Traditions and mentality of Russian society. To the Frenchman: “This is the lady’s request.”

Recently, discussions about the Russian mentality and especially the difference in the mentalities of Europeans and Russians have become extremely politicized. Therefore, it is difficult for our compatriots traveling to Europe to form an objective opinion about how the mentality of a Russian person actually differs from the European one and in which countries it is easiest to get used to local life. We set out to answer this question impartially and without political overtones. And for this we turned to our clients, who already have enough for a long time live in the European Union.

Common Mistake

Of course, Russians and Ukrainians are confident that they know everything about the Western mentality. However, in practice it often turns out that this is not the case, and our own self-confidence plays with us cruel joke. Moreover, many people do not even know their own mentality well enough.

Once abroad, we find it difficult to get along with those around us, we waste our nerve cells and even become depressed because there is nothing around that would warm our soul. What is the mistake?

We need to learn in advance more about our own mentality, analyze the characteristics of the mentality and the cultural and social situation in the country where we are going, make comparisons and understand mental differences. Analysis will help us assess how harmoniously we will “fit” into the new environment.

Russian mentality: its features

What is the Russian mentality? Wikipedia gives the following definition: “Mentality is a set of mental, emotional, cultural characteristics, value orientations and attitudes inherent in social or ethnic group, nation, people, nationality."

Many sociological studies feature such signs of the Russian mentality

• the desire to put public interests above personal ones
• sensory perception of reality
• openness, sincerity and kindness
• acts of mercy
• negative attitude towards formalities
• prejudice towards others
• dislike for those who “stick their neck out” and who “need the most”
• craving for controversy
• commitment to free products
• desire to resolve problems amicably and informally
• neglect of health

Difference between Western and Eastern mentality

Psychologists note the following differences between the Russian mentality and the Western one:

The mentality of the Russian people on European soil

When everything is on the shelves

Is there really a gap between us and the Europeans that cannot be bridged? Not at all! It is worth noting that in the CIS countries there are quite a lot of people with character and traits similar to European ones. For them, social adaptation occurs as quickly and easily as possible.

“Austria turned out to be a very comfortable country for me,” notes Dmitry Shashkov, a client of our company from Salzburg. – I moved here under an investment program, lived with a residence permit status for a little over a year, and now it’s been 7 months since I received an Austrian passport. I’ll note right away that most of my friends from Moscow would have a hard time here. Austrians are a busy people who live according to a schedule. They even have fun and relax during strictly designated hours, which is a bit wild for a Russian person. However, this way of life suits me 100%. I profess pragmatism and love when everything is laid out on the shelves. You clearly plan your future and know that there are no surprises around the corner.”

Useful features

And many immigrants find extremely useful traits for themselves in the mentality, culture, and traditions of foreign people and happily borrow them. It would seem that what the Russians and the British have in common...

“Even before I got a residence permit in the UK and started doing business here, it seemed to me that we were quite different,” Grigory Lozovoy from Cambridge shares his impressions. – In practice, everything turned out differently. The British soul is no less mysterious than the Russian one. They also love to criticize themselves and immediately admire themselves. Moreover, their self-criticism is worth envying. They are very meticulous about their success, especially in business, and plan things carefully. And failures are experienced, probably, no less tragically than our compatriots. What I was happy to learn from the British was their determination and self-confidence.”

Southern temperament

If you think that mentality Western civilization- this is pragmatism, detachment and coldness, then southern peoples(Greeks, Spaniards, Portuguese) do not fall under these definitions at all.

“It seems that the Spaniards are fixated on their own pleasures,” says Andrei Kartush from Barcelona. – For them, violent entertainment is a common activity that they can indulge in around the clock. This lifestyle often affects their work, which makes them very similar to us. They can easily oversleep and be late. At the same time, they are energetic. Compared to the Spaniards, even the most expressive Russians fade into the background. Why do you think there are so many of our compatriots in Spain? The Spaniards have many common features with the Russians: lack of organization, unpredictability. If it weren’t for their overly “protruding” individualism, I would say that they are the same Russians, but much more expressive. What is captivating is that the Spaniards are extremely simple, sociable, sincere, and hospitable. This is why Russians feel comfortable in Spain. I bought real estate here, obtained a residence permit and have been living here for three years without experiencing any problems with adaptation.”

