The Russian people are representatives of the East Slavic ethnos, the indigenous people of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population of the Russian Federation), the largest ethnic group in Europe. The Russian diaspora numbers about 30 million people and it is concentrated in such states as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, in the countries of the former USSR, in the USA and EU countries. As a result of sociological research, it was found that 75% of the Russian population of Russia are followers of Orthodoxy, and a significant part of the population does not classify itself as a particular religion. The national language of the Russian people is Russian.

Each country and its people have their own significance in the modern world, the concepts of folk culture and history of the nation, their formation and development are very important. Each nation and its culture are unique in their own way, the color and uniqueness of each nation should not be lost or dissolve in assimilation with other nations, the younger generation should always remember who they really are. For Russia, which is a multinational power and home for 190 peoples, the issue of national culture is quite acute, due to the fact that in recent years its erasure is especially noticeable against the background of the cultures of other nationalities.

Culture and life of the Russian people

(Russian folk costume)

The first associations that arise with the concept of "Russian people" are, of course, the breadth of the soul and the strength of the spirit. But the national culture is formed by people, it is these character traits that have a huge impact on its formation and development.

One of the distinguishing features of the Russian people has always been and is simplicity, in former times Slavic houses and property were very often plundered and completely destroyed, hence the simplified attitude to everyday life. And of course, these trials, which fell to the lot of the long-suffering Russian people, only tempered their character, made them stronger and taught them to get out of any life situations with their heads held high.

Kindness can be called another trait that prevails in the character of the Russian ethnos. The whole world is well aware of the concept of Russian hospitality, when "they feed, and drink, and put them to sleep." A unique combination of such qualities as cordiality, mercy, compassion, generosity, tolerance and, again, simplicity, which are very rare in other peoples of the world, all this is fully manifested in the very breadth of the Russian soul.

Hard work is another of the main traits of the Russian character, although many historians in the study of the Russian people note both her love for work and great potential, and her laziness, as well as complete lack of initiative (remember Oblomov in Goncharov's novel). But all the same, the efficiency and endurance of the Russian people is an indisputable fact, against which it is difficult to object. And no matter how scientists around the world want to understand the "mysterious Russian soul", it is unlikely that any of them can do it, because it is so unique and multifaceted that its "highlight" will forever remain a secret for everyone.

Traditions and customs of the Russian people

(Russian meal)

Folk traditions and customs represent a unique connection, a kind of "bridge of times" linking the far past with the present. Some of them are rooted in the pagan past of the Russian people, even before the baptism of Rus, little by little their sacred meaning was lost and forgotten, but the main points have been preserved and are still observed. In villages and towns, Russian traditions and customs are honored and remembered to a greater extent than in cities, which is associated with a more isolated lifestyle of urban residents.

A large number of rituals and traditions are associated with family life (this is matchmaking, and wedding celebrations, and the baptism of children). Carrying out ancient ceremonies and rituals guaranteed a successful and happy life in the future, the health of descendants and the general well-being of the family.

(Colorized snapshot of a Russian family at the beginning of the 20th century)

For a long time, Slavic families were distinguished by a large number of family members (up to 20 people), adult children, having already married, remained to live in their own home, the head of the family was a father or an older brother, they all had to obey and unquestioningly fulfill all their orders. Usually, weddings were held either in the fall, after the harvest, or in the winter after the Epiphany (January 19). Then the first week after Easter, the so-called "Red Hill", was considered a very good time for a wedding. The wedding itself was preceded by a matchmaking rite, when the groom's parents came to the bride's family together with his godparents, if the parents agreed to give their daughter in marriage, then the bride was held (acquaintance of the future newlyweds), then there was a ceremony of conspiracy and mating (the parents decided on the dowry and the date of the wedding festivities ).

The rite of baptism in Russia was also interesting and unique, the child had to be baptized immediately after birth, for this, godparents were chosen, who would be responsible for the life and well-being of the godson throughout their lives. At one year old, the baby was put on the inside of a sheep's sheepskin coat and sheared, cutting off a cross on the crown, with such a meaning that impure forces would not be able to penetrate his head, and would not have power over him. Every Christmas Eve (January 6), a slightly grown godson must bring kutya (wheat porridge with honey and poppy seeds) to the godparents, and they, in turn, must present him with sweets.

Traditional holidays of the Russian people

Russia is a truly unique state, where, along with the highly developed culture of the modern world, they carefully honor the ancient traditions of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, going back centuries and keeping the memory of not only Orthodox vows and canons, but also the most ancient pagan rituals and sacraments. And to this day, pagan holidays are celebrated, people listen to the signs and age-old traditions, remember and tell their children and grandchildren ancient traditions and legends.

Main folk holidays:

• Christmas Jan. 7
• Christmastide January 6 - 9
• Baptism January 19
• Pancake week from 20 to 26 February

• Forgiveness Sunday ( before the onset of Lent)
• Palm Sunday ( Sunday preceding Easter)
• Easter ( the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurs not earlier than the day of the conditional vernal equinox on March 21)
• Red hill ( first Sunday after Easter)

• Trinity ( Sunday at Pentecost - 50th day after Easter)
• Ivan Kupala 7 july
• Day of Peter and Fevronia July 8
• Ilyin's day August 2

• Honey Savior August 14
• Apple Spas August 19
• Third (Khlebny) Spas August 29
• Cover day October 14

There is a belief that on the night of Ivan Kupala (from 6 to 7 July) once a year a fern flower blooms in the forest, and whoever finds it will gain untold riches. In the evening, large bonfires are kindled near rivers and lakes, people dressed in festive Old Russian robes lead round dances, sing ritual chants, jump over the fire, and let wreaths go down the stream, hoping to find their soul mate.

Maslenitsa is a traditional holiday of the Russian people, celebrated during the week before Lent. For a very long time, Shrovetide was not a holiday, but a ritual, when the memory of departed ancestors was honored, placating them with pancakes, asking them for a fertile year, and spending the winter by burning a straw effigy. Time passed, and the Russian people, thirsting for fun and positive emotions in the cold and dull season, turned the sad holiday into a more cheerful and daring celebration, which began to symbolize the joy of the imminent end of winter and the arrival of the long-awaited warmth. The meaning changed, but the tradition of baking pancakes remained, exciting winter entertainment appeared: sledding and horse-drawn sledding downhill, a straw effigy of Winter was burned, a relative went to pancakes all through the Shrovetide week, sometimes to the mother-in-law, then to the sister-in-law, the atmosphere of celebration and fun reigned everywhere , various theatrical and puppet performances with the participation of Petrushka and other folklore characters were held on the streets. One of the very colorful and dangerous entertainments on Shrovetide was fist fights, in which the male population participated, for whom it was an honor to take part in a kind of "war effort", testing them for courage, courage and dexterity.

Christmas and Easter are considered especially revered Christian holidays among the Russian people.

The Nativity of Christ is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy, it also symbolizes the rebirth and return to life, the traditions and customs of this holiday, filled with kindness and humanity, high moral ideals and the triumph of the spirit over worldly concerns, in the modern world are reopened and rethought by society. The day before Christmas (January 6) is called Christmas Eve, because the main dish of the festive table, which should consist of 12 dishes, is a special porridge "sochivo", consisting of boiled cereals sprinkled with honey, sprinkled with poppy seeds and nuts. You can sit down at the table only after the first star appears in the sky, Christmas (January 7) is a family holiday, when everyone gathered at the same table, ate a festive meal and gave each other gifts. 12 days after the holiday (until January 19) are called Christmastide, earlier at this time girls in Russia held various gatherings with fortune-telling and rituals to attract grooms.

Bright Easter has long been considered a great holiday in Russia, which people associated with the day of general equality, forgiveness and mercy. On the eve of Easter celebrations, Russian women usually bake cakes (festive Easter bread) and Easter, clean and decorate their homes, young people and children paint eggs, which, according to ancient legend, symbolize drops of blood of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. On the day of Holy Easter, smartly dressed people, meeting, say “Christ is Risen!”, Answer “Truly He is Risen!”, Followed by a threefold kiss and exchange of festive Easter eggs.

National culture is the national memory of the people, what distinguishes a given nation from others, keeps a person from depersonalization, allows him to feel the connection between times and generations, to receive spiritual support and life support.

