Surprisingly, for many centuries, foreigners, under any regime and political system, noted the same realities of Russian life, the same traits of the Russian character. Foreigners described the unpretentiousness and endurance of the Russians, kowtowing before the authorities, and the unrighteousness of the courts. But let's start with the good...
There are no people under the sun so accustomed to a harsh life as the Russians: no cold bothers them, although they [Russian soldiers] have to spend two months in the field at a time when there are frosts and more than a yard of snow falls. A simple soldier has neither a tent nor anything else to protect his head ... What could come of these people if they were trained and trained in the order and art of civilized wars? .. I am convinced that the two best and powerful Christian sovereigns would not have been able to fight him [the Muscovite Tsar], taking into account the degree of his power, the endurance of his people, the modest lifestyle of both people and horses, and the small expenses that war causes him, for he does not pay salaries to anyone but foreigners.
Richard Chancellor, English navigator who laid the foundation for trade relations between Russia and England; was in Russia, in particular, at the court of Ivan the Terrible in 1553-1554 and 1555-1556
There you can see seventy-year-old old men who retained all their strength, with such strength in their muscular hands that they can endure work that is not at all possible for our young people. One must think that healthy air helps a lot to such good health, which is not disturbed by learning in any of them, as it is with us.
Augustin Meyerberg, Austrian diplomat, envoy of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1661-1663
The good-natured disposition of Russian peasants is evidenced by the fact that, having become tipsy, these people, no matter how rude they may be, soften and, instead of getting into a fight and beating each other half to death, like the drunkards of the whole world, they cry and kiss.
The painful feeling that has not left me since I have lived in Russia is intensified by the fact that everything tells me about the natural abilities of the oppressed Russian people. The thought of what he would achieve if he were free infuriates me.
The Russian people are immensely dexterous: after all, this human race, contrary to the dictates of nature, was pushed to the very pole ... The war with the elements is a severe test to which the Lord wished to subject this chosen nation in order to one day elevate it above many others.
Armed with an ax that he carries with him everywhere, he [the Russian peasant] turns into a real magician and creates in the blink of an eye any thing that cannot be found in the wilderness. He will be able to deliver to you in the middle of the desert all the benefits of civilization; he will fix your stroller; he will even find a replacement for a broken wheel... If you decide to spend the night in the forest, this master of all trades will build you a house for the night. Having placed you with all possible comfort, he himself will wrap himself in an inside-out sheepskin and lie down to sleep on the threshold of your new dwelling ... and it will never occur to him that in all fairness he himself could take a place next to you in that hut, which just built for you.
Astolf de Custine, French writer, traveler; visited Russia in 1839, during the reign of Nicholas I; it was his book about this journey - "Russia in 1839" - that brought him world fame; a convinced monarchist, he described with horror the extremes of the Russian version of autocracy, while speaking positively about the Russian people
14.04.2015
People living in Russia sometimes do not notice the good that is in their homeland. But foreigners find a lot of positive aspects in Russian life and Russians themselves.
On the St. Petersburg website "Paper" there is a section "", where the stories of foreigners living in the city are published.
We have collected fragments of these texts, where foreigners notice something good in Russian life, what they liked or struck the most here. In a good way.
Frenchman Edgard Pauli
I don't read much, but I'm glad to see Russians buying books. In France, everyone has already stopped doing this.
Colombian Sulma Mesa
I fell in love with buckwheat so much that even when I go home, I take it with me. In general, Russian food is delicious and I quickly got used to it. The only thing I don't understand is jelly, a very strange thing.
Spaniard Nacho Laborda
Everyone here has very clean shoes. During the day, I go out several times to smoke and look at people. One day I caught myself looking at people's shoes and thinking, "Clean, clean, clean, cool shoes, clean." It's impressive.
Italian Michele Bianchi
I watched all the Soviet films, I just love The Irony of Fate and Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears. Before the New Year, I review these films: now for me this is part of the New Year mood.
Ecuadorian Luis Leoro
I have always said that Ecuador and Russia are very similar. The only difference is that the poor steal from us, and vice versa in Russia.
Turk Emin Kardesh
Although Russian friends sometimes criticize infrastructure and traffic jams during rush hour, comparing Turkish interchanges and intersections, I can say for sure: in Russia, pedestrian crossings are organized where they are needed.
