Russian culture, traditions, holidays, family and daily life, Russian mafia, copyrights and pirates in Russia, upbringing, laws, customs and superstitions, medical aid, education, business, Perestroyka and its influence on Russian society in general

Russians

Russian culture has a long history and traditions, therefore Russians are very proud of it. Russians consider themselves as a well educated nation. They read a lot, books are cheap, and one can afford to buy 5-10 books a month without serious damage for a family budget.

In the same time the majority of Russians don't have good manners. Russia is quite a rough country, and Russians usually do not hesitate to tell what they think in the way, which doesn't leave a room for any misunderstandings. During the Soviet period having good manners was considered as a bourgeois survival. Russians are very straightforward. When they meet or phone each other, they do not spend time for the questions of type "How are you?" and go straight to the point. They are not rude, it's just a way of doing things.

The majority of Russians are consider themselves as believers, and belong to Russian Orthodox Church. It's a great achievement for the country where atheism was the official state religion for more than 70 years. Frankly, they are not true believers. They appreciate Christian moral values but do not follow them. Religion is not a real part of their life. Russians are more aware of horoscopes than Bible.

Medical aid and education in Russia are free, though Russians joke that education becomes less and less free with every year. One can still get a university education for free passing the entering tests (exams), but the universities have to decrease quantity of the students studying on a free basis because of poor state financing.

Having a university or college degree is common, and Russia has the highest educational level in the world. Since Perestroyka started, the system of higher (university) education is slowly deteriorating as well as the medical aid system, which used to be among the world's best. The problem with Russian education is that it always was rather theoretical and unrelated to practice. Therefore, it's common when a person having an engineering degree works in sales, or the one with a chemical background finds himself in marketing. The old days having a degree had an end in itself. They try to change the educational programs now, but the process has just started.

It's not of any wonder if a woman with university degree works as a secretary. Having a Ph.D. is also not a big deal, and doesn't give you a big advantage; good knowledge of English will provide you with a better competitive edge. The position in the company that one has is not that important as in which company he works. Foreign companies and even foreign public/charity organizations are considered to be the best employment.

Having your own business in Russia is a big challenge. Tax system works in the way that if one has a small business (individual private enterprise), he must pay taxes before he receives a permission to act. It's unbelievable, but it's true: one is supposed to estimate his future income, and pre-pay taxes proceeding from the assumption. Then he gets a permission to start his business activity; but he must run to the taxes department in the second when he earned 1 Ruble more profit than it was estimated and paid in advance. Otherwise it will be considered as a hidden profit, and one can easily get a fine of the size equal to 200% of the amount of the hidden profit. I understand that it sounds funny, but it works like this. The authorities are suspicious towards owners of the small businesses.

The bigger enterprises have more convenient tax system. Recently the government announced united tax of 12% on profits, and even said the hidden (*black*) capitals may be legalized if the owner pays this 12% tax. In the same time there were comments from top government officials that this is only a temporary retreat, and the progressive tax system will be brought back as soon as people get used to pay their taxes. Actually, the government hoped that people would start paying tax and show their real profits - but Russians know their government. They don't want to be easily trapped by showing off their true income, and then be obliged to pay again enormous taxes of the past (up to 90% in different - state, region, city and others - taxes on profit). Collecting taxes is still the biggest concern for the Russian government. Most serious investors of so called "New Russians" transfer their capitals abroad (of course, it's illegal, but there are so many ways to take a roundabout).

Before the year 2000, Russian tax system was one of the most complicated in the world. If count all the taxes supposed to be paid, the total amount could reach 90%, including taxes on the salaries for employees. To pay 100 rubles to an employee, an employer had to pay about 80 rubles of taxes to the state: pension funds, social insurance, medical insurance and so on. There were many federal, regional and city's taxes, which were different from one region to another. The system made companies have double accounting, and sometimes double salaries - an official one and so called "black cash salary".

Another reality businesses face in Russia is organized crime, which often has close connections with authorities. Small and medium businesses have to pay about 10% of the profits to "raket". Nowadays many businesses prefer to employ "commercial" departments of police organizations or private security companies, which are in reality just a camouflaged "raket". They will "help" you in a case of bad debts, problems with business partners or criminal situations like robbery etc, providing you a "roof". All "criminal cooperations" have official businesses registered, and you pay them official fee additionally to unofficial.

It was a very funny case in Ekaterinburg at spring 1999, when one of the "cooperations" registered their association as "OPS". In Russian it is a common abbreviation for "organized crime group" ("Organizovannoye Prestupnoe Soobshcestvo"). The guys from "OPS" explained their name differently as "Public Political Union" ("Obschestvenno Politicheskiy Soyuz"). It was one of the most famous and big groups in the city, and the choice of such a name demonstrated that the guys were feeling absolutely comfortable with their status. Well, you consider us as "OPS"? You've got it.