Both the calendar and the life of a person are associated with folk customs, as well as church sacraments, rituals and holidays. In Russia, the calendar was called a month. Months covered the whole year of peasant life, "describing" day by day, month after month, where each day corresponded to its own holidays or weekdays, customs and superstitions, traditions and rituals, natural signs and phenomena.

The folk calendar was an agricultural calendar, which was reflected in the names of the months, folk signs, rituals and customs. Even the determination of the timing and duration of the seasons is associated with real climatic conditions. Hence the discrepancy between the names of the months in different areas. For example, both October and November can be called falling leaves. The folk calendar is a kind of encyclopedia of peasant life with its holidays and weekdays. It includes knowledge of nature, agricultural experience, rituals, norms of social life.

The folk calendar is a fusion of pagan and Christian principles, folk Orthodoxy. With the establishment of Christianity, pagan holidays were forbidden, received a new interpretation, or moved from their time. In addition to those fixed to certain dates in the calendar, there appeared mobile holidays of the Easter cycle.

The ceremonies dedicated to major holidays included a large number of different works of folk art: songs, sentences, round dances, games, dances, dramatic scenes, masks, folk costumes, and a kind of props.

Calendar and ritual holidays of Russians

The Russian people knew how to work, and they knew how to have a rest. Following the principle: "Business - time, fun - an hour", the peasants had a rest mainly on holidays. What is a holiday? The Russian word "holiday" comes from the ancient Slavic "holiday", meaning "rest, idleness." What holidays were honored in Russia? For a long time people lived in the villages on three calendars. The first is natural, agricultural, associated with the change of seasons. The second - pagan, pre-Khrstian times, just like agricultural, correlated with natural phenomena. The third, most recent calendar is Christian, Orthodox, in which there are only great holidays, not counting Easter, there are twelve.

In ancient times, Christmas was considered the main winter holiday. The holiday of Christmas came to Russia together with Christianity in the 10th century. and merged with the ancient Slavic winter holiday - Christmastide, or Christmas carols.

Pancake week

What did you do for Shrovetide? A significant part of the customs for Shrovetide, one way or another, was associated with the theme of family and marriage relations: on Shrovetide, newlyweds were honored, who had got married during the past year. Young people were given a kind of bridal show in the village: they were placed at the gates and forced to kiss in front of everyone, they were “buried” in the snow or covered with snow at Shrovetide. They were also subjected to other tests: when the young were riding in a sleigh through the village, they were stopped and thrown with old bast shoes or straw, and sometimes they were given a “kisser” or “kissing man” - when fellow villagers could come to the house of the young and kiss the young. The newlyweds were rolled around the village, but if they received

Bad treat, the newlyweds could have been given a ride not in a sleigh, but on a harrow.

Maslenitsa week also took place in mutual visits of two recently related families.

Christian Easter

Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the most important holiday in the Christian calendar. Easter Sunday does not fall on the same date every year, but it always happens between March 22 and April 25. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following March 21, the day of the vernal equinox. The date for Easter Sunday was established by the church council at Nike in 325 AD. The name "Passover" is a direct transfer of the name of the Jewish holiday, celebrated annually for a week, starting from the 14th day

The spring month of Nissan. The very name "passover" is a Greek modification of the Hebrew word "pesah", which has been interpreted as "passage"; it was borrowed from the more ancient pastoral tradition of celebrating the transition from winter to summer pastures.

Nativity

The Nativity of Christ is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy. Christmas is a returned holiday, reborn. The traditions of this holiday, full of genuine humanity and kindness, high moral ideals, are being discovered and comprehended again today.

Agrafena Bathing Lady and Ivan Kupala

The summer solstice is one of the notable turning points of the year. Since ancient times, all the peoples of the Earth have celebrated at the end of June the holiday of the peak of summer. We have such a holiday is Ivan Kupala. However, this holiday was inherent not only to the Russian people. In Lithuania, he is known as Lado, in Poland - as Sobotki, in Ukraine - Kupalo or Kupailo. Our ancient ancestors had the deity Kupalo, personifying summer fertility. In his honor, in the evenings, they sang songs and jumped over the fire. This ritual act has become an annual celebration of the summer solstice, mixing pagan and Christian traditions. The deity Kupalo began to be called Ivan after the baptism of Russia, when he was replaced by none other than John the Baptist (more precisely, his folk image), whose Christmas was celebrated on June 24.

Wedding in Russia

In the life of all peoples, a wedding is one of the most important and colorful events. Everyone should have their own family and children. And so that it did not happen that someone sat up for a long time "in girls" or "in suitors", matchmakers came to the rescue. The matchmakers were lively, talkative women who knew the wedding tradition. When the matchmaker came to woo the bride, she prayed, sat down or stood in such a place, which, it was believed, could bring good luck in matchmaking. She began the conversation with the allegorical phrases adopted in this case, by which the bride's parents immediately guessed what kind of guests she was. For example, the matchmaker said: “You have goods (bride), and we have a merchant (groom)” or “You have a bright (bride), and we have a shepherd (groom).” If both sides were satisfied with the conditions of marriage, then they agreed on a wedding.

Russian sauna

What Russian doesn't like baths? Even Nestor the chronicler wrote about the bath in his writings. Initially, cleansing rituals were performed in the bathhouse: washing the bride and groom before the wedding, the woman in labor and the newborn, expelled "evil spirits" from the mentally ill. Using medicinal herbs and bath steam, healers healed those suffering from ailments. The youth arranged Christmas fortune-telling in the baths, and the farmers thought about the future harvest and the weather. The proverb "Everyone is equal in the bathhouse" testifies that there have been both old and young people, commoners and princes here.

The bathhouse turned out to be one of the most persistent Russian traditions. It is impossible to imagine that there is a Russian person who has never tasted a thick steam bath, birch or oak broom. The bathhouse heals many diseases, in the bath you can remove the accumulated fatigue and stress, cleanse not only the body, but also the soul. The technology of taking a bath has hardly changed in ancient times. After warming up the body on each shelf in turn, from the heart they whip themselves with a well-steamed broom, then wash themselves with soap and a washcloth, rinse their hair with bread and herbal decoctions. The Russian tradition requires, after the steam room, to jump into the cool water of a pond, or into a snowdrift, an ice-hole.

By area, but half the size of the population. A country with incredibly rich culture, history and traditions. Many peoples, religions and customs are intertwined here. But now I want to talk about the largest ethnic group in Russia - the Russian people.

Russians are perhaps the most controversial people in the world. The Russian person has always been a mystery to any foreigner. They are loved and hated, admired and feared. The people are paradoxical to the core. You ask, what is the paradox? Yes, practically in everything. Completely illogical actions - this strange tendency to reckless recklessness, ostentatious, inexplicable generosity, reaching wastefulness, love of luxurious expensive things, even for one day, even without a penny in your pocket, as if this is the last day - no, it is impossible to understand. Terrible, brutal crime, total corruption and thieves' laws that are observed better than the criminal code - what kind of people live in this country?

The Russians are very proud of the country's military power and their mighty army, but no one wants to join the army, and is trying to excuse it under any pretext. Russians desperately want to be rich, while no one wants to do anything and, somehow, earn their wealth. Russians are proud of their rich culture and vast country - but every second person dreams of leaving here abroad in search of a better life. Russians among themselves scold the government of the country and call them corrupt, but, with a not very prosperous life, no one will ever seriously even arrange a demonstration - and they will find an excellent excuse - supposedly they used to live even worse. The Russians make excellent military equipment and weapons - one of the best in the world, but when their hands reach the domestic auto industry, it is simply difficult to imagine worse than cars. And finally, tell me, how is it that the most beautiful women on the planet got some of the scariest men in the world (assessment of international fashion magazines)?

Who are the Russians and how to understand them, what is the trouble of the whole nation, and is it so scary to be Russian - let's figure it out.

Russian mentality

Russian people are amazing. They always hope for the best and always prepare for the worst. In general, the average Russian person is melancholic. Russians are always dissatisfied with something, but humbly carry their burden, only occasionally snorting at life. They will certainly complain about life, and say that they are the most unhappy and unlucky people in the world, that before, under the communists, everything was much better, before the revolution it was even better than under the communists, and even during the times of Kievan Rus it was absolutely splendid. ... That Russia is not needed by anyone in the world, that it is the dumbest and most backward country, the backyard of the civilized world! And how the Russians scold the authorities! This nation's government cannot be good by definition, no matter what it does. And “they” (leadership at any level) are an enemy of the people, an eternal enemy who must be feared and who must be avoided in every possible way.

