Russian mentality: how to work in Russia and how to deal with him? Characteristic features of Russian mentality.

The Russian mentality was under the influence of the wealth of nature landscapes and sharply contrast climate. The protracted cold and frosts, which are almost half a year, are replaced by lush flowering plants and burning heat. Historian Valery Ilyin believes that in this powerful amplitude of weathering fluctuations in the course of one season - secret of the Peace of Russian Character: The decline is replaced by an incredible approach, the long depression is a huge surge of optimism, apathy and lethargy - tide of strength and inspiration.

There is an anatomical feature that was said in Russian mentality: the right hemisphere of the brain is stronger than developed, which is responsible for emotions, and not for logic, therefore we are often not rational. This feature of Russian mentality is clearly visible in planning - say, family budget. If the German will calculate all expenses, up to buying napkins, for a month, half a year, and even for a year, then russian man alien measured way.

The Russian mentality is formed by sharp fluctuations in weather conditions.

We are unable to foresee everything that can happen in the near future. We can get into the way some kind of project; We can, without getting ready in advance, suddenly make a fairly expensive acquisition; In the end, our relative, a friend or even an almost unfamiliar person may unexpectedly need help, and we, without hesitation, we will have it. After all, considering the Russian mentality, it is impossible not to mention such a feature as sentimentality. Unlike people of other nationalities who know how to keep the distance, we instantly penetrate the feelings of other people. No wonder only in Russian there are expressions "sincere conversation", "conversation in souls."

We are acutely perceiving someone else's trouble and someone else's joy, and they themselves are often ready to open their innermost feelings almost on the first day of dating. The Italian will never tell an unfamiliar person about his family problems, the American tactfully avoid personal those - it's as if you came to visit, and you were allowed only to the corridor. Russian tend to open all the doors manifest.

Russians are characteristic of sentimentality and compassion

That is why almost any Russian emigrant, who left in Western Europe, the United States or Canada, can not get used to the fact that people around it are cold, dry, "fastened to all buttons." There, in order to establish close relationships, whole years are required, here the contacts between people fold much faster and warmer.
Moreover - we are quite compassionate to the brothers to our smaller. Emergencies of the centuries Slavs willingly attend domestic animals and perceive them as full family members. And the inhabitants of Russian villages containing cows cannot handle them coolly and often continue to care for them to death.

Our sensitivity has the reverse side of the medal. We are quickly charming people, but soon often they are disappointed in them. These features of Russian mentality manifest themselves in a sharp change of relationships - For example, brother after fight and vice versa. And yet, if the quarrel happened, Russian people quickly forgets about it. We do not have the traditions of "blood revenge" because aversion is one of the features of Russian mentality. We are capable not only to forget the momentary conflict, but also endure serious resentment. Dostoevsky expressed it like this: "... And the whole people Russian is ready to forget the whole flour for one affectionate word."

Aversion is one of the characteristic features of Russian mentality

One more feature of Russian mentality – social conformism. We love everything to be "like people," care, so that we do not think bad about us. Satir Mikhail Zadornov notes: "Only a Russian woman, leaving the hotel, removes the room to arrive at the cleaner. This will not come to the head of a Frenchwoman, nor German - after all, the cleaner pay for this job! "

And last. Despite creative thinking, in the image of actions we can be called conservatives. We inconspicuously perceive innovations and go to them for a long time, and the EDA, before we take into your life. Compare: In the UK, 55% of the elderly people can work at the computer, 67% in the USA, and in Russia - only 24%. And the point here is not only in the absence of material opportunity to acquire equipment, but in reluctance to change the usual way of life.

In the book about Germany and the German mentality ("Watching the Germans", "Germany without lies", etc.), which was reprinted with updates, I had to compare the Germans with us. Not all readers agreed with me, but I am grateful to them: the book that you hold in my hands was born in the disputes. Who is it written for? For every curious person who does not have in a happy confidence that he already knows everything. This book is designed primarily to residents of Russia. It can also help foreigners understand Russians, find a common language with them, faster and easier to adapt to Russia.