Scot James Brankin
People here are not as dependent on political correctness as they are in Europe. They say what they really think, they are interested in what you say and what you think. This is wonderful.
I swear a lot in English, but I explain to all my friends in Scotland that Russians in terms of swearing cannot be compared. Mat in Russia is generally a separate language.
When I first came to St. Petersburg, I was taken to a cafe to eat pancakes. There I saw that they put caviar and fish on pancakes, wrap the meat. Even then I thought: “God, people, you need to put jam, butter or chocolate on pancakes,” but out of politeness, I decided to try pancakes with meat. Now this is my favorite dish. In four years, I only ate sweet pancakes once.
Here, in the trash, I saw only a couple of drunk people on the streets, in Britain - this is all the time.
Cameroonian Chris Brown
In our country, for example, if everyone drinks, then there is some reason. Here it is optional.
Israeli Bruno Greif
Silence in the subway was a pleasant shock. You descend into the subway, you are surrounded by thousands of people, but it is quiet there. Of course, there is always someone who suddenly starts making noise, but in general it is very unusual that people can keep quiet in a public place.
Briton Francis Mountjoy
There are many phenomena here that Westerners would call homoeroticism. For example, to be in a bath in a crowd of naked men who whip each other with tree branches. In addition, ballet and figure skating are very popular here.
Greek Stratos Siourdakis
In Greece, lettuce is fresh vegetables. In Russia, lettuce is something with mayonnaise that can keep for a week. We call Olivier "Russian salad": this is a disgusting dish, but here it is very tasty. Probably the Greeks are copying something wrong.
American George de Man
Russians have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. When my wife talks to her friends here, the three words I hear most often are think, do, and work. People here work amazingly hard, at least those with whom I communicate. Russians know how to work and how to relax - that's why, it seems to me, there is a dacha.
Vegetables are better here. They are fresher and more palatable. I know this is a controversial topic, but I like to buy vegetables in small spontaneous markets near the subway, for example. You take a tomato, and it has a real taste and aroma, cabbages of the correct shape and size. Russian children are thin compared to Americans. I guess it's about healthier food.
British James Matthews
Here people continue to use things, even if they are broken. The bombs have a completely crazy system for opening and closing doors. If the table staggers, then, most likely, a piece of paper will be slipped under the leg, and not repaired.
Bulgarian Iva Kuncheva
First channel. I love him for the persistent feeling of schizophrenia. When I first arrived in Russia, it seemed to me that I had fallen into a parallel reality, I was very surprised by the manner of presenting information on the official TV channel.
Spanish Victoria Ballesteros
Russians criticize people a little, I love that in them. Spaniards gossip and discuss others all the time. And friendship, it seems to me, is different here: people do not divide life into their own and someone else's.
Whatever the difficulties, it seems to the Russians that everything will work out. I really love the saying "Everything is for the best." Maybe it's about Catholicism, but the Spaniards tend to think that the man himself is to blame for everything. And here people believe that it happened as it should have been.
American Charles Thompson
I lived here for almost five years, and when I came to America last summer, I was bored there - too stable, although I'm from Chicago, which is considered the murder capital. Here people constantly live in tension, you get used to it, and then it's hard to get out of the habit. In the US, my only stress was getting a Russian visa.
Spaniard Sergio Garcia
When for the first time in a minibus some person put money into my hand, I looked at him with surprise and returned this money to him. He started yelling at me: “What are you doing? What are you, a fool? Money passes over people's hands, the change is returned, then the ticket is returned - for a Spaniard, this is incredible. If in Spain you ask to transfer money in advance, they will disappear.
Japanese Masaaki Baba
Russian sushi. Of course, what is called sushi here is fundamentally different from real Japanese cuisine: it is something that vaguely resembles sushi. Nevertheless, I really like them, in Europe, for example, it is impossible to eat sushi.
Mexican Ricardo Marin
In no country in the world where I visited, I did not see that the guitar was passed around and everyone sang the same songs.
It is surprising that people simply do not pay attention to some things - Russians have an amazing ability to get used to it. No one takes into account domestic inconveniences. If two people walk down the street past a large pit, they simply go around it and the conversation continues as if nothing had happened. In another country, the pit would immediately become a topic of conversation and ruin the evening.
Chinese Hua Bei
A year and a half ago, when I first arrived in St. Petersburg, I asked passers-by a hundred times how I could get there or get to some place where I could change to the metro. There was not a single person who would refuse to help me. In China, people are more wary of strangers.
