What is the mentality of the Russian person? conducting a social survey

mentality mentality Russian people

Characterizing Russian culture from the point of view of its place in the “East - West” dichotomy is a rather difficult task, since, firstly, it occupies a middle position in relation to the geopolitical factor (which is taken into account by representatives of the so-called “geographical” or “climatic” determinism) ; secondly, the study of Russian civilization is just beginning (it is generally possible in relation to the already established national-cultural integrity, and in Russia self-identity and national self-awareness are formed quite late in comparison with European cultures); thirdly, Russian culture is initially super-multi-ethnic in its composition (Slavic, Baltic, Finno-Ugric took part in its formation with a noticeable participation of Germanic, Turkic, North Caucasian ethnic substrates).

Russian culture began to stand out as a special type within the framework of Christian civilization in the 9th-11th centuries after the formation of the state among the Eastern Slavs and their introduction to Orthodoxy. From the very beginning, Russian culture has been formed on the basis of such cultural characteristics as:

• · Autocratic form of state power (“patrimonial state”);
• · Collective mentality;
• · Subordination of society to the state;
• · Little amount of economic freedom.

One of the most significant factors in the formation of Russian culture was Orthodoxy as a religious and moral guideline for spiritual culture. The Old Russian state was a confederation of independent states. Orthodoxy set a common normative and value order for Rus', the only symbolic form of expression of which was the Old Russian language. It “captured” all layers of society, but not the whole person. The result of this is a very superficial (formal and ritual) level of Christianization of the “silent majority”, their ignorance in religious matters and a naive social-utilitarian interpretation of the fundamentals of the doctrine. Therefore, we can talk about a special type of Russian mass Orthodoxy - formal, closely “fused” with pagan mysticism and practice, which allowed N.A. Berdyaev to call it “Orthodoxy without Christianity.”

Middleness in relation to the Western and Eastern types of cultures is perhaps one of the leading characteristics of Russian culture, since the “Western” and “Eastern” features in the Russian mentality do not strictly contradict each other, but rather are combined and complementary. So, for example, Christian values ​​are borrowed by Russia as a value system of the culture of the West, but in the “eastern” version they are inherited from Byzantium, and the Russian church has been dependent on the Patriarch of Constantinople since the 15th century. Also in the types of socio-political structure: Rus' “tried on” both the Eastern and Western models, and the centers of the Ancient

If we try to formulate which features of the Russian mentality can be characterized as clearly Western, and which as Eastern, then we can present them as follows:

Western features:

• · Christian values;
• · the urban nature of culture, which determines the entire society;
• · military-democratic genesis of state power;
• · absence of the syndrome of total slavery in relations of the “individual-state” type.

Eastern features:

• · lack of private property in the European sense;
• · the dominance of the principle under which power gives rise to property;
• · autonomy of communities in relation to the state;
• · evolutionary nature of development.

As for the so-called “paths” of Russian culture, its cultural history has completely unique specifics. Our history is not so “eternally lasting”, aimed rather at stagnation, any maintenance of stability, balance and, if possible, immutability, as in the East, facing eternity, and, at the same time, not as gradually progressive as in the West, moving along the path of qualitative and extensive development. It’s as if we are playing, shuffling Eastern and Western types of structuring historical time in our history. Russian culture then falls into a kind of hibernation, in which it even “misses” the most important moments of the European history of the spirit (so we did not survive Antiquity, which gave European and Eastern cultures such a powerful cultural innovation (which K. Jaspers called the “axis” of world history) as a transition from the mythological type of thinking to the rational development of the world, to the emergence of philosophy - we began to form our ethnocultural “self” immediately in the Middle Ages; the Renaissance type of personality never took shape in Russian culture, since we also “stepped over” the Renaissance, stepping straight into good and strong Enlightenment), then it concentrates and, from nowhere, drawing strength, is included in some kind of “explosion,” no matter whether it is an external war, an internal revolution, or something like “perestroika” or other reforms. This is another specific feature of the Russian mentality - polarity. Therefore, life in everyday language is a zebra, therefore “it’s either pan or gone”, “who is not with us is against us”, “from rags to riches”... That is, the Russian person does not tolerate intermediate states, he loves to “walk along the blade of a knife and cut your bare soul into blood.” Therefore, he feels great and adapts in crisis, milestone, turning point situations at the collective and even state level. This affects our way of fighting wars and our ability to resist external enemies. Likewise, at the individual level, no one, probably, like a Russian person knows how to come to terms with life’s circumstances, with fate (or even destiny), and if fate itself does not present any twists and tests, then the Russian person “helps” it, provokes it. It is no coincidence that all over the world the game with death, when a person himself “pulls its mustache,” is called “Russian roulette.” This is one of the heterostereotypes of the Russian person in many foreign cultures.

