Why are foreigners afraid of Russians in France? Why are the brave American soldiers afraid of the Russians? The Iron Curtain and the battle of two superpowers
It is difficult to imagine Russia without baths. Even today, when the fashion for saunas has spread, in almost every village courtyard or summer cottage There is a Russian bathhouse where you can give yourself a strong steam and heartily whip yourself with a fragrant broom.
The history of the Russian bath is ancient; the chronicler Nestor mentioned it. Naturally, almost all foreigners who visited Russia encountered a Russian bathhouse. As a rule, the Russian bathhouse made an indelible impression on them, and terrified many of them. And there was something to be afraid of - in the clouds of hot steam, flushed men and women whipped themselves with rods, and then threw themselves into the snow or an ice hole. From the outside it probably looked like sophisticated self-torture.
At the end of the 17th century, Hans Eirmann visited Russia in the retinue of the Swedish ambassador Count Christian Horn, who left notes about Muscovy. This is what struck him about Russian bath washing: “They don’t use, like us, a scraper to clean dirt from the body, but they have a so-called broom, it’s made of birch twigs that they dry. In the summer, while the brooms are still green, they are brought to cities on countless carts for sale; each owner buys them in large quantities and hangs them out to dry. With them, Muscovites allow themselves to be thoroughly whipped by others. This broom is first soaked in warm water, which for noble people is boiled with good herbs, and then they stroke and rub themselves with it all over the body up and down until all the dirty tricks come off the skin. They do this so many times until they see that they are completely clean. At the same time, Muscovites have a particularly healthy habit of dousing themselves with ice water from head to toe in the bathhouse, and only after that are they ready.”
For civilized Europe, who preferred to clean dirt from herself with scrapers, mask the smell of an unwashed body with perfume, and hang flea traps under her clothes to fight insects, the Russian bathing procedures were amazing. The fact that Europeans had poor physical cleanliness is not an exaggeration. “Venetian women wore expensive silks and furs, flaunted jewelry, but did not wash, and their underwear was either terribly dirty or had none at all” - this is the testimony of the traveler Marco Polo. And the Spanish Queen Isabella of Castile stated that she washed herself twice in her entire life - at birth and before her wedding.
Foreigners were amazed that Russians even dragged them to the bathhouse, considering it almost an obligatory attribute of communication. Courlander Jacob Reitenfels, who visited Moscow almost simultaneously with Eirmann, wrote that “Russians consider it impossible to form friendship without inviting them to the bathhouse and then eating at the same table.”
At the same time, in Moscow, the Czech traveler Bernhard Tanner and his companions decided to own initiative visit public bath. It turned out to be an embarrassment. “According to our custom, we came covered, thinking that they wash here the same as in our area, but from the very first step we noticed the difference; The door, we saw, was open, the windows were not locked, but it was still very hot in the bathhouse. When the Muscovites saw us covered, and they were completely naked without any shame, they burst into laughter. There are no servants here, nor a bathhouse attendant or a barber; anyone who needed water had to go down to the river himself. We stayed there a little and left dry as we came, having looked at their way of washing; how they, instead of rubbing themselves, began to whip themselves with rods, scream, and roll around cold water. We saw that women wash themselves in the same way, and they also run naked back and forth without hesitation.”
By the way, foreigners unanimously noted that in a Russian bath either men and women wash together, or the sections for them are separated only by a small partition, and they all run out together without hesitation to plunge into the snow or into the river. For them it was truly exotic. In Russia, only in 1743, the Senate, by a special decree, prohibited men from washing together with women in commercial baths. The decree began to be observed, but only in major cities.
Foreigners were also quite surprised by the fact that Russian marital duties are associated with washing in a bathhouse. Before the wedding, the bride and groom always washed in the bathhouse, which was a continuation of a kind of “stag party” and “hen party,” and after the first wedding night they were already going to the bathhouse together. This custom was followed for a long time and Russian monarchs. Moreover, if on ordinary days the king “was pleased to sleep with the queen,” then in the morning they both went to the bathhouse, where they washed together or separately with their entourage. It is curious that based on this principle, the boyars immediately figured out that False Dmitry and his wife were clearly “not part of Rus'” and did not go to the bathhouse together.
To the credit of foreigners, many understood that the Russians were far ahead of them in matters of hygiene. Spaniard Ribero Sanchez former doctor at the court of Elizabeth Petrovna, he sincerely admired: “Everyone clearly sees how happy society would be if it had an easy, harmless and so effective way that it could not only preserve health, but also heal or tame diseases that so often happen. I, for my part, only have one Russian bath prepared properly, I consider capable of bringing such great good to a person. When I think about the multitude of medicines coming out of pharmacies and chemical laboratories, prepared by so many dependents, and brought from all over the world, then I wanted to see that half or three-quarters of them, buildings erected everywhere at great expense, would turn into Russian baths for the benefit of society.” .