Russians love very few people. All their foreign neighbors, without exception, are insidious, vile, greedy and vicious; they all owe their well-being to the ruthless exploitation of poor Russians, their brains and their resources. Russians do not hesitate to show dislike for people from other countries, and even, on the contrary, in every possible way emphasize their superiority over other nations in conversations. It is customary to point fingers at African Americans on the street and call them blacks, residents from Of Uzbekistan , Tajikistan , Kyrgyzstan - chocks, people from Georgia , Armenia , Azerbaijan - khachi, people of any nationality with slightly narrowed eyes - Chinese. And the Russians do not understand much - that the "Chinese people" can be Kazakhs or Buryats (citizens of Russia, by the way), in principle, it does not matter to them. There can be no question of any political correctness, Russians are not familiar with this word! At the same time, the Russians themselves fundamentally believe that they are the most benevolent, most hospitable and most friendly people in the world!

Since Soviet times, Russians have been taught that America is the # 1 enemy for Russia. This was encouraged in every possible way by the government, they say, allegedly, if not for America, all Russians would now live like people. After all, everyone knows that America is fabulously rich, people live in large private houses and drive good foreign cars. This is already a good reason to hate the country. Oh, if only you could work like Russians and live like Americans! Unfortunately, the mentality of the Russian person was originally laid down in such a way that Russia is always right, everyone offends her poor, and in general, this poor long-suffering Russian people who helps everyone, but no one loves him. All foreign neighbors, without exception, are insidious, vile, greedy and vicious; they all owe their well-being to the ruthless exploitation of poor Russians, their brains and their resources. The media and the press are actively adding fuel to the fire - various fables are written about what kind of barbarians everyone is around, but in Russia they say there are still decent people.

All who are richer and more successful are potential enemies for the Russians, they just do not understand how anyone can be better than them? Take the Japanese, for example. They are an oriental people, and, therefore, their quality of life should be like that of the Indians or the Chinese, or at least like that of the Russians. The fact that they have reached the level of European prosperity is embarrassing, annoying and, downright infuriating! How is this possible? There is clearly something wrong with the Japanese! There is some kind of mistake of nature. And what about the Turks, who are being hired en masse as builders in Russian cities? It turned out that they work better and faster than the Russians, and often cost employers less (!) Than the slow Russian builders. But how can this be? They are Turks! - absolutely any average Russian would say. The fact that someone is doing something better than them is often offensive and insulting.

The Russians have their own "whipping boy" - these are the Chukchi. What really annoyed them with this small people of the Far North, it is not clear. Moreover, Russians practically do not really know anything about the Chukchi, and in general, very few Russians have seen a living Chukchi at least once in their lives. But, the very name "chuk-cha" sounds sonorous and funny, and is this not a reason to laugh and make fun of them. How often, in response to a request, we hear: “Why me? Am I a Chukchi? " ... And how many jokes the Russians have composed about the Chukchi! Moreover, whatever the joke, the Chukchi are always described as gullible, simple-minded and incredibly stupid people. Oh, yes, and also the Americans! They are rather the first in popularity in Russian jokes. Whatever the jokes are about, and whatever nationalities are present there - the denouement always ends in the same - it was the Russians who killed everyone! It is incredibly pleasant for them to rise in this way - even if only in their own eyes, and even if only in anecdotes ...

Many Russians, regardless of the year, believe that they are living in a difficult time, and their fate is not easy. Quite melancholic people, with a deep sigh, submit to their difficult fate and say: “You cannot leave fate” and reach for a bottle, and then turn into a pitiful tearful figure, sobbing over a glass and tormented by questions about the meaning of life. Mourning their fate helps them remember that they are living in a difficult time, that times have always been hard and that they can only become even harder.

At the same time, the Russians are an incredibly patient people. Truly, Russian patience is inexhaustible: they are able to wait and hope for the best in conditions that would seem intolerable, practically, to any other nation. "Oh, have you extended our working day?" - shout the French, organizing rallies in the streets and destroying everything in its path. "It's time for us to pay more, we demand an increase in wages" - prim Germans are indignant and cancel all flights of German airlines. "Do you want to cut our pensions?" - the Greeks are indignant, refusing to go to their jobs. And only Russians, for years silently endure all the sorrows and hardships. “Are the rent and public transport more expensive? Well, it’s bad, but it’s not a problem, it’s not fatal. ” “Did you impose a new tax on small businesses? Well, it happens that the country does not have enough money, but there is a crisis ”. “Education will no longer be free? Well, yes, in fact, everything went to this. Well, we’ll get out, we’ll save more. ” “Was inflation 6% for the year? Here are the bastards - they steal and steal everything. " And that's all. That's all! Russians continue to live as if nothing happened and nothing happened, patiently bearing their burden, while any other people, in Europe, for example, would have rebelled long ago. Where does such obedience and humility come from among the people who have won more than one war - we can only guess.

Another interesting feature of this people is superstition. Russians are very superstitious people. The black cat running across your road cannot be left unattended, in no case should you spill salt, and even more so, break the mirrors, it is better to run away from the grandmother walking towards you with empty buckets, and if you are going to the exam, do not forget put a penny under the heel ... And that's not all. Russians have a lot of superstitions, sometimes they are completely ridiculous, there is no point and place to list everything - the fact remains: the Russians are a superstitious people. They also believe in horoscopes. Even a completely prudent lady can declare in all seriousness that since she was born in the year of the Rat, she cannot marry this man, because his year of birth is incompatible with hers.

Russian character

The main features of the Russian character include breadth of soul, steadfastness, compassion, humility, striving for justice, community, the ability to feat, the ability not to give up, and painful self-criticism is very common.

Russians, as a rule, often experience emotional ups and downs (this is facilitated by the change of seasons). Most of the time, Russians save or save energy, try not to strain themselves once more, show low interest in what is happening, are prone to mild depression, search for the meaning of life, reasoning. However, there come periods when the Russians go into the "regime of heroism." War, revolution, industrialization, building of communism, development of new territories and so on can serve as a reason for active actions. The occasion for a small "feat" can be a holiday date: birthday, New Year, wedding. During such periods, Russians show their best features: mass heroism, self-sacrifice, a sense of community, hard work, incredible perseverance, leadership qualities. Russians often create difficulties for themselves in order to heroically overcome them later, for example, by fulfilling a monthly plan in the last week. There is even a proverb: "Russians harness for a long time, but they drive fast."

In many European countries, and in America too, people are always friendly and often smile, even if you just ask them: "How are you?" Among peoples for whom a smile is a kind of protective wall, Russians are known as gloomy and stern or insensitive and boring people, because they do not smile as often as they do. Walking along the Russian streets or taking a metro or a bus, you will quickly notice that no one, absolutely no one is smiling, and there is no hint of this. Indeed, Russians rarely smile, which is something that specific Europeans simply cannot understand. And this is only because the Russians are sure that "laughter for no reason is a sign of foolishness." Why pretend to be fun if you're not having fun ?!

Russians have no European manners at all. A quiet voice, calm gestures and European "indifference" are not for Russians. They will not hesitate to express their feelings in a public place. If a Russian person does not like the way he is served in a store or restaurant, he can easily tell the seller or the waiter everything he thinks about him, about his relatives, near and far, about his habits and sexual predilections. The average European would never do that (pardon me, they are cultured people), he would have remained dissatisfied, but he would have kept all his emotions culturally, and next time he would have just walked around this store and restaurant culturally 10 km away. The Russian, after the arranged thrashing, will definitely come in after a while, so to speak, to check whether the service personnel have assimilated his discontent and whether something has changed for the better.

Instead of "you", Russians most often use "you". They "poke" a lot: they are parents, close relatives, good friends (and sometimes enemies - to show how much they are despised). There are no addresses like "sir" or "madam" in Russia, which causes a lot of inconvenience to Russians. Before the October Revolution of 1917, the normal form of address was "sir" or "madam". These words sounded very “bourgeois” and were rejected by the Bolsheviks, who suggested “citizen” or “comrade”. But now, more and more often, the word "citizen" is associated with a court or being brought to a police station. Desperate to find something suitable, Russians use the simple "Man!" and "Woman!" The rather unceremonious-sounding "Grandfather!" to a person with a beard of any age. But "Old man!", As an appeal to a young peer, sounds quite friendly. The ways of the Russian language are inscrutable!

