposefulness, namely the familiar “Oblomovism”, that laziness and passivity, which is excellently portrayed by Goncharov in the novel Oblomov. On this issue, he agrees with the opinion of N. Dobrolyubov, who explains the nature of Oblomovism in the following way: “... Russian people tend to strive for an absolutely perfect kingdom of being and, at the same time, excessive sensitivity to all the shortcomings of their own and other people's activities. Hence, there is a cooling to the work begun and aversion to its continuation; its concept and general sketch is often very valuable, but its incompleteness and therefore inevitable imperfections repel the Russian person, and he is lazy to continue finishing with trifles. Thus, Oblomovism is in many cases a downside. high properties of the Russian person - striving for complete perfection and sensitivity to the shortcomings of our reality ... ”[ibid.].

Among the primary properties of the Russian people, together with religiosity, the search for absolute goodness and willpower, Lossky attributes love to freedom and its highest expression - freedom of spirit. And the one who possesses the freedom of spirit is inclined to show doubt in every truth and to test every value, moreover, not only by thought, but even by experience. As a result of the free search for the truth, Russian people find it difficult to come to terms with each other. Therefore, in public life, the love of freedom of Russians is expressed in a tendency towards anarchy, in repulsion from the state. One of the reasons, according to Lossky, why an absolute monarchy has developed in Russia, sometimes bordering on despotism, is that it is difficult to govern a people with anarchist inclinations, because such a people makes excessive demands on the state [ibid.].

All researchers of the issue under consideration note as an indispensable property of the soul of a Russian person - his kindness, in connection with which they say that the Russian soul has a feminine nature, in the words of Berdyaev, an eternal woman. However, Lossky does not agree with this, he speaks of a combination of kindness and courage in the Russian character, which seems to be absolutely correct. In this regard, he writes that “the Russian people, especially the Great Russian branch of it, the people who created a great state in the harsh historical conditions, are extremely courageous; but in him the combination of masculine nature with feminine gentleness is especially remarkable ”[ibid.].

With the property of kindness, this outstanding philosopher connects the presence in the character of a Russian person of another remarkable human quality - the absence of rancor, which takes place in all strata of society. Lossky notes that “quite often a Russian person, being passionate and inclined to maximalism, experiences a strong feeling of repulsion from another person, however, when meeting with him, if there is a need for concrete communication, his heart softens, and he somehow involuntarily begins to show him his spiritual gentleness, even sometimes condemning himself for this, if he believes that the person does not deserve a kind attitude towards him ”[ibid.].

In full accordance with the inconsistency inherent in the Russian person, the property of kindness in his character is accompanied by the presence of a negative property - the need to lie in the name of good. Lossky explains this as follows: “The kindness of a Russian person encourages him to sometimes lie because of his unwillingness to offend his interlocutor, because of the desire for peace and good relations with people at all costs” [ibid.].

Along with kindness, a Russian person has many manifestations of the exact opposite property - cruelty. At the same time, Lossky notes that there are many types of cruelty and some of them can occur, paradoxically, even in the behavior of people who are not at all evil by nature. Lossky explains many of the negative aspects of the behavior of the peasants by their extreme poverty, by the multitude of grievances and oppression they experience and leading them to extreme anger. He considered especially outrageous the fact that in the peasant life, husbands sometimes brutally beat their wives, most often while drunk.

From the works of Boris Petrovich Vysheslavtsev (1877-1954; by the way, a member of the NTS), a thematic character is made by him in 1923 at one of the philosophical conferences in Rome, a report entitled “Russian national character”, in which the professor noted that “we [Russians ] are interesting, but incomprehensible to the West and, perhaps, therefore, they are especially interesting, that they are incomprehensible; we do not fully understand ourselves, and, perhaps, even incomprehensibility, irrationality of actions and decisions constitute a certain trait of our character ”[see. B.P. Vysheslavtsev. Russian national character // Questions of philosophy. 1995. No. 6, p. 113]. In the named work, the philosopher, noting that the character of the people manifests itself at the unconscious level, in the subconsciousness of the people who make up this or that nation (especially the Russians, in whose soul "the region of the subconscious occupies an exclusive place" [ibid.]), Draws attention to the possibility of penetrating This is the subconscious, so to speak, to spy on what is real, without hiding the negative and excessive embellishment of the positive, the mass of the people thinks. This can be done, according to Vysheslavtsev, through the analysis of the content of the folk epic, through the tales and epics invented by the people (including those used by them to educate the younger generation, which is especially socially and politically important), in which, as in a person's dream, Intimate thoughts, deeply hidden, inner aspirations and dreams of the people are involuntarily expressed. Moreover, both morally positive and not so good.

Citing examples from Russian fairy tales, Vysheslavtsev defines the most characteristic character traits of the Russian people, which appear in the form of their fears and cherished dreams. So, according to the observation of the philosopher, the Russian people are afraid of poverty, even more - of labor, but most of all of some kind of "grief", which is understood as "not the external fate of the Greeks, resting on ignorance, on error", for the Russians "it is their own will, or rather some own lack of will. " But there is another fear in the fairy tales of the Russian people, a fear more sublime than the fear of hardship, labor and even “grief” - this is the fear of a broken dream, the fear of falling from heaven [ibid.].

Analyzing the composition of the unconscious dreams of the Russian people presented in national fairy tales Vysheslavtsev notes the presence in them of the whole gamut of desires, from the highest to the lowest, from the basest desires of life, justified by the notorious "economic materialism", to ideas about their desired future, which are based on the cherished dreams of Russian idealism [ibid.]. So, the idiot Emelya the fool, selflessly dreaming, sitting on the stove, of a baked bull and milk rivers with jelly banks, is by no means a negative hero of our famous fairy tales. Indeed, there are quite a few such real-life characters in Russia. It was these dreamers-idlers who "rushed" with the whole crowd to the Bolshevik call in 1917. It was they who, overwhelmed by the cherished dream, inspired by many, by and large, morally and politically vicious fairy tales, who dream that they would have everything not as a result of hard work, but “at the behest, at my will”, succumbed to to the temptation organized by the Bolsheviks to take everything away from others - in their understanding, from the wealthy world-eaters - under the Marxist slogan of the goodness of "expropriating the expropriators." V the latter case, as you can easily see, we have an example of the inclination of the Russian person to his beloved extreme: the awareness of the viciousness of the unfair distribution of material wealth in many cases with practical methods of ensuring social justice using the easiest method - "take away and divide", and not through persistent improvement of social relationships.

Another example of a negative property considered by Vysheslavtsev is highly indicative. This example concerns, unfortunately, the most important moral imperative an orthodox person- his religiosity, or, more precisely, his attitude to religious shrines, which once, in the heat of the unbridled resentment of a Russian person against something or someone, suddenly do not become such (again, this is the same case of manifestation of psychological extreme in the nature of the Russians). We are talking about the valiant Ilya Muromets, who, being "mortally" offended that Prince Vladimir did not invite him to his "banquet", began to shoot the domes and "miraculous crosses" on Kiev churches with arrows. As the philosopher notes, “here is the whole picture of the Russian revolution, which I saw in a prophetic dream ancient epic... Ilya Muromets - the personification of peasant Russia, organized, together with the most disgusting rabble, with drunkards and idlers, a real defeat of the church and the state, suddenly he began to destroy everything that he recognized as a shrine and that he defended all his life ”[ibid, p. 116]. This is followed by the conclusion that in this epic the whole Russian character is clearly visible: there was injustice, but the reaction to it was completely unexpected and spontaneous. This is not a Western European revolution, with its acquisition of rights and the struggle for a new order of life; it is a spontaneous nihilism, instantly destroying everything that the people's soul worshiped, and, moreover, conscious of its crime. This is not the restoration of violated justice in the world, it is a rejection of the world in which such injustice exists. This prophetic warning, clearly expressed in the Russian epic epic, was not understood by the Russian monarchy, and thus doomed itself to inevitable collapse.

It is also indicative in terms of reflecting one of the characteristics of the character of Russian people, noted by Vysheslavtsev, their desire to be transported in their fairy tales "across three seas, to another kingdom, to another state." As the analyst philosopher notes, this is probably "the main and most beautiful dream of the Russian people." And although in fairy tales this dream is most often quite prosaic: in most cases it is the desire to get her Vasilisa the Wise, who, again, will provide Ivan Tsarevich personally happy and socially problem-free, and Ivanushka the Fool - which is more often in Russian fairy tales - comfortable and an idle life. However, the fabulous travels "across the three seas" contain something more sublime, namely the desire for the new, the unknown. Among the most thinking representatives of the Russian people, this was once expressed in the dream of space, which is not just “beyond the three seas”, but much further and inaccessible, and therefore even more tempting.