One can also note the accentuated binary as a characteristic feature of Russian culture, where such oppositions as “collectivism - personality” “coexist” in a completely unique and paradoxical way; “activity - passivity”; “borrowing is originality”; “development - stability”; “deconstruction - construction”; “Uniqueness - universalism.

The results of modern ethnopsychological research document the clash in the minds of Russian people of contradictory attitudes and behavioral stereotypes. Thus, there are five main behavioral orientations:

• · collectivism (hospitality, mutual assistance, generosity, gullibility, etc.);
• · on spiritual values ​​(justice, conscientiousness, wisdom, talent, etc.);
• · on power (honoring rank, creating idols, controllability, etc.);
• · for a better future (hope for “maybe”, irresponsibility, carelessness, impracticality, lack of self-confidence, etc.);
• · for a quick solution to life's problems (habit of rush jobs, daring; heroism, high ability to work, etc.).

One of the central features of the Russian mentality is the ideal of obedience and repentance in Christianity (and not physical labor as a mandatory prerequisite for “smart work”, similar to the Western Christian commandment “pray and work”, which, according to M. Weber, was one of the essential prerequisites the formation of capitalism in Western Europe after the Reformation). Hence, Russians have such a heightened sense of guilt and conscience as the individual’s ability to exercise moral self-control. It is savored with a special masochistic taste in Russian literature and is also one of the most common stereotypes.

Russian culture is characterized by a special ethnocentrism and messianism, which are an important part of the Russian way of thinking. This sensitively captures and expresses language, ironizing and hyperbolizing these properties of our mentality (“Russia is the homeland of elephants”; or in one of the modern commercials: “It was a long time ago, when everyone was still Jews, and only the Romans were Russian”). . We are also largely inclined towards traditionalism, which justifies attempts to attribute Russian culture to the East. This is an all-encompassing traditionalism of thinking - a force perceived by members of society, which consists not in the individual and his self-worth, as in Western culture, but in the crowd, the mass. Hence our desire for collective forms - conciliarity in Orthodoxy, “hey, come on, men”, “the whole world, all the people”, “Get up, huge country”, these are rush jobs, collective creativity in all spheres of cultural life. Traditionalism is expressed in “decency and orderliness”, in the everyday and personal life of the Russian person, in the presence of strict canons in literature and art, as well as in a special attitude towards time - in an appeal to the past or the very distant future (A.P. Chekhov: “ Russian people love to remember, but not to live"). One of the sides of our traditionalism is monumentalism - a penchant for grandiose forms of self-expression and self-affirmation. Despite its openness to any intercultural contacts and borrowings, Russian culture is largely introverted. Open to external influences, it is not susceptible to them due to cultural immunity developed over centuries and a “suspicious” attitude towards other, alien cultures. This is well illustrated by our particular way of carrying out reforms. For example, Peter’s “Westernization” in terms of goals and form became the deepest “anti-Westernization” in essence, and the “revolutionary” and Westernizer Peter I turned out to be a guardian and a traditionalist.

In general, mentality is the prevailing schemes, stereotypes and patterns of thinking. Russians are not necessarily Russians. An individual may be proud of being a “Cossack”, “Bashkir” or “Jew” within Russia, but outside its borders all Russians (past and present) are traditionally called (regardless of origin) Russians. There are reasons for this: as a rule, they all have similarities in their mentality and behavioral patterns.

Russians have something to be proud of, we have a huge and strong country, we have talented people and deep literature, while we ourselves know our own weaknesses. If we want to become better, we must know them.

So, let's look at ourselves from the outside, namely from the side of strictly scientific research. What do cultural researchers note as specific features of the Russian mentality?

1. Sobornost, the primacy of the general over the personal: “we are all our own,” we have everything in common and “what will people say.” Conciliarity results in the absence of the concept of privacy and the opportunity for any neighbor’s grandmother to intervene and tell you everything she thinks about your clothes, manners and the upbringing of your children.

