moving to the cities. Russia's Human Development Index' value (0.792) ranks
it 67th out of 175 countries. Serious gaps between rich and poor, skilled
and unskilled, and healthy and ill are widening and threatening Russia's
future development. Women earn only one-fifth of the nation's income.
Migration of ethnic Russians from the republics of the former Soviet Union
to Russia increased the total Russian population but not significantly
enough to offset the gap between mortality and birth rates in Russia.
Russian language belongs to Slavic group of languages and is the
official language in Russia. Other Slavic languages are Ukrainian and
Belorussian. It uses the Cyrillic alpha- bet, which consists of 33 letters,
many of them unlike any letter in the Roman (Latin) alphabet. Non-Russians
also usually speak Russian, especially in urban areas. Rural minorities
more often speak their own languages at home or within For example, Tartars
speak Tartar, Chuvashes speak Chuvash, and Udmurts speak Udmurt. These
individual languages are only taught at schools in areas where the ethnic
group is prominent. Ethnic Russians are not required to learn other local
languages, but students are increasingly studying foreign languages
(especially English, French, German, and Spanish). In Soviet Union Russian
language was main language to connect Republics of the former Soviet Union
to each other and establish the united territorial- economic complex. As a
result Russian is widely spoken outside Russia itself. In Uzbekistan people
speak Russian mainly in the cities while Uzbek language is dominated in
rural areas. However, many so-called ethnic Russians or the Russian-
speaking population residing in areas other than Russia feel abandoned by
the break up of the Soviet Union. They tend to be closer to Russia than to
their local states.
The Russian Orthodox Church is the dominant religion. After the
October Revolution (1917), the Communists separated the church from the
state (which were previously tightly bonded) and discouraged all religious
worship. Soviet regime did not tolerate any independent way of thinking and
many religious leaders were killed, jailed or sent to exile. Many churches
were forced to close under Lenin. Mikhail Gorbachev was the first Soviet
leader to officially tolerated and even supported religion. Yeltsin also
embraced the church, which is rapidly regaining its influence. Churches
other than the Russian Orthodox are scarce in rural areas, but nearly every
major religion and many Christian churches have members in cities. Some
Tartars and Bashkirs are Muslim, and some Tuvinians and Buryats are
Buddhist. Despite the years of Communist rulings and oppression the
religion played and important role in the rural areas. More and more
Russian are getting more involved in religion now. Religion is thought to
fill the spiritual gap in peoples souls and help them reevaluate their
moral values.
Russia's long history of totalitarianism have denied its inhabitants
opportunities to make their own decisions, whether ruled by a Czar or the
Communist Party. Personal initiative, personal responsibility, and the
desire to work independently were suppressed by the state, and one was
expected to conform to official opinion and behavior. In the current
climate, Russians are searching for new social values. The resulting
confusion and chaos have led many people to wonder if the old ways were not
better. Many people are tired of the economic instability, rapidly changing
society, characterized by high prices, increasingly violent and rampant
crime, loss of income and a reduced quality of life. However, many
Russians, especially in the younger generation, are eagerly taking
advantage of the open environment. Indeed, Russians are learning the value
of discussion and compromise, personal creativity, and risk-taking. This
long-term process carries hard lessons such as financial loss, political
polarization, economic instability, and social disruption.
Friendship is extremely important in Russia. Russians are warm and
open with trusted friends. They rely on their network of friends in hard
times and will go to great lengths to help friends whenever possible.
Although intensely proud of "Mother Russia" and its achievements, Russians
are a basically pessimistic people and usually do not express much hope for
a better life in the future (except among the youth). Even generally happy
and optimistic Russians might not show their true feelings in public but
rather express frustration with everyday life. A general feeling in Russia
is that the "soul" of Russia is different from that of other countries,
that development cannot take the same course as it has in Europe, for
example. Russians often believe they must find a different path that takes
into account their unique historical heritage and social structure. In
general, Russians desire to be remembered not for the negative aspects of
the Soviet period and its aftermath, but for Russian contributions to world
literature, art, science, technology, and medicine.