Cuban Dayan Horta
I like the word "kick-ass", it's very funny!
Brazilian Ellen Stanislavskaya
When the weekend comes in St. Petersburg, people discuss which performance or ballet to go to and which opera to listen to. A Brazilian can go and watch a performance, but a Russian will not just watch the performance, he will analyze what he has seen. Russians are very smart people, much smarter than the Brazilians.
Austrian Armin Wilding
I meet many more educated people here than in Austria. On weekends, I see young couples in museums: 20-25 years old, no older. It is rare for us to take women to the museum. If I suggested to an average Austrian girl to go to an art gallery, I wouldn't be surprised if she stopped seeing me.
Canadian Jeff Durham
I like the attitude of Russians to work. Work for a Canadian is what defines his personality, work is you. For Russians, work is not the center of the universe; they have other things to do and hobbies.
Italian Mikol Kazadei
I like that you can stop a ride with your hand and get to your destination at any time of the day. In Italy there are only legal taxis.
Peruvian Alejandro Saldanha
I really like the way the Russians work. They can work 20 hours a day, and it doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman. We immediately begin to complain that we are being exploited.
Englishwoman Felicity Curwen-Reid
When I lived in England, I thought I didn't like beets. But when I tried real Russian borscht, I found out that it was insanely delicious. I also love Russian pies, they are much tastier than English ones. Dumplings, manti, soups - there are a lot of delicious dishes in Russia.
French Leo Pigot
People my age live here very freely. If you go, for example, to Finland, you will see the opposite. In Russia, you can be a bit of a bully, walking drunk down the street and making mistakes. You can't do that in Europe: if you take risks, then you're crazy. And here it's just fun.
American Thomas Lowers
I don't want to say anything bad about politics, because this is not my country and I'm still a guest here, but I see how the system makes life very difficult for many. The riches that Russia possesses do not reach the people. And I see how they cope with this: the Russians give the impression of a very strong nation.
I've been to 54 countries, and nowhere is the nightlife like here. People act like it's the last night of their lives. They are ready to spend every ruble they have.
People live in city apartments and at the same time they have a dacha outside the city! Do you know how few Americans own their own cottages? I really like the countryside lifestyle. Picking mushrooms, berries, going hunting is wonderful. If I had the opportunity, I would build myself a dacha - I didn’t buy it, but I built it. Just like my friend's dacha was built by her grandparents.
Taika Ploychanok Pontavornnkunchai
Russian men are real gentlemen. They open the door, help take off the jacket. It's amazing! I have never seen this, although I have been to many countries. Here men respect women and always come to the rescue.
Welsh Glyn James
I once sat on a British train and listened to a conversation. Two people talked for about twenty minutes about how much they need to charge their phone. One said, "On my phone, I can do this for 20 minutes." And the other answered: “And on my phone I can do this for 50 minutes,” and so on. So when I get back to Pulkovo, I get on the bus to Moskovskaya and I see people in earflaps, big coats, smoking, spitting on the floor and arguing… I don’t know why, but I feel at home.
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A vision of our Motherland from a Thai who has lived here for almost a year
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During the period of unstable relations between Russia and Western powers, in the minds of many Russian people there is an opinion that foreigners have a negative attitude towards our nation and interact with us with some caution. Foreigners, especially young people, have a rather positive attitude towards Russia and the Russian people. Many of them, ignoring political events, are trying to independently plunge into Russian culture and realize its greatness.
A small country cottage 40 kilometers from the Canadian city of Perth. Nearby - a transparent lake, a gazebo, a stack of books, a music player and a bust of Tchaikovsky. Is it possible that in this remote corner they revere the Russian classic and listen to his compositions? A Canadian student, 21-year-old Alexa Daylong, has been passionate about Russian culture for many years, and her favorite composer is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whom her father, a popular performer and arranger, instilled in the girl.
Why did Tchaikovsky become your favorite composer, how did you get to know his work?
I learned about Tchaikovsky as a child, when I was five or six years old. My acquaintance with his work began with The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, which are still my favorite examples of true classics. My father often told us about Tchaikovsky, about his Russian and foreign life. Even now, as an adult, every six months I attend concerts where his famous works are played. Once we saw a bust of a musician in a music store and decided to buy it without any hesitation. Now there is a part of Tchaikovsky in our house in Perth.