If friendship, then for a long time

There are countries that are preferred by residents of certain countries or even regions. In particular, residents of Ukraine, especially its western regions, choose Hungary for immigration. There are more high level life, affordable prices and favorable conditions for obtaining a residence permit and citizenship.

“It’s been a year and a half since we moved to Budapest from Kyiv under the “Permanent Residence by Investment” program,” says our client Irina Kolganova. – Hungary is close to us in mentality, if only because for a long time it was also socialist country, and this left its mark on its inhabitants. Hungarians are contradictory: they combine features of the East and the West. In the same person you can notice Turkish hospitality and German stinginess. But most often we meet positive, friendly people, especially among young people. Hungarians are much calmer and more reasonable than Russians. Probably our emotionality and unpredictability scare them away. Nevertheless, they are loyal to migrants, it is not so easy to get along with them, but if a friendship has developed, you will not regret it.”

Unfortunately, very much in Russian relations with European peoples spoiled by politics. The memory of the activities of the Soviet government and the Second World War is also still alive. This must be taken into account when choosing a country for immigration.

If we talk about countries where foreigners speak positively about the Russian mentality, these are Greece, Spain, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Malta. We practically never had any problems with the peoples of these countries. historical conflicts, so you will be received as warmly as possible there.

Hungary, Great Britain, Austria, the Netherlands, and France are quite tolerant of the Russian mentality. No wonder they live in these countries greatest number immigrants from the CIS countries.

When choosing a country for obtaining a residence permit or citizenship, be sure to analyze the characteristics of your own mentality and compare it with the local mentality. Only in this way will you protect yourself from unnecessary conflicts and negative experiences.

In turn, on our blog we will continue to inform you about the most profitable immigration programs of European countries and answer your questions and comments. Subscribe to our updates and stay up to date with events!

Russian mentality cannot be mechanically identified with the Russian people. Carriers Russian mentality quite a few among representatives of other nations. And the perception of the Russian character, as studies show, is practically not connected either with the type of civil self-identification, or with ideas about the desired model of the national-state structure, or with the choice of one or another definition of the concept “Russian”.

Mentality-forming constants are formed under the influence of three reasons:

1) geographical factors - characteristics of the territory: its size, climate, landscape, soil type, wealth of subsoil, flora and fauna, etc., collectively referred to below as nature;

2) genetic factors - features of the genetic mechanism of inheritance of psychophysiological traits typical of the population, acquired under the influence of nature in the process of natural selection;

3) social factors - objective features of the history of the emergence and existence of a people.

According With these three reasons, mentality-forming constants can be divided into three types: nature-formed, gene-formed and socially formed.

Towards Russian mentality-forming constants natural origin(I mean historical Russia in the current framework) include the following: the enormous size of the territory; the middle geographical location of Russia between East and West; colossal natural resources; harsh climate is the basis of part of the territory with long winters and short summer; low-fertility soils of most of the territory (about 70% of the territory of Russia is in the permafrost zone). Natural mentality-forming constants played a primary role in the formation of the Russian mentality, as they contributed to the emergence of gene-formed and socially formed constants.

The Russian mentality-forming constant of genetic origin is high heterozygosity (a variety of variants of the same genes in the chromosomes), the richness of the gene pool and genotypes. High heterozygosity of the population arose as a consequence of the multinationality of Russia (about 150 peoples and nationalities) and the absence of prohibitions on interethnic marriages. In turn, the multinationality of Russia was a consequence of reasons of a geographical and historical nature (diversity natural conditions V different parts vast territory, generating national identity the indigenous peoples living in these parts; inclusion of these units into Russia in different periods her history).

The Russian mentality-forming constant of socio-historical origin is the centuries-old existence of the Russian people under conditions of centralized power and patronage of the state, personified in the form of a leader (prince, boyar, tsar, General Secretary, etc.). And again, centralized power and state patronage in relation to the population appeared as a consequence of the central geographical position of the Russian state, the protection of which from threats from both the East and the West required strong power. The government organized the protection of the population, the population supported the government. This mutual support strengthened as Russia's territory expanded.

