Is it possible to have a conversation in a foreign language in the presence of a person who does not know it? Russian conversation Cool recordings of phone conversations.
Preamble
The media, banks and trade do not work to consolidate Russian society. And they will not work for this goal because they do not belong to the Russians.
What do we do?
Participant #1
Get out!
Participant #2
Are there enough guns, Participant No. 1?
Participant #3
Well, the trunks in Russia have been produced for 100 years in advance.
Participant #2
Where does this confidence come from, Participant #3?
And are those trunks Russian?
Participant #1
With a pitchfork, Participant No. 2, you need to cut them down, with a pitchfork or whatever you have to, so that it’s clear that nothing can save them. In general, that's enough. They are all heroes in the mouth, but when it comes to business, they leave in the bushes.
Participant #2
I agree, Participant #1. But to bring down at the level of N-sk is one thing in which you can get by with a pitchfork or your pound fists. But to “cut down” at least at the regional level - here the pitchforks are clearly not enough, and they will not help.
Participant #1
Participant No. 2, if you consider that they all love nature and go there much more often than you and me, then everything is real. The question is not in quantity, but in topic. In general, if the mass of the people realizes what is being done to them once again. I think that an armored jeep and guards with guns will not help. No equipment can withstand exposure to a bottle of gasoline. Even a modern tank. That's how the world works. Everything ingenious is simple. And in cramped city streets or corridors, the trunk won’t help much.
Participant #2
Everything seems to be written correctly and I even agree. But this will be a “Pugachev rebellion” like Kondopoga and Sagra. But these events did not help - the media, banks and trade were not Russian and remained so. Well, why not start an internal war with “also Russians” in a “multinational country”?
Participant #1
You know, Participant No. 2, unfortunately, as you say, all Russians think. And this is our common problem. Why not start a war, everything needs peace. But what is really happening. There is a quiet expansion going on. Replacement under plausible pretexts of the indigenous population with another. Previously, this was in the form of open conflicts, now everything is hidden. emigrants, nutritional supplements, vaccinations, etc.
If a Russian was killed, this is a statistic; if a Jew or Caucasian was killed, this is a tragedy and nationalism. You don’t need to rack your brains, just judge them in our own country according to their law as they judge us. According to the Torah and Talmud of the Jews, according to the Sharia of the Muslims and that’s it. If they don’t want to live in truth, let them live where they want. You remember from the dorm, they are all afraid only of force. And they behave normally only when they know that it’s different.
Don't know. On the other hand, I’m glad that I’m in Nsk. The non-Russian infidels and others once taught us how to treat them. So now, in any case, they behave adequately. Of course, there are excesses, but as a rule they themselves and all these issues immediately run to close them. What can you do Nsk. Corrupt and gangster city.
Participant #2
This is a fact - at the provincial level everything is really like this and you are right, everything is simpler. 100,000 - 300,000 people in rural areas with their own farmsteads are much more independent in self-determination. Again, all relatives are nearby. but at a more global level there are already problems. Even using the example of taking a pitchfork: you are a pagan, I am Orthodox, my brother is a Bolshevik, my colleagues are liberals, etc. How can such a diverse crowd be organized in a metropolis?
Participant #1
In general, I think children need to be raised correctly. As it should be. So that they have honor and conscience. Then not a single scum will be able to degenerate or corrupt us. Otherwise, all this scum has a thin gut. We, Participant No. 2, beat them and will continue to beat them. Since after a Russian lost a loved one in the war. There is no more terrible person. And their cutting off heads and so on will seem like the gardens of Eden to them.
TATYANA MIRONOVA
Doctor of Philology
CONVERSATION IN RUSSIAN - HEART TO HEART CONVERSATION
PROTECTIVE CIRCLE OF RUSSIAN COMMUNICATION
It is undeniable that language was given to people as a means of communication for joint work and survival. Communication, the primordial sphere of language use, most clearly reveals the peculiarities of the national character of tribes and nationalities. The role of communication is not the same among different peoples. Finns, for example, have extremely limited mutual communication. What do parents persistently instill in their children? “If you don’t know, keep quiet.” For Russians, ignorance does not negate the opportunity to think out loud, guess, express an idea, speculate on a given topic. That is why introductory words and sentences are so common in our country: “Maybe”, “probably”, “it seems to me”, “I think”, after which verbose hypotheses, assumptions, guesses and projections usually follow.
Foreign researchers agree with our domestic scientists that Russians are much more talkative than many other peoples. But everyone justifies this in their own way. Foreigners find the reason for our multi-talk to be that we, Russians, are settled over a vast territory, and the bond of our interaction is language. But this circumstance - distance from each other - should be more of an obstacle to communication than a help. The Russian people are sociable despite the vastness of their settlement; such is a remarkable quality of their character.
Let us recall that the national name of the Russians - Slavs - testifies that among our ideals are word and speech, that for us “our own” are those who speak clearly and correctly in our native language. Those who do not speak Russian have always been “Germans” for us, that is, dumb. The Russian people used the word “Germans” to refer to all foreigners indiscriminately: “Aglitsky Germans”, “Fryazhsky Germans”, “Gishpan Germans”...
There is one more circumstance that encourages Russians to have sincere, lively communication. The key concepts of the Russian language, those that reflect the ideals of the people - what they value most, what they love most - are the soul, truth, conscience. But sincerity, truthfulness and conscientiousness are manifested, first of all, in communication, they also form the special properties of Russian communication, which are not only not inherent, but also incomprehensible to other peoples.