If you have some problems with your business partner, your "roof" ("krysha") will meet with the other guy's "roof", and they will try to settle your business problems trough mutual discussion. If they can't get right, they may apply to an unbiased source - a person "in law" ("v zakone"), who will take a decision, usually quite a just. This decision is final, and you can't apply against of it, or get rid of it. There is an official way of settling the problems through a state court, but it's almost out of use: it's long, unpredictable and rather pathetic.

But businessmen are in better situation than the people that work as employees. With all headaches and stress, they still have some money and considerably good life standards.

Government employees, particularly doctors and teachers, do not receive salaries for months, sometimes up to 6-12 moths. It does not mean that they don't receive salaries at all. It started years ago, first as delays with payments. So first time one received his salary a week later, then next month - 2 weeks later, and so on. Eventually it happens that in June you receive your salary for the last December. One receives some money regularly, and he can survive, though the government owes him thousands. This way was quickly picked up by the other structures, and now even if one works for a private company, he seldom receives his salary in time. The government all the time promises they will fix outdated payments, and will pay pensions and salaries to people working in budget system on time, but so far it's only promises.

Russians are smart. They have so many difficulties and problems in life, that they can easily find a roundabout way for anything. They don't have a deep respect towards any law, including traffic rules. Russians are of the worst and reckless drivers, and the most careless pedestrians in the world.

A famous Russian comic, Mikhail Zadornov (it's also quite a coincidence that he is a name-sake of a former Russian minister of economy; once in a foreign encyclopedia they mixed up their photos - at the article about a minister was published a picture of the famous comic; well, nothing to worry about - Russian economy is also a very funny thing), so, this famous comic said that to make Russians happy, you must just let them steal...

Stealing is not considered to be a big deal as long as you have not been caught, and don't steal from your friends or the people you know. Stealing from one's work place for years was considered as an essential "skill of well being". During the Soviet time there was such a phrase: "Everything around belongs to public (nation), so everything around belongs to me".

There was not such a term as "private property", it's why Russians don't care about intellectual property as well. Not any other country in the world has such abuse of pirate software, video and audio records, CDs etc exposed for sale on every corner. They used to publish books of Western authors, and the authors found it out only when started to receive letters of thanks from Russia. The pirate production is very cheap, for example a CD with the newest version of Microsoft Office or Windows will cost you only $3 or less, the same is applicable for any other software product.

Russians are used to the situation when everything is unpredictable and unstable. They live in the society where anything can happen, and don't wonder when the national currency loose 25% of it's value 3 days after the president's public promise that there won't not be any inflation in the nearest future because the situation have never been more stable. They have to adapt to the new rules and laws quickly, and they successfully manage with this task. After "The Black Monday" (17 August, 1998) when the government announced default, and ruble fell dramatically, people from any Western country would run to change the government. Russians run to exchange rubles to dollars.

Russians had to make the long way from a total control of the Soviet times to the total uncertainty of the current situation. Their life has changed extremely, and if take the parameter of peoples happiness as the measurement means, it definitely changed for worse. The older people are very sorry for the Soviet times, when everything was understandable, predictable and stable. One could not get much better life than the others with all his talents and hard work, but he was confident he would have the necessary minimum: a place to stay, a job, free good quality medical aid and affordable prices for the goods, his children would have free education and free access to any sport and cultural facilities. Well, guys, it was not such a bad time!

Nowadays people haven't already had those advantages of the socialist state, and they have yet the advantages of the Western capitalism. The majority of people do not really understand the huge difference in the level of life in Russia and on the West. Russians do not consider their life as miserable. They are under impression that life on the West is inhuman, restricted and boring, despite of better cars and houses that people have. Russians like to emphasize their different attitude towards material values and consider themselves as sincere, cordial and understanding. They like to talk about "specifics of Russian soul" or "mysterious Russian soul", and repeat the famous phrase of a Russian poet "You can't understand Russia by your mind".

Generally, Russians love their country. They can criticize it severely, but if you try to do the same they will defend it furiously. They feel like the citizens of the largest county in the world, and they are proud of it.

Daily life

Daily life for the majority of Russian women is very much the same. One gets up at 7-8 a.m. depending on working hours of her company. Factories and plants usually work from 7-8 a.m., and offices and shops from 9-10 p.m. After a simple breakfast (normally just a sandwich with tea or coffee), she goes to catch a bus/tram/trolleybus/underground train. Most of Russians live in flats in outskirts ("sleeping zones"), work in the center of the city, and have to spend from 30 to 90 minutes to reach their working place. Public transport is always overcrowded during the "peak" time, and she does not have any chance to have a seat. People in the transport are like fishes in a can, some of them are touching her, but it's quite normal - there is nothing one can do. People in transport are always unfriendly and irritated, though if you are pregnant, with a small baby in hands or very old, they will vacate you a seat.

