Russians are not liked or feared. Why don't they like Russians? The attitude of Ukrainians towards Muscovites

It is believed that Russians are disliked throughout the world. Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but in some places it is better to hide the fact that you came from Russia.

Western Ukraine

The entry of Western Ukraine into the USSR in 1939 was perceived by many as a violent act. In terms of culture and mentality, Westerners today differ significantly not only from Russians, but even from residents of Eastern Ukraine. Moreover, before the Soviet “occupation,” Western Ukraine was Catholic and bourgeois. But Russia allegedly did not allow it to develop along this path.

Poland

After the Russian army occupied the Grand Duchy of Warsaw in 1813, the “Kingdom of Poland” became part of the Russian Empire. The Poles have always had a strong national identity; they were not satisfied with the role of residents of the Russian province.

So, Poland had to fight for independence from Russia, fight with the Russians for one or another land. And the Soviet totalitarian regime spoiled a lot of blood for them.

Croatia

For many centuries, Croatia was part of Austria-Hungary. Unlike their immediate neighbors, the Orthodox Serbs, the Croats were Catholics. During the First World War they suffered a number of defeats from the Russian army in Galicia and Bukovina. And during the Second World War, the Croatian Ustasha fought on the side of the Nazis. The Warsaw Pact introduced Croatia into socialist Yugoslavia, which did not add to the Croatians’ love for Russia, since it was the USSR that largely determined the policy of the Yugoslav government.

Bulgaria

The Bulgarians did not always dislike us, because it was Russia that they owed their liberation from the Ottoman yoke. However, during the First and Second World Wars, Bulgaria, for a number of circumstances, found itself in the camp of our opponents.

In recent years, anti-Russian sentiments have been growing among Bulgarians - this is how Western propaganda works. In this country, Russian tourists who use Bulgaria as a resort area are not very welcome; they are considered arrogant snobs.

Romania

The hatred of Romanians for Russians is connected, first of all, with territorial claims: they believe that Russia once occupied Bessarabia, the territory of present-day Moldova. And Romania’s socialist past is remembered as a complete nightmare. True, they hate Russia as a country rather than the Russians themselves.

Baltics

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became part of the USSR in August 1939. Part of the population perceived this as annexation.

Of course, the Sovietization of the newly annexed republics could not be avoided. Repressions began. Tens of thousands of “unreliable citizens” were deported. And although, in fact, the Russians saved the Baltic republics from fascism and restored them after the war, a residue, as they say, remained.

Norway

In Norway you may be reprimanded if you speak Russian. All doors will be closed in front of you. The reasons for this are related not so much to history as to modern propaganda, which presents Russia as a criminal and racist state, where there is supposedly neither freedom nor democracy.

Japan

The Japanese have historical reasons for their bad attitude towards Russians - the history of the Kuril Islands, military confrontations in 1905 and 1945. But most of all they have complaints about our behavior in everyday life. They believe that Russians are lazy, unfriendly, often behave unrestrainedly - in a word, so unlike themselves.

Saudi Arabia

Russians may have problems with Saudis due to their very different lifestyles. Here, for example, there are a lot of prohibitions for women - they cannot drive, go out without men, they can only wear certain clothes. The Saudis also cannot pass anything with their left hand, because it is “unclean.” They officially prohibit entertainment and alcohol, and all religions except Islam are outlawed. It is clear that things are not easy for Russians in Saudi Arabia.

Africa

Russians are not treated very well in African countries either, especially in those where our tourists like to come. Thus, Tunisian sellers do not like the manner of Russian women trying on things and not buying anything. Many people do not like that Putin supports the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

In Somalia, they are not very friendly towards Russians due to old memory, when our military carried out their international duty in this country. Somalis consider Russians to be barbarians and despots.

In any African country, Russians have a chance to meet militant Islamists. Therefore, if you are in Africa, it is better not to mention at all that you are Russian, because everyone knows what Russian policy is towards ISIS (an organization banned in the Russian Federation).