The words communication themselves, like society, community, come from the Indo-European root ‘оььь’, which meant a protective circle. For the Slavs, this was an ancient circular walk around housing and settlements. Communication, along with the community, formed the basis of human security, a protective circle of one’s loved ones, allowing one to survive, withstand, and escape from adversity in difficult times. This view of communication is still firmly preserved in the beliefs of Russian people that it is necessary to communicate with relatives and neighbors, and therefore to live together, supporting each other in difficult times. It is generally accepted that this was facilitated by the harsh climate in the places where the Russian people settled. But, for example, the Finns, like other northern peoples, have no less difficult living conditions, which, however, did not give these tribes cordial talkativeness and friendly sociability. For Finns, speaking is a separate job that has little to do with communication. In Finland, no one will be surprised if a Finn comes to a neighbor’s house, silently drinks a cup of coffee and leaves without saying a single word. Here it’s called visiting and talking. For Russians, communication serves mutual assistance. If something happens, neighbors, relatives, friends - the entire “social circle” - get together and decide what and how to help. In Finland, asking others for help is not accepted; people are ashamed of it.
Another special feature of Russian communication is that people in conversations with each other most often subconsciously, but always persistently, introduce the interlocutor to their ideas about life, to their understanding of current events. We always strive to unite with each other by common interests, common goals, common likes and dislikes, and, of course, a common past. It is precisely this kind of familiarization that explains Russian colloquial formulas, which in every way convince the interlocutor to agree and accept our arguments. “You know...”, “you know...” - this is how we attract a person’s attention to the desired topic. “Listen!” - we persuade the person who objects to us. “You see...” - we patiently try to explain our views. “Look! Look! Look! La!” - we infect the interlocutor with our own curiosity. "Hey you!" - We try to threaten if they don’t agree with us. “Wait! Stop!” - we do not lose hope of convincing the dissenting debater. The search for commonality in communication gave rise to these Russian colloquial formulas, inviting, and even forcing, the interlocutor to look at things through your eyes, to force him to listen to what you say, to accept your views and beliefs. We, Russians, have that extreme nature in communication that it is not enough for us to express our opinion, our point of view to our interlocutor. No, we certainly want and try to ensure that he accepts our assessment, our opinion, accepts it immediately, now, right in the conversation.
This idea of communication differs, for example, from the English communication, which is based on the archetypal Indo-European concept *com-, the root present in our Russian words com, crumple, that is, to collect together, to unite. It is not customary here to call on your interlocutor: “Listen!” This will be perceived by him as violence against him, interference in his personal life. The English, in order to attract attention in a conversation, declare: “I say,” which means: “I speak,” and this is just a request to get the floor, to give him the opportunity to finish. In the same way, in urban transport, the most common, everyday question for a Russian to an unfamiliar fellow traveler with a request to clear the way is: “Are you getting off now?” - to an Englishman this seems like an unheard-of interference in his personal affairs. In English, it would only be appropriate to politely announce yourself: “I’m leaving now,” nothing more.
And this is not the only difference between Russian communication and English. There are several types of conversation in English communication, but we, Russians, are not able to understand them. And really, how do they differ from each other: chat - light chatter, chit-chat - conversation about unimportant things, small talk - light ordinary communication, conversation - informal communication between two or more people? It is unlikely that any of us Russians will clearly explain these differences. A light conversation about nothing in English “communication” can last for hours without failure, but a Russian person can hardly tolerate small talk, for him it is just “chatter”, “chatter” and “nonsense”, a painful pouring from empty to empty.
We do not attach any importance to “talking about nothing,” which is usually called “small talk.” We say about such tara-bars-rastabars: chatter, chatter, sharpen the lass, scratch with the tongue, weave nonsense, gossip... A lover of such a conversational genre - “whack” - is condemningly called a chatterbox, an empty talker, a talker, a talker, a balabol or a balabolka , corn chatter. In Russian communication, friendly, business or family conversation is accepted. But our communication is not limited to this, moreover, these conversations are not the favorite conversation in Russian; the favorite genre for Russians is heart-to-heart talk.
A heart-to-heart conversation is a purely Russian opening of the soul to each other, a confessional monologue or dialogue on a high note of sincerity and truthfulness. In a heart-to-heart conversation, they open their hearts to their interlocutor, pour out their souls, and confess “as in spirit.” The Russian soul strives for such communication; it is not a frequent thing, but it is necessary for us, the most important thing for Russian existence.
Another most important type of Russian communication, which we usually call a showdown, seems equally sincere, truthful, but absolutely not peaceful. This is the opposite of a heart-to-heart conversation, a direct and honest opening of the backyards of the soul (and who doesn’t?), rolling out stones from the bosom (who doesn’t hide them?). Showdowns are most often perceived by interlocutors with mutual resentment, like the hissing and even the bite of a snake warmed up on the chest. But such a conversation always lightens the soul, because it requires from the opponents-interlocutors the same completeness of sincerity and truthfulness as a heart-to-heart conversation, however, in a showdown they argue more about low things, rancor reigns here, settling scores, here the bills are paid, here hidden grievances are revealed and accumulated annoyances are expressed. But even such, frankly speaking, impartial communication is dearer and closer to the Russian people than slippery, hypocritical chatter. It’s not without reason that after such conversations, after exhaling deeply, we say: “I took my soul away,” “I shook my heart.” It is thanks to this kind of clarification of relationships that Russians “don’t hold a grudge” for a long time, because they know how to free the heart from evil, cast a stone from the soul, “shake out” the accumulated irritation on the head of the offender and peacefully coexist with him further.