Normally the working day is 8 hours with one 30-60 minutes lunch break. If one works for a state enterprise, she may have a few tea pauses - there is a poor discipline on those plants, one can easily leave her job to settle some personal problems. Working for a private company means staying after hours often or from time to time.

Leaving her work at 5-7 p.m., she had to make all the way back home using the same overcrowded public transport. Having a car is still considered to be a kind of luxury, and even if the family has a car, it's always the husband who drives it. The price of the cheapest new brand car is about 45 000 rubles, with the average women's salary 1700 rubles. One can afford to buy a second hand car but it's very expensive to keep it on the road. You will also have to use a paid secure night parking or have a garage, both options will make an average woman run out of money.

Using public transport makes one twice as tired. During a cold season it will also make you cold because you can't move there, and it's the same temperature inside as outside. So if it's -20°C outside, it's probably -18 in the bus.

After arriving to her stop on her way back home, the woman usually goes to a nearest shop to buy some food - bread, milk and meat. Russians don't make shopping once a week, they buy products if they are finished. One must buy or provide your own plastic bags in a shop, they seldom give the bags away for free. Carrying bags home also doesn't make the woman relaxed - even if it's only a few kilos, you still feel it.

The woman arrives home completely exhausted. If she has a child, she must fetch her from the kindergarten on her way back. If she has a family, she must make food for it. Cooking in Russia is more complicated and takes much longer, not only because of different recipes, but also because of luck of half-ready products. There are half-ready products on the market but they are mostly imported and therefore expensive.

After the supper, the family can watch a TV for a couple of hours, then they go to bed. Russians seldom dine out as well as to gym, cinema or theatre. Entertainments are expensive, and usually they are limited by visiting friends or relatives on the weekends.

Generally, daily life of a Russian woman can be describes as *home - work - home* or *home - work - shops - home*. You can say that it's normal for the life in any western country as well, but there is one big difference: even small things in Russia require much more efforts. Buying a packet of milk on your way back home will take you a couple of minutes, in Russia it will take you at least 20 minutes. This *time rule* is applicable to everything.

Another thing about Russian daily life - they do not enjoy it. They get awaked not to enjoy a new day but to cope with today's problems. There is a little of comfort and happiness. Russian daily life is tough, and it's probably the reason why they smile so seldom. Rarely you will see a smiling face in a bus or on the streets - the fact that usually makes foreigners wonder.

Family life

The keyword to Russian family life is dependence. The family life is built on dependence, and Russians are attached to their family members.

The roots of this situation are in the way of being. Russians live in small flats in blocks, with 2-3 generations living together. It's normal when grown single children live with parents, and even when married children with spouses stay with one of the parents.

During the Soviet time one couldn't buy a flat, he could only "receive" it from the state. The flats were given to people for free, according to the time they worked on the enterprise. One should only pay a small fee for communal services. The state norms for giving the flats were rather tough, with 5-8 square meters for a person. A family with 2 children of the same sex would get only 2 rooms apartment of about 30 square meters (kitchens, bathrooms and passages were not taking into account). A divorced woman with a daughter would get only one-room apartment.

Nowadays one can buy a flat, and the state does not give flats to people for free any more. Buying a flat is unachievable for the majority of people because of small salaries. One of my friends, 35-years single woman, still lives with her mom in one-room apartment, and they have zero chances to get a better one unless she'll get married and leave.

Living in small flats together with parents and/or children makes Russians take care of each other. They have to be considerate and ready to compromise. One has to adopt to the family lifestyle and rules.

Any person has his own limit of patience and acceptance of the things but Russians have much higher potential limits. If compare those limits with thermometer, Americans have 20-degrees "thermometer", and when they reach this point, their emotional "thermometer" just fails to work further. For them it's a critical situation. Russians have 100-degrees thermometer, and in the same situation, which is unacceptable for an American, they will act as nothing happens.

It's why I think that Russian women have proper skills to make good wives. They usually do not let situation to come to the point of no return. It does not mean that they give up their goals easily, but they try to reach them in a different, less complicated or roundabout way. They do not intend to prove their point, and the result is of more importance than the rightness. You even won't notice how it happened that you eventually did what she wanted. And it does not mean that the woman is devious or the like; for her it's just natural.

Well, coming back to Russian family life.