Russians love to talk, and they are able to endlessly talk about anything: about politics, about family matters, about the health of your second cousin's youngest daughter, or about the concept of the Holy Trinity. However, there is one topic that they try to avoid. They are very embarrassed to talk about sexual problems - even in the doctor's office, and even more so - with friends, with children or parents. Of course, with the advent of erotic films, magazines and even sex shops, the attitude towards sex becomes calmer, but the topic of sex for Russians is still very sensitive. Now you can hear such previously taboo words as condom, intercourse or group sex. But, for example, homosexual relationships are still considered vile and shameful, although they are no longer criminalized. No one is engaged in sex education for children - neither schools, nor parents - it remains a complete taboo.

At the same time, the majority of Russian curses are associated with sex - this is where the Russians really succeeded! They are also proud that their abuse is known to the inhabitants of other countries. Among the most common curses are profanity related to sex and relationships, as well as relatively harmless words such as "whore" and "son of a bitch." Also, a very harsh word is popular - "goat".

Yes, Russians drink. And they drink a lot. In Russia, it is customary to drink for any reason, whether it is a funny or sad occasion: you can drink about birth and death, wedding and divorce, leaving the army and returning from it, graduating from school and university, getting rid of illness and defending a dissertation. Drinking for no reason is not good, but finding a good reason for a Russian is not difficult.

Russian language

The "great and mighty" Russian language has all the advantages of other languages ​​and none of their disadvantages. The Russian language is melodic, commanding, precise and…. well, very difficult to learn. It has various variations and an infinite number of suffixes. For example, a "horse" is a horse, while a "horse" is a small, cheerful, charming creature, and a "horse" is a tired workhorse, very old and bent under the burden of labor. Affectionately "horse", and if you designate a large and clumsy animal, it will be "loshara". And such tricks Russians can do with most words. Of course, it is incredibly difficult for a foreigner to understand all this, because there are no similar analogies in other languages ​​of the world.

The Russian language is very difficult to learn. Nobody knows how to speak it correctly, including the Russians themselves. It's even harder to write on it. And the whole point is that in the Russian language there are more exceptions than rules, and each exception has to be memorized by all the unfortunate people who are involved in the education process. For example, the word "fried (n) th" must be written with one "n", if it is an adjective, and with two, if this is a passive participle and, in addition, is accompanied by an adverb, but, in this case, you must also add the prefix -za and get: "Well-fried goose".

There is no logic at all in Russian punctuation. You just need to remember that there must be a comma in front of the subordinate clause. There is a pause there, or there is no pause, but the comma must not be forgotten. Scientists have long been trying to reform, update the spelling and punctuation rules. However, most of the country's population has a negative attitude towards this idea, because people have spent years learning how to write correctly, why will others be allowed to avoid this torture?

In addition, every year there is an "infusion" of new foreign words into the Russian language. Here the leader is English - from it Russians grab many words and transfer them to life. Taking into account the creativity of the Russian people, they alter any English word in their own way, so much so that the British themselves are then at a loss. For example, a young fashionista might say, “I bought myself new shoes”.He means boots, but not any. The distorted English word means luxury shoes, most often imported.

Russians' attitude to money

Russians are an extraordinary people. Everybody dreams that soon they will suddenly get rich. At the same time, in fact, you don't need to do anything - you just need to wait and believe. And what do we want from the people who read to their children such fairy tales as, for example, "Emelya the Fool." This tale is about how only Emelya the fool lived and he never did anything in his life, he just lay on the stove, and then accidentally caught a pike, which fulfilled all his desires. "By the pike's command, by my desire!" - shouts Emelya, and, even without lifting a finger, gets everything he pleases: from buckets going into the house by self-propelled gun, to marrying a princess and a self-assembled tablecloth that lays down herself with food. Russians raise their children on such fairy tales, therefore, it is not surprising that whole generations of Russians grow up to be idlers who do not want to do anything, but really want to have a lot of money.

How to be? How can you get a lot of "dough", while, in fact, even "do not get up from the oven"? And here it is the Russian people that become extremely popular with scammers. All kinds of lotteries that call to try your luck, get rich in a couple of minutes and suddenly become a "new Russian", numerous financial pyramids that promise sky-high incomes, and much more. The older generation probably still remembers the financial pyramid of the 90s - MMM and the famous Lyonya Golubky. Perhaps only the lazy, at that time, did not invest in MMM. Millions of people have already been fooled, pyramid after pyramid is crumbling, fraudsters are arrested and imprisoned, and new crowds of Russians are enthusiastically lining up for the next bright dream. And nobody will be able to reason with them, because the favorite Russian word is "freebie" ...

But money is not the greatest value for Russians. Of course, when you have money - it's good, when not - it's not scary. Why? Because the policy of absolutely all Russian people is as follows: honest people cannot have a lot of money - at least if they are not pop stars or tennis champions. If you do not belong to either one or the other, it means that you stole, or earned dishonestly. If you have a sufficient amount of finance and you do not borrow salt from your neighbor, never, you hear, never tell the Russians about it. They will misunderstand, and sometimes they will sympathize (like, the poor fellow stole, he has not long left, they will soon go to prison). But if you pretend to be poor and tell how hard your life is for you, that you are stuck in loans, and your ex-wife chopped off the car, you will become a favorite and a favorite. Russians are ready to help their neighbor, even if they know for certain that the one whom they help is capable of taking care of himself.

If you do not earn much, there is nothing wrong with that. By complaining that you are underpaid, you show that your employer underestimates and does not understand you. Earning a little is not humiliating - the shame falls on the one who exploits you. And the Russians will definitely support you, not the employer. And it doesn't matter that you are late for your work every day, do not have time to submit reports, and in general, you work not so well. In fact, no one will understand this. The main thing here is to rally, to rally against a common enemy - and the enemy is leadership, moreover, the enemy is for two reasons at once: because it is just leadership, and because the leadership simply lives better and in abundance. Aren't there enough reasons to hate leadership already?

The rich in Russia, to put it mildly, are not loved. It went back to the 90s, when the streets were full of chaos, and those who "robbed and squeezed" lived just fine. Since then, the so-called "new Russians" have gone - people on whom wealth has fallen, like a flower pot from a balcony. How many ridicules the new Russians have undergone, how many jokes have been composed about them, as about people of a narrow mind, it is probably impossible to count, even the Chukchi are "resting."

And to this day, all politicians, businessmen, leaders, all rich or well-to-do people are not in favor with the Russians. Partly the reason for this is the very corrupt officials of Russia, partly the Russian mentality and character itself - Russians simply need to dislike someone. Indeed, in this dislike for anyone, Russians unite, as best as possible, the solidarity of this people is manifested. They even have a saying: "Who are we friends against today?"

To achieve success in Russia as a politician or businessman, you need to find the right person who can help you. Ideally, this is your relative or someone whom you helped in due time. After such a person is found, everything is simplified - after all, he also has friends whom he once helped and who can now help him (that is, you). Thus, such a chain can be very long and often consist of more than one dozen people. With this scheme, you can achieve very impressive results in life. The circuit works like a clock at all times and generations. And it is called - blat!

Blat - the most powerful weapon that Russia has ever possessed is a master key that opens any doors. You should not, in any case, confuse cronyism with bribes - there is no talk of money here, not a single ruble moves from pocket to pocket. You will be helped simply, in the expectation that one day your help may be needed. For example: "I will bring you a car of building materials to your dacha, and you will make sure that next Wednesday my idiot passes the entrance exam to your university." Blat in Russia is everywhere and permeates any strata of society, while it works always and flawlessly. By pull, they knock out the best plots for themselves, get a good job, enter prestigious universities, and so on. And those people who have achieved any kind of success through pull are called "thieves."

Those who have managed to achieve something in life usually demonstrate this clearly. It is customary to show wealth and luxury in Russia - to demonstrate a new A-class car, a chic expensive suit, or a Rolex watch for $ 35,000. Well, if you earn good money, then be able to spend it beautifully - they believe in Russia. It is not customary for wealthy people to save money in an account, dress discreetly and ride the subway. In general, it is very prestigious to be well dressed in Russia, and a young person of any gender is judged primarily by their clothes. Since you make good money, show everyone around you that you have taken place in this life. Let them envy ... And they envy ... ordinary people of small or medium income, who are less fortunate in life. They look and envy ... and hate. And every year the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Although, in this regard, Russia is still very far from India.

