One of the things British people complain about after visiting Russia and one of the things that might annoy you in your Russian colleagues or friends here in the UK is the fact Russians don't normally do social smiling.
Russians struggle with it.
They try really hard to get integrated into British society but this is something that just doesn't work with us, people born on the sixth of the world's surface.
We don't smile without a reason.
No wonder most Russians look like him to British public:
Russians struggle with it.
They try really hard to get integrated into British society but this is something that just doesn't work with us, people born on the sixth of the world's surface.
We don't smile without a reason.
No wonder most Russians look like him to British public:
Personally I think he is cute and adorable but an average Russian isn't that fluffy so our cuteness is something that reveals itself slowly.
Those nice and kind British people who after visiting Moscow with horrible grumpy-looking Russians try to find an explanation for this usually come up with this one, "Russians were through a lot of misery during Soviet times and Stalin era so we can excuse their inability to smile".
However the reasons might be much more complicated and go much deeper into history.
In traditional Russian culture smiling or laughing without a reason was always seen as a sign of stupidity. Russia was a huge mostly agricultural country until the 20th century and smiling was out of the question for most of Russian farmers. Only a fool smiles without a reason. An intelligent person keeps a serious face.
What about politeness one might ask?
And here we come to a very interesting point: keeping a serious face while talking to somebody and avoiding smiling was actually seen as the only appropriate and polite behaviour!
Why? How is that possible???
In Russian culture if you don't smile and keep a strict face so to say it means you respect the person you are talking to because you are taking him or her seriously, listen to them attentively.
A serious straight face also means that you are somebody who can be trusted. That you are an honest, reliable, serious person and you are not making fun out of your listener or laughing at them. A serious face means that you are giving them your undivided attention and take the conversation close to heart.
It might sound absurd to British people but keeping a serious face when talking to someone actually did mean you were being polite and respectful towards them!
So next time you are in Moscow and those nasty Russian bastards don't smile to you - take it easy and think of this in the perspective I've suggested :)
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