From the same opera, the concepts of “public” and “collective”, which are absent in the West. “The opinion of the collective”, “don’t separate from the team”, “what will people say?” - conciliarity in its purest form. On the other hand, they will tell you if your tag is sticking out, your shoelace is untied, your pants are stained, or your grocery bag is torn. And also - they flash their headlights on the road to warn about the traffic police and save you from a fine.

2. The desire to live in truth. The term "pravda", often found in ancient Russian sources, means legal norms, on the basis of which the trial was carried out (hence the expressions “to judge the right” or “to judge in truth”, that is, objectively, fairly). Sources of codification are norms of customary law, princely judicial practice, as well as borrowed norms from authoritative sources - primarily the Holy Scriptures.

Outside of Russian culture, people often talk about law-abiding, decorum, or following religious commandments. In the Eastern mentality, Truth is not talked about; in China, it is important to live according to the precepts left by Confucius.

3. When choosing between reason and feeling, Russians choose feeling: sincerity and sincerity. In the Russian mentality, “expediency” is practically synonymous with selfish, selfish behavior and is not held in high esteem, like something “American.” It is difficult for the average Russian citizen to imagine that one can act intelligently and consciously not only for oneself, but also for the sake of someone, therefore selfless actions are identified with actions “from the heart,” based on feelings, without the head.

Russian - dislike of discipline and methodicality, life according to one's soul and mood, change of mood from peacefulness, forgiveness and humility to merciless rebellion to complete destruction - and vice versa. The Russian mentality lives rather according to the female model: feeling, gentleness, forgiveness, reacting with crying and rage to the consequences of such a life strategy.

4. A certain negativism: most Russians more often see flaws in themselves rather than virtues. Abroad, if a person accidentally touches another person on the street, the standard reaction of almost everyone is: “Sorry,” an apology and a smile. That's how they were raised. It’s sad that in Russia such patterns are more negative, here you can hear “Well, where are you looking?”, and something more harsh. Russians understand well what melancholy is, despite the fact that this word is untranslatable into other European languages. On the streets, it is not customary for us to smile, look into the faces of others, make indecent acquaintances, or simply start talking.

5. A smile in Russian communication is not a mandatory attribute of politeness. In the West, the more a person smiles, the more polite he is. In traditional Russian communication, priority is given to the requirement of sincerity. A smile among Russians demonstrates a personal affection for another person, which, naturally, does not apply to everyone. Therefore, if a person smiles not from the heart, it causes rejection.

You can ask for help - most likely they will help. It's normal to beg for both a cigarette and money. A person in a constantly good mood raises suspicion - either sick or insincere. Anyone who usually smiles affably at others is, if not a foreigner, then, of course, a sycophant. Of course, insincere. He says “Yes”, agrees - a hypocrite. Because a sincere Russian person will definitely disagree and object. And in general, the truest sincerity is when you swear! Then you trust the person!

6. Love of controversy. Disputes traditionally occupy a large place in Russian communication. Russian people love to argue on a variety of issues, both private and general. Love for debate on global, philosophical issues is a striking feature of Russian communicative behavior.

Russian people are often interested in argument not as a means of finding the truth, but as a mental exercise, as a form of emotional, sincere communication with each other. This is why in Russian communicative culture those arguing so often lose the thread of the argument and easily deviate from the original topic.

At the same time, it is completely uncharacteristic to strive for compromise or to let the interlocutor save face. Uncompromisingness and conflict are manifested very clearly: our person is uncomfortable if he did not argue, could not prove that he was right. “As an English teacher formulated this quality: “A Russian always bets to win.” And vice versa, the characteristic “conflict-free” rather has a disapproving connotation, like “spineless”, “unprincipled”.

7. Russian people live by faith in the good that will one day descend from heaven(or simply from above) to the long-suffering Russian land: “Good will definitely defeat evil, but then, someday.” At the same time, his personal position is irresponsible: “Someone will bring us the truth, but not me personally. I can’t do anything myself and I won’t do anything.” For several centuries now, the main enemy of the Russian people has been the state in the form of a serving-punitive class.

8. The “keep your head down” principle. The Russian mentality has a disdainful attitude towards politics and democracy as a form of political structure in which the people are the source and controller of the activities of power. Characteristic is the conviction that people don’t really decide anything anywhere and democracy is a lie and hypocrisy. At the same time, tolerance and habit of lies and hypocrisy of their authorities due to the conviction that it is impossible otherwise.