He is echoed by the Cameroon Berholtz, who became acquainted with a Russian bathhouse in St. Petersburg. In his notes about Russia, he describes in detail a visit to the steam room and all the sauna rituals, noting that “at the end of all these operations you feel as if you were born again.”
It is worth noting that many foreigners took root in Russia, becoming practically Russian in their habits. Naturally, they also got used to the Russian bathhouse. TO 19th century Expensive, richly furnished bathhouses with good service and excellent buffets appeared in large cities. They quickly turned into a kind of clubs for wealthy people. In Moscow, the famous Sanduny became such a bathhouse club, where all the people visited Russian nobility and where foreigners began to go with pleasure.
It is interesting that foreigners who lived in Russia for a long time began to build bathhouses upon their return to their homeland, which greatly amazed their compatriots. The Russian bathhouse “conquered” Germany especially quickly. “But we Germans,” wrote the German doctor Max Ploten, “using this healing remedy, never even mention its name, rarely remember that this step forward in cultural development owe our eastern neighbor" Baths began to appear in other countries, and the Portuguese Antonio Sanches even published the book “Respectful Essays on Russian Baths.”
In Europe they love to talk about the mysterious Russian soul and remember the great writers, philosophers, dancers, poets, scientists that Russia gave to the world. But sometimes they forget that enlightened Europe was also taught basic washing by Russia.
Why are Americans afraid of Russians? Soviet times seems to be behind us, but the fear of citizens Great America remained in front of the Russian. On many websites, forums, and blogs, Russian emigrants only confirm this fact. And the Americans themselves do not deny it. Moreover, there are many demonstration videos on the Internet. In one of them, an American advises imitating a Russian accent when meeting with criminal elements, and not speaking to Russians at all.
Reasons for a wary attitude
1. Historical memory. Remember how persistently America demanded disarmament after World War II? Even today it seems to them that Russia is secretly preparing for war. Therefore, various framework documents are signed that determine the number of carriers of strategic warheads.
Historical memory explains why Poles do not like Russians. And in America the price human life quite high. The death of several hundred of their citizens is national mourning. Naturally, they are very afraid of attacks from outside. If you have a gun, it will fire sooner or later. And in Russia it exists.
2. The unpredictability of the Russian nation. A person is always afraid of what he does not understand. Actions Russian authorities sometimes they just don’t fit into the frame common sense. And what is happening in our country, its citizens cannot always understand. Here are recent examples.
The high-profile case of Oboronservis, when multibillion-dollar thefts were committed under Serdyukov’s nose, and he “did not sleep.” Can an American understand this clearly? Russian phenomenon? Hardly.
Americans also find it difficult to understand our other national traits: theft, lying and drunkenness. Russians live by the principle: “If you don’t steal, you can’t live.” They “carry” from any job. From a poor hospital - gloves, medicine. From school - crayons and books for your children. Drivers steal gasoline. Accountants - stationery. In America, scammers are potential residents of numerous prisons. In Russia, scammers occupy public positions. Law and order in all areas of life make American existence predictable and orderly. The same cannot be said about Russia.
This is simply a statement of fact. The article does not talk about what is bad and what is good. To each his own. Many Russians return from America to their homeland. Because they cannot live within such strict limits.
3. America is ruled by military organizations.
NATO, the Pentagon, the CIA... It is beneficial for the United States for the population to be afraid of something. Only with such a worldview will Americans approve of harsh methods, dangerous technologies and terrible experiments.
4. Americans are always afraid of something. Just watch American thrillers and action films, which are very popular in our country. There is some kind of threat hanging over the country, it needs to be saved and protected. Fortunately, such a hero exists. Still located...
Do you remember the rumors about the end of the world? So here it is. More than one story about very “thoughtful” individuals was shown on television. They set up real bomb shelters, stocked up on canned food for the next three years, warm clothes and matches. The bulk of these individuals are Americans. Mental disorders have become more frequent amid expectations of the end of the world.
Have you ever gone through security at an airport, for example? This is some kind of horror. For law enforcement officers, you are a potential criminal. They explore up and down.
5. Russians are unemotional and even somewhat harsh. Of course, it's not just ours national trait. But now we are talking about Russian-American relations. Smiling and emotional Americans perceive our seriousness as sullenness. We will not smile again without a good reason. We are unlikely to approach a stranger unless absolutely necessary. And in America, a curious lady can easily tug at your sleeve and ask where you bought such a cool blouse.
You walk down the street and hear kind remarks, wishes, and see smiles. In Russia they can only send it.
To avoid being pelted with slippers, I’ll clarify once again: the article contains the main opinions of visitors to various forums on this issue. Several examples are given from personal experience. But the above assumptions are not the only correct ones. Perhaps you are lucky to live in America and see only a friendly attitude towards yourself. And without a bit of bias.