WHAT PEOPLE WILL SAY
The ideal of communication for Russians is a heart-to-heart conversation. Our national communication is built on mutual sincerity, friendliness, and openness. A Russian person intuitively but strictly observes a number of psychological principles of communication. For the most part, we are confident in mutual support and count on it. We are convinced: “People will help!” Even if no one comes to help, we accept it as a fatal accident, a wild coincidence, and again we remain confident that this should not be the case. That’s why it’s customary for us to warn strangers about danger on the road: “Be careful, there’s a hole here!”, “Look, don’t stumble, there’s a board here!” We advise random people we meet to take care of possible mistakes: “The bench here is painted, don’t get dirty!” Motorists in Russia unanimously “blink” their high and low beams at oncoming cars, giving away the traffic cop lurking in ambush. If someone feels bad on the street, we offer help. We don’t ask, like the English: “Are you fine?” - "You well?" - on the contrary, we sympathetically clarify: “Are you feeling bad?” - and begin to fuss, calling on random passers-by for help. The belief that “people will help!” liberates us and allows us to turn for support not only to our family, acquaintances, close people, but, often, to strangers. But this is something that is inbred in us: “people will help!” motivates us when we happen to come to the aid of others, and even now, in miserable times, when entire syndicates, exploiting the disabled, crippled, and young children, have put our good, sincere feelings at the service of their selfish enrichment, and people, knowing that beggars, wretched , “disabled people”, “non-local people” are instruments of profit in the hands of the criminal world, they still reach for wallets, because helping is not in our consciousness, but in our character, in our blood.
From childhood we are taught: “You have to deal with people like human beings,” kindly, kindly, that is. Hence the heart-to-heart conversation, and that special Russian sincerity of communication that amazes foreigners. We really love long feasts with sincere songs, table conversations, where we can “pour out our souls.” We treat our guests to the best we have in the house, even if the family then lives on bread and porridge for a week. We are sincerely offended if guests leave us too early, when they eat poorly, especially if they drink little. The famous “Do you respect me?” has a centuries-old tradition in Rus'.
However, the laws of Russian communication at the same time require reciprocal hospitality and hospitality. If you were not treated to a meal at a party, you become offended: “At least they offered you tea,” and you forever forget the path to this house. This is such an exception to the rule that I remember it all my life, because for most Russians, even greedy people and hoarders, the doors of the house cordially opened for friends and a table richly set for guests is in the order of things. It’s even hard for us to believe that hospitality is a trait that is not at all characteristic of entire nations. The Chinese, for example, are generally not inclined to invite friends home, keeping their home away from prying eyes.
We are not only open in communication, but also unselfish, we don’t need anything from friends and acquaintances except emotional support and sympathy, we are friends sincerely, and not for profit. That is why “simple-minded” Russians are not afraid to lend, and even more so do not charge interest. The generosity of the soul of the Russian person is reinforced by the confidence that “you can’t earn all the money.” A Russian is ready to pay for the whole company on a bus, in a movie or in a restaurant, and is embarrassed if he does not have such an opportunity. Prudent Germans are surprised by our reckless manner of spending money - “I went and bought it.” It is the unselfishness of communication that underlies the fact that we easily forgive others for failure to fulfill obligations, saying: “Yes, okay, it doesn’t happen to anyone.” Scrupulous Englishmen in such cases harshly end relations with a person.
Russian communication avoids all etiquette conventions. Foreigners are shocked that in the Russian language there is no single formula of address, which other peoples sacredly preserve in their cultures. English Mr. and Mrs., German Herr and Frau, French Monsieur and Madame, Polish gentlemen and ladies - these boundaries of decency are too narrow for us. The formulas of Russian address are amazingly varied. The universal forms adopted in Europe do not take root. Mr. and Mrs. have recently been revived, but do not go beyond purely official negotiations, the comrade has gone into oblivion along with the Soviet regime and exists only in a military environment, a citizen and a citizen are preserved only in the judicial-investigative system, a sir and a madam do not take root in any way and are used by jokers with a touch of irony. Instead of this official language, we use a gender-based address that amazes foreigners, known only in Russian: we call any young, unfamiliar woman on a bus or in a store a girl. For males in such situations, the expression young man is considered appropriate. Less cultured citizens like to use the words woman and man for such fleeting communication. We address children with the words boy and girl, or even hey, guy or even boy.
As for warmth, there is even more of it in Russian addressing strangers on the basis of kinship, which is also a unique feature of the Russian language. It costs nothing for children to address strangers on the street as uncle or aunt. We usually call elderly strangers mother, mother, granny, grandma, grandfather, father. And they, in response, just as easily write down the first people they meet as their sons and daughters. In the same way, grown men are ready, depending on the situation, to call their unfamiliar peer on the street brother, brother, bro.
All address formulas are practically untranslatable into other languages, it is difficult to explain to a foreigner what they actually express, it is impossible to explain to him that fathers, sons and mothers are not related to each other. We simply perceive our Russians as close relatives, warmly and friendly, openly and sincerely. In the free world of Russian communication, the range of freedom extends from respected gentlemen to the familiar hey, guys. And the word hey, contrary to the assertions of modern grammars, is a significant root in the language, meaning in Indo-European archetypes “I say,” so the rude shout: “Hey, you!” - literally means: “I’m telling you!” Our formula for addressing “you”, borrowed more than two hundred years ago from the French language, is equally conventional. As soon as people cross the threshold of their first acquaintance or overcome the distance of the official hierarchy, “You” instantly disappears and becomes unnecessary. Here are examples of such transformations with the prim “You”: “Olechka Nikolaevna, call you on the phone,” “Sergei Petrovich, did you call me?”
The free line of Russian communication is manifested in the psychological attitude: “If it’s impossible, but it’s really necessary, then it’s possible.” Each of us can judge for ourselves. Not only are particularly proactive people capable of achieving everything “as an exception,” but we also all know very well that on any problem that arises, “one can reach an agreement” - convince, beg, pity, bribe, finally. And this is also manifested in Russian standing in queues, where it is permissible to jump the queue, because we let the person asking through, understanding that the person really needs it, he has children or a sick mother at home, he is late for the train, he has a bad heart, and so on. And most importantly, everyone understands that sooner or later he will be faced with the need to overcome the inexorable law of the queue. In England, an impudent person who jumps in line is kicked out with shame and blows, even though it may be a woman with a child. In China, hunters who jump the queue can be beaten with a stick, and at the station ticket offices there are specially hired “exhibitors” armed with sticks for this purpose.