Yes, the classics are a powerful weapon to unite people, but how do modern Canadians feel about Russia? In other words, what do you think of us?
I cannot speak for all the people of Canada, but on behalf of myself and my family I can say that the Russian people have always been our true friends. Russians and Canadians still make joint space flights, play hockey matches, and in general, it sometimes seems to me that we are similar in character, mentality and outlook on life. This winter I am going to visit St. Petersburg. And then we will see for sure whether my hypothesis is correct.
In the era of globalization, learning about how people live in other states, cities and regions is much easier than it was just a few years ago. Now the possibilities of international exchange have expanded in many respects, the purpose of which is to engage in a new culture and receive education in another country. It was in such a program that a Colombian student, Andreas Alejandro, took part, who calls himself Andrei with a peculiar accent, in a Russian way.
Tell us about your impressions of your stay in Russia. What aspects of Russian life most attracted your attention?
For me, there is no better place in the world than Russia. I don't think every Colombian would say the same, it all depends on the individual. In my case, having arrived from Colombia, I immediately realized that Russia is the country in which I feel great. At first, I was surprised that almost no one smiles here, because in Colombia people give you smiles at almost every turn. But as soon as I adapted to Russian life, this fact stopped bothering me, and, to be honest, I felt like a true Russian. I even bought a funny Russian hat to get involved in your culture.
What cities have you visited and do you plan to return someday?
I came to Russia last summer and stayed here until January of this year. The main reason for my trip was the internship, but I also had time to travel. I visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, and in the winter I spent time in Novosibirsk. As an international business student, I wanted to understand how Russian politics, culture, and contemporary history functioned. I also dreamed of improving my Russian, therefore, while in Russia, I started writing my own blog, where I described all my feelings and emotions (andriskiyenrusia.blogspot.ru). And yes, I'm going to Russia again in September! I entered the master's program at the RANEPA, so now I will spend two happy years in Moscow. Is not that great?
You must have made many Russian friends during your trip. Was it easy to build a dialogue with them?
Russians take jokes much more seriously than Colombians. For example, in Colombia I can call a girl "my love" and she will start laughing. But never say that to a Russian girl! She will think that you are really in love with her and ready to marry. Russians treat all people with respect, which I really appreciate. They are grateful, friendly and sociable, so we immediately found a common language with classmates and future colleagues.
Despite the political tension, sanctions, Russia's unstable relations with the leading world powers, foreigners treat our nation with respect. Even where we are given out as invaders and destroyers of a peaceful environment, most people remain aloof from falsified theories. We spoke with a Munich resident, 20-year-old student of a technical institute, Thomas Ricksey, who spoke about how the German scientific world relates to Russia and, in particular, to Russian scientists.
Do you often come across the names of Russian figures in the course of your studies?
Almost every day we hear Russian names and surnames: Markov, Chebyshev, Chernov. All of them made a great contribution to the world technical and mathematical science. They did what European scientists could not do for years. Studying their writings, I realized how diverse Russia is and how many interesting people must be living there now. I also realized that one should not look at other countries only from a political angle.
Does this mean that in Germany they have a negative attitude towards Russia from the point of view of politics?
There are many people in our country, and their views are different. But, for example, when Russia seized Crimea and supported Syria, many people in Germany did not take all these events well. It looked like aggression in their eyes. But political opinions have no effect on the achievements of Russians in science, sports and culture. Therefore, when communicating with Russian friends, we never discuss politics, but simply enjoy the cultural exchange.
But perhaps Russia's most tense foreign relations for many years have been relations with the United States. The Cold War, rivalry for nuclear potential, political differences, fluctuating interests - all this to a certain extent still characterizes Russian-American interaction on the world stage. We met with an American from New Jersey, Nick Dadetto, who spoke in detail about what the American people really think of our country.
Nick, what do they say about Russia now in America?
Many people still call Russia a great country, but some are influenced by the media. I believe that our press deliberately creates a biased attitude towards Russians in the mind of a typical American. Some journalists even make entire films and series about Russia's negative impact on the world order. But now, with Trump coming to power, I think that our relations will be restored. And I'm glad about it. After all, the United States and Russia are the two leading superpowers, so maintaining ties in solving global problems is essential.
As you know, you are engaged in video blogging and even released a video where you speak Russian. Why are you learning Russian?