There has long been a proverb: “Rus' is strong with heroes, not vodka with fools!” - and she is correct.
In the West latest trends are such that it becomes difficult to distinguish a man from a woman, unfortunately. In Russia, traditional healthy foundations are stronger, so things are different here. To be a man is a matter of honor for a Russian man. It is not enough just to be born a boy, you need to develop a real iron masculine character.
Our girls also strive to maintain moral values, that is why Russian girls are so beautiful and feminine. Thank God we don’t have any movements like “feminism”.
Do you know how a Russian man differs from a European man fighting for equality? If the matter concerns a family, then a Russian man, without hesitation, will come to her defense. And it doesn’t matter how many enemies stand in front of him. The European, on the other hand, would prefer to cowardly sit on the sidelines, watching as his loved ones endure bullying. Not all European men are like this, it is impossible to generalize, but this phenomenon exists.
Well, the following story happened to one Russian girl:
My friend and I were on vacation. We decided to go on a sightseeing tour around Europe. We bought tickets, packed our bags, and off we went. The first stage was England, namely London.
After checking into the hotel, we went down to the restaurant on the first floor. There we met two Russian men, completely by accident. They themselves heard Russian speech and came to us. By the way, Sasha and I have been married for five years now and we have beautiful daughter! But that’s not about that now.
Both guys are athletic, as it turned out later, they are graduates of a military institute physical culture in St. Petersburg.
Walking along the embankment, we stopped at a cafe. Literally a couple of minutes later, three noticeably “yielding” Englishmen approached us, who unceremoniously sat down at our table and began to bully us. Our companions tried to explain uninvited guests calmly, without shouting, they say, you are disturbing, leave us alone, please. This did not work, and the British began to laugh even more with questions like “watch, watch.” Well, in general, it became clear where things were going.
Our guys calmly stood up, Sasha took off his glasses and put them on the table, saying in Russian “Don’t break them, dears, it’s an infection!” Before ours had time to begin, the British became silent.
Sasha tells them: “Come on, stand-up?”
And then one of the merry fellows, in quiet horror, asks a question, timidly, uncertainly:
"A yu from Rush?"
Ours to him:
"Yes sir!"
Well, once again:
"Come on? We're ready!"
Ready in the sense of fighting.
It was as if the British had been replaced. With the words “sorry, sorry,” they hastily get up from our table and leave. Our people are at a loss, but oh well.
Later, upon returning to our homeland, we told this story to a Briton living in Russia.
He listened with a smile and said the following:
“Nobody wants to get involved with Russians abroad. Because you immediately rush into a fight. The same French or Germans get angry from jokes and ridicule, but sit silently and continue to eat, for example, in the same cafe. And the Russians immediately go to beat up the bullies .
By the way, most insurance companies in Lately make amendments to their contracts, which indicate that fights with Russian tourists do not apply to insured events. I have to pay too often!”
Here's the story.
About Russians, and in particular about Russian men ah, there are many myths and legends in the world. Which we Russians can sometimes only laugh at... Let's look at some of them.
Myth one. All Russian men are drunkards
In fact, Russia is far from the first country in the world in terms of alcohol consumption per capita. In this regard, it is inferior to Italy, France and some US states. Yes, it’s really customary for us to relax and relieve stress with the help of alcohol. But to get to the point of “substandard”, most of our men need to drink much more than, say, most Finns. We don’t have that many people who “use” every day – no more than in any other country. Many people drink only on weekends and holidays - in general, “on occasion.” So, even if you wanted to, you couldn’t call them drunkards.
Myth two. Russian men are lazy
Conscientious work in Rus' has been a tradition from time immemorial. Russian peasants plowed from dawn to dusk. After the revolution, workers and collective farmers built communism, fulfilling five-year plans. Nowadays, many men are willing to work hard to feed their families. For example, for sales managers, earnings often depend on sales results: “what goes around comes around.” Yes, of course, there are sinecures that are occupied by “thieves” who spend their time in the office. And everywhere there are employees who take every opportunity to shift their responsibilities to someone else and waste their time. But there are only a few of them. And the majority really work.
Myth three. Russian men are thieves and not known for their honesty
In the West today everyone is afraid of the “Russian mafia”. Forgetting that representatives of the mafia are only a small part Russian population. But Russian merchants have long been famous for their honesty! Everything changed after the revolution, when they began to put people in prison for “speculation” and “embezzlement.” people's good" And without this, people often could not exist in a socialist economy. IN of today's Russia rich people are often said to have “stole” because it is difficult to achieve success and make money if you are not corrupt, if you do business honestly and do not hide from taxes. Almost all businessmen and officials do this. Sometimes they are caught red-handed and find themselves involved in high-profile cases. But is it possible to judge all Russian men as a whole by them? Among the latter there are a lot of honest ones, hardworking people who will never take someone else's penny.
