Russia

Much has been said about the purported fatalism and inertia of the Russian people. This is not born out of the achievements of Russian history. The eastward expansion of Russia over the centuries was much more widespread than a government-driven scheme, which is evidence of a vibrant and energetic nation.

Achievements in Russian literature, art, music, and architecture bear witness to the talent and initiative of the Russian people. The Russian Orthodox church has had a moral influence on the attitudes of the Russian people for a thousand years. The attempt to destroy this moral culture has weakened the national will and tried to replace it with communism. After this, confusion and chaos set in, both politically and socially.

Many Russians are frustrated with the rapid changes, reflected in high prices, violent and rampant crime, unemployment and a reduced quality of life. Many Russians believe that Russia's 'soul' is different and that Russia needs to take a different course considering its unique historical and spiritual heritage.

When meeting, Russians shake hands firmly. Some women prefer not to shake hands, but it is impolite for a man not to offer his hand. Friends and family may kiss on the cheek. In addressing an older or a respected person one uses the given name and a patronymic (possessive of father’s first name) but surnames are preferred in formal greetings.

Pointing with the index finger is commonly practiced, but is considered impolite. It is also impolite to talk with one's arms folded or with hands in the ones's pockets.

Russians have special rituals for greeting guests. It is considered bad luck to greet a guest while standing in the doorway of a house. The guest must come inside, or the host must go outside. Important guests may be offered bread and salt on an embroidered towel held by the hosts’ youngest daughter. The guest breaks off a piece of bread, dips it in salt, and eats it.

Russian clothing styles are essentially the same as in Europe, but the younger generation follows the latest trends, and the older generation dresses more conservatively. Traditional costumes are seen during cultural performances. Men and women wear fur hats to keep warm during the cold winters.

Common Russian foods include borsch (cabbage soup with beets), pirozhki (a small oblong pie filled with a variety of ingredients such as meat, mushrooms, potatoes or cabbage), and blini (pancakes) with black caviar. Pork, sausage, chicken, and cheeses are popular. Russians prefer tea to coffee. Russians drink far more vodka than wine.

Eating with a fork in the left hand and the knife in the right is standard, but many people use only a fork. Hands are kept above the table.

Common Russian foods include borsch (cabbage soup with beets), pirozhki (a small oblong pie filled with a variety of ingredients such as meat, mushrooms, potatoes or cabbage), and blini (pancakes) with black caviar. Pork, sausage, chicken, and cheeses are popular. Russians prefer tea to coffee. Russians drink far more vodka than wine.

Because housing is difficult to obtain, young couples often live with their parents for some time. It is the standard practice to support children until they reach adulthood financially. Both husband and wife usually work, but women are usually also responsible for housekeeping. Men rarely participate in household duties. When the elderly live with their children, they often provide child care and do the shopping.

About three-quarters of Russians live in cities, mostly in large apartment blocks. The apartments are usually tiny, often with just a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom for a family of four. The living room may be used as a bedroom. In the country, people live in wooden and brick houses, some of which have outdoor toilets.

Russian grandmothers (babushkas) play an important role in the family. It is said that babushkas hold Russian society together. Babushkas often live with their children. A babushka can greatly help a Russian family because she cooks, cleans the house, does the laundry, takes care of her grandchildren, and does the shopping. Shopping often includes time standing in lines waiting to be served. The babushka’s help is invaluable when both parents work outside the house.   If there is no babushka to help, mothers who work outside the home are also expected to carry out household duties. Although women and men have equal rights in Russia, women are generally expected to take responsibility for shopping, cooking, house cleaning, and caring for children. There is a growing women’s movement in Russia, and many women have begun to demand more support from Russian men.

Most Russian couples have only one child, so children are treasured. Childhood is seen to be an extraordinary time. Families who do not have a grandmother living with them send their children to nursery and then play school. Few Russian families own a car, so most people use trams and trolleybuses to get to work, school, and the shops. There are underground trains in some of the major cities. In the countryside, people use bicycles and motorbikes for short journeys and buses for trips to town. In parts of Siberia, helicopters or planes are used for travel because there are no roads or railways. The government provides subsidies to keep ticket prices low.

When dating young people, usually go to a movie or walk. They may go to a bar or eating establishment if they can afford it. Many couples live together before or after marriage.

Organized sports play an essential part in the daily life of most Russian citizens. Many physical training clubs, sports halls, swimming pools, and stadiums exist. Soccer, which the Russians call football, is the leading sport, while ice skating is one of Russia’s most critical competitive sports. Outdoor ice skating is a popular pastime for people of all ages. In the winter, frozen ponds or flooded artificial rinks attract crowds of skaters.  Track and field, tennis, gymnastics, volleyball, and basketball are also popular. Chess is a popular pastime in Russia. Open-air chess games in parks or on quiet street corners are a common sight in the summer.  Hiking, mountain climbing, backpacking, and canoeing are popular among all age groups.

In the summer, many Russians who live in the city spend their weekends and holidays at a dacha or country retreat. A dacha is a small, unheated wooden cottage with a large garden. Children swim and play, while adults fish or tend to the park. In the winter, when it is too cold to visit the unheated dachas, people remain in the city.  Although most people have modern bathrooms, the weekly steam bath is a regular custom in the city and countryside. Afterwords they lash their bodies with birch twigs, then plunge into a cold bath or roll in the snow.

Ethnic minorities in Russia have their traditional forms of exercise. The Yakuts of central Siberia are skilled reindeer-sled racers, and archery is popular among the Buryats of eastern Siberia. Canoeing is a popular sport on the Amur River in Southeastern Russia.