Russian house

As a rule, Russians live in small, cramped apartments. It's a paradox, but in the largest country in the world, some of the smallest apartments are being built. Take, for example, these houses, built under Khrushchev - "Khrushchevs", which are not distinguished by their large size and competent planning. Such Khrushchev buildings were erected all over the country. They live in them to this day. Perhaps this is the reason for good relations with neighbors - a Russian wants to leave his tiny apartment and talk to someone. Most often, these will be flatmates. However, this tradition is fading into oblivion in large cities - there very often neighbors do not know each other at all.

There are still many villages and settlements in Russia where people live in their homes. A traditional Russian house is a wooden hut, usually with a real stove inside. In such a house, perhaps, apart from electricity and often gas, there are no more communications. Toilet outside, water from a well. In short, it would be difficult for an average European, accustomed to the benefits of civilization, to spend the winter in such a house. And again the paradox - it lies in the fact that despite global urbanization and the relocation of numerous villages and villages to apartments where there are all communications - hot water at any time of the day, and a toilet nearby, most Russians categorically do not want to leave their homes ... They, you see, are used to them, they like it so much. Well, and the blessings of civilization ... yes, simple self-indulgence ...

This is some kind of national desire to have your own home. Those who live in apartments dream of buying a dacha. So that, at least, in the summer, on weekends, to live in your own house. Those who have a summer residence - stuff it with all kinds of benefits of civilization. They provide gas and electricity, drain the sewerage system, install a shower and toilet in the house. As a rule, they enclose their dacha with a solid fence so that no one can see what is happening behind it. This is supposedly private property, and the Russians are free to do whatever they want to do on it. The attitude to fences is paradoxical - it is customary to fence everything that belongs to you. This applies to very many aspects - they enclose anything: their own plot, a piece of land where a car is parked, the graves of relatives in a cemetery. The last tradition, to this day, remains a mystery. The dead do not escape from their graves. Who is the fence for? For the living - you say. But, these fences are purely symbolic, they are not high and they will not stop people, and any person can easily enter the grave and do whatever they want there. Russians, for whom do you put these fences?

Religion of Russia

There are many holy places in Russia. In pre-revolutionary times, Russia was a God-fearing country, and crowds of thousands of pilgrims marched from one monastery to another in a kind of endless tour.

Now the situation has changed. There are not so many true believers anymore. There are not many people who fast, not many who attend church regularly. Basically, this is the older generation - young people do not have such a craving for religion. At the same time, everyone who is not asked believes in God. A very strange approach.

The fact is that the Russian Orthodox Church, with its thousand-year history, stands in opposition to all other branches of Christianity, but, above all, to Catholicism and Protestantism. Orthodox Christians are convinced that only they are the only true believers, and that no one except them has a chance of salvation. Oddly enough, despite all the religious differences towards the Tatars and Mongols (who, as they teach in school, once brutally oppressed Russians), the attitude is rather friendly or indifferent, while Western Christians are viewed with distrust and suspicion.

In many Orthodox churches, there are ancient frescoes depicting the Last Judgment, where sinners in oriental turbans and hats like those worn by the American pilgrim fathers obediently go to torment into hellfire, and the righteous, dressed in Russian national clothes, are favorably welcomed in paradise. Such frescoes clearly show believing Christians that everyone except Orthodox Christians is destined to burn in hell.

But, a new generation is growing up in Russia, which sees and understands much more. Now young people freely travel to other countries of the world, eating new traditions and religions, and pictures and comparisons involuntarily appear in their heads. Comparisons, for example, of the Catholic traditional church with the Orthodox. Why is it worse? And why should Orthodoxy be better (traditionally, like everything else among Russians)? More and more young people do not accept the orders and requirements of the Russian Orthodox Church, considering many of them a mere whim. Russian Orthodoxy is rapidly losing believers. And what will happen next? And then to the place you can say the famous quote: “But a bad slave. I've seen too much of the world. "

Russian wedding

Even a few hundred years ago, a Russian wedding was a complex of rituals that were performed in a strict sequence according to a script defined by tradition. The most important wedding ceremonies in Russia were considered matchmaking, conspiracy, bachelorette party, wedding, wedding night, wedding feast. Each of them had a certain semantic meaning. Matchmaking, for example, was expressed in negotiations between two families about the possibility of a marriage between a young man and a girl. The bride's farewell to girlhood was an obligatory stage, characterizing the transition of a young girl to the category of married women. The wedding acted as a religious and legal registration of the marriage, and the wedding night - in the form of its physical fastening. Well, the wedding feast expressed public approval of the marriage.

Today, many of the traditions of Russian weddings have turned out to be irretrievably lost, and the few that remain exist in a very modified version. Such rituals as matchmaking and conspiracy are no longer used, since young people themselves meet and decide to get married, also, on their own. Nowadays, only a few girls marry virgins, and many generally live together even before the wedding. Before the wedding, it is customary to arrange a bachelorette party for the bride, and a bachelor party for the groom. Bridesmaids gather at the bachelorette party, men are not allowed in. As a rule, girls drink, walk and have fun until the early morning, this can happen both at home and in any entertainment establishment. The same thing happens with the groom - and only men are present at the bachelor party. Very often, friends order a striptease for the groom - supposedly to say goodbye to his bachelor life. There are other, more overt forms of goodbye. The fact remains one - at a bachelorette party and a bachelor party it is customary to drink, walk, have fun, hooliganism and say goodbye to a free life. Some people prefer to abandon these activities altogether in order to save the family budget.

The wedding day begins with the bride's hair, makeup and dressing at her home, or at her parents' house. The bride's wedding dress is traditionally white. The white dress of the bride, symbolizing now our purity and purity, came from the Ancient Greece - there he was a symbol of joy and prosperity. Until the time of Catherine II, the dress of the bride in Russia was red. Catherine got married in a white dress and thus changed Russian tradition forever.

The groom needs much less time and effort to prepare. But, sometimes other trials fall on him (decorate a car, get a wedding bouquet, and so on). As soon as everyone is ready, the groom and close friends get together and go to the bride's house. Then the first ancient Russian rite takes place - the ransom. The procedure takes place at the entrance of the bride's house. The bridesmaids need, as much fun as possible, to torment the groom, ask him a bunch of stupid tasks and riddles and, at the same time, get a ransom from him - this can be money or some tasty treats that he does not mind giving for the bride. In the end, the groom gives the ransom, he is allowed into the house, where he still needs to find a bride. Because here, too, they are trying to cheat him. When the groom finds the bride, everyone drinks champagne on this occasion and goes to the registry office.

A solemn part takes place in the registry office, the bride and groom officially agree to the official aunts (registry office workers) that they voluntarily "get married", exchange rings, kiss, and leave the registry office as husband and wife! This is followed by a walk in some beautiful place, usually with your closest friends and with a professional photographer who tries to capture every moment of this most important day.

In the end, the tired newlyweds with friends go to a cafe (someone is celebrating at home), where relatives and friends who did not participate in the walk are already waiting for them. Young people are greeted in a cafe and sprinkled with cereals and coins, which symbolizes wealth and prosperity. The parents of the young people present them with a loaf. This is also an old Russian tradition - from a loaf, a newly-made husband and wife simultaneously bite off a piece - whoever has a larger piece will allegedly dominate in life together. After that, the feast begins.

There is traditionally a lot of food and pickles on the wedding table, but even more alcohol. From time to time, the guests shout to the newlyweds "Bitter!" and they should put down their spoons and forks, stand up and kiss. Almost always the wedding is led by the toastmaster. This is the kind of person who monitors the observance of all rituals and maintains fun among the guests. He also arranges various contests in which the bride and groom and all the invited guests participate. Toastmaster clearly distributes the time of raising toasts and shouting "Bitter" - most often, this happens with a frequency of once every 5 - 10 minutes. Between the toasts, there is also a strictly distributed toastmaster giving of gifts by guests, interspersed with the reading out of wishes, written, most often, in poetic form on postcards specially purchased for this.

The fun lasts until the night, after which the tired newlyweds go home (sometimes to the hotel), where their wedding night awaits them. Previously, it was really exciting, but now, when many live a full sex life even before marriage, the sacrament of the wedding night is no longer relevant.