Myth four. Russian men are unclean
For some reason, the myth of “unwashed Russia” is very tenacious. Although Russians (including men), even before the advent of running water, washed themselves in a bathhouse at least once a week. Unlike the residents Western Europe. Thus, it is known that the Spanish Queen Isabella washed herself from head to toe only once - before her wedding. And they say about the French “Sun King” Louis XIV that he took a bath only twice in his entire life... Today, to save money, Europeans use used water for washing. But Russians like to wash in running water. By the way, the word “Slavs” itself means “pouring water.” As for our men directly, that is, among them, of course, they were dirty. But still, most have the healthy habit of taking a shower.
Myth fifth. Russian men are ill-mannered
This myth probably arose because of Khrushchev, who allegedly knocked his shoe on the podium at the UN. Yes, Russians often behave emotionally and unrestrainedly. But most Russian men will help a lady carry heavy bags, pay for her in a cafe, give her a coat, hold the door for her... But in the West there is equality, and there you won’t expect such actions from the stronger sex towards a woman. And who is more educated?
Myth six. Russian men wear earflaps
Yes, earflaps in Russian winter are the most suitable headdress for men. But men from other countries also wear earflaps. Thus, it is part of the uniform of some Canadian military units and part of the winter uniform of German police officers. But in the warm season, not a single Russian man will wear earflaps.
Myth seventh. Russian men are good in bed
Russian men, on average, have far fewer complexes than their Western counterparts. And there are fewer gays among them, and God did not offend the inhabitants of our northern country with their physical constitution... Therefore, they often compare favorably in the eyes of Western women with their own compatriots.
To understand the meaning of words of foreign origin, it is enough to simply accurately translate them into Russian. Everyone in Russia has heard the word “Russophobia.” But do we understand its meaning correctly? Many believe that it means HATE for Russia and everything Russian. Is this so?
What is Russophobia?
Claustrophobia is the FEAR of closed spaces, agoraphobia is the FEAR of open doors. And Russophobia, if we translate this word literally, means FEAR of the Russian. Why then do they talk about hatred? Maybe hatred comes from fear? Some people hate snakes or spiders because they don't understand them and are afraid of them. Perhaps spiders hate people in the same way and for the same reason.
Today the level of Russophobia in the “civilized” West is simply off the charts. Maybe the residents Western countries have a negative attitude towards Russians because they are afraid of them? And they are afraid because they do not understand. For a “civilized” person, the actions of Russians are irrational and unpredictable, so they frighten and cause a feeling of mistrust.
I will try to confirm this statement with an example.
An incident in the European outback
This happened in a small provincial French town suffering from an influx of migrants. It is not a fact that all the events described are absolutely true. Perhaps a lot of invented details have been added here, or maybe the whole story is made up. Don't know. As they say, what I bought for is what I sell for.
So, in one small town in France there is a small private store. Every morning, fragrant, warm and crispy baguettes are delivered there. Locals They usually come to the very opening of the store and line up.
And one such morning, when the store had already opened, but the seller had not yet begun to release the goods, this extraordinary event occurred. The baguettes stood in baskets like pencils in a glass, exuding the aroma of freshly baked bread. The line waited patiently. But suddenly a flock of strong, bearded guys of Middle Eastern origin came in. Five young Arabs, chattering cheerfully in their own language, walked up to the baskets and took all the baguettes, after which they stood in line.
The mood of the French standing in it noticeably deteriorated, but not a single cry of indignation was heard. But these people came for fresh bread, which they did not get. But the French remained silent, since they are civilized and tolerant citizens. Of course, visiting Arabs are for local French a real disaster, but what can you do.
And at that moment an exclamation in an unknown language was heard from the queue: “What the f...!” Two young men of Slavic appearance separated from the line and approached the Arabs. As they say, trouble does not come alone. The second “trouble”, approaching the first, took away all the loaves without further ado.
But that was only the beginning. What happened next left all the French present simply taken aback. The Russians handed out “trophy” baguettes to everyone in line, one per hand. Moreover, the expression on their faces was such that it was impossible to refuse. When each Frenchman had a loaf of bread in his hands, the guys kept one for themselves, and returned the rest of the baguettes to the Arabs. After that, without saying a word, we returned to the queue.
And imagine what a nightmare it was from the point of view of a civilized European. Two Russian guys not only took the baguettes from the terrible Arabs, but also gave them away. If they wanted, they could even force the French to eat these loaves.
And if the Russians did this with their bare hands, then what are they capable of with Kalashnikov assault rifles, tanks and airplanes? Of course you should be afraid of them!
The actions of Russian people are devoid of any logic from the point of view of a resident of the “civilized” Western world. Therefore, they cause anxiety and fear.
It is this feeling of discomfort at the sight of Russians that is called Russophobia.