Another great Russian philosopher and state scholar Ivan Aleksandrovich Ilyin (1883-1954) said well about the character of the Russian people: “Motherland is not the place on earth where I was born, came into the world from my father and mother, or where I was“ used to living ” ; but that spiritual place where I was born as a spirit and where I come from in my life creativity. And if I consider Russia as my homeland, it means that I love, contemplate and think in Russian, sing and speak in Russian; that I believe in the spiritual strength of the Russian people and accept its historical fate with my instinct and my will. His spirit is my spirit; his fate is my fate; his suffering is my grief; its flowering is my joy.

This is what a true patriot thinks and feels when speaking about his homeland: “My people! I was born from your bosom in flesh and spirit. The very spirit that burned in my ancestors is burning in me. The instinct of national self-preservation, which led you through the jungle and torment of your history, lives and drives me in me ”…“ The sigh of my people is my sigh; and the groan of my people is my groan. I am strong by his strength and I give this strength to him and for him. I am connected with him into a single we. I believe in his spiritual power and in his creative ways... I myself create as he does; I pray and work with him, I contemplate and think with him; I dream of having all his dignity and I am sick of his weaknesses and imperfections. His national interest is mine, personal. I joyfully share in his glory, and I am tormented in the days of his downfall and shame. His friends are my friends. His enemies are my enemies. He owns my life. His tongue is my tongue. His terrestrial territory is my territory, and the army loyal to him is my own army. I did not choose him, because he himself gave birth to me from his bosom. But, being born by him, I chose him and accepted him into the last depths of my heart. And therefore I am faithful to him; and is faithful to him - in all positions, difficulties and dangers of life. I cannot have this feeling for two peoples at once. A person cannot have two mothers, or profess two different faiths. And if my people are great and diverse and have taken in themselves streams of many bloods, then each of these bloods can and must find its baptism in its spirit; and each of them is called to link their fate with his fate, and think, and feel in spiritual identity with him "..." (I. Ilyin. For national Russia. Manifesto of the Russian movement, p. 15 - Love for the Motherland).

With this baggage - a set of classic positive and negative character traits of the soul inherent in Russian people from time immemorial, we met the 20th century. It was the presence of these properties that determined the origin of those events and deeds that accompanied the Russian people and which the Russian people did over the next century. They determined our further destiny up to the present day, pushing us into a terrible social experiment - the construction of an ugly socialist society, and leading us to the most desperate heights of human thought and deed - it was we, the Russians, who were the first earthlings to come out into Space, having realized our own, primordially Russian, the idea of ​​conquering the Universe (in the second case, we became truly Gagarin in everything - both in theory and in practice, having gone from the abstract dream of Nikolai Fedorovich Fedorov-Gagarin, which originated in the middle of the 19th century, to the real flight into space of the first earthling - Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, a century later, on April 12, 1961). In order to go further, it is necessary to consider the factors of the formation of the character of the Russian person and what the Soviet reality did to him.

Russian people are generally broad people ..,

wide as their land,

and are extremely prone to

to the fantastic, to the disorderly;

but the trouble is to be wide

without much genius.

F.M. Dostoevsky

One can talk endlessly about the Russian character and its peculiarities ... There is so much mixed in the Russian person that one cannot even count on one hand.

What does it mean to be Russian? What is the peculiarity of the Russian character? How often do gray-haired academics ask this question in scientific disputes, nimble journalists in various shows and ordinary citizens in table discussions? Ask and answer. They answer in different ways, but everyone celebrates our, Russian, "specialness" and is proud of it. You cannot lure a Russian person with a roll - Russians are so eager to preserve their own, dear, that they are proud of the most disgusting aspects of their originality: drunkenness, dirt, poverty. Russians compose jokes that no one can drink them, gladly showing foreigners their dirt.

"Mysterious Russian soul" ... What epithets do we not reward our Russian mentality... Is it so mysterious, the Russian soul, is it really so unpredictable? Maybe everything is much simpler? We Russians are capable of self-sacrifice in the name of our homeland, but we are not able to defend our interests as citizens of this country. We uncomplainingly accept all decisions and decisions of our management: we choke in queues to replace driver's licenses; we lose consciousness in the passport and visa services while waiting for a new passport; we knock down the thresholds of the tax office in order to find out what number you are now living under in this world. And the list is endless. Unlimited patience is what distinguishes the Russian person. How not to agree with the foreigners who personify us with the bear - huge, formidable, but so awkward. We are probably rougher, certainly tougher in many cases. Russians have cynicism, emotional limitations, and a lack of culture. There is fanaticism, unscrupulousness and cruelty. But still, mostly Russians strive for good.

For a Russian person, this is the most terrible accusation - the accusation of greed. All Russian folklore is built on the fact that being greedy is bad and that greed is punishable. The catch, apparently, is that this very latitude can only be polar: drunkenness, unhealthy passion, life for free, on the one hand. But, on the other hand, the purity of faith carried and preserved through the centuries. Again, a Russian person cannot believe quietly, modestly. He never hides, but for faith goes to execution, walks with his head held high, striking enemies.

Very accurately, the character traits of a Russian person are noted in folk tales and epics. In them, the Russian peasant dreams of a better future, but he is too lazy to realize his dreams. He still hopes that he will catch a talking pike or catch a goldfish that will fulfill his wishes. This primordially Russian laziness and love to dream about the coming of better times has always prevented our people from living like human beings. And the tendency to money-grubbing, again mixed with great laziness! A Russian person is too lazy to grow or craft what a neighbor has - it is much easier for him to steal it, and even then not himself, but to ask someone else to do it. A typical example of this: the case of the king and the rejuvenating apples. Of course, in fairy tales and satirical stories many features are greatly exaggerated and sometimes reach the point of absurdity, but nothing arises from scratch - there is no smoke without fire. Such a trait of the Russian character as forbearance often oversteps the boundaries of reason. Russian people from time immemorial resignedly endure humiliation and oppression. This is partly to blame for the already mentioned laziness and blind faith in a better future. Russian people would rather endure than fight for their rights. But no matter how great the patience of the people, it is still not unlimited. The day comes and humility is transformed into unbridled rage. Then woe to the one who gets in the way. It is not for nothing that a Russian person is compared to a bear.

But not everything is so bad and gloomy in our Fatherland. We Russians have many positive character traits. Russians are deeply partisan and possess high strength spirit, they are able to defend their land to the last drop of their blood. Since ancient times, both young and old have risen to fight the invaders.

A special conversation about the character of Russian women. A Russian woman has unbending strength of mind, she is ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of a loved one and go after him even to the ends of the world. Moreover, this is not blindly following a spouse, as in Eastern women, but a completely conscious and independent decision. So did the wives of the Decembrists, going after them to distant Siberia and dooming themselves to a life full of hardships. Nothing has changed since then: a Russian woman even now, in the name of love, is ready to wander around the most remote corners of the world all her life.

Speaking about the peculiarities of the Russian character, one cannot fail to mention the cheerful disposition - the Russian sings and dances even in the most difficult periods of his life, and even more so in joy! He is generous and loves to walk in a big way - the breadth of the Russian soul has already become a parable in tongues. Only a Russian person for the sake of one happy moment can give everything that he has and not regret later. Think of the poor artist who sold everything he had and covered his beloved with flowers. This is a fairy tale, but it is not so far from life - the Russian person is unpredictable and you can expect anything from him.

The aspiration to something infinite is inherent in the Russian man. Russians always have a thirst for a different life, for a different world, they always have dissatisfaction with what they have. Due to the greater emotionality, the Russian person is characterized by openness, sincerity in communication. If in Europe people in their personal life are quite alienated and protect their individualism, then the Russian person is open to being interested in him, showing interest in him, taking care of him, just as he himself is inclined to be interested in the life of those around him: his soul is wide open, and curious - what is behind the soul of another.