Who are we, why are we and where are we going? What do we hit and attract foreigners? Is it true that the Russian soul is mysterious, and what is its secrets? Is it true that Russia was completely different that we lost? Why exactly in Russia, the state first proclaimed the goal of building communism? How did the Russians affect the rest of the world? Why in Russia, richest in their resources, people live poorer, and most importantly, not so cozy, as in developed countries? Is it possible to understand the Russian character, answer the question what to do, and predict what awaits us? Change century, rulers, laws, but do we understand where we are moving and what prevents us from? Maybe for this purpose, we need to understand ourselves and see the mirror again? Unpleasant? Recall Gogol - he took to his "auditor" to the epigraph of the proverb "On the mirror of Necha's champion ...". Someone will say that the mirror is a curve? But even in an attraction with crooked mirrors, look at yourself from the side interesting, and it does not interfere with itself. I had a chance not only to live in Russia for a long time, but also a lot of time to spend abroad. After that, much here becomes clearer. This book is based on my personal impressions consistent with the research of sociologists. They are complemented by materials of the foreign and Russian press.

In the West, the Russians are attributed to laziness, drunkenness and blessing, while domestic authors sometimes deny real problems. Discussions do not cease - there are hundreds of books and articles on the Russian mentality: the topic is inexhaustible. I am grateful to the authors with whom I managed to meet, and regret that there is no possibility to list all. I will mention at least some of the humorists - Zhvanetsky, Zadornov, IRTENEV, Gorina, Shaova, Yankovsky, Melichan, the authors of the Making statements on this topic.

Traditional ideas do not take into account the fact that in recent times the lifestyle of Russians, mentality and the system of values \u200b\u200bchange markedly. It is extremely important, in which direction these changes go and what will lead to. On the Internet, ask: "Is it possible to averaged all Russians? Everyone was very mixed. I and my friends pedigree from Uzbeks and Chechens to Germans, British and Baltov. " I will answer: the goal of the book is to identify the main, common features of the Russians, not necessarily belonging to each of them. We are talking about the traits inherent in my opinion, most or even a minority, if such features are found and noticeably affect our lives. If the Russian books are compared with someone, then primarily with the peoples of developed and especially European countries. Because Russia is a country of high culture close to European. Any people have their pros and cons, and you will not find even two completely identical people. Someone the word "mentality" seems like a petrified rule, in which he personally is trying to squeeze, and this is nothing more than the "average temperature in the hospital", which even in our eyes changes and which each measures each in its own way. Every reader has its own opinion about the Russian mentality of each reader, and he will find that I will argue. I sought to coordinate my considerations with the research of sociologists, supplement them with the materials of the foreign and Russian press, and yet the book is based, first of all, on my personal impressions. All that is told in the book is only my views and appraisal judgments. Everyone has the right to other glances, and I do not pretend to be the truth in the last instance. On the contrary, it is desirable that this book gives a reason for reflection and disputes. Truth is born in the dispute - provided that both parties argue with mutual respect.

It is impossible not to admire our people who managed to master the huge territory and create a great culture in the most difficult conditions. Although most Russians are cute and cute people, it certainly does not exclude in the Russian character of contradictions or flaws. I want to reassure the reader - the author was not recruited by anyone and was not bribed. If, dear reader, your soul hurts for your country and you want life in it better, then you are definitely a patriot and this book is addressed to you. And if you do not want to change anything, because we are convinced: everything that surrounds you is here is the best in the world? If you think that only enemies can talk about disadvantages? Then you are also a patriot. But the patriot of a different kind, and I advise you this book not to read: it is not for you.

In parts of the first and the second it will be about the first impressions of foreigners when meeting with the Russians, that is, about those rates of Russians who are striking. Gradually, we will turn to such traits that require more close acquaintances.

I am grateful to my wife Galina Tyskina for the invaluable and main help in editing the book, as well as Olga Pozheyeva, Maxim Tomcin, Leonid Zakharov, Mikhail Itsekson and Lev Shapiro, who read the book in the manuscript, for their valuable comments.