All of the listed mentality-forming constants were formed, of course, not simultaneously, but gradually, in the process of the historical formation of the Russian state, accompanied by the formation of special features of both the Russian mentality and Russian civilization. In general, we can consider the emergence of the Russian mentality, state and civilization not an accident, but an objective pattern determined by the laws of nature.

The features of the Russian mentality, formed under the influence of natural mentality-forming constants, include the following.

1. Sustainability nervous system , ability to overcome difficulties, perseverance, patience. The mentality of the population is largely determined by the composition of the products they eat. In turn, the composition of products depends on the set of agricultural crops growing in the area where the population lives and giving a good harvest. For this reason, in conditions of infertile soils, harsh climates and short summer Central Russia is characterized by the cultivation of durum varieties of rye, from which black rye bread is baked. Black bread has long been the basis of nutrition for Russian people. This unique food product is rich in B vitamins, which have a positive effect on the formation of a stable nervous system of the population. Therefore, black rye bread, as a national Russian product, can be considered a nature-forming factor in the formation of such traits of the Russian mentality as perseverance and patience. History has shown the ability of Russian people to overcome a variety of difficulties due to these character traits.

2. Balance of temperament. The climate in which they live has a great influence on the mentality of the population. A harsh climate requires an economical expenditure of energy for survival, and, conversely, a comfortable climate relaxes people, facilitating the spontaneous release of their energy. internal energy. Native northerners are more reserved, cold-blooded, focused, and self-contained than southerners. This determines the balanced, calm temperament characteristic of Russian people.

3. The ability to mobilize internal forces. The influence of climate in the form of centuries-long alternation of relatively long winters and short summers with a high percentage of the rural population in Russia required a “pulse” regime of energy expenditure by the body - intensive expenditure in summer on agricultural work and low expenditure in winter. This impulse mode contributed to the formation of such a character trait as the ability to mobilize internal forces for a certain period of time. However, given the transition over several generations of the majority of the population from a rural to an urban lifestyle, this feature national mentality may be gradually lost.

4. Peacefulness, hospitality and good nature. Obviously, the mentality of the crowded population of small countries and the sparse population living in the vast big countries different. Large countries like Russia have never had the problem of expanding living space, they have had the problem of preserving it. Special geographical position Russia, occupying the space between the West and the East, forced it into different time conduct mainly defensive wars against Western and Eastern aggressors. Russians have always been peace-loving (we don’t need someone else’s, we have plenty of our own!). From here follows the well-known hospitality, hospitality and good nature of the Russian people, tolerance towards other peoples (we have nothing to envy!)

5. Breadth of nature. Big sizes territories of Russia, endless forests and numerous rivers and lakes, rich in animals and fish, berries and mushrooms, created in the Russian people the idea of ​​​​the inexhaustibility of natural resources and the boundlessness of living space, gave rise in the psychology of the Russian population to a feeling of the greatness of a huge country, the boundlessness of its size and its diversity opportunities and, as a consequence, breadth of nature.

The genetically determined features of the Russian mentality include the following:

1. Talent. Diversity of genetic composition of hereditary biological structures ( chromosomes) gives rise to a very wide range of physical, psychological and intellectual characteristics of individual people. Combined with the large population, this genetic property predetermines a high probability of the emergence of unusual, phenomenal types of people with original genotypes. It is among such people that talents and geniuses are most often found - people with outstanding or unique abilities for a certain type of activity. The peculiar combinations of gene variants in these genotypes explain the talent of the Russian people.

2. High adaptability. High heterozygosity determines the presence in every Russian person of a wide range of behavioral reactions. This results in a high adaptive capacity, the adaptability of the Russian population to changing living conditions. This same high adaptability can explain such features of the Russian mentality as unpretentiousness and tolerance to living conditions, since at an unconscious level there is a genetic mechanism for adapting to them.

3. Russian ingenuity represents one of the ways to realize high adaptability when you need to find original output from a difficult situation. Ingenuity is an intellectual means of survival, of overcoming difficulties regardless of their content.

The considered genetic traits of the Russian mentality are inherited genetically. In contrast to them, the socially formed features of the Russian mentality considered below are inherited not genetically, but through the mechanism historical memory, including folk traditions, folklore, literature, art of all kinds, and in general everything that is commonly called culture.