In our literature there are dozens of images, each of which bears the indelible stamp of the Russian character: Natasha Rostova and Matryona Timofeevna, Platon Karataev and Dmitry Karamazov, Raskolnikov and Melekhov, Onegin and Pechorin, Vasily Turkin and Andrey Sokolov. You can't list all of them. Are there no such people in life? The pilot saves the city at the cost of his life, without leaving the stalled plane until the last moment; the tractor driver dies in a burning tractor, leading him away from grain field; a family of nine takes in three more orphans; the master has been creating a unique, priceless masterpiece for years and then gives it orphanage... You can continue indefinitely. Behind all this is also a Russian character. But aren't other people capable of this? Where is the line that will help distinguish a Russian person from the rest? And after all, there is another side to it: the ability for unbridled revelry and drunkenness, callousness and selfishness, indifference and cruelty. The world looks at it - and sees a riddle in it. For us, the Russian character is a fusion of the best qualities that will always prevail over dirt and vulgarity, and, perhaps, the most important of them is selfless love for our land. Affectionately stroking a birch and talking to it, eagerly inhaling the heady aroma of arable land, holding a poured ear in the palm of your hand, seeing off a crane wedge with tears in your eyes - this can only be a Russian person, and may he remain so forever and ever.

The Russian character is complex and multifaceted, but that is why it is beautiful. It is beautiful for its breadth and openness, cheerful disposition and love for the motherland, childish innocence and fighting spirit, ingenuity and peacefulness, hospitality and mercy. And we owe all this palette of the best qualities to our homeland - Russia, a fabulous and great country, warm and affectionate, like the hands of a mother.

From all that has been said, we have to conclude that the only indisputable feature of the Russian character is inconsistency, complexity, the ability to combine opposites. And is it possible on a land like the Russian one to be not special? After all, this feature did not appear in our country today, but was formed from day to day, from year to year, from century to century, from millennium to millennium ...

And Leskov tried to create in his works just such a Russian person ...

“Nations in many ways repeat the fate of individual people. They also have their own home, work, live better or worse, but the main thing is that like people, they are unique personalities with their own habits and character, with their own way of understanding things. Such peoples have been made by history, all the circumstances of their long, difficult life, ”the Russian philosopher Ilyin spoke figuratively about the national character of the people.

V broad sense national character is a natural phenomenon. Its bearers, ethnic groups, come and go; with them various types of ethno-national character come and go. In the narrow sense, national character is a historical phenomenon; the national character changes over time as the self-organization of the people, changes in the historical situation and the historical tasks facing society. Thus, the circumstances of peaceful coexistence of various ethnic groups on the territory European Russia gave birth, in the words of the writer F.M. Dostoevsky, the national tolerance and "worldwide responsiveness" of the Russians.

Patience became an important trait of the Russian character, which ensured survival in the natural and climatic conditions of Eastern Europe. Added to this were constant wars, upheavals, hardships of life under the conditions of the 250-year-old Tatar-Mongol yoke. In Russia they said: "God endured and ordered us", "For patience, God gives salvation", "Patience and work will grind everything." The main condition for patience was his moral validity.

The life of a Russian person demanded unification in labor collectives, in the artel, in the community. The personal interests of a person, his well-being were often put below the well-being of the community and the state. A harsh life demanded the fulfillment of duty, endless overcoming of difficulties; circumstances often acted not on the side of a person, but against him, therefore, the execution of what was conceived by the Great Russians was perceived as rare luck, luck, a gift of fate. Due to low productivity and riskiness, unpredictability of the results, labor for the Russian peasant became a natural, God-given occupation, rather a punishment (suffering from the word "suffering").

The openness of borders and the constant external threat brought up feelings of self-sacrifice and heroism in the Russian people. The consciousness of the people associated foreign invasions with the sinfulness of people. Invasions are punishments for sins and a test of perseverance and pleasing to God. Therefore, in Russia it has always been righteous "not sparing his belly" to defend his land from the "bastard".

The soul of the people was largely brought up by Orthodoxy. The philosopher S. Bulgakov wrote: “The people's worldview and spiritual order are determined by the Christ's Faith. No matter how far the distance between ideal and reality may be, the norm is Christian asceticism. Asceticism is the whole story, with the Tatar region crushing it, standing at the post of protecting civilization in this cruel climate, with eternal hunger strikes, cold, suffering. " The values ​​of Orthodoxy merged with moral values ​​and formed moral core people.

The traits of the Russian national character include the irrationality of thinking, when figurative, emotional forms prevail over conceptual ones, when practicality and prudence recede into the background. This is also one of the sides of the Russian "dual faith", that is, the preservation and mutual integration of paganism and Orthodoxy.

Patience and obedience went hand in hand with a love of freedom. In ancient times, Byzantine and Arab authors wrote about the freedom-loving Slavs. The most brutal serfdom could well coexist with freedom-loving as long as it did not encroach on inner world a person or until boundless violence ensued. The protest resulted in uprisings and, more often, in the withdrawal to undeveloped lands. The geopolitical realities of Eastern Europe and Siberia have allowed this to be done for centuries.

At the same time, the best features of the national character crystallized within the sub-ethnic groups. In the minds of the Cossack, military valor and the fulfillment of duty were elevated to an absolute, in the minds of the Siberian - inflexibility, perseverance and perseverance.

Thus, the features of the Russian character considered in part make it possible to single out duality, the struggle of opposites. According to the philosopher N. Berdyaev, Russia itself is "dual": it has united in itself different cultures, "Russia is the East-West."

Academician D.S. Likhachev wrote: “We need to understand the traits of the Russian character ... Correctly directed. These traits are an invaluable property of the Russian person. The revival of self-esteem, the revival of conscientiousness and the concept of honesty - these are, in general terms, what we need. "

IN. Klyuchevsky:“The calculating Great Russian sometimes loves, headlong, to choose the most hopeless and imprudent decision, opposing the whim of nature to the whim of his own courage. This tendency to tease happiness, to play luck, is the Great Russian maybe. Not a single people in Europe is capable of such a stress of labor on a short time what a Great Russian can develop ... we will not find such an unaccustomedness to even, moderate and measured, constant work, as in the same Great Russia.

He is generally reserved and cautious, even timid, always on his own mind ... lack of self-confidence excites his strength, and success drops them. The inability to calculate in advance, to figure out a plan of action and go directly to the intended goal was noticeably reflected in the mentality of the Great Russian ... he became more circumspect than prudent ... the Russian person is strong in hindsight ... ".

ON. Berdyaev:“In the Russian person there is no narrowness of the European person concentrating his energy on a small space of the soul, there is no this prudence, the economy of space and time ... The power of the width over the Russian soul gives rise to a number of Russian qualities and Russian shortcomings. Russian laziness, carelessness, lack of initiative, and a poorly developed sense of responsibility are associated with this. The earth rules over the Russian man ... The Russian man, the man of the earth, feels helpless to take possession of these spaces and organize them. He is too used to entrusting this organization to the central government ... ”.

Alfred Göttner:"The severity and avarice of nature, devoid, however, of the wild power of the sea and high mountains, taught him the passive virtues of being content with little, patience, obedience - virtues that have been strengthened by the history of the country ... ”.

Mysterious Russian soul (national character of Russians and peculiarities of communication)

The Russian people “can be enchanted and disappointed, you can always expect surprises from him, he is supremely capable of inspiring strong love and intense hatred. "

N. Berdyaev

National character traits

If they say about England "Good old England", implying the preservation and observance of traditions, about France - "Beautiful France!" Rus “, assuming that Russia is a country historically oriented towards spiritual life, a country adhering to a traditional way of life, a country based on Orthodox values.

Historical and political transformations do not have a very positive effect on the character and mentality of the Russian people.

Blurred, non-standard, non-traditional values ​​being introduced into Russian society - the philosophy of consumption, individualism, money-grubbing - are one of the main reasons for the formation of a modern national character.

First, you need to decide on what is considered Russian nationality. For a long time, a Russian was considered to be the one who adopted the Russian system of values, traditions, aesthetics, etc. Historically, Russians were considered to be the one who converted to Orthodoxy. So, a third of the Russian nobility before the October Revolution was represented by the Tatars. A.S. Pushkin, his ancestors were generally dark-skinned! And this despite the fact that the poet is considered the most important Russian (!) Poet, who absorbed and described the Russian way of life, customs, traditions of that period of Russian life!

And those white-haired and blue-eyed Russians, which can still be seen in Vologda and Uglich, constitute the primordially Slavic branch of all Russians.