Russia recognizable for Western man, but in some moments completely unpredictable. This is a completely different culture, a completely different society ... We, looking at you, as in the mirror, we see yourself in a new way.

E. Miller

Russia inhabit people more than a hundred nationalities - Russians. But I like the word "Russian". So I will call everyone who considers Russian and the culture of relatives and speak Russian. Abroad of all residents of Russia are called Russians. There is a joke: in the hotel elevator go two Japanese, Tatar, Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian. One Japanese quietly says to another: "Look at these Russians - all on one person!" Whatever different residents of Russia are, they have a lot in common.

"Who is in what language thinks, he belongs to the people," said Vladimir Dal. Tsar Nicholas II did not have one hundredth of the share of Russian blood, but he was a Russian man. A lot of "foreigners" brought the most important contribution to the Russian civilization. Among them, Pushkin, Lermontov, Fonvizin, Karamzin, Levitan, Bagration, Witte, and Dal himself According to the journalist L. Parfenova, "the Germans, Georgians and Jews are particularly massively and brightly and brightly. The Jew, Levitan was a Russian artist, and German Ekaterina II - Russian Empress. "It is impossible to assume that anyone brought up in Russian culture (whether Chinese or Armenian on the surname of Khachikyan) can rank with Russians. Even if the nannik as a child read him Russian fairy tales, "Natalia writes on the Internet. And Nadezhda K. did not like the statement of Pushkin about the Russians, and she assures that" he is just not Russian. " She considers him a real Russian, although her Russian is chromas. What to argue with them? Let the fighters for the purity of Russian blood consider our classics with an Ethiopian poet. And Okudzhava - Georgian or Russian-speaking poet, but not Russian.

Foreigners The indigenous inhabitants of Russia are famously renamed. Hamilton? So you will be a clamp. CEP background Dalen? Kozozvlev! Hero of the story M. Weller, an English engineer, married Russian and stayed in Russia. Walter (we have a bolt) Cooked and learned how to sneak at the Khugrivnaya store. Everyone loved him "as a good harmless fool, from whom life is more interesting." The Chinese living in Siberian cities, in the second generation, begin to drink, soaring in the bath and work without former zeal. "In Russia, even the Slavic cheeks grow in the Jews," said F. Engels. Russians show a rare ability to understand a person and recognize their at first glance. Philosopher Vasily Rozanov said a hundred years ago: "You look at the Russian sharp eye, he will look at you, and everything is clear, no words need. This is what it is impossible with a foreigner. " Joker say that Russians are people who manage to survive in Russia. Maybe people share common difficulties? General fate and language - this is what unites all Russians.

Western Socussessments show that the Russians are similar to the North Europeans. However, during the years of Putin government, most of them had a rollback to "traditionalism". There are still significant differences in the culture of Russians and Europeans ...

What is a Russian mentality, is shown in the book "The impact of Western sociocultural samples on social practices in Russia" (Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2009, Circulation 500 Ex.). Its definition is described by several experiments.

The main enemy of the Russian man for several centuries is considered to be the state in the image of the punitive estate. "The source of good in the Russian mentality - the community, today is close and friends (GEMEINSHAFT), and the evil is projected on the state in the form of officialhood (previously - Barina, cities, etc.); The method of action - "everything is formed", and the triumph of good we thoughts undoubtedly, but ... in the future ("not we, so our children ..."), "write sociologists.

The mentality of Russian characterize the extremes and contradictions. Russian is inherent in extreme coldness and heat and heating, laziness and outbreaks of energy. Geographical location connects in Russian features of Europe and Asia: despotism - anarchism; cruelty - compassion; collectivism - individualism; Religiousness - godlessness; The blindness is rebellious.

A distinctive feature of Russians has always been the predominance of intuition over logic ("Avos").

Orthodoxy - the Russians have always had one faith, the pluralism of opinions is unusted for them. In Germany there is such an opinion about the Russians: they say, your problems - in the orthodoxy of your Orthodox Church. For us, as it may not matter, we do not have a home, we give us the universe. Take Russian philosophy. There is only about the life of the Spirit. Completely humiliated flesh, all material is humiliated. The life of a person immediately depreciates. And the Russian man says: "If I live there, I am quite cheap everything here."