Previously, a Russian wedding lasted three days. The second day was spent at the parents' house, and on the third day guests came to the house of the young. Nowadays, most Russian weddings are celebrated on one day, some celebrate a wedding for 2 days. This is due, in many respects, to the issues of economy, since such a celebration costs a pretty penny. On the second day of the wedding, the bride wears some pretty outfit (but not a wedding dress), and the fun and revelry continues. All guests drink, walk, have fun and arrange contests!

Some couples, in addition to painting in the registry office, also get married in a church. The wedding can take place both the next day and after some time - often several months or even years. But, in our time, very few couples get married, for many the wedding is limited only to a trip to the registry office.

Russian family

In Russia, in many areas, men still dominate, but among teachers, doctors, engineers, not to mention service personnel, as well as in the family, a woman reigns supreme. After all, it is no coincidence, according to the laws of Russian grammar, "Russia" is feminine. "Mother Russia" - and no one would think of calling Russia "father".

In the average Russian family, the husband is the head of the family, and the wife is its neck, dictating to the head where to turn. The defeated men humbly, and sometimes, it seems, even almost willingly bow down before the "weaker" sex. Russian women did not even need to declare war on men, because men voluntarily surrendered to the more educated, more cultured, smarter, more hard-working and less drinking sex.

In the past, Russians had rather large families, they had many children, and they maintained close relations with all their relatives. Since ancient times, Russians have had an extensive system of names for kinship relations: brother-in-law, brother-in-law, matchmaker, son-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and so on. But now, large families of Russians, consisting of several generations of relatives, have disappeared forever.

By European standards, Russians have children early enough. Most girls give birth first a child under the age of 25, and if, God forbid, you decide to give birth after 25, you will contemptuously bear the title of "old-born." Moreover, not so long ago, the Americans, according to their studies, proved that it is generally better for women to give birth after 30 years, allegedly psychologically, morally and financially, a woman is more prepared for having a child after 30 years. And it is at this time that she is able to give a high-quality upbringing to a child. Well, these are the Americans, what to take from them? Russians stubbornly refuse to see and hear any scientific facts from their "enemies". Therefore, all generations of women in the family, from small to large, scare a young girl - "they say, give birth, otherwise it will be too late." Under the fear of "late", most of the kids in Russia appear, among very young girls, who often have neither a profession, nor education, nor money, in fact, to put the child on his feet, nor brains - to raise a child normally... And in general, the young spouse was taken into the army, or even worse, he did not walk up and left the family. As a result of such early marriages, the number of divorces is increasing, because young people who were forced to tie the knot "in flight" are simply not ready to stay with each other for the rest of their lives.

Now a family with one child, or no children at all, is more typical than a family with two or three children. A three-child family is already classified as a large family and is even entitled to some tiny benefits. Children have become too expensive a pleasure, because your child cannot be dressed worse than that of friends, and to educate him is sheer ruin: after all, even a public school is engaged in constant extortions (for repairs, for security, for textbooks).

In Russia, it is customary to treat the elderly with respect, especially if they are relatives. Every generation is taught that elders must be respected, and every child knows that older people are supposed to give way on the bus (there are special seats for disabled people and passengers with children). The most shameful thing a Russian can do is to send a helpless father or mother to a nursing home. In Russia, the institutions concerned enjoy the worst reputations, and this reputation is well deserved.

Russian women

Russian women are amazing. She will also "stop the galloping horse and enter the burning hut." Perhaps it is this catchphrase of Nekrasov that best describes Russian women. The Russian woman is so independent, she has such a strong spirit that she can easily extricate herself from any troubles in life. Raising one child - please! Work two jobs - please! Such a woman is not afraid of anything.
And also, after work, after all, you need to feed your husband and children and clean the house. There is no peace for a Russian woman - and everything is on her shoulders. Perhaps this is how most Russian women live. Being a woman in Russia is a great responsibility, much more is demanded of her than of a man, she is not forgiven for mistakes, and society condemns any mistake of a woman.

For all her independence, it seems that she does not need a man either: why would she want this fat, lazy, often drinking and earning little man on the couch? She can do everything herself, and no one will ruffle her nerves. But it is not so. Russian women, in view of their traditional upbringing, all want to have a family. Many are very unhappy in marriage, but they continue to support their dream, they say there is a husband, it means there is a family. Often they take on all the household chores and problems, and even begin to earn more than their husbands. A man, seeing the success of his wife, generally ceases to do something, becomes a lazy couch "shit".

The stronger sex turns into the weaker, against the background of strong women. The men themselves began to give up leadership positions for which they had fought for more than one century. You cannot blame only men for this - women, too, are largely to blame for the current situation. Perhaps such a focus would not have taken place in civilized European countries, where women have long ceased to be a workhorse. But in Russia it is still flourishing. Russian women are not feminists, no, so conscience or a feeling of pity does not allow them to get up and leave their pitiful poor husband. After all, if a woman divorces (even if she is unhappy in marriage, her husband is an alcoholic, he beats her or cheats on her), the status of a “divorcee” is immediately assigned to her, and the older generation will sarcastically discuss behind her back, that she did not succeed as a woman, the husband left, probably the mistress is lazy, lazy. And all because not so long ago, divorce was considered a shameful act in Russia, divorces were extremely rare and only for special reasons, a divorced woman, especially with children, no one else took in marriage. Now the situation, of course, is changing, but the echoes of the past are still haunting.

Russian women are rightly considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Typical Slavic appearance, light or light brown hair, regular facial features, fair skin, huge blue eyes, full of love and some kind of distant sadness - they have long driven millions of men around the globe crazy. There is no emancipation or feminism in them - these diseases of the 21st century that are shaking the world, and why most men have their hair on end. They are not infected with this plague. Respect for men is instilled in Russian women from a young age. And if we add to these qualities also thriftiness, care and understanding, then foreigners simply begin to shake, and many thousands of foreign suitors, humiliated and insulted by emancipated women, go to Russia in the hope of finding a caring wife and a worthy hostess here. And many Russian beauties agree to link their lives with an overseas prince. Moreover, Russian women, to put it mildly, with "Domestic producers" not very lucky.

But, a Russian woman is not only one who stands in the kitchen all the time and wipes the snot of children. The modern Russian woman also has business qualities. In big cities, many women try to build a career first, and then get married. And they are not bad at it. Oddly enough, but the weaker sex has more advantages over the strong: ladies are more diligent and responsible, making decisions, they act effectively and at the same time diplomatically. Nowadays, it is women who are hiring for many leadership positions. Indeed, even in the ability to wear trousers, a woman far surpassed a man ...

Russian men

Unlike Russian women, Russian men were among the three most ugly in the entire world (with them the British and Poles). The source is not very authoritative - this is the dating site Beautiful People, which is also called the Club of Beautiful People. It has its own system of assessment and selection, according to which Russian men are practically not popular and do not like foreign ladies.

You will ask why? But, after all, the answer is obvious. Take a look at the average Russian man, about 30 - 45 years old. What do you see? Yes, of course people are different, but most of them will look something like this: a gloomy, plump man who looks 50 - 55 years old, with a huge belly on a roll, with a bad hairstyle (if it exists at all), casually dressed, and he will be demanding, arrogant, difficult even in primitive everyday communication. But the main characteristic of the Russian man as an international “product” is neglect. And coldness.

Moreover, if you look at everyone carefully - and imagine what will happen if he loses 10 kilograms, takes care of his appearance and clothes, then you will get completely normal men. Almost all Europeans run, jump, swim, go to the gym, take a steam bath. And the Russians are probably very busy - they don't have time for all this nonsense. Well, who will do this? All these oiled, perfumed boys with a pumped-up body, in the same Europe, are all gays! The Russian man is neither a metrosexual nor a hipster. Thinking about the beauty of nails and jackets is shameful. Yes, even though he gained 20 kilograms of excess weight at the age of 35, and forgot to change his wardrobe, and now his shirts are bursting at the seams ... so what? Is he really appreciated for this?

The worst thing is that a Russian man is sure that anyone in Russia will agree to be with him, even if he looks bad. The main thing is that he perform certain functions - for example, provide materially. Therefore, the thought that they, too, should be liked, and should be sexy, and somehow keep fit - it shocks them. “Here, in Russia, there are more women than men, and among men there are more drunks and all sorts of trash than adequate men - so it’s okay, without any of these tricks, and there will be a woman who will love me like that.” But, that's just softened, curly, with flowing wings, with puffy tummies of men, no one likes. Even those women who are still sleeping with them.