National traits of Russians

In order to understand the "mysterious Russian soul", one must get a little familiar with the origins of the formation of the national character of Russians.

The character of the Russians was formed on the basis of historical conditions, the geographic location of the country, space, climate and religion.

The famous breadth of the Russian soul can be attributed to the number of national traits. In this regard, despite all sorts of rules and regulations that dictate moderation in donation, partners, colleagues of the opposite sex, employees "vertically" are given gifts disproportionate in value. Truly on a Russian scale. No wonder the gift industry is replete with expensive and pretentious gifts, which are sold out for every holiday.

The main distinguishing features of the Russian people are also the following:

Compassion, mercy. Today, charity and charity are in trend (this is very Russian - to help not even for the image, but simply because someone needs and suffers ...): many people and companies are actively helping those who find it difficult by transferring funds for the need of old people, children and even animals. They go at their own expense to the places of disaster and actively help the victims.

A German Wehrmacht soldier wrote about this feature of the Russian character when he was in a Russian village during the Second World War: “When I woke up, I saw a Russian girl kneeling in front of me, who gave me hot milk and honey from a teaspoon to drink. I told her: "I could have killed your husband, and you are worried about me." When we passed through other Russian villages, it became all the more clear to me that it would be right to conclude peace with the Russians as soon as possible. ... The Russians did not pay attention to my military uniform and treated me rather like a friend! "

Among the best qualities of the Russian people are the interests of their families, respect for parents, happiness and well-being of children.

But this is also associated with the so-called nepotism, when a manager hires his relative, who is forgiven a lot, unlike an ordinary employee, which does not have a very good effect on the performance of professional duties.

Russians are characterized by an amazing quality of self-abasement and self-denial, belittling of their merits. Maybe this is connected with all the words that foreigners hear when they are in Russia, that they are gurus, stars, etc., while Russians seem to have nothing to do with it. Foreigners cannot understand how a people with such a rich culture and literature, a colossal territory full of wealth, manages to reject himself in this way. But this is connected with the Orthodox rule: humiliation is more than pride. " Pride is considered the main mortal sins that kill the immortal soul, according to the beliefs of Christians.

TO national traits also applies:

Religiousness, piety exists in the soul of even a Russian atheist.

The ability to live is moderate. Not the pursuit of wealth (this is why Russian society is confused - people do not know how to live only by wealth). At the same time, many who were “hungry” in the Soviet period “for imports” seek to show off and throw money, which has already become a byword and is well known in Courchevel. This part of Russian nature is usually associated with “Asiaticism” and money, which came easily or unjustly.

Kindness and hospitality, responsiveness, sensitivity, compassion, forgivingness, compassion, willingness to help.
openness, straightforwardness;
natural ease, simplicity in behavior (and up to a fair amount of simplicity);
non-vanity; humor, generosity; inability to hate for a long time and the associated accommodatingness; ease of human relationships; responsiveness, breadth of character, scope of decisions.

Wonderful creative potential(that is why the Olympics were designed so beautifully, with the help of innovative technologies). It is not for nothing that in Russian culture there is a Lefty character who will feed a flea. It is known that Lefty is right-brain, that is, a person with creative thinking.

Russians are incredibly patient and tolerant. (see above example with a soldier of the Wehrmacht).

They tolerate to the last, and then they can explode. Repeating the phrase of A.S. Pushkin: "God forbid to see a Russian rebellion - senseless and merciless!" out of context, some forget that this remark has a very informative continuation: “Those who are plotting impossible coups in our country, are either young and do not know our people, or they are hard-hearted people, whose head is a stranger, and their own neck is a penny “.

Negative qualities, of course, can also be noted. This is carelessness, laziness and Oblomov's daydreaming. And, alas, drunkenness. To a certain extent, this is due to the climate. When there is no sun for six months, then you want to warm up and do not want to do anything. Under certain conditions, Russians are able to gather, concentrate and ignore the climate in the name of an idea. Many feats of arms are confirmation. Carelessness is associated with serfdom, which almost every Russian will have to get rid of in himself. The Russian relies on "maybe" for two reasons: the hope for the master, the king-father and the "zone of risky agriculture", that is, on the uncertainty and unevenness of climatic conditions.

A certain gloominess is peculiar to Russians. And on the streets you rarely meet people with cheerful faces. This is due to the legacy of the socialist past, which had its own difficulties, with the current state of affairs and, it must be assumed, with the harsh climate, where there is no sun for almost half a year. But the situation in the office is changing: Russians willingly communicate with familiar people.

Lack of ability to unite, to self-organization suggests that a leader, a ruler, etc. is certainly needed. At the same time, a man is often appointed as a leader, relying on patriarchal stereotypes - a man is the best leader. However, the situation is changing, and today we can see many women in top positions.

Perhaps due to the fact that in recent decades values ​​that are not characteristic of the Russian people have been introduced - money-grubbing, worship of the Golden Calf, the Russian people, despite all the existing blessings, modern technologies, the absence of an "iron curtain" and opportunities, are often (yes, representatives of the middle class) in a state of heightened anxiety and pessimism. Wherever Russians gather, at a festive and magnificently laid table, there will certainly be a couple of people who will claim that “everything is bad” and “we will all die”.

This is evidenced by the active discussion on the forums of the Opening of the Olympics, which was wonderful. At the same time, many did not see this beauty, because they discussed corruption and how much money was spent on the preparation of the Olympic Games.

Russians cannot live without ideas and faith. So, in 1917, they took away the faith in God, there was faith in the CPSU, in the 90s they took away the faith in the CPSU and the communist future, there were bandits, marginals, Ivans-kinship-not-remembering, tk. it became unclear what and in whom to believe.

Now the situation is slowly but leveling off. Despite the eternal criticism of everyone and everything (and Orthodox Church and her servants), people turn to God and practice mercy.

The two faces of the modern business society

Today the business community is divided into approximately two parts. These parts are presented as follows. Middle-aged and elderly directors, more often representatives of the regions, former Komsomol organizers and party leaders. And young managers, with an MBA education, sometimes obtained abroad. The former are more closed in communication, the latter are more open. The former are more often endowed with instrumental intelligence and tend to view subordinates as cogs in a single mechanism. The latter are more characterized by emotional intelligence, and they still try to delve into the problems of their employees, of course, not always.

The first category was not taught to negotiate. At the same time, in the process of communication, some of them acquired good communication skills and knew how to come to an agreement “with whom they needed” and had great connections in their environment. Some of the representatives of this group, on the contrary, communicated "from top to bottom", in the usual authoritarian style, often with elements of verbal aggression.

Modern top managers have been trained in negotiation skills and continue their training after completing the main course. But at the same time “… It is rare that any of the foreigners who find themselves in top positions in Russian companies withstands more than a year” (“SmartMoney” weekly №30 (120) August 18, 2008).

What is the reason? The fact is that, despite the European education, young top managers are carriers of the domestic mentality.

The authoritarian style of management is "soaked with mother's milk", profanity can sound at meetings and on the sidelines. This type was demonstrated by Nikita Kozlovsky in the film "DUHLESS". His hero has all the characteristics.

By the way, both the former and the latter are introverted. The latter may even be immersed in the world of gadgets and prefer communication through communication devices.

Knowing these features, one can draw conclusions on how to adapt to communication with Russians.

Thus, one has to understand that ambitious “red directors” should be treated with great respect, as with a gentleman in times of serfdom, with young top managers as well, but at the same time understand that they are more democratic in communication. And yet they will prefer communication over the Internet.

Russian etiquette - sometimes meaningless and merciless

For all the kindness, generosity, and tolerance of the Russian manners leave much to be desired, tk. Russians are successors Soviet people, who was taught for a long time that the "bourgeois" is bad. It is ingrained into the subconscious. Therefore, sometimes you can observe the manifestation of not too correct behavior.

For example, at the Closing Ceremony of the 22nd Olympic Games, when the champion was awarded a medal on a ribbon, and it had to be hung around his neck, the athlete did not think to take off his hat, although during the anthem he put his right hand to his heart. On special occasions, men need to take off their headwear.

On one occasion, the author observed a situation also related to headdresses in another city. After a seminar on business etiquette and a conversation about how to and how not to, two participants got up without warning, put on large caps right in the classroom and left the room.