Refusal to active transformation of the surrounding world, patience for the sake of remuneration in the afterlife, adopted in Orthodox ethics, are radically different from the norms of Western Protestant ethics.

Naturally the question: What are the pros and cons of Russian mentality in the implementation of "pro-Western" reforms? Sociologists respond to this question: "German is not relying on" maybe ", the Englishman or an American is looking for justice in the courts that protect human rights, which are fixed in the Constitution based on the" sacred "contract between citizens and elected authorities. As for the victory of goodness over evil, in Western culture it depends on the activities of parties, their ideas about what is good and what is evil and, most importantly, from the personal efforts of every citizen. "

The kernel of the German mentality is an idea of \u200b\u200bprofessional debt. The main norm of Protestantism is a rational economic oriented productivity and multiplication of capital. The ideal of America: "A creditworthy good person, whose debt is to consider the increase in its capital as an end in itself."

Protestant norm "Making money - My duty, in this - my virtue and source of my pride and respect for me from the fellow citizens" differs from the norm "I will earn money, and it's like others think about it." This is the calling "from God", and the most zealous execution of this role is the sacred debt.

In Germany, as well as in other diluted countries, the rational organization of their own business is to save his own soul. Therefore, in Germany it is customary to consider money, take care and multiply them. German, English or American capitalist pleasing to God is not because it is rich and can relax, taste the worldly fruits. He is pleasing because he cannot afford it, because Performs the sacred debt of increasing capital, refusing to itself in everything.

The characteristic feature of the Protestant morality, which M. Weber called worldly asceticism, is the impossibility of rest, the high intensity of the execution of labor debt due to the abandonment of earthly joys.

Well, then sociologists go from theory to practice. There are data statistics using psychological tests in intercultural studies. K. Kasyanov applied the MMPI test on Russian students and the pilot control group, comparing its data with the results obtained by other psychologists from many countries. She found that the Russians are excavated by "cycloid." This concept from the language of psychoanalysts means that the Russians are not inclined to systematically performed activities, which does not depend on the mood, in contrast, for example, from punctual Germans.

The most interesting results of intercultural studies were obtained by E. Danilova, E.Dubitskaya and M. Tararuhina. They used the psychological test of the Dutch Socopsychologist Gerd Hofsted, developed by him in the 60s and actively used to this day. The test is designed to measure the parameters of organizational culture. Hoffsted revealed ethnonational features of labor relations and refuted belief in universal rationality. It turned out that the Germans and, for example, the Japanese are equally operating rationally, but in different ways are assessed by the balance of resources being expended and achieved.

In the test of Hofsted, 70 peoples were studied. In recent years, mass testing of Russians has been carried out: 1,700 respondents from the number of employees of energy companies in 23 regions of Russia and 518 employees of large engineering enterprises in Moscow, Volga region, Vladimir region. Energy differences are distinguished by the fact that managers and specialists of the new formation are presented in their composition, and the second (machine builders) by 90% are the usual Russian workers.

The authors came to such conclusions. According to the "Personal Achievements - Solidarity" index, the Swedes, Dutch, Danes, Norwegians and Finns form one cluster. Dubitskaya and Tararukhina called it "North European Solidarity Syndrome." The British, Americans, Irish, as well as the Germans, Austrians, Italians and Swiss formed another statistical cluster, which was called the "Roman-German syndrome of achievability."

Russia fell into a group of North Europeans (by the way, on the basis of these results it is clear that it could come in Russia as a political economy formation - the liberalism of the Anglo-Saxon type, South European Pattern or Scandinavian socialism).

The researchers have identified another scale in the vocabulary of management as "the company's loyalty in exchange under warranty", and in a broad sense it is a mentality of dependence on the external environment or, on the contrary, configured to its own social entity resource. In the logic of management, the first - the mentality of the worker, and the second partner. In this index, the Russians relate to those who more appreciate the warranty by the organization.