The Russian language sounds solid. It is very complex, but at the same time interesting. I often listen to Russian music, I am interested in your culture. I would like to visit Russia in the future, especially Moscow and St. Petersburg. Besides, I have some Russian friends. And if you compare them with my American friends, it seems to me that they are more oriented in matters of history, politics and culture.
What do your relatives and friends think about your interest in Russian culture and language?
They certainly know about it. In addition to Russian, I also study many other languages: Italian, Polish, German. I am an international business student, so this is important for me both personally and professionally. In addition, having arrived in Russia, I will be able to freely communicate with Russians, which means I can feel their mentality.
Interestingly, in the process of dialogue with representatives of the three states, no one ever mentioned political aspects on their own, and one of the respondents said the following phrase: “Now in the world, few people are interested in politics, no one is interested in knowing about the Russian president, as well as about everyone else." And, indeed, at the present stage of development, people abroad are more focused on the cultural and historical past of Russia, so they often consider a trip to our country as an opportunity for personal self-improvement and enrichment of life experience. This is how foreigners treat us and our culture, despite the stereotypical attitudes that we often hear from the media.
Julia Milenina
Everyone who lives in Russia will agree that this is an amazing country, with its own traditions, national dishes and rules of conduct. The My Planet TV channel launched a wonderful photo project, in which its authors walk the streets of different countries, asking local residents about what they think about Russia and Russians. This time, the channel's correspondents went to Stockholm to continue their photo project "Foreigners about Russia". According to the already established tradition, the authors of the project approached the inhabitants of the country with the only question: “What do you think about Russia and Russians?”. The answers to these questions can be found in the photo captions.
Johanna, flirting consultant, 32
Caviar, luxury, cold and lots of snow! People who walk in the city in furs and hats that look like crowns. Wealthy people living luxurious lives.
Doña, schoolgirl, 14 years old
Figure skating, cold, Moscow. Your country is large, but not densely populated at all. Especially in some areas. Although in cities such as St. Petersburg and Moscow, as in Stockholm, there are more people, of course.
Sandra, specialist in working with people with FEV, did not indicate age
My associations are probably traditional. Big country, vodka, Putin! And, of course, the World Cup. Generally, I'm not a football fan, but I like the players. They are cute, right? As for the rest... I'm not sure if this is a Russian dish, is it? Borsch?
Eric, retired, 70
I speak Russian! I studied at a military school, and we learned the language there. But even in high school, I studied Russian in order to become a translator or a diplomatic officer. I like Russia, its beauty, and I have visited you many times.
Larika, student, 18 years old
Borsch. THE USSR. And a church that looks like an onion (St. Basil's Cathedral. - Approx. Aut.). Red Square and the Kremlin. I remember the revolution of 1917 and the Bolsheviks, Lenin. And about the Cold War period. We studied this at school. But I started my memories from the kitchen because I cooked borscht myself. I don’t know if I picked all the ingredients correctly, but I liked its taste. I think that it is much more interesting if you add sour cream to it. Or in extreme cases - natural yogurt.
Robert, economist and financial analyst, 27
I bought real estate in Russia. I think about Siberia and its frosts. And I also know about a Russian fish whose name I don't remember. And about bears. They catch this fish in lakes. By the way, I have a friend from Russia. She told me something. From Russian words, I know this: "beautiful eyes." Also “hello”, “to your health”, “come on”, “Kalashnikov” is a basic set of Russian words, in my opinion. And I also think that you are very proud of your nation. Not like the Swedes. Our people are very modest, even too much.
Ahu, writer and traveler, 61
Gorgeous lovers, beautiful women and cold. I have never been to Russia in reality, only in my imagination. But I think that your country is even more beautiful than I imagine it to be. When I was little, we were sometimes told: “Get ready, the Russians are coming!” But then I grew up, got myself Russian love and Russian friends. By the way, I heard your folk music and Russian rap. I like it. How do I imagine Russia? I see her ascetic, somewhere severe. But! Everything works there. Everything is possible.
Emre, salesperson, 30
Soccer World Cup. Russian cinema. In my store, unfortunately, you will not find Russian goods, although I know about your chocolate. About caviar. About vodka. I don't know if there is a difference between Swedish and Russian vodka, but when I see Russians, I notice that you can drink more.