The socio-formed features of the Russian mentality are determined by the interaction of its gene- and nature-formed features with social conditions life for quite a long time historical period spanning many generations (hundreds of years). Only a nation with centuries-old history, such as Russian.

The sociocultural features of the Russian mentality include the following:

1. Collectivism and conciliarity, developed by centuries of life in a rural community. The community did not appear suddenly, but as a historically formed necessity of existence, as a reaction to low soil fertility, low yields Agriculture and harsh climatic conditions, in which it was easier to survive in a community and using mutual assistance than alone. Russian history has shown that its course is determined not by socio-economic theories of changing social formations, but by the habit of the Russian population to a certain image life, especially the habit of the rural population to live in the community. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the stability of socially-formed mentality traits is lower than genetic and nature-formed ones, therefore urbanization and the rapid reduction of the rural population in Russia may in the near future lead to the degradation of the mentioned collectivist tradition and the undermining of one of the main foundations of Russian civilization.

2. A heightened sense of injustice among the Russian people social inequality that infringes on the interests of the poor. This trait can be seen as a manifestation of collectivism. Hence the ancient feeling of social compassion for people who are spiritually and physically damaged: the poor, holy fools, cripples, etc., and the egalitarian tendencies in the Russian understanding of social justice.

3. Religiosity of the Russian people, brought up by the church and the authorities for almost a thousand years. Religion in Russia has always gone hand in hand with secular power. The Tsar was considered the representative of God's power on earth, and the Russian national idea for several centuries was expressed in the formula “God, Tsar and Fatherland.” The specific form of Russian religiosity was Orthodoxy, introduced into Rus' again by the secular authorities in the person of Prince Vladimir. Social essence Orthodoxy, based on the concepts of social justice, goodness, the primacy of the spirit over the flesh, embodied in the church biographies of Orthodox saints, as well as the forms of Orthodox religious rites - fasting, religious festivals, etc. turned out to be most consistent with the historical conditions of existence, the way of life and the Russian mentality generated by them people. This correspondence explains the stability of the Orthodox faith among the Russian people.

4. Cult of the leader. Deep religiosity, understood as hope for a deliverer from life’s hardships, contributed to the formation of such a socially educated Russian trait as the cult of the leader. All Russian history passed under the sign of first the power of the prince, then the king, and in Soviet period under the banner of the personality cult of the leader of the Communist Party. In all cases, it was the sole power of the leader (prince, king, general secretary) and the people blindly relied on him. It can be noted that the cult of the leader is also promoted by collectivism, one of the manifestations of which is the subconscious subordination of the individual to the collective, and in his person to the one who expresses collective interests, that is, the leader, personifying the collective in mass consciousness. Hence the currently observed lack of initiative of the main part of the population, political infantilism, inability to politically self-organize, and reluctance to take responsibility for socially significant actions.

5. National and religious tolerance. Almost one and a half hundred people have lived peacefully on Russian territory for many centuries. different nations. In Russia there has never been racial hostility, religious wars, or bans on interethnic marriages. The country, with few exceptions, has historically been formed as a voluntary multinational association. This could not but give rise to such a socially formed Russian trait as national and religious tolerance.

6. Finally, one cannot help but say about Russian patriotism. Patriotism exists in any country, but the basis of patriotism is different countries different. Russian patriotism is patriotism based on the people's awareness of their community. The rise of the Russian patriotic spirit always arose in years of difficult trials, not for individual people, classes or groups of the population, but for the entire people, when they began to become acutely aware of themselves as historical community, which is in great danger - enslavement or destruction. These were precisely the tasks set by its enemies in the wars against Russian civilization.

In such years, this community was determined not only by the threat of personal loss of family, housing, property, but also by the threat of a general loss of the Fatherland: the traditional way of life, the opportunity to be proud of the past and believe in one or another social idea, that is, everything that is commonly called the self-identification of the people . The people rose to defend the Fatherland as a civilization. The idea of ​​individualism, now being introduced under the banner of individual freedom and human rights into the Russian national consciousness, is deeply anti-patriotic, because the Russian people have never had individualism public value, as, for example, among Western European peoples, and he will not defend it in case of national danger.

Despite not all the virtues of the Russian people, listed above, the peoples of Russia are also endowed with a number of vices. The main ones are: passivity; drunkenness and recently rapidly developing drug addiction; theft, which has become truly widespread.