According to the rules of European and Russian etiquette in the room and, moreover, at the table, she takes off her headdress. Exceptions: artists claiming a certain image, and representatives of confessions where it is customary to always wear a turban or turban.

If the foreigner is leaning back in his chair, it may mean that he is supposed to relax and / or end the conversation. For Russians, reclining in a chair is a basic condition. Only athletic and / or well-mannered people in Russia sit without leaning against the back of a chair (if the chair is traditional, not ergonomic), while the rest sit as they have to, demonstrating many of their complexes and basic attitudes.

Russians are not accustomed to standing elegantly; they may try to assume a closed posture and / or trample in place.

The look of a Russian person depends on the situation. If this is a leader, then he can look, literally without blinking, a prickly gaze into the face of the interlocutor, especially a subordinate, or quite benevolently, if his acquaintance or relative is in front of him. Of course, intelligent and well-mannered people "wear" a benevolent facial expression.

Anxiety and tension are indicated by a transverse vertical crease between the eyebrows, which gives a strict, unattainable look, which can somewhat interfere with contact. Interestingly, we can see such a fold even in very young girls.

When a lady approaches a colleague sitting on a chair, he does not always guess to rise, but at the same time he can offer her with an elegant gesture to enter the elevator, which is incorrect, because the first to enter the elevator is either a man or the one who is closer.

Features of communication in Russia

Communication in our country has its own specifics:

- unkindness, unsuccessful manners, projective thinking (projection - the tendency to consider others to be similar to oneself); stiffness or swagger instead of free communication; gloomy facial expression; inability / unwillingness to give an answer and feedback, conflict, inability to conduct a "little conversation" and listen.

In informal (and sometimes formal) communication, the wrong thematic choice of conversation is often preferred (about politics, problems, diseases, private affairs, etc.). At the same time, we have to admit that women more often talk about “everyday life” and their personal life (relationships with parents, husbands, children, and men - about politics and the future, and more often in gloomy tones).

In Russia, there is a wide range of communication patterns - from a gloomy style to a mock-positive style that came back in the 90s and was "copied" from the communicative models of the United States.

Along with other factors, the inability to communicate as a whole lowers the personal image of many compatriots, the level of corporate culture and the image of the company as a whole.

Errors and main misconceptions in communication in Russia

The main mistakes and misconceptions in Russia include the opinion of the average employee, which still exists in some cases, that the guest owes and is obliged to do something: leave a lot of money, purchase an expensive tourist product, order luxurious dishes in the room, etc.

This is based on an irrational psychological attitude called "must" (a person believes that everyone owes him something, and when this does not happen, he is very offended) and affects communication in the most direct way. If the hopes that the colleague, partner, or customer are not justified, and the interlocutor behaves the way he does, then the Russian clerk may feel disappointed and even express his irritation.

A generally accepted misconception is also an unfriendly attitude and, accordingly, communication with an insolvent, from the point of view of an employee, a guest.

What influences the communication style. Past and present.

On modern style communication affects:

- a huge flow of information faced by a modern person;

- multiple contacts, open borders of countries and the associated willingness to travel, tourism of all kinds;

- new technologies, first of all online-communication, which sets a certain communicative style, fragmented perception of the world, “clip” thinking ”;

- huge speeds and rhythms of life;

- globalization, and related processes of interpenetration of languages, speech and communication styles.

The reasons for the formation of communication skills in Russia.

Historical past, serfdom, political regime, climate and distances, mental duality (duality) - “black” and “white” in one person, geographical borders of Russia, paternalistic (that is, when the ruler is like a father) culture of government.

As a result, the formed national character is encouraged to communicate that is not associated with courtesy, openness, etc.

This manifests itself, for example, in the internal unwillingness to give his name on the phone. Although after the trainings they learn to do this.

Why is it so difficult to give your name on the phone in Russia

An example of insufficient communicative competence is the low willingness of compatriots to give their name on the phone. This is due to the historical mentality and habits of Russians. And it may be because

- personnel have not been trained before business communication, courtesies, etc.

- it is proved that the lower is social status person, the more difficult it is to introduce yourself.

- it is more difficult for a person from more distant from the centers to introduce himself by name to a stranger.

- For many decades Soviet people have been accustomed not to show themselves, to be secretive. This is due to the political regime that existed in the USSR for a long time.

- "Works" archetypal memory, the collective unconscious.

- Some mystical ideas (for example, in pre-Christian Russia, there were ideas that the name can be jinxed and therefore amulets were hung on the neck - a bear's claw, etc.)

Centers and regions

Talking about modern Russian society one cannot but mention the constant confrontation between the central cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg ...) and the regions, which is due to the fact that in Soviet times Moscow was always replenished with products that were absent in all regions of the Russian Federation. During the period of stagnation, there were so-called "sausage trains". From other cities of Russia, from the Moscow region, they came to buy scarce products, including sausage

The first consider the inhabitants of the provinces not too well-mannered, sometimes cheeky, and that "they walk over the corpses", regardless of anything.

There is even such a thing as "life outside the Moscow Ring Road", that is, outside of Moscow. Starting from the nearest regional cities and places, life really seems to freeze and remain unchanged for a long time. Innovations come here with some delay.

At the same time, the regionals consider Muscovites, on the one hand, arrogant and rich, despite the fact that the true indigenous inhabitants of the capital in this generation are quite calm and friendly people, on the other hand, they are “suckers” and “bunglers” who can be easily outstripped in many directions.

And if Muscovites can condescending but tolerantly look at newcomers, then regional, even settling in the capital, cannot always accept the lifestyle and mentality of a Muscovite, and sometimes they may even experience residual complexes, saying something like : "Is it okay that I'm not a Muscovite?" or: “Here you are - Muscovites! ..” The latter have to prove the “presumption of innocence” in the inadequate distribution system that took place during the years of the USSR.

Now the appearance, the face of the city is changing, and the style and customs of the inhabitants of the megalopolis are changing too.

Bulat Okudzhava

C. Amirejibi

I am evicted from the Arbat, an Arbat emigrant.

My talent is waning in Godless Lane.

All around are alien faces, hostile places.

Although the sauna is opposite, the fauna is not the same.

I am evicted from the Arbat and deprived of the past,

and my face is not terrible to strangers, but ridiculous.

I am expelled, lost among other people's destinies,

and my sweet, my emigrant bread is bitter to me.

Without a passport and visa, only with a rose in hand

loitering along the invisible border at the castle,

and in those lands that I once lived in,

I keep scrutinizing, scrutinizing, I scrutinizing.

There are the same sidewalks, trees and courtyards,

but the speeches are frank and cold feasts.

The thick colors of winters also blaze there,

but invaders go to my pet store.

Master's gait, haughty lips ...

Ah, the flora there is still the same, but the fauna is not the same ...

I am an emigrant from the Arbat. I live carrying my cross ...

The rose froze and flew all over.

And, despite some opposition - open or secret - at a difficult historical moment, the Russians unite, become a catholic people.

Men and women

Russian men who serve in companies, and do not work at a construction site, are distinguished by their gallant behavior: they will open the door in front of the lady, let them go ahead, pay the bill at the restaurant. Sometimes even regardless of the service chain. Should I hold the door in front of the lady? Should I serve her a coat?

Until now, the opinions of experts are contradictory, and in each case it helps to understand the moment and intuition. According to the rules of American business etiquette: under no circumstances should you hold the door and give a coat to a lady colleague. But we live in Russia.

Women in Russia have a combination of femininity and homeliness, are well-groomed, businesslike and very active. In Moscow, every second or third lady is behind the wheel. Modesty in its traditional sense seems to be a thing of the past.

At the same time, women continue to love when office men take care of them: they serve coats, etc. So foreigners fighting for emancipation, having arrived in Russia, will have to wait with their advice.

On the one hand, gallantry is pleasant, on the other hand, in Russia, as in many countries, there is a glass ceiling for women. And they prefer to take men to leadership positions. Both men and women.

Traditional stereotypes are that a woman cannot think logically, a weak leader, her family will interfere with her.

Moreover, if a woman has taken a leading position, then she is a "real bitch", "a man in a skirt" and walks over corpses ...

In a mixed team, where both men and women work, office romances happen. Traditionally, the public takes the side of the man, so in some cases it is better not to take risks and not start an unnecessary relationship.

Women's collectives have their own specifics. While some employee is doing well, envy may sometimes appear on the part of others. Therefore, it is better to try not to excite her by dressing, say, too bright or stylish. At the same time, if a misfortune befell an employee, everyone unites and begins to provide her with all kinds of assistance: financial, organizational, etc.