And Russians also like to repeat, like a prayer: “Whatever God does, everything is for the best,” and this is also an attitude of Russian communication, creating in our souls a special optimistic mood for the future, not like the innate pessimists of the English, who, according to the assurance Anthropologists who have studied the peculiarities of English nature are invariably prepared for the worst: “Here it is again, everything is as always!” And in case of failure, we always declare to ourselves and those around us: “Every cloud has a silver lining,” we make excuses for failure without the slightest regret: “It happened that way,” “that’s how it turned out,” “it didn’t work out,” and in adversity we console ourselves and others: “That’s it.” is formed,” “so it was necessary.” These fragments of joyful fatalism allow Russians not to rush to the start of meetings and even to work, to be late for visits - we almost have a good tone. And event organizers in Russia always start them with a time delay, waiting “until everyone gets together.” By the way, being late for a visit among the Germans is bad manners; among the British, being late is harshly condemned.
Whether our principles of communication are good or not, we are, and the sincerity, unselfishness and optimism of Russian communication create a kind Russian world that surprises foreigners with its openness.
HELLO, THANK YOU AND GOODBYE!
HEART TO HEART CONVERSATION AND Clarification of relationships
“ILLOWED RUSSIANS”
The culture of communication, to which we are taught from childhood, instilled in the family and school, what and how we can and cannot say - these are Russian norms of behavior, violating which a person is perceived by others as poorly mannered, impolite, uncultured. But our national rules of behavior are not at all the norm for other nations; moreover, some of our behavioral canons surprise foreigners, and there are others that simply shock them, but their communication, in turn, seems absurd to us, and even sometimes wild. We are so different.
Researchers have found that the differences in communication between Japanese, Americans and Brazilians are so striking that it is difficult for them to find a common language with each other. The period of silence in a conversation lasts 5.5 seconds for the Japanese, 3.5 seconds for Americans, but Brazilians do not shut up at all when communicating. Interruptions in a conversation, based on its hourly duration, occur thirteen times among the Japanese, ten among Americans, and Brazilians interrupt someone else’s speech at least twenty-nine times within an hour. At the same time, the Japanese, as a rule, avoid looking at the interlocutor's face, Americans do not, and among Brazilians it is customary to look at the interlocutor point-blank. Touching during a conversation is unacceptable among the Japanese and Americans; Brazilians, on the contrary, constantly pat their interlocutor on the shoulder.
Well, in this coordinate system we occupy a completely special position: we interrupt our interlocutor at the speed of the Japanese, we are silent as much as the Americans, we like to make eye contact, like the Brazilians. As for touches, they are very meaningful and telling. A touch can be a sign of kindness, a gesture of persuasion, an expression of trust in the words of the interlocutor, and a signal of his full support. It is also customary for us to hug and kiss relatives and friends when meeting and saying goodbye.
We Russians have personal space, the distance that we maintain when communicating, much less than that of the British and Americans. Our permissible distance when talking is from thirty centimeters to one and a half meters, that is, a maximum of the length of two hands extended for a handshake. In communication, you cannot approach the British closer than a meter; they can conduct a conversation even at a distance of four meters, which is unthinkably far for us. The Chinese, on the other hand, approach their interlocutor almost closely, breathing directly into their faces, which, of course, is extremely unpleasant for both the Russians and the British.
Our gestures correspond to our feelings. The most common ones in conversation are a nod as an affirmation, a negative shake of the head as a refusal, a shrug as a sign of uncertainty or ignorance. It is interesting that Russians often point to the desired object not with their hand or finger, but with their head. It seems to foreigners that we use our nose in such cases. Russians have a certain stiffness in their movements when communicating, and we consider many postures, such as Americans - lifting their legs up on a chair or table - completely unacceptable.
Russian gestures have a greater scope than those of our Western neighbors. But as for the frequency of gestures, we occupy a golden mean here. Russians have an average of forty gestures per hour, Finns have one gesture in the same time, Italians have eighty gestures, the French have one hundred and twenty, Mexicans gesticulate incessantly - up to one hundred and eighty gestures per hour. The Japanese rarely gesture, but all non-Japanese people are struck by the Japanese rituals of squatting and bowing. Even among the Japanese, baseball players bow to each other when playing, and when talking on the phone, the interlocutors bow to the phone. This is due not so much to the peculiarities of the Japanese temperament, but to the uniqueness of their language, in which there is a special grammatical category of politeness.
The rules of communication between foreigners, which are unusual for us, irritate us, and they, in turn, do not like “these ill-mannered Russians” for their behavior, which is incorrect from their point of view. Even everyday traditions can be perceived incorrectly. Among the Germans, wine and sweets brought by guests are removed from the table as a gift, according to the German rule: “All the best goes to the family.” We consider such actions as blatant greed, since it is customary for us to treat guests to all the best, because our very word treat contains a guest meaning.
Flowers are a wonderful gift in Russia, but they are not understood as a gift by practical Chinese, who prefer to give and receive something useful in the household and in everyday life. Receiving guests in the kitchen is a sign of special warmth and trust among Russians, but representatives of many nations can be offended by this. Shaking tablecloths and rugs out of the window into the street is extreme lack of culture in our eyes, but among the Germans and Finns this is par for the course. Serving a cold dinner is a centuries-old German tradition, but if we are treated to cold food, we will be offended and consider that the hosts do not respect us. Americans are indignant at the delay in conversations among Russians, who cannot part for a long time, and when parting, they rejoice: “We had a good time!”, “We had a heartfelt conversation!” We are disgusted by American efficiency and utilitarianism in communication. But the whole difference is that Americans communicate for business, and Russians communicate for the soul.
The notorious American custom of boastful self-presentation, which obliges a person to demonstrate everything is okay, is contrary to the Russian ideal of modesty; it is also not kind to the British with their natural restraint and isolation. That's why both Russians and British consider Americans to be overly complacent and sometimes stupid.