However, sociological research show that basic features The mentality of Russians is still the predominance of moral components. And, above all, a sense of responsibility and conscience, as well as a special understanding of the relationship between the individual and society.

Important features the mental life of a Russian person is the ability to feel and think in different, sometimes mutually exclusive ways; combine the impulse for boundless freedom with patience.

Mentality acts spontaneously, without realizing it, manifesting itself in a set of principles and habits reflected in character traits. Thus, the structure of mentality is a complex multi-level pyramid of mechanisms and methods of action directly related to the centuries-old culture of the people. At the same time, the peculiarities of the mentality of the people serve as the basis for the formation of ideology and national ideas.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

As sad as it may be, the inhabitants of the country... Favorite phrase of Russians: “It will go away on its own!” It is not customary for us to trust doctors, but rather to use prescriptions traditional medicine. Some even treat cancer with herbs and magic devices.

This happens because for such a long period of the country’s existence, we have not focused on health. We are not educated in this area and misunderstand the meaning of the saying: “What does not kill us makes us stronger.” Love for an idle lifestyle leads Russian people to.

Fortunately, today the younger generation is beginning to take an interest in their health, is interested in sports, and goes to Gym to gain beautiful figure. But this is just the beginning long way after realizing that Russia was sliding down.

Life "by connections"

Another established distinguishing feature of the Russian people is bribery. 200 years ago in Russia it was customary to give officials a fee for services, but even when this right was abolished, the habit remained.

The officials had settled into such comfortable conditions that they never wanted to lose financial contributions from the people. Therefore, issues are still being resolved not according to the law, but “through pull.”

It is impossible to eradicate this trait at this historical stage of Russia, since there are other global problems, but the struggle has already begun and is bringing success.

Endurance

Historical events such as uprisings, wars, blockades and permanent shifts rulers led to troubles for the Russian people. This made it possible to cultivate endurance, patience and the ability to withstand adversity in people.

Russian people are only recently getting used to comfort. Previously, we spent a lot of time in the fields to feed our family; there were often lean years, so we had to work without sleep or rest.

Weather conditions also influenced the formation of the Russian mentality. Foreigners are terribly afraid of the cold. For them, 0 degrees is already a reason to wear a sheepskin coat. The Russian people are accustomed to such temperatures and tolerate them well. One has only to remember the tradition of diving into an ice hole at Christmas. Some Russians actually practice winter swimming all winter.

Today Russia is emerging from the crisis, and the people are facing new challenges. Therefore, the mentality is gradually changing, acquiring new features. But some of them will forever remain in Russian souls and will help them remain invincible and undaunted in the face of dangerous enemies.

135 years ago, French psychologist and neuropsychiatrist Henri Vallon was born, who, based on the works of the famous Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, introduced the concept of mentality.

"Russia is America in reverse..."

In general, many Russian psychologists believe that every nation has a mentality, and it is expressed in patterns of perception and behavior that influence political and economic life countries. Moreover, national character is based on historical experience. For example, Russians and Americans can see the same event from different angles, precisely because of their mentality. Each nation will have its own truth, and it will be very difficult to convince each other. This is because values ​​are transpersonal in nature. For example, the English-speaking literary critic Van Wyck Brooks, studying Russian literature, said: “America is just Russia in reverse...”

Just like everyone else

They study the mentality of a nation in order to understand who they will have to deal with, or even wage war. For example, the Germans have always been keenly interested in the Russian people. The first detailed description of Russia was made by the German ethnographer Johann Gottlieb Georgi back in 1776. The work was called “Description of all nations Russian state, their way of life, religion, customs, homes, clothing and other differences.”

“...There is no such state on earth as the Russian State, which accommodated such a great variety of different peoples,” wrote Johann Georgi. - These are the Russians, with their tribes, like the Lapps, the Samoyeds, the Yukaghirs, the Chukchi, the Yakuts (then there is a list of nationalities on the whole page). ...And also settlers, such as Indians, Germans, Persians, Armenians, Georgians... and new Slavs - the Cossack class.”