9. Habit of theft, bribery and deception. The conviction that everyone steals everywhere, and that it is impossible to earn big money honestly. The principle is “if you don’t steal, you don’t live.” Alexander I: “In Russia there is such theft that I’m afraid to go to the dentist - I’ll sit in a chair and they’ll steal my jaw...” Dahl: “Russian people are not afraid of the cross, but they’re afraid of the pestle.”

At the same time, Russians are characterized by a protest attitude towards punishment: punishing for minor violations is not good, somehow petty, it is necessary to “forgive!” will sigh for a long time until he gets angry and starts a pogrom.

10. A characteristic feature of the Russian mentality that follows from the previous paragraph is the love of freebies. Movies need to be downloaded via torrent, pay for licensed programs - it’s a waste, the dream is the joy of Leni Golubkov in the MMM pyramid. Our fairy tales depict heroes who lie on the stove and eventually receive a kingdom and a sexy queen. Ivan the Fool is strong not because of his hard work, but because of his intelligence, when Pike, Sivka-Burka, Little Humpbacked Horse and other wolves, fish and firebirds do everything for him.

11. Taking care of health is not a value, sports are strange, getting sick is normal, but it is categorically not allowed to abandon the poor, and it is also considered morally unacceptable to leave those who did not care about their health and, as a result, became essentially helpless and disabled. Women look for the rich and successful, but love the poor and sick. “How can he live without me?” - hence codependency as a norm of life.

12. In us, pity takes the place of humanism. If humanism welcomes care for a person, placing a free, developed, strong person on a pedestal, then pity directs care to the unfortunate and sick. According to statistics from Mail.ru and VTsIOM, helping adults is in fifth place in popularity after helping children, the elderly, animals and helping environmental problems. People feel more sorry for dogs than for people, and among people, out of a sense of pity, it is more important to support non-viable children, rather than adults who could still live and work.

In the comments to the article, some agree with such a portrait, others accuse the author of Russophobia. No, the author loves Russia and believes in it, having been engaged in educational activities for his country for many decades now. There are no enemies here and there is no need to look for them here, our task is different: namely, to think about how we can raise our country and raise children - our new citizens.

National character and features of the Russian mentality belong to the ethno- and socio-psychological characteristics of Russia.

History of the question of national character

The question of national character has not received a generally accepted formulation, although it has significant historiography in world and Russian pre-revolutionary science. This problem was studied by Montesquieu, Kant, and Herder. And the idea that different peoples have their own “national spirit” was formed in the philosophy of romanticism and pochvennichestvo both in the West and in Russia. In the German ten-volume “Psychology of Nations,” the essence of man was analyzed in various cultural manifestations: everyday life, mythology, religion, etc. Social anthropologists of the last century also did not ignore this topic. In Soviet society, the humanities took as a basis the advantage of class over nationality, so national character, ethnic psychology and similar issues remained on the sidelines. They were not given due importance back then.

The concept of national character

At this stage, the concept of national character includes different schools and approaches. Of all the interpretations, two main ones can be distinguished:

• personal-psychological

• value-normative.

Personal psychological interpretation of national character

This interpretation implies that people of the same cultural values ​​have common personality and mental traits. A set of such qualities distinguishes representatives of this group from others. American psychiatrist A. Kardiner created the concept of “basic personality”, on the basis of which he concluded about the “basic personality type” that is inherent in every culture. The same idea is supported by N.O. Lossky. He highlights the main features of the Russian character, which is different:

• religiosity,
• receptivity to the highest examples of skills,
• spiritual openness,
• subtle understanding of someone else's condition,
• powerful willpower,
• ardor in religious life,
• ebullience in public affairs,
• adherence to extreme views,
• love of freedom, reaching the point of anarchy,
• love for the fatherland,
• contempt for philistinism.

Similar studies also reveal results that contradict each other. Absolutely polar traits can be found in any nation. Here it is necessary to conduct more in-depth research using new statistical techniques.

Value-normative approach to the problem of national character

This approach assumes that national character is not embodied in the individual qualities of a representative of a nation, but in the sociocultural functioning of his people. B.P. Vysheslavtsev in his work “Russian National Character” explains that human character is not obvious, on the contrary, it is something secret. Therefore, it is difficult to understand and unexpected things happen. The root of character is not in expressive ideas or in the essence of consciousness; it grows from unconscious forces, from the subconscious. In this underlying structure such cataclysms are ripening that cannot be predicted by looking at the outer shell. To a large extent this applies to the Russian people.