For Russians, a slight delay to the appointed time for a visit is a sign of respect for the hosts; for Germans, it is a sign of disrespect. Russians don’t talk to friends across the threshold; they will certainly let a guest into the house, for fear of quarreling, and some peoples do not allow acquaintances beyond the threshold into the house at all. A long stay with a stranger in one place, for example, in a train compartment, obliges Russians to get acquainted and communicate, while the British and Finns can sit silently the whole way, without fear of looking impolite.
This is how researchers of the Finnish national character describe the differences between Finns and Russians. During a Russian campaign, everyone gathers around the fire in the evening, eats from the same cauldron, drinks vodka and sings songs. During the Finnish campaign, everyone cooks their own soup on their primus, eats it and goes to bed. Finns pay for themselves in restaurants, and when examining the bill, someone always clarifies that they did not eat bread. Russians, on the contrary, express their willingness to pay for everyone. Finns make arrangements to meet friends a month in advance, Russians - a day or two in advance, because you never know what can happen. The Finns have everything planned, right down to the gravestone, but the Russians live unpredictably; for them, boring planning is painful and disgusting.
We are different because we speak different languages, in which the pictures of the world do not coincide.
Today we are forced to think that different peoples unite on the basis of certain “universal human values” that allow them not only to find a common language with each other, but also to live harmoniously side by side for centuries. And although life constantly refutes this misconception, we continue to be told that it is not military force or spiritual and economic power that can force other peoples to reckon with the Russians, but the mythical good feelings and sympathy of our neighbors for us.
The peoples of the world are very different from each other, and each of them lives guided by the “friend or foe” system, in which their own people are always nicer, more valuable and more necessary than strangers. Perhaps this is the only “universal human value” characteristic of all ethnic groups - from great nations to small nationalities. And we, Russians, are no exception here. To be convinced of the Russian specialness, of the dear customs of our people, it is useful to see what the national characters of other peoples are, for example, the British and the Chinese, our western and eastern neighbors, the creators of two great empires and civilizations.
The British have always been distinguished by their contempt for neighboring peoples - the Irish, Scots, Germans, and French. The feeling of superiority over other nations remains characteristic of them even now. The national character of the British, as recognized by their own anthropologists and ethnologists, is dominated by restraint, secrecy, and the desire to have their own “territory” fenced with a high fence. For an Englishman, not only “my home is my fortress,” but his soul is also an impregnable bastion. The British are afraid to express their feelings; they avoid trust and sincere relationships even with close people. In English culture, the so-called “negative politeness” dominates - a kind of barrier to someone else’s intrusion into their personal life, a rebuff to the imposition of unnecessary communication. This is how we can explain the existence of interrogative greetings “How are you?” (“How are you?”), when exchanged, the British expect absolutely no response. Moreover, restraint and delicacy are not always easy for them, because prim English gentlemen are often prone to breakdowns into unbridled militant aggression, embodied in the world-famous British hooliganism.
In English communication, class distinctions are strictly observed: everyone is concerned about their status and does not want to be ranked among the lower strata of the population. The desire to stand out from the general environment develops into the famous English eccentricity, despising everything around.
Among the national passions of the British is standing in line. Strict order is observed in everything, even in conversations. To take the floor in a conversation, you need to say “I say,” which means: “Listen, now it’s my turn to speak.”
In English communication, a furious argument is impossible, and any kind of showdown is unacceptable. It is easier for an Englishman to agree with his interlocutor than to object or contradict him. Even if the conversation is about the weather, which in English is the reason for starting a conversation, you need to assent to the speaker, especially since in England this is just a form of greeting: “It’s a little cold today, isn’t it?”
English communication usually consists of exchanging compliments for women, bragging about acquisitions for men, and friendly discussion of gossip that does not personally concern anyone present, since interference in the private life of the interlocutor is unacceptable. Such, in Russian opinion, empty “chatter” can last for hours without any embarrassment, confusion or difficulty. These are the English rules of communication established once and for all. The British greatly value playing by the rules and follow them religiously in everything. When meeting people, it is not customary to shake hands or be called by name. And goodbyes in English are very long and tedious. The exchange of meaningless farewell phrases with mutual thanks can last up to half an hour.
A peculiarity of the British, researchers believe, is a pessimistic assessment of every event that has happened, expressed by the English exclamation: “It’s always like this!” But the dullness of the national perception of life is smoothed out by a peculiar British humor, which does not allow the Englishman to be too serious. An interlocutor who is too preoccupied with business or disturbed by troubles will certainly be reprimanded: “So be it for you!”
This is our great Western neighbor, next to whom a Russian feels like next to an impregnable icy iceberg, which can crush you in the ice of indifference and contempt, hardly even noticing it.
Another, but no less unpleasant for a Russian is the Chinese national character. Our eastern neighbor, like the English, also despises all foreigners, pejoratively calling them “laowai”, which literally means “loof, incompetent, clueless.” The Chinese consider themselves in all respects better, smarter and more decent than any foreigner. Moreover, among the Chinese, the idea of belonging to a superior race is especially expressive in relation to white people, about whom they say “si zhi fa da, tou nao jian dan” (“arms and legs are healthy, but the head is stupid”). So a foreigner in China, and a Russian is no exception, will never feel on an equal footing with a Chinese.
The Chinese consider themselves and their state to be the center of the Universe; they call China the “Middle Flowering People's Republic”; they despise the laws and traditions of other countries. Don't buy into Chinese politeness and politeness. They are sweet to the point of being cloying only as long as the Chinese need something from you. When the need for you disappears, you will be met with complete unceremoniousness. The Chinese are noisy and, from our point of view, rude in communication, they talk loudly both at home and in public places, not caring at all about the peace of other people. With foreigners, the Chinese are sociable to the point of intrusiveness; every now and then they ask awkward questions: “I haven’t seen mine for a long time.” Yours has become so fat. Your diet is necessary.” Do not consider this as tactlessness, this is simply how the Chinese establish contact in communication. However, forbidden topics in conversations also exist for the Chinese. You can’t ask them about the weather, because the turtle predicts it, which means you unwittingly compare the Chinese with a turtle and thus offend him. You cannot be interested in the health of a Chinese person, because then it turns out that you doubt him. In China, it is forbidden to ask questions about salaries; this topic is never discussed by anyone. But if you are a foreigner, the Chinese allow themselves to ask you about everything.