Russians get married early, at the age 18-22. Because they don't really care about making a career (see Myth 2 for details), they don't wait until they are independent. Young couples usually stay with wife's or husband's parents during the first years of marriage.

Being single in Russia puts a label on a woman. If she is over 22 and still single, it means that something's wrong with her. Not any amount of money she earns or her career successes can give her high social status, if she is not married. From the other hand, it's not such a fortune for a woman - to be married in Russia. A decent woman is supposed to stay at home, while her husband is allowed to spend time with friends in cafes, restaurants and discos. All homework is also women's responsibility, and it's quite a lot if take in consideration the lack of home electronic utilities. About 80% of Russian families do not have even an automatic washing machines and microwaves. Russian society is pretty male dominating.

Traditions

One of the most prominent Russian traditions is hard drinking. It's more peculiar to men though women also drink much more than it's accepted on the West. Drinking a bottle of vodka for three, or a bottle of vine for each is normal and is not considered as excessive. Refusing to drink as much as the rest of the company is considered as non-respect. The favorite men's drink is Russian vodka, the favorite women's drink is Soviet Champagne - a decent Russian sparkling vine.

Drinking until one falls drank is all right. The parties are usually running in private flats, and majority of the guests stay to sleep overnight occupying all free space on coaches and floor. The next morning the party may continue. "The morning after the night before" condition, named in Russian "pokhmel'ie", is supposed to be cured by drinking a little amount of alcohol ("opokhmelitsya"). It really gives some relief but thereafter people usually can't stop. Small shops on the streets (kiosks) selling mostly alcohol and chocolate, work 24 hours 7 days a week, and the company can get extra drinks any time if they think they did not have enough.

Russians do not drink without a reason. It does not mean that they do not drink just when they want, it means that every time when they want to drink they bring up a reason. It can be anything - from buying a new thing (in this case they call it "obmyt" - in literal translation "to wash" the new thing) to celebrating the weekend.

Drinking alone is considered as being an alcoholic, drinking in a company is encouraged. The more you drink and don't fall drank, the more your friends will respect you. Many business deals are solved while drinking together, it's probably one more reason why women can't succeed in making career.

The process of drinking is specific. The glasses of all company members must be full, then somebody should propose a "toast" - what for the company is going to drink this drink. "Toasts" can vary from trivial "Na zdorovie" or "Budem zdorovy" ("For our health") to any other wish or somebody's desire: "Za udachu" ("For good luck"), "Na dorozhku" (before leaving - "For the way"), "Daj Bog ne v poslednij raz" ("Hopefully it's not the last time when we drink, with God's help") etc. After the toast people clink their glasses with each other and drink their drinks. Everybody must finish his drink, otherwise it means that he does not support the toast. The next toast follows in 5-10 minutes.

Russian holidays

The biggest Russian holiday is New Year. During the Soviet time people were not allowed to celebrate Christmas (Russian Christmas is 7 January), and New Year was the most cheerful holiday.

The next holiday is the Old New Year (13 January). Russians had a different calendar before February 1918. The difference between Julian (the old Russian) and Gregorian (European) calendars was 13 days, and after the Soviet government adopted Gregorian calendar Russians started to celebrate many holidays twice: according to the new style and the old one.

Non-official "Men's Day" is 23 February, the Day of Army. All men in Russia are liable for call-up (including reservists), so they all are celebrities. On this day women usually give men small gifts.

Official "Women's Day" is 8 March. On this day men give women gifts, usually flowers. Men also are supposed to do all homework, this is pretty nice - at least, once a year women can have a some rest and forget about dishes, cooking, kids, take a magazine and relax on the coach...

1 April is non-official "the Day of Laugh". People make jokes to each other, newspapers and TV publish funny stories and jokes. The motto of this day: Do not trust anybody on 1 April ("Pervoye aprelya - nikomu ne veryu").

1 May is the Day of Labor. During Soviet time there were huge demonstrations on this day, as everybody was obliged to show his loyalty to the state; now only communists organize meetings on this date.

12 June - the Independence Day. It's an official holiday but Russians are not used to it yet. They spend this day on their "dachas" - small plots in countryside where they plant some vegetables.

1 September is the Day of Knowledge - it's the beginning of a school year. Children go to schools with flowers for teachers, there are meetings before the classes start - nice and exciting.

7 November- the Day of October revolution (25 October according to the old calendar). It's still an official holiday in Russia though there is not such a huge celebration as it used to be during the Soviet era.

Russians love to celebrate. They adopted the Western holidays such as St. Valentine, Catholic Christmas (they celebrate Christmas twice - Catholic and Orthodox) and Halloween. They also appreciate Chinese New Year, Muslim and Jewish holidays.

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