In general, they conclude that the Russian cultural matrix (we will remind, the matrix of labor relations) is far from Romano-German, and again closer to the mentality of hired workers in the countries of Northern Europe. The organizational culture of Russia is built on two whales: solidarity between employees and the subordination of the organization. In the Hoffsted scales, this refers to the culture of "feminity" in test items: care for each other, intuition, the value of free time. The opposite pole "Musclineness" is an assediction, rationalism, perseverance in achieving goals, money.

"Organization's submission in the culture of labor relations is associated with a well-known feature of Russian mentality - ethctism, respect to the state as its subjects, not free citizens. Almost this means loyalty to the existing procedures in exchange for guarantees from the state, "sociologists conclude.

The system of values \u200b\u200bin Russia compared to the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America is quite close to the Western European, "but more conservative, traditionally, more prone to order, hierarchy and less - to the rights and freedoms of the individual." In general, the opening of Western and Russian sociologists did not commit. More interesting: Does the transformation of values \u200b\u200boccur in Russia in the last 20 years? There is also on this topic of research.

In the 1990s, a noticeable shift occurred in the direction of the values \u200b\u200bof the "modern personality" (intellectual autonomy, the value of skill), especially the youth. However, in the period 2000-2005. The increase in hedonism instead of the values \u200b\u200bof the development of creative abilities. According to the most important areas, there was a rollback back ... cultural prerequisites of modernization worsened. According to monitoring surveys performed in 1998, 2004 and 2007. Employees of the Institute of Sociology, in the period from 2004 to 2007 The share of so-called modernists decreased from 26% to 20%, and traditionalists - increased from 41% to 47% while maintaining the share of "intermediate" (33%).

Signs of modernity, the authors considered the adoption of the values \u200b\u200bof individual freedom, which is "completely unacceptable" for traditionalists and intermediate in this matter (80% of the sample!). "For them, he writes M.K. Gorshkov, is the optimal Etharacratic Development Model, based on the All-Russian State of Employee, ideally, as an expressive of the interests of society as a whole and ensures the security of both each individual citizen and community. Moreover, a similar model is perceived, rather as a chaotic community where everyone performs its function than as a community of free individuals, consciously building a variety of life strategies, guided by the human rights recognized as basic and state and society. "

So, the testimonies suggest that the system of values \u200b\u200bof Russians is "sufficiently close" to the North-European, but more prone to order, hierarchy and less - to the rights and freedoms of the individual. In addition, in recent years, the proportion of traditionalists increases.

However, the "cultural component" of Russian mentality is still far from European.

The cultural parameters of the attitude to the exception in modern Russia are considered in the works of S.S. Yaroshenko (attitude to the poor) and I.N.Tartakovskaya (gender stereotypes and live styles). In study, T.A. Dobrovolskaya and N. B.Shabalina marked the intolerance of Russian respondents in relation to the very idea of \u200b\u200bcoexistence with atypical people. Respondents suggested a negative attitude to ensure that the disabled is their relative (39%), a neighbor in the apartment (37%), the boss (29%), a representative of the authorities (27%) subordinate (22%), a teacher of the child (20% ).

Other studies demonstrate that patience as a component of mercy and humanism is appreciated in the post-Soviet Russia less. So, the studies of N.I. Lapin demonstrate changes in the structure of the basic values \u200b\u200bof Russians for the period from 1990 to 2006: if in 1990 the traditional value of self-sacrifice was on the 8th place among the fourteen basic, then in 1994 she fell on 11th place, and by 2006, it even lower in this list, more and more inferior to such modernist values \u200b\u200bas independence and initiative.

Other situation in European countries. A survey was conducted 135 Russian and 98 foreign (USA, Canada, Austria, Germany) of respondents - students, teachers and university staff.

Intercultural study S.A. Zavorzhina showed that only half of Russian respondents spoke in favor of assisting mentally defective people (44% believe that such people should be isolated, 2% - to eliminate 2% - ignore), while among foreign respondents Nobody supported the idea of \u200b\u200bliquidation, isolation or ignoring people with disabilities, and 98% spoke for helping them. Pay attention is a survey among the intelligentsia, and what to say about the simple people ...