This social state of mind, based on the attitudes of group consciousness, is usually called mentality. In connection with this interpretation, the features of the Russian character appear as a reflection of the mentality of the people, that is, they are the property of the people, and not a set of traits inherent in their individual representatives.

Mentality

• reflected in people's actions, their way of thinking,
• leaves its mark in folklore, literature, art,
• gives rise to an original way of life and a special culture characteristic of a particular people.

Features of the Russian mentality

The study of Russian mentality began in the 19th century, first in the works of Slavophiles, research was continued at the turn of the next century. In the early nineties of the last century, interest in this issue arose again.

Most researchers note the most characteristic features of the mentality of the Russian people. It is based on deep compositions of consciousness that help make choices in time and space. In the context of this, there is the concept of chronotope - i.e. connections of spatio-temporal relations in culture.

• Endless movement

Klyuchevsky, Berdyaev, Fedotov noted in their works the sense of Space characteristic of the Russian people. This is the vastness of the plains, their openness, the absence of borders. Many poets and writers reflected this model of the national Cosmos in their works.

• Openness, incompleteness, questioning

A significant value of Russian culture is its openness. She can comprehend another who is alien to her, and is subject to various influences from the outside. Some, for example, D. Likhachev, call this universalism, others, like, note universal understanding, call it, like G. Florovsky, universal responsiveness. G. Gachev noted that many domestic classic masterpieces of literature remained unfinished, leaving the way for development. This is the whole culture of Russia.

• Discrepancy between the Space step and the Time step

The peculiarity of Russian landscapes and territories predetermines the experience of Space. The linearity of Christianity and the European pace determine the experience of Time. The vast territories of Russia, the endless expanses predetermine the colossal step of Space. For Time, European criteria are used, Western historical processes and formations are tried on.

According to Gachev, in Russia all processes should proceed more slowly. The Russian psyche is slower. The gap between the steps of Space and Time gives rise to tragedy and is fatal for the country.

Antinomy of Russian culture

The discrepancy in two coordinates - Time and Space - creates a constant tension in Russian culture. Another of its features is connected with this – antinomy. Many researchers consider this trait to be one of the most distinctive. Berdyaev noted the strong inconsistency of national life and self-awareness, where the deep abyss and boundless heights are combined with meanness, baseness, lack of pride, and servility. He wrote that in Russia, boundless philanthropy and compassion can coexist with misanthropy and fanaticism, and the desire for freedom coexists with slavish resignation. These polarities in Russian culture do not have halftones. Other nations also have opposites, but only in Russia can bureaucracy be born from anarchism, and slavery from freedom. This specificity of consciousness is reflected in philosophy, art, and literature. This dualism, both in culture and in personality, is best reflected in the works of Dostoevsky. Literature always provides great information for studying mentality. The binary principle, which is important in Russian culture, is reflected even in the works of Russian writers. Here is the list selected by Gachev:

“War and Peace”, “Fathers and Sons”, “Crime and Punishment”, “Poet and the Crowd”, “Poet and Citizen”, “Christ and Antichrist”.

The names speak of the great inconsistency of thinking:

“Dead Souls”, “Living Corpse”, “Virgin Soil Upturned”, “Yawning Heights”.

Polarization of Russian culture

The Russian mentality with its binary combination of mutually exclusive qualities reflects the hidden polarity of Russian culture, which is inherent in all periods of its development. Continuous tragic tension manifested itself in their collisions:

G.P. Fedotov, in his work “The Fate and Sins of Russia,” explored the originality of Russian culture and depicted the national mentality, its structure in the form of an ellipse with a pair of oppositely polar centers that continuously fight and cooperate. This causes constant instability and variability in the development of our culture, while at the same time encouraging the intention to solve the problem instantly, through an outbreak, a throw, a revolution.

“Incomprehensibility” of Russian culture

The internal antinomy of Russian culture also gives rise to its “incomprehensibility.” The sensual, spiritual, and illogical always prevail in it over the expedient and meaningful. Its originality is difficult to analyze from a scientific point of view, as well as to convey the possibilities of plastic art. In his works, I.V. Kondakov writes that the most consonant with the national identity of Russian culture is literature. This is the reason for our deep respect for the book and the word. This is especially noticeable in Russian culture of the Middle Ages. Classical Russian culture of the nineteenth century: painting, music, philosophy, social thought, he notes, was created for the most part under the impression of literary works, their heroes, plans, plots. The impact on the consciousness of Russian society cannot be underestimated.