After alcoholism, unemployment, and a tendency to domestic violence, one can safely add categorical non-sexuality to the list of Russian male shortcomings. The vast majority of Russian men do not understand that it is normal to take care of themselves, take care of their face and body. That the prehistoric concept of "man" (that is, some shaggy creature in crumpled clothes) is no longer in this world, it is, all just, an anthropological object, but not at all sexual.

The unfriendly Russian men have another not very pleasant trait. Even the most charming and cute Russian men are very squeezed. Now, if a person comes up to you and just like that, without any sexual connotation, says that you have a very beautiful dress, it will most likely be a foreigner. In addition to being tight, Russian men are known to be quite cold (some compare them to herring). These are not the ones who will whisper all sorts of sexy words in a woman's ear, endlessly weighed out compliments to her, looking at her stunning dress or sing serenades under the window. No, all these passionate romantic things, leave it to others, for example, Italians, with the Russians everything is calm, and without words, as they say, “without noise, without dust”. After all, why say something to a woman, spend her imagination and energy on it, if she was already chosen, and she should already be infinitely happy that she was chosen, because in Russia there are fewer men than women, and she generally could not be destiny. Moreover, even if Russian men drink a little (for courage, to be liberated) inside, they will still be restrained. It is difficult to imagine how they, nevertheless, come out to sometimes have sex.

Russian women see all this and understand perfectly well. Many Russian men do not arouse any interest in Russian women (and even more so among foreign ones!). They do not want these dense barbarians who are rejected even by dating sites - they want cool, cute, stylish and modern men who care about what a woman thinks of them, and who do not just treat her as a corrupt whore who will agree to anything, if you offer her custody and this mythological "male shoulder". Gone are the days when women grabbed what they gave. Now there are not so many of those who are ready to tolerate any man just because he is a man.

Yes, and this is a harsh truth - there are very beautiful women in Russia, about whom Karl Lagerfeld said that it would be better if they were lesbians (with such and such men).

Golden Ring Tours - Specials of the Day

The rituals, customs and traditions of the Russian people are rooted in ancient times. Many of them have changed significantly over time and have lost their sacred meaning. But there are those that still have a place to be. Let's take a look at some of them.

The calendar rituals of the Russian people go back to the times of the ancient Slavs. At that time, people cultivated the land and raised livestock, worshiped pagan idols.

Some of the rites are:

1. Sacrificial rites to the god Veles. He patronized cattle breeders and farmers. Before sowing the crop, people went out into the field, wearing clean clothes. They decorated their heads with wreaths and held flowers in their hands. The oldest resident of the village started sowing and threw the first grain into the ground.
2. The harvest was also timed to coincide with the festival. Absolutely all villagers gathered at the field and sacrificed the largest animal to Veles. Men began to plow the first strip of land, while women at this time were gathering grain and collecting it in sheaves. At the end of the harvest, the table was laid with a generous treat, decorated with flowers and ribbons.
3. Shrovetide is a calendar rite that has survived to this day. The ancient Slavs appealed to the sun god Yarilu with a request to send a rich harvest. They baked pancakes, played round dances, burned the famous Maslenitsa effigy
4. Forgiveness Sunday is the most important day of Shrovetide. On this day, people asked for forgiveness from loved ones and relatives, and also forgave all offenses themselves. After this day, Great Lent began.

Despite the fact that Maslenitsa has lost its religious meaning, people still take part in mass festivities with pleasure, bake pancakes and rejoice in the coming spring.

Christmas traditions

It is impossible not to mention the Christmas rituals, which remain relevant to this day. They are traditionally held from January 7 to January 19 between Christmas and Epiphany.

The sacred rites are as follows:

1. Kolyada. Young people and children go home mummers, and residents treat them to sweets. Nowadays caroling is rare, but the tradition has not yet outlived its usefulness.
2. Christmas divination. Young girls and women gather in groups and arrange fortune-telling. Most often these are rituals that allow you to find out who will be the betrothed, how many children will be born in marriage, etc.
3. And on January 6, before Christmas in Russia, they cooked compote with rice, cooked delicious pastries and slaughtered cattle. It was believed that this tradition helps to attract a rich harvest in spring and provide the family with material well-being.

Now the Christmas-tide rites have lost their magical sacrament and are used mainly for entertainment. Another reason to have fun in the company of girlfriends and friends is to arrange a group fortune-telling for the betrothed, dress up and make fun of the holidays.

Family rituals in Russia

Family rituals were of great importance. For matchmaking, weddings or baptism of newborns, special rituals were used, which were sacredly honored and observed.

Weddings were usually scheduled after a successful harvest or baptism. Also, a favorable time for the ceremony was considered a week after the bright holiday of Easter. The newlyweds were married in several stages:

• Matchmaking. In order to marry a bride to the groom, all close relatives from both sides gathered together. We discussed the dowry where the young couple would live, agreed on gifts for the wedding
• After the parents' blessing was received, preparations began for the celebration. The bride and her bridesmaids gathered every evening and prepared a dowry: they sewed, knitted and weaved clothes, bed linen, tablecloths and other home textiles. Sang sad songs
• On the first day of the wedding, the bride said goodbye to girlhood. Girlfriends sang sad ritual songs of the Russian people, farewell cries - after all, the girl from that moment was in complete submission to her husband, no one knew how her family life would turn out
• According to custom, on the second day of the wedding, the newly-made husband, along with friends, went to his mother-in-law for pancakes. They arranged a stormy feast, went to visit all the new relatives

When a child appeared in a new family, he should be baptized. Baptism was performed immediately after birth. It was necessary to choose a reliable godfather - this person bore great responsibility, almost on a par with the parents, for the fate of the baby.

And when the baby was one year old, a cross was cut off his head. It was believed that this rite gives the child protection from evil spirits and the evil eye.

When the child grew up, he was obliged to visit the godfathers with refreshments every year on Christmas Eve. And those, in turn, presented him with presents, treated with sweets.

Watch a video about the rituals and customs of the Russian people:

Mixed rites

Separately, it is worth talking about such interesting rituals:

• Celebration of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only from that day it was possible to swim. Fern also bloomed on this day - whoever finds a flowering plant will reveal all the innermost secrets. People made fires and jumped over them: it was believed that a couple who jumped holding hands over the fire would be together until their death
• The custom of commemorating the dead has also come from pagan times. At the memorial table, there must have been a rich treat and wine.

Whether or not to follow ancient traditions is everyone's business. But you can not build them into a cult, but pay tribute to your ancestors, their culture, the history of your country. This applies to religious practices. As for entertainment events, such as Maslenitsa or the celebration of Ivan Kupala, this is another reason to have fun in the company of friends and soulmate.

Each family has its own indescribable atmosphere of love, understanding and warmth. Children born into families adopt this atmosphere. How does it arise? A similar halo in the family is created by family traditions, customs or laws of family leisure. Often, such laws take their roots from the family foundations of previous generations - they are strong and unshakable. Thanks to them, a feeling of reliability of family relations is created, a strong bond arises between family members, close and trusting relationships are maintained, children feel the stability of the family.

What are family traditions: examples

Family traditions are the regularly repeated actions of family members aimed at consolidating intra-family ties and strengthening the family as the main foundation of society. Traditions are an indispensable attribute of family happiness and well-being, reflecting the moral position of all family members. Each family is individual and has its own history. Family customs allow all members to feel their importance, to devote time and attention to family members, to show respect and love for them.

Examples of traditions: sharing holidays, themed dinners on weekends, family vacations, reading fairy tales to children before bedtime or singing lullabies, going to church on Sundays or religious holidays, children writing letters to Santa Claus for New Year, household baking Easter cakes, joint eating and many others.

What are family traditions and holidays?

• Family celebrations. This tradition has its roots in the distant past - for centuries it was customary to spend holidays with the family with relatives, close people. The main such holiday must be called birthday. In most families, it is customary to invite guests into the house on this day, set the festive table, give gifts to the birthday man and certainly blow out the candles on the birthday cake, making a wish. Family events include weddings, childbirth, baptism, etc.