Families that live in larger cities usually live in crowded apartment buildings. A regular task for these children is to fold up their beds and sheets when they get up so they can use the space for other things during the day. (In the evenings, they will fold out their beds and put the bedding back on when the floor space is no longer needed before going to sleep.) In the country, some children might have light chores with animals or other farm duties before school, but most work would be done after school when homework is done. Traditional Russian culture is based on hard work, so starting the day with a good breakfast is necessary. Typical breakfast foods include pancakes made from buckwheat, large omelets, sandwiches containing cured or salted meats, and kasha, a hot cereal made from grains and topped with sour cream (other standard toppings include meats, fish, or berries).

Students often walk, ride bikes, or take advantage of the public transportation systems available throughout the country. Larger cities have metro trains that students and working adults alike will use to get around the city. In general, few families own their cars, but the public transportation system throughout Russia is relatively good.

Classroom learning is often based on oral recitation and testing, although written tests are also frequently used. In part because of the highly oral nature of much of the instruction, classes are often kept to about 20 students. However, recent research into innovative teaching methods is leading teachers to be more open in how they teach. For example, small groups of students in a classroom may be encouraged to study together in class to help each other learn; rather than relying on the teacher to provide information, the students focus more on understanding how and why things work instead of just memorizing facts. The Russian government is working diligently to revise and update the educational system in the country. One way that seems to be working is to change the pay rates for teachers, especially for elementary schools. Since 2006, bonuses and incentives for quality teaching, in addition to an increase in base salary, have made being an elementary school teacher a perfect position as they often earn more than university professors. As a result, many of those professors are leaving universities and returning to public schools. The elementary schools benefit from getting superb, well-educated teachers, and the teachers help by getting paid better. And above all, the children benefit from an improved education. The Russian school system has long been an essential part of the culture. Some school buildings are pretty old, whereas some are more modern with high tech teaching tools. In general, the facilities are adequate and well-maintained. The wearing of school uniforms was done away with in the 1990s. Officials decided students should wear whatever they needed to stay warm during the long, cold Russian winters. It is not unusual for students to wear fur coats.

Russia has an excellent system for educating thousands of children in this large country. School attendance is required for children between the ages of 6 and 15. Primary school is for ages 6 through 10, and secondary or senior school is for ages 10 through 15. At the end of secondary school, students receive a certificate indicating they have completed their secondary general education. They then have a decision to make regarding future studies or work. If they so choose, they can get a job. They can also enter a vocational school or other non-academic institute. Such schools, known now as colleges, usually require study until students age 17 or 18. Another option is to prepare for higher education, which requires that they attend two more years of secondary school education before moving on to a university. The school year begins on September 1 and goes until the last week of May, with final tests being held in June. The year is divided into four terms with breaks between the terms—a week in November, two weeks in January, and a week in March. The summer vacation is nearly three months long. School starts typically at 8:00 or 8:30 AM and is finished by 2:00 or 2:30 in the afternoon (often 1:00 for the younger students). There is usually a 5, 10, or 15-minute break after each subject (usually taught for 45 minutes). Primary school students study four subjects daily, secondary students study five or six, and senior high students might even study six or seven topics. Class is held five days a week, although some higher-level courses might require additional study and class time on Saturdays. In primary school, students have one teacher for all their subjects. Class sizes range from 20 to 30 students as a general practice. Required classes include Russian literature, Russian language and grammar, Russian history, world history, and progressively more complex studies in the maths and sciences as the students get older. Technical or trade training schools will offer extensive classes in the school's specialty areas. Grading is on a 4-point scale, with five being excellent and two being the lowest. Students keep a grading book or diary where teachers enter the grades. If a student does not meet the required standard of learning, he or she will repeat that year's study.

Typical of many cultures in the world today, modern Russian parents are very busy. An increase in families can be found with parents working full time, influencing the school systems. Some schools have moved to a later school day, not finishing classes until 2:30 in the afternoon and allowing their students to stay until 6:00 in the evening. They may play, do homework, or become involved in activities such as dancing, singing, painting, and sports at school. Most schools have chess clubs. There is no additional charge for participating in these after-school activities.

Russians enjoy attending live theater, opera, musicals, ballet, and drama. Chess is a popular pastime in Russian culture, and most schools have chess clubs. Students enjoy visiting the zoo, the planetarium, department stores, museums, and swimming pools. They also love to play soccer, the most popular sport in the country. Because of the cold weather in so much of Russia, popular winter sports include sledding and skiing. Ice skating is also a popular winter activity; some of the best ice hockey players in the world have come from Russia.

For many Russian families, the main meal still occurs at midday, although this can be adjusted to the evening depending on work schedules. This main meal often consists of three courses: a substantial salad topped with meats and pickled or fresh vegetables, soup (the national soup of Russia is a beet soup called borscht), and a final course of meat or fish and vegetables. The evening meal is somewhat lighter and consists of hot or cold appetizers made of bread, meats, vegetables (often pickled), and vodka for the adults. Russian weather can be harsh, and hearty food is considered a protection against the cold. However, the weather also limits growing seasons for fresh produce, so vegetables and meats are often preserved through pickling or other methods so they can be served year-round. Russians consider themselves well-educated and rightfully proud of their educational heritage. Though they may venture out in the evening to attend a traditional cultural event such as theater or ballet, they often enjoy staying at home after dinner, reading (which they do a lot!), and watching some television. Then its off to bed for a good nights rest and an early start on the new day.

Education is important in Russia. It has a 98% literacy rate, higher than most Western European cultures. Russian schools are part of a national rather than local system. There is no tuition for attending these state-operated schools. There are very few private schools, and most exist for people from other countries living in Russia for business or other reasons. For example, some major Russian cities have English-speaking schools for children connected to English-speaking embassies (such as the United States, Australia, Canada, England, and others). Private schools charge tuition fees and follow educational models more in line with the cultures their students represent.