Cultural identity of Russia

Russian cultural self-identification is complicated by the specific mentality. The concept of cultural identity includes the identification of an individual with a cultural tradition and national values.

Among Western peoples, national-cultural identity is expressed according to two characteristics: national (I am German, I am Italian, etc.) and civilizational (I am European). In Russia there is no such certainty. This is due to the fact that the cultural identity of Russia depends on:

• multi-ethnic basis of culture, where there are a lot of local variants and subcultures;
• intermediate position between ;
• the inherent gift of compassion and empathy;
• repeated impetuous transformations.

This ambiguity and inconsistency gives rise to discussions about its exclusivity and uniqueness. In Russian culture there is a deep thought about the unique path and highest calling of the people of Russia. This idea was translated into the popular socio-philosophical thesis about.

But in full agreement with everything mentioned above, along with the awareness of national dignity and the conviction of one’s own exclusivity, there is a national denial that reaches self-abasement. The philosopher Vysheslavtsev emphasized that restraint, self-flagellation, and repentance constitute a national trait of our character, that there is no people who criticized, exposed, and joked about themselves in such a way.

Mentality (mentality) (from Late Latin mentalis - mental), way of thinking, a set of mental skills and spiritual attitudes inherent in an individual or social group. Recently, it has become fashionable to explain much in the life of a particular people by its mentality. The Russian people have a spiritual character, are merciful, patriotic, smart and have their own culture.

The Russian way of thinking appeared already in the Middle Ages. In the first literary monuments in the “Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh, in the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, in the “Tale of the Destruction of the Russian Land” there are ideas of our ancestors about space and time, about the relationship to the past, about the relationship between the People and the Power.
There was a Russian style in architecture, painting and stone construction. Russians are well known for their passion for building and decorating churches. This was not so much a manifestation of the piety of our ancestors as a desire for the materialization of beauty. St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, built under Yaroslav the Wise, has distinctive features that gave it uniqueness and beauty.

The question of thinking and inspiration in the Russian worldview is a question of science and inspiration. After all, thinking is the highest level of human cognition, the process of reflecting objective reality. Human thinking has a natural-historical nature and is inextricably linked with the practical activities of people.
In science, Russian national thinking gives birth to something that corresponds to the entire Russian way of life. Already in the XVII - XVIII centuries. the famous Russian desire for geographical discoveries and the conquest of unknown spaces manifested itself (Dezhnev, Khabarov, Atlasov, Krasheninnikov, Chelyuskin, the Laptev brothers). The Russian mind is a search for the path and meaning of life, widely represented both in Russian folklore and in Russian classical literature.

Patriotism is a feeling of love and devotion to one's people and one's homeland. If we talk about patriotism, its origins go back to the times of Kievan Rus. (“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.”) The work fills the hearts of readers with burning grief when describing the defeat of the Russian army, the death of thousands of soldiers and the captivity of princes, and acute hatred of enemies when describing the devastation of the Russian land. But one cannot help but be proud of our homeland and our glorious ancestors when reading the description of the strength, courage and bravery of Russian soldiers. The unknown authors of “The Tale of the Destruction of the Russian Land”, “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” and other works of ancient Russian literature show no less patriotism.

And in modern times it is difficult to find at least one Russian writer who would not admit his boundless love and devotion to his homeland - Russia. When we say “Soviet man,” we mean “Russian man.” But as soon as instead of the definition “Russian” you put another one - say, “German”, “Italian” or “American”, then the phrase seems to lose all meaning. “French man” does not sound. However, such phrases as “Ukrainian person”, “Tajik person”, “Kazakh person” or “Latvian person” do not sound either. We would rather say “Tajik”, “Kazakh”, “Latvian” or “Asian” and “Baltic”.
And “Russian man” - they sound. And they not only sound, but also have a very definite meaning.

One of the main features in the character of the Russian people is the boundless love of freedom. The highest manifestation of this freedom is freedom of spirit.
Classic examples of the search for personal freedom are given to us by great Russian literature (the works of F. Dostoevsky).

Unfulfilled freedom of spirit leads the Russian person to mental exile. In one of his letters in 1824, Pushkin wrote: “I am tired of obeying the good or bad digestion of this or that boss; I’m tired of seeing that in my homeland I’m treated less respectfully than any English dunce who comes to show us his vulgarity, his promiscuity and his muttering.”

