The strangest Russian names of our time & nbsp. The funniest surnames in Russia and in the world

The Western layman knows very little about Russia. Sometimes it remains only to marvel at the stereotypes about us. However, in Russia there are also enough fantasies about life in Europe and the USA.

In the meantime, here are the lists of "weird Russian customs" that Buzzfeed reported some time ago.

According to the Americans, in the customs of Russians:

1. Dressing up for shopping

Russians, especially city dwellers, love to dress up. For example, Nice dress and heeled shoes are the perfect outfit for a casual outing.

2. Sit down for a minute before the trip (on the track)

After packing a suitcase, most Russians pause and sit still for a minute before departure.

3. Make long and intricate toasts

Only the laziest Russians limit themselves to the phrase “for health” or something similar. Seriously. So get ready to hear anecdotes and a long speech that follows.

4. Keep telling jokes

They may interrupt their story to enjoy saying “and you know, this reminded me of a joke” and then tell it, even if it is completely inappropriate.

5. Congratulate each other when leaving the shower or sauna

They say "Enjoy Your Bath!" In fact, congratulating each other on a light steam

6. Answer the question “how are you?” candid and meaningful

In Russia, the question "how are you?" suggests a specific answer to the point, and not just "great, thanks."

7. Don't smile at strangers

Smiling at random passers-by is not a good thing. The smile should be real and should only be shared with friends.

8. Celebrate New Year more enthusiastic than Christmas

Forget Christmas. A Christmas tree, gifts - that's all for the New Year, because it is he who is a real winter holiday.

9. Constantly review old Soviet cartoons

"Wait for it!" (Russian version of "Tom and Jerry"), " The Bremen Town Musicians», « The Snow Queen”are the most beloved in Russia.

10. Calling all women "girls"

If you need to call the waitress, shout "girl". If you want to ask a 50-year-old woman for an address, you can call her "girl". Any woman who is younger than "grandmother" is a "girl".

11. Sit at the table to eat and stay at it for hours

When Russians are going to have dinner, they sit down, eat and talk. These conversations can go on for a very long time.

12. Collect packages

Seriously, Russians never, ever, ever throw away packages. Because you never know when you might need them.

13. Preparing more than necessary for the arrival of friends

And most of the dishes will be seasoned with tons of mayonnaise.

14. Living with parents

It often happens that all generations - parents, children, grandparents - live together in the same apartment.

15. Meet complete strangers and instantly become friends.

And then invite them to drink tea in just 10 minutes after the start of the conversation.

16. Do not come to visit without a gift (empty-handed)

The gift can be a dessert or wine if you are invited to dinner, chocolate or flowers (required) odd number). It is not so important what it will be, the main thing is to bring something.

October 13th, 2015, 10:58 am

The strangest Russian traditions from the point of view of Americans

1. Peculiar way of dressing

Girls, especially city girls, love to dress up. For example, an evening dress and stilettos are the perfect outfit for walking around the city.

2. "Sit down on the track"

Having packed their things and packed their suitcases, the Russians linger for a minute to "sit on the path."

3. Long and intricate toasts

Only a lazy Russian will confine himself to the phrase "for health." So, when someone rises to make a toast, get ready to follow the train of thought for the next half hour.

4. Jokes in place and out of place

A Russian can interrupt his story with the phrase "and you know, this reminded me of a joke." An anecdote will certainly be told, even if it is completely inappropriate.

5. "Enjoy your bath!"

Yes, yes, Russians congratulate each other on the fact that the visit to the bathhouse (or shower) ended successfully.

6. A detailed answer to the question "How are you?"

7. No smiles for no reason

Russians do not smile just like that, out of politeness. A smile must be earned, and usually friends exchange smiles, and smiling strangers not nice.

8. New Year is more important than Christmas
Forget Christmas! The main winter holiday is the New Year with an indispensable Christmas tree and gifts under it.

9. Love for Soviet cartoons

"Wait for it!" (Russian "Tom and Jerry"), "The Bremen Town Musicians", "The Snow Queen" are favorite old cartoons that even adults are happy to review.

10. All women are "girls"

Don't be surprised if a forty-year-old lady tells you that she dined "with the girls" today. So women of any age call their peers-girlfriends. Any woman who is not yet a grandmother is a “girl”.