By the rules of etiquette, it is not pleasant to talk about illness and family matters at work. However, this rule is violated, especially in the women's team. And woe to the secretary who, in response to the confidential stories of the boss, began to share her problems. It can backfire hard.

Men and women in Russia look different.

Clothes, dress code

In order to climb the career ladder, some of the men try to dress elegantly, and even acquire costumes from well-known brands. These are mainly top managers and ambitious yuppies.

Another part of men is socially lower, the educational level is lower. Probably connected with this is the manner of wearing a black top and jeans on any day. It can be dark on the subway from such clothes. Black jackets, black pullovers, sometimes black shirts (for negotiations, for which it is customary to wear light shirts) in combination with a black tie.

Interestingly, as soon as the slightest opportunity is presented not to wear a good, stylish suit, like the Italians or the French, Russian men instantly put on the "black style". This is usually explained by the fact that it is “unmarked”. In fact, the desire to “hide” behind black would tell social psychologists a lot ...

Russia has a special demographic situation: There are significantly more women than men. And, if earlier one had to fear harassment directed at a woman, now in Russia, due to natural competition, there is a "hunt" for successful men. Therefore, women resort to various tricks in order to get a successful husband: neckline, mini, false nails, which does not meet corporate standards, but at the same time “promotes” the lady on the local “marriage market”. This should come as no surprise.

Both those and others violate the dress code, which at the same time has become softer and more democratic today. And employers do not demand from the ladies a strict suit - "case", which was necessary earlier.

Negotiations and reception of delegations

Much has been written about the rules of conducting business negotiations on the pages of our magazine.

Russian negotiators: perceive the interlocutor as an adversary, treat him with suspicion and some hostility, consider it necessary to hide some data (opacity allows many grandfathers to do it).

Local "princelings" have ambitions. It seems to Russian negotiators that their city or region is the best. And, what is worse, they try to “knock out” all sorts of preferences during negotiations, which most often go not to the development of territories, but to their own pockets. At the same time, at the local level, the federal authorities represent the most serious obstacle to the innovative development of the territory.

At the same time, there are very positive examples of the development of territories. So, the pride of Siberia is considered Alexander Vasilyevich Filipenko, the former head of the Administration of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, who glorified the region with innovations and amazing projects aimed at the improvement and development of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The International Biathlon Center is named after him.
Specificity of negotiations

Speaking loudly without considering the other party's manner can also upset negotiations.

Rigidity, i.e. firmness, inactivity, inadaptiveness in negotiations. No concessions.

Outright manipulation, when the interlocutor is trying to "corner"

Inadequate appearance (either jeans with a black pullover, or a very smart suit.

Unwillingness to take responsibility, attempts to get away from a serious conversation.

Ignorance and not a strong desire to know national characteristics representatives of the other side and the rules of good manners (they can take off their jacket at the wrong time, at the beginning of negotiations, slap on the shoulder)

Broken promises and negligence in paperwork complete the list.

Unpleasant hints of bribes (in the case of compatriots), the so-called kickbacks.

Encouraging tendencies. Some Russian leaders on the ground are in favor of own funds build roads and hospitals. Isn't that in Russian? .. After all, generosity and charity have always been on the Russian land.

When a delegation is expected in an organization or company, everyone strives to prepare in the best possible way.

Hospitality.

But if in modern companies young managers, with all their democratic character, can even reach a certain degree of familiarity in communication (this is expressed in negligence, the truncated name "Tatyan" instead of "Tatiana", in ignoring the positions of senior and junior, some even negligence in communication, strange visiting cards), then in organizations with a traditional culture, ceremoniality, sedateness, adherence to the rules of conduct adopted when receiving delegations are more honored. There is a protocol department that organizes receptions, delegations, meetings, and events.

Feast

In Russia, it is accompanied by abundant eating and drinking. Only in diplomatic circles only two snacks can be served for "Breakfast" or "Lunch". If not too many treats are served at a corporate party, then this can be perceived with surprise, if not with resentment. At corporate parties, Russians eat on a grand scale, drink a lot and sometimes dance, but more often they prefer to break up into groups and talk heart to heart.

Etiquette is not always observed, because why observe it if everyone became friends and almost relatives at that moment? ..

It is very important to control yourself at such moments, because the office romances that are tied up at events quickly pass, and the words spoken about the leader under the influence of intoxicating drinks, “Not a sparrow. If it flies out, you won't catch it "

Greetings, appeal

After the October Revolution, the boundaries of communication between the sexes were erased and the address “comrade” and “comrade”, addressed to both men and women, appeared in everyday life.

After Perestroika, when capitalism began to enter Russia, specialists in the field of the Russian language tried to introduce into the speech the appeals “master”, “mistress”, “sir”, “madam”. Sometimes at pretentious corporate parties you can hear "Mr. Ivanov", "Mrs. Petrova", but more often at the moment when they are spoken of in the third person.

When contacting directly, you have to find the option that is acceptable and convenient for both. So, an older person in Russia is addressed by his first name and patronymic, of course, “you”, to a younger person - by name. At the same time, the practice has entered the manner of addressing even older people by name (depending on the corporate style). This style came from the USA.

The question of the transition to "You" is especially important today. The initiator of such an appeal maybe to speak only a superior person, only a client, only an older person, with equal only a woman. Everything else is a violation of the rules of etiquette.

At the same time, “you” is often heard in Russia, especially on highways, where it seems that drivers generally forget about the existence of the pronoun “you”.

Nowadays, the initial address can be heard as "respected" in relation to a man or "lady" spoken to a woman. Or impersonal: "Be kind?", "Can you tell me? .."

Smile.

It should be noted that the traditional unsmiling and gloomy expression on the face by which Russians are recognized throughout the world are associated with a sincere desire to appear serious.

Russians smile willingly. But only when meeting with friends. Therefore, foreigners could be philosophical about the fact that on the streets they will meet many people who walk with the most non-positive expression on their faces, frowning their eyebrows. Obviously, the climate influenced this style so much. This is also due to the fact that Russians are characterized by some closeness, despite the fact that there is a proverb "In peace and death is red!". Some actors in life are very withdrawn. But Russwicks will smile broadly and sincerely at their acquaintances and friends. It's just that in the minds of a Russian person, ulbyka and laughter are close in meaning, and "Laughter for no reason is a sign of foolishness."

Guests can come not only from abroad, but also from another region

Forewarned is forearmed. To prepare well for contact with representatives of an individual national culture, in this case, modern Russians, it is important to study their customs and traditions, features and possible differences. If you know what these or those traditions are connected with, then this will make it possible to adapt in relation to partners, visitors, to establish the correct style and intonation in communication with them, which, as a result, will allow you to establish long-term business relations. Knowledge of mores, characteristics, traditions will ultimately give a tolerant approach, which in turn will give understanding and create spiritual comfort and loyalty in relation to, in this case, the Russian people and their mysterious soul.

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1. Paternalism ( lat. paternus - paternal, paternal) - a system of relations based on patronage,guardianship and the supervision of the younger (wards) by the elders, as well as the subordination of the younger to the elders.

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Irina Denisova, member of the Council, coordinator of the club "Personal Marketing", workshop "Communications" of the Guild of Marketers

This article was published in the paper business edition "Handbook of the secretary and office manager", No. 4 2014. Please respect the copyright and refer to the author and publication when reprinting. Published in the author's edition. - I. D.

The restoration of the sense of one's own "I", that is, the self-identification of a people who have been in a long-term unconsciousness, is, first of all, a revival historical memory and national identity. To understand who we are now, we need to realize what we were, including what the Russian national character was. Most of all, the historical fate of the people testifies to the character of the people. The obvious ones should be repeated here. historical facts, which, due to the prevailing prejudices, are not at all obvious to public opinion - both domestic and foreign. Not a single civilized people survived in similar - unprecedentedly difficult climatic, natural and geopolitical conditions, having mastered, at the same time, the largest spaces in history, formed the largest state in the world, without destroying or enslaving a single nation, creating great culture... It is clear that the people who perform these unprecedented acts have unique qualities.