Clear examples of Russian people’s desire for freedom of spirit can be considered the widespread custom of going to monasteries among Russian monasticism, as well as the emergence of the Cossacks. And it is not for nothing that prominent theorists of anarchism appeared in Russia - Bakunin, Kropotkin, Tolstoy.
But Rus' replaced Russia.

Currently, there is no single mentality in society, since the state’s society is heterogeneous, so we can only talk about the mentality of individual groups and segments of the population.

An essential component of the public mentality of the Russian people is faith in God, Orthodox traditions, pagan customs, rituals, but on the other hand, atheism as a legacy of the 70-year communist regime also remains an essential component of the public mentality.

There are many holidays and customs in the traditions of the Russian people, both from paganism, Orthodox Christianity, and the era of post-revolutionary socialism.
Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Trinity, Intercession, Paraskeva Friday, St. George's Day. Old New Year, Christmastide, Maslenitsa, apple pie.
February 23, March 8, May 1. May 9 - Victory Day, Independence Day and all professional holidays.
Very often, any event, joyful or sad, is celebrated by drinking alcoholic beverages.

Unfortunately, time does not go back. It is not in our power to reverse history in order to return to the true folk origins of life. Russia - our homeland has become a great and powerful country, which is known throughout the world and is taken into account.

Tyutchev's four lines reveal more to us than some weighty volumes. F. Tyutchev admits in his famous quatrain:
You can't understand Russia with your mind,
The general arshin cannot be measured:
She will become special -
You can only believe in Russia.

In a book about Germany and the German mentality (“Watching the Germans”, “Germany without lies”, etc.), which was republished with updates, I had to compare the Germans with us. Not all readers agreed with me, but I am grateful to them all: the book you are holding in your hands was born out of debate. Who is it written for? For every inquisitive person who is not in the happy confidence that he already knows everything. This book is intended primarily for residents of Russia. It can also help foreigners understand Russians, find a common language with them, and adapt to Russia faster and easier.

Who are we, why are we like this and where are we going? How do we amaze and attract foreigners? Is it true that the Russian soul is mysterious, and what are its secrets? Is it true that the Russia we lost was completely different? Why was it in Russia that the state first declared the goal of building communism? How did the Russians influence the rest of the world? Why in Russia, the richest country in terms of its resources, do people live poorer, and most importantly, not as comfortable as in developed countries? Is it possible, having understood the Russian character, to answer the question of what to do and predict what awaits us? Centuries, rulers, laws change, but do we understand where we are moving and what is stopping us? Maybe for this we need to understand ourselves and look in the mirror again? Unpleasant? Let us remember Gogol - he took as an epigraph to his “The Inspector General” the proverb “There is no point in blaming the mirror...”. Someone will say that the mirror is crooked? But even in an attraction with distorting mirrors, it’s interesting to look at yourself from the outside, and it doesn’t hurt to laugh at yourself. I had the opportunity not only to live in Russia for a long time, but also to spend a lot of time abroad. After this, a lot of things become clearer here. This book is based on my personal experiences, consistent with the research of social scientists. They are supplemented with materials from foreign and Russian press.

In the West, Russians are accused of laziness, drunkenness and lack of culture, while domestic authors sometimes deny real problems. Discussions do not stop - hundreds of books and articles have been and will be written about the Russian mentality: the topic is inexhaustible. I am grateful to the authors with whom I was able to meet, and I regret that it is not possible to list them all. I will mention at least some of the humorists - Zhvanetsky, Zadornov, Irtenev, Gorin, Shaov, Yankovsky, Melikhan, the authors of apt statements on this topic.

Traditional ideas do not take into account the fact that recently the Russian way of life, mentality and value system have changed noticeably. It is extremely important in which direction these changes are going and what they will lead to. People on the Internet ask: “Is it possible to average all Russians? Everyone was very mixed up. My friends and I have ancestry from Uzbeks and Chechens to Germans, British and Balts.” I will answer: the purpose of the book is to identify the main, common traits of Russians, which do not necessarily belong to each of them. We are talking about traits that, in my opinion, are inherent in the majority or even the minority, if such traits occur and significantly influence our lives. If the book compares Russians with anyone, it is primarily with the peoples of developed and especially European countries. Because Russia is a country of high culture, close to European. Every nation has its pros and cons, and you will not find even two completely identical people. To some, the word “mentality” seems like a petrified rule into which they personally try to squeeze it, and this is nothing more than “the average temperature in the hospital,” which changes even before our eyes and which everyone measures in their own way. Each reader probably has his own opinion about the Russian mentality, and he will find something to object to me. I tried to harmonize my thoughts with the research of sociologists, supplement them with materials from the foreign and Russian press, and yet the book is based primarily on my personal impressions. Everything said in the book is just my views and value judgments. Everyone has the right to other views, and I do not claim to be the ultimate truth. On the contrary, it is desirable that this book give rise to thought and debate. In a dispute, truth is born - provided that both sides argue with mutual respect.