In general, ethnographer Johann Georgi noted that it is not unusual for Russians to see strangers. All this, of course, affected the Russian mentality. Already today, psychiatrist Igor Vasilievich Reverchuk, exploring the meaning ethnic identity in the clinical dynamics of various borderline mental disorders, found that 96.2% of Slavs living in Russia treat their nation as “equal among others,” while 93% demonstrate a friendly attitude towards other ethnic groups.

Children of their land

Doctor of Philosophy Valery Kirillovich Trofimov, who specializes in the Russian mentality, noted that in the past “Russia is a country of risky agriculture, where every third to fifth year there were crop failures. The short agricultural cycle - 4-5 months - forced the farmer to constantly rush. Sowing and harvesting turned into a real suffering, a battle for the harvest.” That is why our people tend to work urgently when it is critically important, and the rest of the time they react to circumstances.
The Russian historian Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky also highlighted this characteristic feature of Russians in his time. “Nowhere in Europe will we find such a lack of habit of even, moderate and measured, constant work as in Great Russia,” he noted. According to professor of philosophy Arseny Vladimirovich Gulyga, “rushing from one extreme to another is a typically Russian trait: from rebellion to humility, from passivity to heroism, from prudence to wastefulness.”

Daydreaming

Most of our ancestors rarely left their native village. All because Boris Godunov enslaved the peasants by law in 1592. The Russian historian V.N. Tatishchev was sure of this. All this injustice, multiplied by poor life, led to collective fantasies and dreams of universal justice, goodness, beauty and goodness. “Russian people generally had the habit of living with dreams of the future,” Professor Vladimir Nikolaevich Dudenkov is convinced. - It seemed to them that everyday, harsh and dull life today there is, in fact, a temporary delay in the onset true life, but soon everything will change, the true, reasonable and happy life. The whole meaning of life is in this future, and today’s life does not count.”

The mentality of a Russian official

It is known that in 1727, petty officials were no longer paid government salaries in exchange for accidents. Later, this rule was abolished, but the habit of the sovereign's servants to live off “feeding” remained and was not actually persecuted. As a result, bribery became the norm in the first half of the 19th century. For example, “resolving a case” in the Senate cost 50 thousand rubles. For comparison, a far from poor district judge had a salary of 300 rubles. Théophile Gautier, a famous writer from France, who visited St. Petersburg in 1858, wrote: “It is believed that people of a certain level do not become and do not walk on foot. A Russian official without a carriage is like an Arab without a horse.”

It turns out that this part of our history may also be related to the mentality, albeit, of a certain group of Russian people. Thus, in the dictionary “Social Psychology” edited by M.Yu. Kondratiev defined the term “mentality” as “the specifics of the mental life of people (groups of people), determined by economic and political circumstances and having a supraconscious nature.”

Endurance and patience

American mentality experts are convinced that national character traits are influenced, among other things, by genetics, in which the behavior patterns of our ancestors are programmed. For example, if family tree presented by convinced monarchists, then a person will subconsciously feel sympathy for this form of government or for its representatives. Perhaps this lies in the neutral and even loyal attitude of the Russian people towards political leaders who long years rule the country.

This also has to do with such a mental trait of our people as patience. In particular, historian N.I. Kostomarov noted that “the Russian people amazed foreigners with their patience, firmness, and indifference to all kinds of deprivations of the comforts of life, difficult for a European... From childhood, Russians were accustomed to endure hunger and cold. Children were weaned after two months and fed roughage; the children ran around in their shirts without hats, barefoot in the snow in the bitter cold.”

Many Russian and foreign mentality experts believe that patience is our response to external and internal challenges, the basis of the Russian person.

Famous foreigners about Russians

Foreign politicians and journalists like to speculate about the Russian mentality. Most often, our compatriots are called drunkards. Thus, the French journalist Benoit Raisky wrote that “rude Russians are known for their passion for vodka.” And on the englishrussia portal on October 14, 2011, the article “50 Facts About Russia In The Eyes Of Foreigners” was published, it gained great amount views. It says, in particular, “A Russian who doesn’t drink is an extraordinary fact. Most likely, he has some kind of tragedy associated with alcohol.”