In the traditions of Chinese communication, there is no manifestation of sincere feelings; it is impossible to achieve truthfulness from a Chinese person. An affirmative Chinese “yes” does not mean agreement at all. This is only an expression of politeness towards the interlocutor. And laughter does not mean at all that the Chinese are having fun; they use laughter to cover up confusion or awkwardness. The Chinese do not like to invite guests home. At the same time, food is a national cult of the Chinese; in their house they are always drying, drying, and infusing all sorts of edible, and for our taste, completely inedible things. From a foreigner's point of view, the Chinese eat everything that grows, flies, walks, swims and crawls. Despite the fact that the Chinese adore children - both their own and those of others - they are indifferent, and in our opinion they are simply cruel to animals. Dogs are raised at home and then eaten, butchered on the street without any regret. Cats are kept in cramped cages and entertained in captivity. In Russia, the Chinese are first of all amazed by how much free land there is, on which nothing edible grows, and by the many animals and birds that walk and fly on their own without any danger of being eaten.
The peculiarities of the national characters of the Chinese and the British for the most part do not seem pleasant to us. They pay us in the same coin. That is why, more than anything else in the world, we must value and love our Russian people. We must remain ourselves, and not look into foreign distances, adopting foreign dialects, hoping to catch happiness by the tail among foreigners.
In the last issue of this year, we bring to our readers an interview with Igor Rasteryaev, about whose work the Nizhny Novgorod Diocesan Gazette has already written more than once. We talked with the artist about topics that concern many residents of our country and overwhelm his creativity. Which have worried Russian people for centuries and, no doubt, will always worry - about faith in God, the fate of Russia and its mission in the world, about the divinely inspired nature of creativity and much more.
Igor, in your songs you rhyme “God’s road.” How do you feel about the religious side of life, including based on the traditions of the Cossacks, to whom you consider yourself? Who and what is God for you?
I have a very positive attitude towards the religious side of life, especially lately. I myself, my mom and dad are worldly people, but my younger sister and her husband are churchgoers. Moreover, at the most serious level, they fast even on Wednesday and Friday.
One day, friends came to my sister - also, accordingly, churchgoers. And so we sit in the kitchen, drink tea, and I gradually realize that this is the first time I have found myself in such a noble society. I began to talk with them about religious topics, in particular about other religions, about reincarnation, about the fact that God is one for all...
And then I asked the young girl Irina how she felt about divorce. She said negative. Then I asked: “And if people came together without thinking, why should they be angry for years?” And this girl suddenly says to me: “But in general, I believe that the meaning of marriage, in the end, is not happiness for a person, but in the birth of a large number of children, in their Orthodox upbringing and humility.” I'm just speechless...
This girl, with one phrase, with her very existence, canceled all attempts by NATO provocateurs to make a consumer basket out of her soul. And such strength was behind her, she was so calm, and dignified, and unpretentiously natural in her faith, that I simply admired her from the bottom of my heart, and I felt calm for the Orthodox faith. Because I saw with my own eyes that this faith continues to live in the hearts of people who, by the way, are much younger than me.
After this, my parents also asked me how I felt about my sister’s unexpected churching, whether this was an excess, or fanaticism. And I’m fine with it - even with all the excesses. Because today our Motherland is under such a burden of vulgarity and lack of spirituality that perhaps only the Church can serve as the only counterweight. The only thing that can resist central television is the girl Ira, who believes that a person on earth does not necessarily live for happiness.
Just look at what is happening outside our cities - huge territories have already been “cleared” of the indigenous local population, as if they were prepared for some kind of foreign invasion. Everyone is driven into the cities so that people do not feel like they belong to their land, so that they do not feel like they are masters of it. To sit in concrete cages and listen to zombie information about careers and personal development. Who can resist this today?
In my opinion, only the girl Ira, who dreams of a large family. And the more girls like this we have, the more chances we have to live. Otherwise we'll just disappear. Without any war, we will be populated by all sorts of guys, and one fine day there will simply be no one to object to anything.
I myself, I repeat, am a purely worldly person. And since the conversation turned to the Cossacks, I’ll say this. The Cossacks did not want to take the oath not only because they did not want to lose their will. Although, of course, to be honest, in my opinion, that’s the only reason. But they thought something like this: we kill people, our life is war and raids, we are sinful people - it’s not right for us to kiss the holy cross, that means. That is, people behind whose backs the Orthodox faith grew stronger considered themselves unworthy to kiss the cross. What nobility these people were, I think now.
And in the church they stood - and the sabers were slightly taken out of their sheaths, so that the blade would listen to the righteous word. So I’ve been like this all my life - a little away from churching, more and more I communicated directly with God, although, of course, my believing relatives blame me for this. But everyone has their own path - some in the church, others in the worldly field.
As for the rhyme “God’s road,” there were other options; it could have been “the main protection and help is the Russian road,” for example. I just liked “God’s Road” more.
Based on the long-standing debate between Westerners and Slavophiles and based on your experience as a person living in two cultures - city and village - how do you feel Russia?
Yes, how I feel... They are knocking out our village. Recently I was driving across the steppe from Rakovka to the Rasteryaev farm, or more precisely, to the place where he was (my relatives and I erected two crosses there in memory of him: this is our family farm, where our ancestors lived for several centuries). Believe it or not, he washed himself with tears, not embarrassed by anyone, because there was no one there to be ashamed of.