Apparently, the East Slavic tribes, capable of mastering the most severe spaces on the Eurasian continent, were initially characterized by a dynamic and hardworking character, hardy and stubborn, brave and violent. The contradictory properties of the Slavic epileptoid type of character (as defined by Ksenia Kasyanova) were genetically transmitted to the Russian person. An epileptoid in ordinary situations is calm, patient, thorough and thrifty, but capable of breaking down in an irritating situation, if you press on it for a long time, it is explosive. He sets his own pace of life and goal-setting, strives to act in his own rhythm and according to his plan. He is characterized by solidity, consistency, persistence in achieving goals, which can turn into stubbornness. Such a people singles out leaders or leaders-organizers who either perceive national interests and strive with incredible stubbornness to realize them, or obsessively impose their ideas on the people. The epileptoid character is characterized by delayed reactions, some "viscosity" of thinking and actions ( Russian guy in hindsight is strong). In calm states, the epileptoid type is prone to mild depression: lethargy, apathy, bad moods and decreased activity tone, which was characterized as Russian laziness... Switching to another type of activity occurs with difficulty, and the mobilization of forces for this is slowed down, because it takes time to "swing", to get used to new circumstances. But as a result, the Russian people gave an adequate response to the challenges of fate, for by nature a talented people for centuries have honed their minds and ingenuity in the most difficult struggle for survival. That's why Russian takes a long time to harness, but travels fast... Compared to Europeans, Russians are more restrained in their manifestations, but also more constant in their states - both in calmness and in a riot.

The dominance of the emotional sphere in the epileptoid is fraught with the fact that protective mental mechanisms and moral barriers fail in the affective state. The exuberant nature of the Slav is tamed by Orthodox education. Orthodox rites, traditional rituals, as well as a demanding state structure, compensated for the lack of internal energy in calm near-depressive states or extinguished excess energy in situations of emotional overload and breakdowns, aligned the emotional cycles characteristic of the epileptoid, mobilized or switched energy to the actual sphere of activity in time. Habits-rituals “rocked” the epileptoid in states of “hovering”, saved its strength, and gently switched it to daily activities. Festive ceremonies adorned life, leveled and strengthened it with preventive discharge, unloading of the psyche. But with the destruction of the traditional way of life, the people fell into turmoil and the holidays were replaced by deep drunkenness and revelry.

Perhaps only a people with a similar character could adapt to the harsh unstable climatic and geopolitical cycles of northeastern Eurasia. But at the expense of losses and gains, at the expense of the aggravation of some difficulties of character. Weaknesses and painful qualities were compensated for by the way of life: the Russian way of life is a continuation of the Russian character and vice versa. But when traditions and ties with deep national landmarks collapsed, the Russian person lost himself, degraded, surrendered to false authorities or utopias. The feeling of the meaninglessness of life for a Russian person is more terrible than any test. Periods of turmoil in Russian life have always been caused by the destruction of statehood and the violation of traditional foundations by the ruling classes. At the same time, certain painful forms are more characteristic of the Russian person: distorted sacrifice, nihilism as a desire for destruction and self-destruction, where secularized apocalypticism supplants Christian eschatology. A European in a mania arranges an iron order in himself and seeks to enslave everyone around him. The Russian, who has lost its traditional foundations, obsessively destroys everything around, self-incinerating - this is almost never seen in Europe.

Genetically, the Russian person is prone to individualism and isolation. But the upbringing of the Orthodox catholic culture instilled in the people the value motivation of duty, in contrast to the rational motivation of benefit, which dominates in the West. In our society, people's behavior is no longer assessed by the result, but by compliance with accepted norms, actions are not useful, but correctness... This is due to a strong conciliar self-awareness - of their unity with the social and national whole and their organic place in it. Therefore, cathedral motives for actions for the sake of land, the world or in the name of a common cause have always been dominant. Among Russian people, there is often a type who seeks self-denial and even heroic sacrifice, which cannot bring individual benefit. At the same time, he is intuitively convinced that actions in fairness correspond to some higher benefit. Indeed, only service to a higher duty and the ability to self-sacrifice, in the end, bring incomparably great benefits to society, which may return - sooner or later - sublime benefits for the actor himself. Well, if it is not given here, then it will certainly be rewarded from above. This metaphysical confidence and spiritual self-gratification are brought up by Orthodoxy. Russian public opinion, as a rule, highly appreciates the ascetics, for they awaken the cultural religious archetypes inherent in us.

The need for self-preservation in harsh conditions and exacting religious ideals brought up restraint, self-restraint, asceticism, the priority of the spirit over the flesh. The peculiarity of the national character of the Russian people is that they are not able to be inspired by consumer ideals, because Russian culture is not very much oriented towards material wealth. Among Russians, hoarding was not widespread, the desire for enrichment at any cost, and in public opinion, the dignity of a person was evaluated more by internal qualities, and not by financial situation... The principle of ascetic sufficiency and self-restraint worked even in rare periods of well-being - in the name of accumulating strength in the harsh struggle for survival and for more pressing spiritual interests. Therefore, Russian culture is little focused on the production and accumulation of material wealth. A Russian person, unlike Europeans, is not capable of throwing all his strength into material prosperity, on arranging his life and maintaining sterile cleanliness. It is more typical for us to strive to clear up the natural chaos, to pacify the elements just enough to preserve ourselves and preserve strength for the main issues of life - manifested in different forms at various stages of culture, but invariably spiritual, heavenly, eternal. Achievements in the material field are possible for a Russian person only if they are a function of higher goals: defense of the Motherland, the development of earthly expanses, the realization of a social ideal or individual self-realization. Russians are more inclined to search for the meaning of life, but they also suffer more from the loss of the sacred in life, from the meaninglessness of existence.

Contrary to popular beliefs about Russian barbarism and cruelty, Russian history is more virtuous than European, and public morality is more exacting. In Russia, in principle, indulgences, the Inquisition, scalps were impossible; in Orthodox life one cannot imagine the debauchery that reigned in the monasteries of Catholic Europe and the Vatican; on St. Bartholomew's Night in France, during the Hundred Years War in Germany, during the burning of "witches" throughout Europe. At the same time, the Russian chronicles impartially call evil - evil, while the Europeans - for all the atrocities in their own Europe and during the extermination of aborigines on all continents - considered themselves the most civilized in the world. By joining vast territories and many peoples, the Russians displayed national and religious tolerance unprecedented in Europe. The people of the conciliar nature have perceived and assimilated many cultures for centuries. At the same time, he invariably digested alien archetypes implanted by the elite, the ruling stratum, dully resisting them, adapting, but preserving his own spiritual constitution.

The Russian people have unprecedented survivability in the most difficult conditions, which means they have the ability to adapt to them through the formation of themselves, and not through the destruction of the surrounding world. Such people are characterized by incredible stubbornness and inflexibility in fulfilling their historical mission. The people are capable of unprecedented patience, but only if the hardships of life are justified by higher goals. He can withstand enormous hardships, but he will not survive the loss of the meaning of life. The Russian person is not very responsive to any kind of radical reforms: he likes to preserve, not destroy. Moreover, longsuffering ends just when the traditional image life and trampled on traditional values.

In the absence of a mobilizing organic national ideal, the Russian people withered. In this case, the people resisted the imposition of a hostile way of life by the authorities with passivity, indifference, showing creative dynamism only in areas close to their vital interests. The people preferred to die out rather than accept completely alien forms of life. This was the case in the communist period, and these tendencies manifested themselves in the nineties of the twentieth century. Hence, it is clear how salvific an organic national ideal is for the Russian people, which will indicate national goals, mobilize the national spirit and awaken the energy of life and struggle.

The Russian people are characterized by supermobilization in extreme situations and demobilization in ordinary situations, which was also dictated by the need for self-preservation. The mobilization-demobilization pendulum corresponded to the unstable cycles of the harsh Eurasian continent. Periods of inactivity and extraordinary patience in a long-term difficult situation could suddenly be replaced by either violent activity or rebellion. A Russian person is little able to mobilize for the sake of selfish material goals, but he makes super-efforts in the name of lofty ideals: the preservation of the Motherland and values ​​sacred to him or the fulfillment of a global historical mission. Such a people can endure many ordeals and humiliations from their own power, but with a mortal danger from the outside, they are invincible. Defeated from an external enemy - as during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, or from an internal enemy - under communism, the people, having suffered great sacrifices during resistance, found the strength to preserve themselves and "digest" the hostile force. Apparently adapting to it, but in essence, gradually changing its nature and adapting, in the end, to its own national archetype. Therefore, from all the catastrophes, Russia miraculously came out stronger than she was before them.