What conclusions from this study can be made? In general, the Russians at the "favorable situation" (democratic board, respect for the rights of the individual, integration into the Western World) are potentially ready to become "North Europeans" (at the level of the same Finns, another hundred years ago by the same Russians, and those who have committed transformation in Europeans For the very short time on the standards of world history).

But so far it's all - "Crane in the sky." And "Title in Hands", the realities of the current life are divided into survival tactics in a hostile average Russian Russian - where only the highest power with its exclusive right to the "only Europeans" is the only Savior.

based on tolk.ru.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Like neither sad, but residents of the country. Favorite Russian phrase: "It will take!". We have not been trusted with doctors, but it is customary to use the recipes of traditional medicine. Some even cancer treat herbs and magic devices.

This is due to the fact that for such a long period of the country's existence, we did not focus on health. We are not formed in this area and incorrectly understand the meaning of the saying: "What does not kill us makes us stronger." Love for idle lifestyle leads Russian people to.

Fortunately, today the younger generation begins to be interested in his health, he is interested in sports, goes to the gym to gain a beautiful figure. But this is only the beginning of a big way after the realization that Russia rolled down.

Life "By Blatu"

Another prevailing distinguishing feature of the Russian people is gentity. 200 years ago in Russia, it was customary to give officials fee for services, but even when this right was canceled, the habit remains.

Officials were so accustomed in a comfortable environment, which did not want to lose financial injections from the people. Therefore, questions are still decided not to law, but "by Blatu".

It is impossible to eradicate this feature at this historical stage of Russia, as there are other global problems, but the struggle has already begun and brings success.

Endurance

Historical events, such as rebellion, war, blockades and permanent change of rulers led to the dysfunction of the Russian people. This made it possible to raise endurance, patience and ability to confront adversity.

Russian man just recently gets used to comfort. Previously, we spent a lot of time on the fields to feed the family, often years were lack of town, so I had to work in the mode without sleep and rest.

Weather conditions also influenced the formation of Russian mentality. Foreigners are terribly afraid of cold. For them, 0 degrees already have a reason to wear a sheepskin. The Russian people got used to such temperatures and perfectly tolerates them. It is only worth remembering the tradition to dip in the hole for Christmas. Some Russians are practicing wallling in general.

Today, Russia comes out of the crisis, new tasks come up before the people. Therefore, the mentality is gradually changing, gaining new features. But some of them will forever remain in Russian souls and will help to remain invincible and non-resistant to dangerous enemies.

We are different. What is needed alone
Another does not fit another -
It is impossible to impose your
Who is not inclined by nature.
Lion Casmanic

What and why do we differ from other nations?

135 years ago, a French psychologist and Neuropsychiatr Henri Vallon was born and relying on the works of the famous Swiss psychologist Charles Jung, introduced the concept of mentality. It happened in 1928. Interestingly, to summarize groups of people with characteristic peculiarities His social work suggested. Wallon was a convinced Marxist and believed that communists were the main driving force of progress.

Meanwhile, in the USSR, the mentality was almost not written. Only in the late 80s of the last century they started talking about some national self-identification. Immediately, like from the horns of abundance, there were numerous works on this psychological category.

"Russia is America on the contrary ..."

In general, many Russian psychologists believe that every nation has mentality, and it is expressed in the models of perception and behavior that affect the political and economic life of the country. Moreover, national character is based on historical experience. For example, the same event, Russians and Americans can see at different angles, just because of their mentality. Each people will have its own truth, and to convince each other will be great. All because values \u200b\u200bare perfectness. For example, the English-language literary critic Wang Vic Brooks, studying Russian literature, said: "America is just Russia, on the contrary ..."

Such as all

Learn the mentality of the nation and in order to understand who will have to deal with, or even lead the war. For example, the Germans were always acutely interested in Russian people. The first detailed description of Russia made the German ethnographer Johann Gotlib Georgi back in 1776. The work was called "a description of all the peoples of the Russian state, their life, religion, customs, housing, clothes and other differences."