One cannot help but admire our people, who managed to develop a vast territory and create a great culture in the most difficult conditions. Although most Russians are nice and likable people, this, of course, does not exclude contradictions or flaws in the Russian character. I want to reassure the reader - the author was not recruited or bribed by anyone. If, dear reader, your soul hurts for your country and you want life in it to become better, then you are certainly a patriot and this book is addressed to you. What if you don’t want to change anything because you are convinced that everything that surrounds you here is the best in the world? If you think that only enemies can talk about shortcomings? Then you are also a patriot. But a patriot is of a different kind, and I advise you not to read this book: it is not for you.

In parts one and two we will talk about the first impressions of foreigners when meeting Russians, that is, about those features of Russians that catch the eye. Gradually we will move on to features that require closer acquaintance.

I am grateful to my wife Galina Tomchina for her invaluable and main assistance in editing the book, as well as to Olga Papysheva, Maxim Tomchin, Leonid Zakharov, Mikhail Itsykson and Lev Shapiro, who read the book in manuscript, for their valuable comments.

Russia is recognizable to a Westerner, but at some points it is completely unpredictable. This is a completely different culture, a completely different society... Looking at you, as in a mirror, we see ourselves in a new way.

E. Miller

Russia is inhabited by people of more than a hundred nationalities - Russians. But I prefer the word “Russians”. This is what I will call everyone who considers the Russian language and culture native and considers themselves Russian. Abroad, all residents of Russia are called Russians. There is a joke: two Japanese, a Tatar, a Russian, a Ukrainian and an Armenian are riding in a hotel elevator. One Japanese man quietly says to another: “Look at these Russians - they all look the same!” No matter how different the people of Russia may be, they have a lot in common.

“Whoever thinks in what language belongs to that people,” said Vladimir Dal. Tsar Nicholas II did not have even one hundredth of Russian blood, but he was a Russian man. Many “foreigners” made important contributions to Russian civilization. Among them are Pushkin, Lermontov, Fonvizin, Karamzin, Levitan, Bagration, Witte, and Dahl himself. According to journalist L. Parfenov, “Germans, Georgians and Jews were especially massive and bright in converting to “Russianness.” The Jew Levitan was a Russian artist, and the German Catherine II was the Russian empress. “One cannot assume that anyone brought up in Russian culture (whether he is Chinese or an Armenian with the last name Khachikyan) can consider himself a Russian. Even if his nanny read Russian fairy tales to him as a child,” Natalya V. writes on the Internet. And Nadezhda K. did not like Pushkin’s statement about Russians, and she assures that “he is just not Russian.” She considers herself a real Russian, although her Russian language is lame. What's the point of arguing with them? Let fighters for the purity of Russian blood consider our classic an Ethiopian poet. And Okudzhava is a Georgian or Russian-language poet, but not Russian.

The indigenous inhabitants of Russia famously renamed foreigners. Hamilton? So, you will be Khomutov. Koos von Dahlen? Kozodavlev! The hero of M. Weller's story, an English engineer, married a Russian and stayed to live in Russia. Walter (we have Bolt) got drunk and learned to knock down two kopecks from the store. Everyone loved him “as a kind, harmless fool who made life more interesting.” The Chinese living in Siberian cities, already in the second generation, begin to drink, take steam in the bathhouse and work without the same zeal. “In Russia, even Jews grow Slavic cheekbones,” noted F. Engels. Russians show a rare ability to understand people and recognize their own at first sight. The philosopher Vasily Rozanov said a hundred years ago: “If you look at a Russian with a sharp eye, he will look at you, and everything is clear, no words are needed. This is what you can’t do with a foreigner.” Jokers say that Russians are the people who manage to survive in Russia. Maybe people are united by common difficulties? A common destiny and language are what unites all Russians.