Social customs in Russia are very similar to the United States. When
meeting, Russians shake hands firmly and say Zdravstvuyte (Hello), Dobry
Deny (Good day), Dobroye utro (Good morning), Dobry vecher (Good evening),
or Privet (a casual "Hello"). Good friends say "hello" with the more
informal Zdravstvuy or Zdorovo. Friends, but not strangers, might also ask
Kak dela? (How are you?) and wait for a response. Russians are introduced
by their full name (given, patronymic, surname). Surnames are not used
without titles, such as Gospodin (Mr.) and Gospozha (Mrs.). The military,
police, and some citizens continue to use the Soviet-era title tovarishch
("friend" or "comrade"). At work or in polite com pany, Russians address
each other by given name and patronymic (the possessive of the father's
first name). This is also the most appropriate form of address for a
superior or a respected elder. Close friends use given names alone.
Hand gestures carry much significance in Russian culture. Pointing
with the index finger is improper but commonly practiced. It is impolite to
talk (especially to an older person) with one's hands in the pockets or
arms folded across the chest. To count, a Russian bends (closes) the
fingers rather than opens them.
Russians like to visit and have guests. Sitting around the kitchen
table and talking for hours is a favorite pastime. One usually removes
shoes when entering a home. Hosts generally offer refreshments, but guests
may decline them. Friends and family may visit anytime without notice but
usually arrange visits in advance. They make themselves at home and
generally can expect to be welcomed for any length of time. Visits with new
acquaintances are more formal.
Giving gifts is a strong tradition in Russia, and almost every event
(birthdays, weddings, holidays, etc.) is accompanied by presents. For
casual visits, it is common (but not required) for guests to bring a simple
gift (flowers, food, or vodka) to their hosts. The object given is less
important than the friend ship expressed by the act. Flowers are given in
odd numbers; even numbers are for funerals. If friends open a bottle of
vodka (which means "little water"), they customarily drink until it is
empty.
Knowing the general attitudes is extremely important in Russia. Tankred
Golenpolsky in his book Doing Business in Russia emphasized the need the
right local partner in Russia by asking the following questions:
. Where should you invest your money?
. When should you invest your money?
. How much money should you invest?
Answering these questions correctly can assure success elsewhere, but not
in Russia. In Russia, everything begins with selection of the right partner
to work for you (Golenpolsky 27-28). Having the right partner with the wide
network of people is extremely helpful for starting your own business in
Russia. Therefore, it is extremely important to know and understand Russian
attitude and behavior patterns in order to deal with Russians and
successfully build the relations in Russian environment. Later, the authors
give the following recommendations on choosing the right candidate who
“must meet some basic requirements such as fluency in English and an
education background comparable to his or her Western colleagues. He or she
preferably should be married since this indicates a degree of stability and
seriousness, and the spouse must be ready to fit into a new system of
relationships -relationships that did not exist in the former Soviet Union.
(Golenpolsky 29-30)
Although food is plentiful in the cities, many products are expensive.
Hence, the average person eats imported fruits and vegetables infrequently.
People on fixed and limited incomes (mainly the elderly) eat more bread and
potatoes than any- thing else. Urban residents more often have meat and
dairy products. Rural people have gardens. Urban dwellers usually grow
vegetable gardens in the country or on plots near the city. Traditional
Russian foods include borsch (cabbage soup with beets), pirozhki (a stuffed
roll, eaten as "fast food"), golubtsy (stuffed cabbage leaves baked with
tomato sauce and eaten with sour cream), and shi (soup with sour cabbage).
Borsch is still one of the most popular foods in the country. Its
ingredients (potatoes, cabbages, carrots, beets, and onions) almost
complete the list of vegetables used in everyday life. Pork, sausage,
chicken, and cheeses are popular, but they can be expensive. Russians drink
coffee and mineral water; juice and soda are available. Vodka is preferred
to wine.
Russians have little leisure time because of the hours they devote to
getting food, working extra jobs, or taking care of their households. Urban
Russians spend nearly all their spare time at their dachas (country