11. Long feasts

If friends or relatives have already gathered at the table, they will eat and talk enough! Russian feasts can last for hours.

12. Plastic bags
Russians never, never, never throw away plastic bags! After all, who knows when a package might come in handy?

13. Strengthened preparation for the holiday

Winston Churchill said back in 1939: “I cannot predict Russia's actions. It's a puzzle wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a riddle." For many residents different countries this is true so far. Since Russia is increasingly in the spotlight of the world media, writes business insider, it is useful to learn more about its people and culture. The publication collected the most, in his opinion, crazy and strange facts about the Russian language, culture and politics, as well as statistics that should help to understand the "mysterious Russian soul."

What do Americans think is the strangest thing about Russia and Russians?

1. Beer didn't count alcoholic drink until 2011. In 2011, then-President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev signed a law according to which beer officially became alcohol, and from that moment restrictions on its sale began to operate.

2. One in four men do not live past their 55th birthday. The average life expectancy of a man in Russia is 64 years, which is by no means the highest indicator. In the US, only 10% of men die before they reach 55. In Great Britain this figure is 7%. According to Business Insider, the risk of dying before age 55 is increased for those who say they "drink three or more half-liter bottles of vodka per week."

3. In Russian there is no word similar to the English "fun". There is the word "fun", which is rather similar to the English "joy" and "merriment", there is a form of the verb "to have fun". But there is a huge difference between "fun" and "fun". In particular, it is not customary to “have fun” at work in Russia.

4. There is no analogue of the word “privacy” in the Russian language. The closest is "confidentiality", but it can be translated into English as "confidentiality". And there is also the word "solitude", which means "being alone."

5. Only in Russia can you find a McShrimp sandwich. Try it next time you're in Moscow if you dare, writes Business Insider.

6. Russian bears love jet fuel. As one photographer pointed out, the bears are bound to sniff at empty fuel containers.

7. During the 2012 presidential election, when Vladimir Putin was re-elected for a third term, one of the regions of Russia registered a turnout of 146%. Critics believe that election fraud took place. Putin then won with a result of 64% of the vote.

8. Wealthy Muscovites ride ambulances to avoid traffic jams. Moscow has terrible traffic, and some rich people buy ambulances so they can travel freely during rush hours.

9. The band's albums were banned in the Soviet Union The Beatles, and some medical students were recording records on old x-rays. In general, a lot of things from the West were forbidden, so people came up with different creative ways to get around this ban.

10. Some Russian restaurants stopped using the word "borscht", replacing it with "beetroot soup", because the word "borscht" is Ukrainian. It's kind of like if Americans would say "freedom fries" instead of "french fries" (french fries).

11. Before setting out on the road, the Russians sit in silence for a few seconds. Before setting off on a journey, they say "let's sit down on the path." Formerly people sat in silence for a few seconds, and then read short prayer in front of the road.

12. Another superstition is associated with whistling indoors. If you whistle in the house, there will be no money, they say.

13. Legend has it that in 988 the Russians chose Christianity over Islam because they did not want to give up alcohol. Initially, Russia was pagan, but in 988 Prince Vladimir converted to Christianity, not Islam, because it prohibits the use of alcohol. “The joy of Russia is in drinking,” Business Insider quotes the words of the Grand Duke. (The joy of Rus is in drinking.)

14. Even though many Christians live in Russia, the New Year is more important holiday than Christmas. And Russians also exchange gifts for the New Year. In addition, in Russia Christmas is celebrated on January 7th.

15. Russians love the New Year so much that they celebrate it twice a year - also the "old New Year" on January 13-14. Although secular Russia lives according to the generally accepted calendar, from the old New Year it does not refuse. And if the usual New Year means parties, then the old New Year is more likely family event.

16. Bad sign- to return home for something if you have already left there. Russians will go to great lengths not to cross the threshold of the house, if they have already left it, they may even ask someone to bring the forgotten.

17. For every 1,000 men in Russia, there are 1,159 women. In cities, the imbalance is even more pronounced - 1,183 women per 1,000 men.