"... no on earth such a state, which is the Russian power, which has accommodated such a great many different nations," Johann Georgi wrote. - These are Russa, with their tribes, Yako blades, semoades, Yukagira, Chukchi, Yakuts, (further on the whole page there is a listing of nations). ... as well as migrants, Yako Indians, Germans, Persian, Armenians, Georgians, ... and new Slavs - the estate of the Cossacks. "

In general, the ethnographer Johann Georgi noted that the Russas are not in the wonder to see strangers. All this, of course, affected the mentality of the Russians. Already today, the psychiatrist Igor Vasilyevich Reverchuk, exploring the importance of ethnic self-consciousness in the clinical dynamics of various border mental disorders, found that 96.2% of Slavs living in Russia belong to their nation as "equal to among others", while 93% - demonstrate a benevolent attitude to other ethnic groups.

Children of their land

Doctor of Philosophical Sciences Valery Kirillovich Trofimov, specializing in Russian mentality, noted that in the past "Russia is a country of risky agriculture, where every third and fifth years have been lack of town. A short agricultural cycle - 4-5 months - forced the agriculture constantly hurry. Sowing and harvest turned into a real suffering, the battle for the harvest. " That is why our people teach to work Avralo when it is critical, and everything else is to respond to circumstances.

Russian historian Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky at one time also allocated this characteristic feature of the Russians. "Nowhere in Europe, we will not find such unacceptive to even, moderate and measured, permanent work, as in the same Velikorsia," he said. According to the professor of the philosophy of Arseniya Vladimirovich Gulgi, "Rook out of the extreme to extremes - a typical Russian feature: from the renovation to humility, from passivity to heroism, from calculating waste."

Dreamy

Most of our ancestors rarely left their native village. All because Boris Godunov by law 1592 fixed the peasants. This was confident Russian historian V. N. Tatishchev. All this injustice, multiplied by poor life, led to collective fantasies and dreams of universal justice, good, beauty and good. "Russian people generally had the habit of living with dreams of the future," Professor Vladimir Nikolaevich Dudenkov is convinced. - It seemed to them that everyday, harsh and dull life of today is, in fact, a temporary delay in the occurrence of true life, but soon everything will change, a true, reasonable and happy life will open. The whole point of life is in this future, and today is not in the expense. "

Mentality of the Russian official

It is known that in 1727, small officials ceased to pay a state salary in exchange for accedecies. Later, this rule was canceled, but the habit of sovereign servants to live at the expense of "feeding" remained, and was actually not pursued. As a result, in the first half of the 19th century, bribery became the norm. For example, "solve the case" in the Senate cost 50 thousand rubles. For comparison - the far uncountable county judge had a salary of 300 rubles. Lasting in St. Petersburg in 1858 by Theophile Gauthier, the famous writer from France wrote: "It is believed that people did not go on foot to the face, not to face. Russian official without a carriage, that Arab without a horse. "

It turns out that part of our history can also be relevant to mentality, however, a certain group of Russian people. So, in the "Social Psychology" dictionary Edited by M.Yu. Kondratyev The term "mentality" was regulated as "the specifics of the mental life of people (groups of persons), deterministic economic and political circumstances and having an idea."

Endurance and patience

American experts on mentality are convinced that the nationwide character traits affects, including genetics, in which the models of the behavior of our ancestors are programmed. For example, if the genealogical tree is represented by convinced monarchists, then the person will subconsciously experience sympathies for this form of board or to its representatives. Perhaps this lies neutral, and even the loyal attitude of Russian people to political leaders, which for many years they rule the country.

It has this attitude and such a mental feature of our people as patience. In particular, the historian N.I. Kostomarov noted that "the Russian people led to the amazement of foreigners their patience, hardness, indifference to all deprivation of ease of life, heavy for Europeans ... Since childhood, Russians suffered to transfer hunger and struran. Children took away from the breasts after two months and fed a habit of food; The kids ran in some shirts without hats, barefoot in the snow in the crackling frost. "
Many Russian and foreign experts on mentality believe that patience is our response to external and internal challenges, the basis of the Russian person.