• Holding national holidays. These include everyone's favorite holiday - New Year. Most families practice the custom of holding it together at a large table, with the traditional Olivier salad and champagne for our country. Children write letters to Santa Claus, in which they ask for the desired gifts. Many families celebrate Easter by baking Easter cakes and lighting them in the church. Among the national holidays, the World Workers Day is traditionally celebrated on May 1. On this holiday, most families go on a picnic and cook meat dishes on the grill.

• Games with children. It is important that both parents take part in the upbringing of the child, play with him. During the games, the child learns the world, acquires new skills, increases his physical and intellectual level. For example, according to custom, mom teaches the child to play chess every Saturday, and dad plays football with his son on Sundays. Children love stability, so try not to break the established customs.

• Reading fairy tales before bedtime. This is the most important tradition in the upbringing of children, because fairy tales allow a child to develop their imagination and learn about the world. In addition, the daily reading of fairy tales before bedtime develops a certain mode of going to bed in the child. Even if the child is too young to understand the meaning of what he has read, the calm and measured voice of mom or dad will have a calming effect on him. This evening ritual will calm even the most active children, promoting a good sound sleep.

• Family walks. To develop the physical abilities of the child, and maintain their own, it is important to take walks together. During such a walk, you need to communicate, you can see the sights. In order to instill spiritual values, it is advisable with the whole family to visit cinema, theaters, museums, exhibitions. Such trips can broaden the horizons and raise the cultural level of the family as a whole.

• The tradition of kissing. To create an atmosphere of love, it is important to kiss your loved ones more often. It is advisable to kiss children at least twice a day - in the morning when they woke up, in the evening - before going to bed. More frequent kisses and hugs are only welcome, even with an adult child, because with a lack of affection, children grow up callous. It is also important to wish all relatives a good night before a night's sleep and good morning when you wake up.
• Joint vacation trips. Do not underestimate this type of leisure, because most psychologists recommend regularly changing the environment to maintain good relationships. The main thing is to visit new cities and countries all together in order to escape from routine and everyday life, to expand your horizons.

• Orthodox traditions. These include going to church together on Orthodox holidays or every Sunday, celebrating Christmas and Easter, fasting, baptizing children, reading the Bible, praying before bed, and regularly visiting deceased relatives.

What values ​​are at the heart of family traditions

Family traditions give rise to and cultivate important values ​​in people: love for the family, respect for their relatives, caring for loved ones, a correct understanding of the family and its role in life. Failure to comply with family customs and foundations can lead to a weakening of ties between its members, to the destruction of family ties. Even a cell of society in which love reigns cannot exist without certain important and pleasant customs, for example, joint leisure.

Tradition reinforces in children a sense of gratitude to parents and grandparents, instilling respect for the older generation. Customs give the spouses a sense of the inviolability, stability of family relations. L.N. Tolstoy said: "Happy is he who is happy at home." A person living in a family honoring tradition will definitely be surrounded by care, love, warmth and tenderness. In such a person, family well-being will certainly be transferred to other areas of life.

Family traditions of different countries and peoples of the world

Each nation has its own special traditions related to all spheres of life, especially the family. This is primarily due to the fact that each nation or country has its own special geography, location, climate, history, unique culture, adheres to different religions. All these factors influence the formation of cultural and family customs. Family traditions, in turn, shape the worldview and attitude towards life. Such family structures have existed for centuries, practically unchanged, moving from older family members to younger ones.

Family cultural traditions in Russia history and modernity

If we turn to history, it will become obvious that there are many traditions in Russia. For a long time the main family custom in Russia was genealogy - in the past it was considered indecent not to know one's kind, and the expression “Ivan, not remembering kinship” was an insult. An integral part of the family structure was the compilation of a pedigree or family tree. Also known are such traditions of the Russian people as the transfer of valuable things from generation to generation and the reproach of a child with a name in honor of one of the respected ancestors.

In modern Russia, the importance of family customs has been somewhat lost. For example, nowadays you rarely see a family with their own genealogy. Often the memory of generations is reduced to an album of photographs. But such wonderful traditions as a joint meal and joint celebrations have been preserved. Family customs and traditions in the Kuban still imply a Cossack way of life, raising children in the spirit of a Cossack family.

Traditions in Germany

There is a stereotype that Germans are extremely pedantic. The most strict traditions of the Germans relate to the family:

• it is customary to treat your home as carefully as possible, carefully cleaning it and bringing beauty to it;
• it is not customary to leave grandchildren to be raised by a grandmother or grandfather - for this it is necessary to determine the amount of money for them;
• parents in old age do not live with children - they are looked after by nurses or they live in special boarding houses;
• at Christmas it is customary to gather the whole family in the parental home;
• Germans are prudent and economical, so they have a tradition of saving savings for old age, during which they usually travel a lot around the world.

In England

The British have traditions - these are three whales that hold the Earth, so they honor them with special trepidation. Who doesn't know about the notorious English custom of drinking tea? Family gatherings and discussions are necessarily held over a cup of real Earl Gray with milk. The British are Catholics, so they especially celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving, gathering with the whole family, preparing traditional dishes. An excellent tradition among the British is the custom of giving children a good education. It is considered bad form not to send your child to a private boarding school or college.

In France

In France, the custom is widespread - on Sundays to gather at a common table, drink wine and dine. Of the holidays, the French love to celebrate Christmas, gathering in their parents' house. The festive banquet will certainly feature such delicacies as foie gras, salmon, seafood, iskariot snails and noble cheeses. The traditional drink for Christmas is champagne, and the dessert is a Christmas log.

In India

India is a country of the strictest family customs and traditions. Indian society is divided into social castes, so they approach the issue of marriage in an extremely unusual way. The father of the family must choose the future groom for his daughter himself, she was given in marriage only to a representative of his social caste. A lavish wedding celebration is more of a duty than a wish. The bride traditionally had to provide a dowry. Divorces and remarriages were banned in India before.

Indian family life is greatly influenced by Buddhist traditions. According to them, a man must:

• Show respect for your spouse.
• Do not change.
• Provide for the family.
• Teach children the craft.
• Find a suitable pair for children.

A woman should:

• Respect your husband.
• To raise children.
• Carry out all household chores.
• Do not cheat on your husband.
• Fulfill all the wishes of the spouse.

Tatar traditions

Tatars are Muslims, therefore family structures are based on Sharia and the Koran. Among the Tatars, the creation of a family is considered a necessity dictated by religion. Interestingly, after marriage, the husband receives full power over his wife, and the wife is dependent on him - she does not even have the right to leave the house without her husband's consent. Divorces among Tatars are extremely rare, solely on the initiative of the husband. It is customary to bring up children to a wife, but they are obliged to show complete obedience to their father.

What family traditions are important in raising children

Family customs play a critical role in the upbringing of children. It is extremely difficult to inculcate traditions in an adult, therefore, their transmission from generation to generation from parents to children is a frequent occurrence. Children perceive the world the way their parents do, therefore, the child's perception of the family as the main element of his life, as well as determining its place in the value system, depends on pleasant family customs.

The traditions of family reading before bedtime, singing lullabies, kissing at every meeting, joint meals, and walks will be useful. They define in the child the concept of stability, inviolability of family structures, give a sense of solidarity, make children more tender and affectionate. It is also important to instill from childhood the custom of respecting and honoring your ancestors, regularly visiting them on holidays.

Proverbs and poems about family traditions

There are many instructive proverbs about family customs and traditions:

• “What is the treasure for when the family is happy.”
• "Children are not a burden, but a joy."
• "It is warm in the sun, good in the mother."
• "Not the mother who gave birth, but the one who raised."
• "A family is strong when there is only one roof over it."
• "The whole family is together, and the soul is in place."
• "The tree is supported by the roots, and the man by the family."
• "If I may have granddaughters, I know fairy tales."
• "Don't hide your failures from your parents."
• "Honor your parents - you will not go astray."
• "In a family where they help each other, troubles are not terrible."

Poems about family, as well as traditions, see the photo below:

Family traditions are one of the most important aspects of everyone's life, which is why it is so important to cultivate and support them in every possible way. Family life without tradition would be boring. It's great when young families themselves are theirs, relying on the experience of their parents' family life, adding their own personal moments to them. The main goal is to get closer to the rest of the relatives, build a strong, reliable family, as well as enjoy communication with loved ones. Be happy!