There are three courtyards on the Kashulin farm, and seven on Zelenovsky. I talked to a farmer who came from Frolovo to work there - to farm. “I,” he says, “bought foreign tractors, they do everything themselves, and our task, ideally, is for the three of us to cultivate all the areas on these machines.” That is, even now a farmer in Russia plans his work based on the absence of assistants, as if he were not in the center of a huge power, but on the moon or in Antarctica.
- What helps you resist the temptations of vanity, love of money, and pride? Is it really just Russian laziness?
For some reason everyone thinks that after “Combineers” I felt so strong. On the contrary, I felt very weak. Because it was absolutely clear to me, more than anyone else, that this would not happen without intervention from above. That God did everything. All coincidences, all accidents, all continuations of this story, all thoughts and melodies, lines - they come from somewhere, someone gives them. Therefore, I am not inclined to exalt my personal merits.
Comparing the life of young people in the capitals and in the villages, can you say that they are one people with one homeland and history?
Certainly. Especially when you consider that most city dwellers have rural roots, one way or another. At least partially.
There is an opinion that with the loss of memory of the Great Patriotic War, the unity of the spirit of the Russian nation will also disappear. What do you think about it?
I do not share such opinions. Is the unity of the spirit really supposed to be strengthened all the time by terrible tragedies? For example, I would like the unity of the nation to be strengthened by some very peaceful idea. Normal human life.
In recent years, interethnic conflicts, essentially criminal (sometimes social), have become more frequent in Russia. Tension in society is growing, as is xenophobia. As a person who knows the life of the Russian south from the inside, where representatives of different ethnic groups are historically mixed, what do you see as the causes of these conflicts?
Not long ago I was on tour in Georgievsk, this is the Stavropol Territory. Before the concert, the organizers were called to the relevant authorities and asked: “What kind of “Russian Road” is this? What are you going to do there? Why Russian? What is this, some kind of Nazi gathering? Who is this Rasteryaev? Is he a fascist?“ The organizers had to make excuses, explain something to the authorities... And this, mind you, was not even in the Caucasian republic, this was a conversation in the Stavropol region! In Mother Russia, figuratively speaking. We are driving through Georgievsk, Youth Day is taking place on the square. Russians, by the way, are all young people. The sponsor is a beer company, all with some cans and bottles.
The organizers say: “If only the national diasporas had only a hint of this, you know what would have happened to these beer comrades!” They told a lot of things...
4 thousand rubles from the budget are allocated for Russians, about 50 thousand for Caucasians. Plus they don't pay utilities. Everything is legal, everything is approved from above. Why be surprised after this? Who should feel like the boss? Who ultimately won? Who lost? Who pays indemnity to whom? So no need to be surprised. What other moods could there be?
You turned out to be a modern singer of Russia, of the Russian world with its tragedies and insights. What is the secret of the Russian soul, Russian destiny for you? And what does Russia mean to you?
Last September, my friend Lesha Lyakhov and I went fishing. The weather was cool, and we were also a little cold. And then we put on waterproof overalls so that it would not be cold to be in the water. And so we walked through the forest in these overalls, and when we reached the river, we took them off and climbed into the water just like that. Then we got out, dried off, put on our waterproof overalls again and walked home through the forest. Russia is somewhere here.
Is the mysterious tactical technique from “The Russian Road” a poetic insight or ancient Cossack wisdom?
This is how it came up. First there was an idea, and then all sorts of phonetic variations came. As a result, the phrase sounds like this.
Previously, they wrote music and poetry in offices or in nature. You say that your melodies are often born on the road, while driving. Does your muse love the noise of the road and city?
Not really. You just drive and sing all sorts of nonsense, all sorts of gibberish - your head turns off, there’s no control, you’re alone in the cockpit. Apparently music likes to live in nonsense. And sometimes he just sat down and played new music. Just like that - without preparation, I took the accordion and played. From start to finish. I don’t know where it comes from. With poetry it is much more difficult. It's really hard.
- Do you always feel that a real song is being born, or do you have to “reject” the material?
If you like the melody, this is the first indicator. If you feel a theme about it, go for the second one. If two or three endings of a verse or some correct word jumped out due to emotions, the third one. Then you roughly figure out the plan of the song - so as not to drown in emotions and beauty, but, more simply, what the thought will be about, what you want to say specifically. And then work on the text begins. And this is really difficult.
At the end of the twentieth century in Russia there were many original rock groups and performers, the scale of whose talent has still not been surpassed. What do you see as the reason for the shortage of such talent today?
Children don't walk in the yards much, and they don't have many unusual experiences. From the cradle everything is common - a computer, the Internet, chocolate bars. What unexpected, non-standard thing can one chicken from an incubator tell another chicken from an incubator? There are few events. There is a lot of awareness, but no knowledge. Television and society dictate the same and aggressive criteria for success and norms. Format - from infancy.
What does not fit into the format and is difficult for one’s own brain to digest is perceived as a joke, just in case. Infantility is all around because... You can even compare the youth cultures of those years and modern ones - lubbers, rockers, street rappers, metalheads, Alisomaniacs against emo and goths, compare temperaments.
Many have not seen real life - everyone grew up on a computer. And the temperament is at the level of a dead cell phone. That's probably why. Although at the same time I am sure that now children are smarter than me, for example, and more intelligent. And they will do a lot more - no doubt about it. Therefore, there will be no shortage. And today should not be assessed now.
- What inspired you to create such a very church-themed song as “The Ringer”?
In the beginning, as always, there was a melody. Moreover, it came up suddenly - during the intermission of a variety program at the BUFF theater, where I serve. There are half-naked ballerinas all around, guys in shiny vests - in general, nothing churchy. And once the melody appeared in my head. Apparently, the melodies don't care when they appear.
And I quickly took a cell phone from a colleague and sang this melody into the recorder, and then forgot about it altogether for six months. And later I remembered that I was recording and asked my friend to turn it on. At first I thought it was music for a symphony orchestra. And then I picked it up on the accordion and realized that the song was about a dream.