Famous foreigners about Russian

Foreign politicians and journalists love to strive about the mentality of the Russians. Most often our compatriots are called drunkards. Thus, the French journalist Benoa Paradis wrote that "Grubian-Russians are known for their addiction to vodka." And on the portal EnglishRussia on October 14, 2011, an article "50 Facts About Russia in The Eyes of Foreigners" was published, it scored a huge number of views. In particular, it is said "non-driving Russian - a fact of the fact. Most likely, some tragedy is connected with alcohol. "
However, there are other opinions about Russians. For example, Otto von Bismarck considered the Russian cohesive nation. He argued: "Even the most favorable outcome of the war will never lead to the decomposition of the main force of Russia, which is based on millions of Russians ... these last, even if they are dismembered by international treatises, they are also quickly connected again to each other, as particles of a cut piece of mercury ..." . However, the story does not teach even pragmatic Germans. Franz Galder, Head of the Wehrmacht Staff (1938-1942) was forced to state in 1941: "The originality of the country and the originality of the nature of the Russians gives the campaign to special specifics. The first serious opponent. "

Opinion expert

Modern social psychology does not confirm the thesis on the immutability of mentality, "Vladimir Rimsky notes the head of the sociology department of the India Foundation. - The conditions in which people live, social relations are changing - and with them changes mentality.

It is hardly necessary to assume that people did not change the mentality from the Middle Ages. This is exactly an illusion. Let's say in the Middle Ages in the mass consciousness, there was no desire to become famous. But is it in the current society so? Therefore, I would like to argue that the features of modern Russian mentality have developed in Petrov or Doperer times.
In Russia, attitudes towards mentality as something constant often leads to one purely practical investigation: we are not trying to actually do something to become different. And it is wrong.

In my opinion, today most Russians have no desire to participate in solving public problems. For example, I recently ended the campaign with the surrender of the exam. Many fellow citizens expressed dissatisfaction with a single exam, but at the same time, we did not have a wide civil movement in support of the examiner system to change. This system, by the way, is changing - for example, an essay has returned in the Russian language instead of tests. But such changes occur without the participation of society.

You can, of course, say that the problem is in the mentalite. But the matter is rather that the conditions for the implementation of civil initiatives simply did not create in Russian society.

Or take the problem of corruption - it is really widely represented in Russia. It is believed that this is also a feature of our mentality. But I think it is necessary to give people the opportunity to change their social practices. And then, it is quite possible, the mentality will also change.

I must note that, on a historic scale, the mentality is capable of changing pretty quickly - in two or three decades. Examples of South Korea or Singapore - states that have changed dramatically throughout the life of one generation have been talking about this.

Or take the example of a pure Russian. The reforms of Alexander II touched on, in particular, the judiciary. As a result, quite a few lawyers appeared in Russia, working jury. These jury were ordinary citizens, they, I assure you, perfectly understood what solutions are needed - but often the verdicts are directly opposite. As a result, in the Russian Empire there was a completely different attitude to the court - as a fair institution in which you can really defend your rights. Before Alexander II, there was no such attitude to the judiciary and nearly.

I think people certainly have national and ethnic features. But still it is not worth denying that a lot is determined by social relations and the social environment in which we live. If we were ready to change the Wednesday, I would change my mentality. I will give an example.

We are believed to believe that in Russia, the time immemorials do not comply with the laws, and nothing to do with it. But I repeatedly talked with the Germans and Americans who came to Moscow to live and work. So, after a short stay in the Russian capital, almost all of them began to violate the rules of movement when driving a car, and giving bribes to traffic cops. One lady, an American, to my question, why she does, replied that in America she would not have come to a police bribe, but in Moscow it is impossible in Moscow. "

As you can see, the mentality in the head of a particular American is changing elementary - hardly adapts to the Russian medium. But the same example speaks of a friend. In America and the same Germany, the magnitude of "live according to the law" became relatively recently - a hundred years ago. We can go through the same way, and much faster ...