However, there are other opinions about Russians. For example, Otto von Bismarck considered the Russians to be a united nation. He argued: “even the most favorable outcome of the war will never lead to the disintegration of the main strength of Russia, which is based on millions of Russians... These latter, even if they are dismembered by international treatises, are just as quickly reconnected with each other, like particles of a cut piece of mercury...” . However, history teaches nothing even to pragmatic Germans. Franz Halder, Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht (1938-1942) was forced to state in 1941: “The uniqueness of the country and the unique character of the Russians gives the campaign a special specificity. The first serious opponent."

Expert opinion

Modern social Psychology does not confirm the thesis about the immutability of mentality,” notes Vladimir Rimsky, head of the sociology department of the INDEM Foundation. - The conditions in which people live, social relationships are changing - and the mentality is changing along with them. - It can hardly be assumed that people have not changed their mentality since the Middle Ages. This is definitely an illusion. Let's say, in the Middle Ages, the desire to become famous was completely absent in the mass consciousness. Is this really true in today's society? Therefore, I would be careful not to assert that the features of the modern Russian mentality developed in Peter’s or pre-Petrine times.

In Russia, treating mentality as something unchangeable often leads to one purely practical consequence: we are not trying to actually do anything to become different. And this is wrong.

You can, of course, say that the problem is in mentality. But the point, rather, is that Russian society simply has not created the conditions for the implementation of civil initiatives.

Or take the problem of corruption - it is really widespread in Russia. It is believed that this is also a feature of our mentality. But I think we need to give people the opportunity to change their social practices. And then, quite possibly, the mentality will also change.

I should note that in historical scale mentality can change quite quickly - in two or three decades. This is, in particular, illustrated by examples South Korea or Singapore - states that have changed dramatically over the course of a single generation.

Or take a purely Russian example. The reforms of Alexander II affected, in particular, the judiciary. As a result, quite a lot of lawyers have appeared in Russia, working in jury trials. These jurors were ordinary citizens; I assure you, they perfectly understood what decisions the authorities needed - but often made the exact opposite verdicts. As a result, in Russian Empire A completely different attitude towards the court appeared - as a fair institution in which you can really defend your rights. Before Alexander II, such an attitude towards the judiciary was not even close.

I think people, of course, have national and ethnic characteristics. But still, one should not deny that a lot is determined by social relations and social environment, in which we live. If we were ready to change the environment, the mentality would change. Let me give you another example.

It is generally accepted among us that in Russia, from time immemorial, laws have not been observed, and nothing can be done about it. But I have talked more than once with Germans and Americans who came to Moscow to live and work. So, after a short stay in the Russian capital, almost all of them began to violate traffic rules when driving a car and give bribes to traffic cops. One lady, an American, when I asked why she did this, replied that in America it would never have occurred to her to bribe a policeman, but in Moscow “there is no other way.”

As you can see, the mentality in the head of a particular American changes quite simply - as soon as he adapts to the Russian environment. But this example tells a different story. In America and Germany, for example, everyone began to “live according to the law” relatively recently - about a hundred years ago. We can go the same way, and much faster...

I distrust the science of psychology and psychologists in particular. But now it's all fashionable. I invite readers to evaluate this popular article on the Internet.

In it Nikolai Ivanovich Kozlov, doctor psychological sciences, names features of the mentality of Russians that are impossible not to recognize both in themselves and in their compatriots.

In general, mentality is the prevailing schemes, stereotypes and patterns of thinking. Russians are not necessarily Russians. Individual person 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.

12 traits of the Russian mentality in which you recognize yourself

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 weak sides. If we want to become better, we must know them.

So, let's look at ourselves from the outside, namely from the outside strictly scientific research. What cultural researchers note as specific features 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 "truth", often found in ancient Russian sources, means the 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 Russian culture more often they talk about law-abidingness, rules of decency, 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 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. Man with constantly good mood arouses 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 debates on global, philosophical issues - bright line 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. That 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 good, which will one day descend from heaven (or simply from above) onto 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. Following from the previous paragraph characteristic Russian mentality - love for 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 leave the poor, including it is considered morally unacceptable to leave those who did not care about their health and as a result became essentially helpless disabled people. 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 people, placing them on the pedestal of the free, developed, strong man, 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 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, someone agrees with similar portrait, someone accuses the author of Russophobia. No, the author loves Russia and believes in it, having been engaged in educational and educational activities for your country. 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.