Boel, retired, 72
Putin. He knows what he wants. And of course, I know about communism, Stalin, Lenin, the Gulag... Beautiful Russian cities: St. Petersburg, Moscow and others. Your country is huge. Different climate. It would be interesting to see her. In particular, I would very much like to visit the Winter Palace. My mother was in Petersburg a few years ago, so I know about some things.
Freya, administrator and graphic designer, 22
Architecture, multinationality, pines. Huge spaces. Stalin. I have, of course, heard of him. Was he a dictator? I think yes. Caps of Russian churches. When I was in Helsinki, I saw a lot of Russian-style architectural structures there. I also remember fur hats when I think about Russia. Earflaps. And speaking of people, I see Russians as direct, honest and fast. I sometimes think about getting a visa and coming to your place for the weekend.
Sam, student and artist, 28
Vodka, strong interpersonal bonds. Brotherhood. You support each other unconditionally. But if you are not a citizen of the country, it may take longer to become your own. To be honest, I don't know much about Russia because we simply don't have enough up-to-date information. But I remember your wrestling and hockey. Macho culture. Your man is alpha and dominant. A woman is a woman in every sense. If we compare it with Sweden, it’s not quite like that here, and even at home, for example, we equally share household duties. You may be a guy, but you wash the dishes and wipe the dust.
Christopher, musician, 35
Big, strong, beautiful country! And people worthy of respect and admiration. Siberia... I don't think we have anything similar in Sweden. I believe that those people who live in such conditions are special. Russian composers - Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov. On our radio, unfortunately, you will not hear modern pop music from Russia. And it would be interesting to meet her. From Russian cuisine, I have definitely heard something about borscht. But I heard more about Smirnov vodka.
Gabriel, massage therapist and skater, 24
In the gym, I heard a lot of stories about Stalin from my Russian partner. I also know that Russian architecture is beautiful. I have seen many photos and I will say one thing: it is stunning. What you have in St. Petersburg. I also have a couple of Chilean friends, and they made their way along the Trans-Siberian Railway. They told me that it was the best experience of their lives. And they are like me. They like Australia, New Zealand, but they really didn't expect Russia to be so amazing. It blew their minds. They now want to go back. So you guys just have to tell the whole world about yourself.
Jovan, owner of a natural cosmetics brand, 43
Russian music. I am a fan of Russian classical composers. Rich culture. The third thought is about people of non-traditional orientation, in Russia there is a different attitude towards them than we have. If we talk about vodka, which many people probably remember when talking about Russia, then I will notice that we have a well-known Absolut brand and we are actively exporting it. I have only tried this Swedish vodka so far, but not Russian yet. I also know that the organic cosmetics sector is becoming more and more popular in your country. If we talk about beauty, I know that two trends are currently relevant in Russia: complete naturalness and a minimum of make-up and, conversely, baked powder on the face and bright lips. The latter is more in demand among young people. I think that's the way things are now in you and around the world. When a woman looks like a delicious cupcake.
Versions of news channels are generally predictable, but what do ordinary people think about our ordinary life? A selection of wonderful confessions entangled in the World Wide Web.
About work
“What immediately catches the eye is probably punctuality, which does not exist in Russia.” Top manager from Germany.
“It was wild for me that Russians work a lot. They may stay up late. They may arrive ahead of time. They can come out on the weekend." Lead engineer from North Africa.
About language
“You can’t understand a word, you don’t even have an idea of when a sentence begins and ends. I can’t separate the words from each other: one big chaos.” Meeri, Finland.
“Russian is very similar to Chinese. That is probably why you are here. What I hear is more like the sounds of a sick bird. It sounds like this: cherek shchik chik th th th chtrbyg. USA girl.
"Russian is almost the same as the language of the minions." Young man from Germany
About a broad soul
“Russians do not know how or do not like to make superficial acquaintances. For them, people are divided into “strangers”, with whom it is not customary to talk, and into “friends”, who can be awakened in the middle of the night and dump all their problems on them. John, Ireland.
“It’s funny that on the streets the smile of a passer-by for no reason is alarming for Russians, but in Internet communication they abuse emoticons. Not a single Irishman, for example, after a simple phrase like "I'm at work" will put three smileys in a row. And the Russian will deliver. And the girl will also stick a heart. John, Ireland.
“Russian men are real gentlemen. They open the door, help take off the jacket. It's amazing".Ploychanok, Thailand.