When people ask me what I would have become if I had not become an artist, I always say that I still like two professions: a bell ringer and a pickpocket catcher. So I wrote to myself, it turns out. I can’t say that the song is very churchy. It's more lyrical and generalizing, or something. And I immediately realized that a girl should be singing there. And the text took a year and a half to write - in general, this “Ringer” is the heaviest song. And the most uncharacteristic, perhaps, for me so far.
- Christmas is coming. How does this holiday make you feel?
To be honest, the holiday of Christmas does not evoke any special feelings for me, because I, like all Soviet children, never celebrated it. In addition, Christmas comes after the New Year holidays, and against this background it seems to be lost. As a child, we went from house to house in Rakovka to glorify Christ: we sang carols and threw candy and money into a big red bag. But these are just childhood associations - rather casual, but certainly not religious.
But Easter has always been celebrated in our family (and throughout the country). Therefore, this is a big holiday for me. I remember one time on Easter we were going to visit my great-grandmother on the subway, and my nose began to bleed. I was six years old. At the Grazhdansky Prospekt station they took me out of the car and called an ambulance. I remember the doctor tried to stop the bleeding and said: “Hold on, Cossack, you will be an ataman.” And I kept thinking: “How does he know that I am a Cossack?”
Sometimes I think: why did Soviet people always celebrate Easter? The most important thing, probably, is the spectacularity of the rituals - baking special Easter cakes, painting eggs, beating them, making Christ, watching the religious procession... All these things are spectacular, lush, beautiful and symbolic, therefore they are very important for our people, they fit very well into the idea of how right and good.
You understand this abroad when you enter some church. Everything there is orderly, noble, quiet, solemn and stingy. And no, mind you, any strain. And in the decoration of our churches there is something from the wedding table - in the gilding, and in the icons, and in the iconostasis, in all the rituals. If you really pray, do not sit, but with your forehead on the floor, which is why holy fools are so valued among us. We are, apparently, very theatrical people. We love external factors, deep feelings. Isn’t that why people greet you by their clothes?..
Merry Christmas to everyone! I wish that with each subsequent generation this holiday becomes more and more significant. Good luck and God's presence to everyone!
Interviewed by Svetlana Vysotskaya.
“Nizhny Novgorod Diocesan Gazette”, No. 24(213), 2011.
There are situations when not everyone in the company speaks the same language. This can happen on vacation, if you suddenly find yourself in the company of locals and communicate only with gestures and signs, or at home, in the company of expats. The Village asked an etiquette coach, translator and psychologist about how to deal with translation difficulties.
Larisa Evans
etiquette trainer, founder of the International School of Etiquette
All etiquette trainers will say that this is “rude” - a gross violation. The exception is situations when you do not speak any languages other than your native one, and in order to somehow justify your presence at a particular event, you communicate with a compatriot. The correct way out of the situation would be this: if in a group of people you do not speak English, but everyone else does, you should apologize for your ignorance and ask a colleague or friend to keep you informed. It won't be a mistake: don't hide the fact that you need help. A polite person, in turn, will offer such a service without reminders in order to at least briefly convey what is at stake. In this case, a mutually polite apology is mandatory.
You can also consider a situation where you know a foreign language, but prefer to speak your own. For example, in a group of English people you and a friend are talking in Russian. In this case, you should apologize, say that you are discussing, say, your grandmother’s health and you would like to talk for a few minutes in your native language. If you communicate in the presence of others in your language without warning, this is considered bad manners and a violation of etiquette.
Kristina Buinova
Lecturer at the Department of Spanish Language at MGIMO Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, simultaneous interpreter
I translate mainly synchronously and by chuchoutage - into the ear, without interrupting those present (translated from French chuchotage means “whispering.” - Ed.). I would preface the answer to the question with one important remark: context is important. From the experience of working at international conferences, I can say that what is considered unethical is not so much speaking in a language that one of the participants in the conversation does not know, but an unexpected switch to this language during a conversation in neutral English, for example. Once, in a conversation that our Latin American group was having with the Koreans, the latter were distracted by a joke on a topic that one member of the Korean delegation told to others in Korean. They laughed, but no one could translate it into English, let alone Spanish. It’s not that the Argentines and Mexicans felt offended, but the joke that was supposed to unite everyone only caused confusion.
In general, this problem cannot be solved without reservations. Is it always possible to find a language that all participants in a conversation know? What is the purpose of the conversation and its format? If we are talking about an official reception or, on the contrary, a friendly atmosphere, then it is very important not to let the person feel out of place. In this case, you should avoid separate conversations in a language unknown to the guest. But if this is a business meeting that involves brainstorming, then constantly worrying about not offending anyone can derail the creative process. In general, the main thing is to find a middle ground.
Sergei Klyuchnikov
Director of the Sergei Klyuchnikov Center for Practical Psychology
If a person goes on vacation to another country and does not know the local language, then he must be psychologically prepared for the fact that he will find himself in such situations. You should stock up on a phrasebook or find someone who can help with translation. There were studies that said that if a person stays for a long time in a country where he has no guides, and he can only communicate in the language with a waiter, then after some time he develops anxiety syndrome. A person constantly wonders whether what people say around him has anything to do with him, and begins to take many things personally. Suspicion or even neurotic states develop.
If a person finds himself in the company of foreigners in his own country and the conversation is conducted in a different language, it all depends on the situation. For example, a person may be embarrassed because he does not know foreign languages; he may envy his compatriot who communicates freely with a foreigner. If the conversation is of a business nature and the person is being translated, he may feel a suspicion that some nuances are eluding him, that he may be deceived. If he speaks himself, it may seem to him that the translator does not translate everything and misunderstands. In cases where the price of the issue is high, he will monitor the facial expressions of his interlocutors, but this is quite difficult, because someone else’s facial expressions are connected with other people’s meanings - sign language is not always and not everywhere universal.
Illustration: Nastya Grigorieva