The reasons for the Russian catastrophe of 1917 were mainly external, and spiritual poisons were brought into the national organism from outside. At the same time, some traits of the Russian character left the people defenseless against the most insidious spirits of evil in history. For decades, the communist regime etched the soul of the people, changing for the worse many original character traits, burning out dignity and exacerbating vices. “The long-standing traits of the Russian character (which are good - are lost, and which are vulnerable - have developed) made us defenseless in the trials of the twentieth century. And our once all-openness - hasn't it turned into an easy surrender to someone else's influence, spiritual spinelessness? So bitterly it has recently affected the repulsion of our refugees from the republics. This insensitivity of Russians to Russians is striking! Rarely in what people is there a lack of national unity and mutual assistance as we do. Maybe this is just the current decay? Or a property embedded in us Soviet decades? After all, for centuries we have had the friendliest fraternal artels, there was a lively communal life, maybe this is recoverable? The Russian character today is all overwhelmed. And where will it lean? We have lost the feelings of a single people "(A.I.Solzhenitsyn).

It is clear that the Russian people in the struggle for self-preservation in a mortally dangerous situation have lost some of their inherent dignity, acquired both positive and negative experiences. But, since he is alive, he managed to preserve those properties that are the basis of his self-identification. Of course, many of them have changed, some beyond recognition. Even by the beginning of the XXI century, the life of the majority of the inhabitants of Russia remains on the verge of bearable. So in countryside In central Russia, every tenth family lives at the level of poverty. About sixty percent of the population is apparently poor choosing an answer. That is, the standard of living of seventy percent of the rural population is still not satisfactory. You can survive in these conditions only by reducing your needs to almost zero. The traditionally ascetic Russian character in these conditions is already showing an outrageous asceticism.

In the camp conditions for survival, the prisoner strove to minimize the needs and save energy whenever possible. When the life of seventy percent of the population is close to camp conditions, this is not "laziness", but a desire for self-preservation. The instinct of life tells people that any stress in conditions when the majority of the population is in poverty huge country, most likely will not give results, but will end in anguish. Therefore, the vast majority of peasants are convinced that their personal well-being depends on the state of the entire country. As well as from time immemorial, now the conciliar feeling prompts the Russian people that both prosperity and adversity can only be experienced the whole world... In this conciliar sense of life, the feeling of a big homeland is inseparable from the feeling of a small homeland - right down to your village, your neighbors.

Many centuries of harsh conditions have taught the Russian people to gradual, proven changes in the forms of life, for sharp reforms are fraught with the destruction of the fragile balance of the established order. And the permanent revolutions in the countryside under the communist regime and the Leberal-Bolsheviks of the nineties made people even more afraid of drastic changes. Those sensible business executives who want to revive rural life today are forced to rely on the ineradicable properties of the national character. In particular, one has to reckon with widespread theft, but not from a neighbor (because neighbors are a microenvironment of common survival, only they can be relied on in difficult times), but from the state or from farmers who have enriched themselves.

In the character of a modern disadvantaged rural dweller, one can see signs of contradictions and polarities that have formed in extremely difficult and unstable conditions of survival, contradictory changeable life circumstances, which are filled with most of the historical periods. At the same time, in the Russian peasantry, to this day, the properties of fundamental archetypes of a national character are found: conciliarity, communality, livability, sedateness, caution, emotionality, intuition, non-worldliness or mystical pragmatism, ambivalence.

Thus, in more or less normal periods of history, these qualities were expressed in sublime and creative forms. In unbearably difficult times (with which Russian fate is filled), character traits were suppressed, reduced, but altered beyond recognition, they remained the basis of survival. At the same time, in extreme conditions that burned out many character traits, the national psyche fought for survival, mobilizing the properties of its foundation - the cathedral, communal genotype - showing miracles of resistance to the most cruel adversities, the properties of survival in spite of everything, the whole world sharing adversity, loss, luck and victory. But as soon as the threat to existence was overcome, the people singled out strong creative individuals from their midst, who became carriers new wave passionarity, made creative breakthroughs, led by the elements of the people, were pioneers and discoverers in various spheres of life, enterprising resourceful explorers of new forms of life. The main mass of the people, according to the laws of the pendulum of extreme survival (supermobilization - demobilization), relaxed after a deadly overvoltage to the tension of an ordinary - not at all easy life, in conservative, protective forms, the reliability of which has been tested by many generations. For any retreat in the direction of dubious novelty threatened to destroy the tensely unstable established order, which inevitably added disasters. For these reasons, it is common for a Russian person to be suspicious of the "upstarts" who fight off the collective. But if it turned out to be a strong person who managed to win the people's trust and love by exploits, service, work or creativity, he became a generally recognized informal leader. Leaders, heroes and righteous people are inseparable in the national fate from the toilers of the Russian land.

The relationship between individualism and collectivism in our society is quite peculiar to this day. According to modern sociological polls, the majority of Russian society is inclined in favor of the collective, not the individual. The team consists of relatives, work colleagues, neighbors; people tend to trust their group, its opinion must be taken into account. In relation to members of a foreign group, they behave more freely in our country, they are often simply ignored. "A manifestation of this is, for example, the shocking Europeans contrast between the sensitivity of Russians towards acquaintances and their unceremonious rudeness in public transport."(A. Fenko). In the collectivist consciousness of a Russian person, the first place is occupied by the interests of their family, respect for parents, happiness and well-being of children, while professional success, independence, creativity, self-improvement and pleasant pastime are relegated to the background. Until now, despite the Westernization of recent decades, the overwhelming majority believe that parents should help adult children (70%), children are required to agree with their parents on how to spend their earned money (60%), and get their approval before marrying (63%) ... But, at the same time, the Russian people are not one hundred percent collectivists, because more than half believe that personal interests are the main for a person, and only 40% agree to limit their interests in favor of the state and society. On the one hand, despite all the trials, the archetype of the combination of individualistic and collectivist tendencies remains at its core. But the ugly lifestyle under communism and the liberal-Bolsheviks of the nineties disfigures their manifestations: individualistic energy is squeezed out into anti-collectivist spheres of activity, and the collectivist will is enough only for joint resistance to the imposed alienation.

More than other peoples, the Russian people were conformist in relation to "their" group, which, in addition to relatives and neighbors, included representatives of the sacred centers - the Church and the supreme power. In relation to everything that pressed and compelled to hateful tension - to other and upper classes, to the representatives of the authorities and the views and opinions prevailing there - the Russian person has always lived in one degree or another in disagreement. The more alien the prevailing social norms were, the more profound disagreement and disregard for them became apparent. But in those days when the government personified national interests, it enjoyed popular recognition and support. In those periods of history when the creative individualistic activity of the Russian person was completely suppressed by the authorities, it was realized in the forms eccentricities and tyranny... But the collective has always treated them with love precisely because they saw in this an attempt at self-preservation of creative individualistic energy, which will awaken and organically manifest itself as soon as conditions appear for this, as soon as life becomes more or less bearable.

Contrary to unprecedented historical trials, the Russian national character in its foundations is indestructible, as long as the people live: “The studies of the last decade convincingly prove that the basic values ​​of our people remain traditional ... In the hierarchy of values ​​of the population of Russia, undoubtedly, the leaders are those that are associated with a person's attitude, such as“ a clear conscience and spiritual harmony ”. The outsiders included "power", "recognition" and "success." Even in such an exceptional difficult time As in recent years, there was no growth in the importance of the values ​​of material well-being among the respondents. The fact that the system of values ​​in Russia turned out to be very stable instills confidence in our people, which, in spite of any liberal media corrupting them, for the most part retained the ability to distinguish between good and evil "(N.Ya. Laktionova). Thus, everyone who lives in Russia must admit that the dignity of the Russian national character - the backbone of the nation - needs to be improved and strengthened in the first place, - again the whole world.

Therefore, during periods of turmoil and the collapse of the organic way of life among Russians, the number of suicides and drunkenness sharply increases.

The main national archetypes survived to this day, having survived the Westernism of the pre-revolutionary ruling stratum, the Westernism of the Marxists, the Westernism of the modern democrats. The people basically did not accept either the communist utopia or the Westernizing utopia, and today, one might say, have not responded to the aggressive nationalist, chauvinist ideology.