18. Russians don't send "eyed" emojis. They depict the smiley as) or))), but never use the combination :). The more brackets in the emoticon, the more the writer likes something.

19. One of the popular Russian dishes called "jelly" are prepared from meat frozen in salted jelly. Russians also love beef tongue, dumplings and cutlets.

20. Russian word"get better" means both "get well" and "gain weight".

21. 75% of Russia's territory is located in Asia, but only 22% of the population lives in Asia. Most Russians live in the western part of the country.

22. About 20% of the world's forests are located in Russia. Also on the territory of Russia is the deepest lake in the world - Baikal.

23. Russians hang carpets on the walls. Previously, this was done because of the thin walls for soundproofing: neighbors could easily hear what people were doing and talking about behind the wall. But to this day, carpets hang on the walls in Russian homes.

24. Moscow has a stunningly beautiful metro. In the 1930s, when the metro was being built, the Russians were preparing for a possible war. The metro system was also supposed to function as a shelter during air raids. And the Park Pobedy station ranks fourth in the world among the deepest metro stations (84 meters).

25. For a sentence in Russian to be complete, it does not need both a noun and a verb. Therefore "Dog." and "Walked." - completed proposals.

26. Russians pick mushrooms because they like it. Someone picks berries, but mushrooms - clear favorites.

27. Russian pancakes are eaten with sour cream and caviar. Many young people eat them with syrup or sugar, but sour cream and caviar are traditionally served with the dish. Someone adds eggs or fish to them.

28. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich installed lasers on his yacht. He explained this by the fact that he so wants to protect himself from the paparazzi.

29. Putin once saved a film crew from a tiger, but then admitted that it was a set up. There were several such vivid "rigged" episodes in his biography.

30. There is a Super Putin comic on the Internet.
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No matter how hard the Americans try, they will never be able to understand the breadth of the Russian soul. Residents of the United States have compiled a list of strange features, customs and traditions that are established in Russia and that all Americans who want to visit our country should familiarize themselves with.

Dressing up for shopping

Russians, especially city dwellers, love to dress up. For example, a smart dress and high heels are the perfect form of clothing for a casual outing.

They love to sit on the path.

When the suitcases are packed and you can leave, most Russians prefer to sit down for a minute and only then set off.

Pronounce long and complicated toasts

Only the laziest Russian will choose a toast like "For health" or something equally short. It's not a joke. You will hear more jokes.

Telling jokes all the time

A person can enthusiastically tell a story and, from scratch, independently interrupt himself with the words “Yes, this reminds me of one anecdote ...”. After that, he will begin to retell the anecdote, even if it is not at all appropriate.

Congratulate each other on getting out of the shower or sauna

"Enjoy Your Bath!" - they say in this case in Russia.

Answer the question "How are you?" honestly and openly

"How are you?" Russians require an actual response, and not just a courtesy sign like “Thank you, great!”.

Don't smile at strangers

Giving your smile to strangers and passers-by is not accepted here. It is believed that a smile should be genuine, and it is intended for friends.

Celebrating New Year's Eve, Not Christmas

Forget Christmas. The main winter holiday with a Christmas tree and gifts is the New Year.

Constantly reviewing old Soviet cartoons

In the list of favorites "Well, wait a minute!" (Russian "Tom and Jerry"), "The Bremen Town Musicians" and "The Snow Queen".

Call all women girls

If you want to call the waitress, you need to shout: "Girl!" If you are referring to a 50-year-old woman, she can also be called a girl. Real girls also respond to the word "girl". Any female person, except for a grandmother, is a girl.

Sitting at the table for a long time

When groups of Russians gather for dinner, they sit down at the table, eat and talk. After finishing their meal, they continue to talk at the table.

Never throw away packages

In all seriousness, Russians never throw away packages. You never know when you need to fold something.

Cooking too much food for guests

And most of dishes at the same time will literally ooze with mayonnaise.

Living with parents

Often the whole Russian family - parents, children and grandparents live together in the same apartment.

Immediately become friends with strangers

And then they invite them home for tea 10 minutes after the start of the conversation.

Never visit without a gift

It can be dessert or wine as well. chocolate candies or flowers (but only an odd number). It is not so important what kind of gift you are carrying, the fact itself is important.