“Russia is an inhospitable society. Russians are generally very aggressive by nature.” US banker.
About girls
“Your girls are very beautiful, but it seems to me that they don’t know their worth! With us, such a beauty would sit at home and wait for the prince to woo her!” Behruz, Iran
“I was struck by the abundance of purely female companies in expensive karaoke clubs: smart girls come in groups, order a table, a minimum of food and sing.” Daisel, South Africa
“I came to Russia eight years ago, and the first impression was that there was a competition to win men.” Patricia, Germany
About food
“In Russian cuisine, the main thing is meat. Russia is generally like a big piece of meat. Tough weather, serious people." Pedro, Chile
“I fell in love with buckwheat so much that even when I go home, I take it with me.” Sulma, Colombia
“Your borscht is somewhat similar to undercooked gazpacho, I like it.” Daniel, Ecuador
“I like your dairy products the most. Also milk soup is a very unusual dish.” Francis, Australia
“I hope that in Germany they will learn how to make jubilee cookies. Ashchocolate sweets uvas nikchertu. Dennis, Germany
We call Olivier "Russian salad": this is a disgusting dish, but here it is very tasty. Probably the Greeks are copying something wrong. Stratos, Greece
About cinema
"Diamond Hand": "Does anyone know where you can find the lyrics of the song that Nikulin sang in a restaurant when he got drunk?" Alienbychoice, New Zealand
"The Adventures of Pinocchio": "I was not ready for how idiotic and at the same time serious he turned out to be." Bobs-9, USA
“Station for two”: “You know, this must be just an incredible movie! Because five people who do not know a word of Russian (of which one hates this language at all) watched this film without subtitles, and not once, but three times!” Ajigasawa, Japan
"Morozko": "Some kind of silly fantasy about a boastful guy who turns into a bear, an 11-year-old autistic girl he wants to seduce, an idiotic house with legs, a dysfunctional family of ugly Russian Finns, a killer kitten, a long-bearded ugly grandfather who freezes trees and kills birds, sleds in the form of a pig, a mushroom-shaped gnome ... ". US viewer
“Absolutely barbaric custom to drink strong alcohol with soda or juice!” John, Ireland
"Viy": "A very interesting, strange and meaningless story. The special effects for 1967 are simply amazing. I dare say the whole story is a bit crazy. Probably, the Russians understand it somehow in their own way - after all, it is based on their folklore. But I think true horror fans will be pleased." Claudio, Brazil
About life
“The Moscow Metro is the best in the world. Trains every 1.5 minutes at rush hour! Inexpensive tickets and no division into zones! At the same time, there is a whole class of Muscovites who, on principle, will never take the metro, even if they are late for an important business meeting.” From the BBC blog "Strana Russia".
“One day I caught myself looking at the shoes of passers-by and thinking: “Clean, clean, clean, cool shoes, clean.” It's impressive." Nacho, Spain
“I have always said that Ecuador and Russia are very similar. The only difference is that the poor steal from us, and vice versa in Russia.” Louis, Ecuador
"People here are not so dependent from political correctness like in Europe. They say what they really think, they are interested in what you say and what you think. This is wonderful". James, Scotland
“We, for example, if everyone drinks, then there is some reason. Here it's optional." Chris, Cameroon
“A pleasant shock was the silence in the subway. You descend into the subway, you are surrounded by thousands of people, but it is quiet there. Bruno, Israel
“Here people continue to use things even if they are broken. The bombs have a completely crazy system for opening and closing doors. If the table staggers, then, most likely, a piece of paper will be slipped under the leg, and not repaired. James, UK
“When for the first time in a minibus some person put money into my hand, I looked at him with surprise and returned this money to him. He started yelling at me: “What are you doing? What are you, a fool? The money passes over people's hands, the change comes back - for a Spaniard it's unbelievable." Sergio, Spain
“When the weekend comes in St. Petersburg, people discuss which performance or ballet to go to and which opera to listen to. Russians are very smart people." Ellen, Brazil
“In Russia, you can be a bit of a bully, walking down the street drunk and making mistakes. In Europe, you can’t do this: if you take a risk, then You are crazy. And it's just fun here." Leo, France
“Here people constantly live in tension, you get used to it, and then it’s hard to get out of the habit.” Charles, USA
“I have been to 54 countries and there is no nightlife anywhere like here. People act like it's the last night of their lives." Thomas, USA