Citizens from Moscow State University had a question: why do the former “brotherly” peoples now hate Russians so much?
To answer, they chose, in my opinion, an original method - they studied 187 school history textbooks from 12 countries of the former USSR.
The result of the study did not surprise me: except for Belarus and Armenia, in all other countries, schoolchildren are given a nationalistic interpretation of history, raising in their eyes the image of Russia as an enemy. Immature minds take everything at face value.
Often, the authors of such “textbooks,” distorting historical facts and giving preference to myths, try to present their people as ancient as possible, endowed with a special and specific cultural mission. At the same time, historical “patriotism” takes on ugly anecdotal forms.
In the Baltic textbooks there is a chapter “Ethnic origin of Stone Age people”, and the ancestors of the Azerbaijanis are declared to be contemporaries of the Sumerians. Thus, the antiquity of Azerbaijan allows us to state that “Modern Armenia arose on the territory of ancient Western Azerbaijan.”
Saakashvili’s compatriots did not waste time on trifles: in their history and geography textbooks, the territories that are part of Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey are designated as “historical regions of Georgia”.
Another common characteristic feature of the textbooks of the former “brothers” is the image of the “sworn enemy”. Russians and Russia are the source of all their centuries-old disasters.
“Robberies, devastation, murders have been brought upon our people by the Russians throughout history” - the thesis is so general, as if the new states copied it from each other.
Estonian textbooks, for example, claim that when the Swedes ruled the country, there was almost a golden age. And they are silent about the fact that under the Swedes, 4/5 of the local population died.
Entry into the Russian Empire is assessed negatively by everyone, they talk about the loss of independence, but national historians do not mention the positive aspects.
Ukrainian schoolchildren are presented with the reunification of the two countries as Moscow’s recognition of Ukraine’s independence. At the same time, they describe a fictitious “Ukrainian Cossack state”, which was subsequently vilely destroyed by Russia, which is “a grave crime of tsarism against the Ukrainian people.”
Well, the times of the USSR were generally a continuous struggle of peoples against the occupiers. Quote from a Kazakh textbook: “The struggle of the Kazakh people against Russian colonialism lasted a long time, covering the second half of the 18th century. until the 90s of the XX century."
The Georgian textbook says: “the defining factor for this period is the national movement of the Georgian people against Russian domination and the restoration of state independence of Georgia.” It also says that as a result of the establishment of a “military occupation regime,” the country’s population “found itself in a very difficult situation.”
I would like to remind you that none of the republics of the former USSR separated as a result of any noticeable national liberation struggle; all of them “woke up independent” after the Belovezh Agreement (with the exception of the Baltic states, but there was no significant “struggle” there either ). In most cases, in place of the newly formed states, there were no historical predecessors, or they existed within the wrong boundaries, for a very long time and not for long. The only exceptions are Georgia, Armenia and the Baltic republics, although the Baltic states received statehood only after 1917, and by the mid-1930s they had already lost a significant part of their sovereignty in favor of Germany, and later were actually betrayed by it to the Soviet Union.
And another important point for understanding the reasons for the current relationship. Most of the so-called “popular fronts” during the period of separation of the republics from the USSR convinced their fellow citizens that they were “feeding a poor and drinking Russia”, and if they separated, everyone would live very well, since they would stop transferring part of the national wealth to those who were “robbing” them Moscow.
In reality, it turned out that the standard of living in all former republics without exception (even in the European-sponsored Baltic countries) turned out to be lower than in the former metropolis - this unpleasant fact needed to be explained somehow. The most convenient explanation is “Moscow’s machinations” and “the legacy of colonialism.” In addition, the fight against “Russian colonialism” makes it possible to divert the population’s attention from the real problems of the new states, the main one of which is the inability of the new post-Soviet local “elites” to effectively govern their country.
All this must somehow be explained to the population, and the simplest and most convenient explanation is the machinations of enemies. The most convenient enemy is Russia. And Russians today are quite suitable for this role, according to their former “brothers”

A small note. In the forties, our ancestors went into battle side by side and won the Great Patriotic War, which should not be diminished. What is written below applies exclusively to the ungrateful - countries, political elites, citizens. And yet - we are really to blame for the fact that by allowing them "independence" we set them back in development 10-50 years. It's hard to disagree with the rest.

We sincerely apologize for treating you for free for so many years, allowing you to breed in sufficient numbers to require an apology.
We sincerely apologize for teaching you to speak, read and write in Russian, opening you to the world of Russian culture and, through it, the entire European civilization.
We sincerely apologize for the fact that for so many years we provided you with the right to study at our universities simply for the fact that you are children of your people, taking away this right from your children.
We sincerely apologize for what we wrote and forced you to comply with the laws that prevented you from habitually robbing and slaughtering each other.
We sincerely apologize for having built thousands of houses for you, which you looted and destroyed at the first opportunity.
We sincerely apologize for connecting your cities with railroads and highways and giving you cars so that you would not have to practice driving camels for weeks and months.
We sincerely apologize for creating the agriculture and industry that feeds you and makes your living today.
We sincerely apologize for the fact that we found in your lands those minerals that you never learned to use for their intended purpose and those riches, the real price of which you never realized.
We sincerely apologize for the fact that for so many years we gave you the opportunity to travel around our huge country and neighboring states for pennies.
We sincerely apologize for all the interest-free loans that you received from us and were not returned.
We sincerely apologize for writing off your debts without taking a couple of centuries to give us everything you earned.
We sincerely apologize for still sponsoring you, artificially maintaining low prices for gas, oil products and electricity.
We sincerely apologize for providing work to millions of you who were unable to find decent employment in your country after our departure.
We truly regret all of the above. We understand our guilt.
We are ready to take away everything that we left you and return you to your original heavenly state. As soon as you are ready for it.

Today I invite you to talk about a rather complex topic: “Why are Russians not liked in the West”? Let's look at the reasons and origins of this dislike (if there are any).

We agree right away - all these “everyday” options are about bad behavior, not smiling, drunkenness, etc. We will discard nonsense immediately. Why? Do only Russians drink alcohol? Is everyone smiling except the Russians? Is it only in Russia that people throw garbage past the trash can?

I will not list all this nonsense and nonsense for the simple reason that any society is heterogeneous. There are drunkards and teetotalers, boors and highly cultured people. They exist in any society. And here we return to our topic - why are all Russians “measured” by the most marginal representatives of the nation? We have all, as an option, seen English fans, however, no one in Russia would argue that all Englishmen are like that.

Now let's move from everyday hatred to dislike at the government level.

Why don't they like it?

If you are interested in politics, read any kind of press, watch talk shows, then the answer to the question (and more than one answer) can be found in statements by Western officials at various levels, statements by representatives of the “free” Western press, and, best of all, in the pearls of representatives of “our” liberal public.

We are aggressive. We want to capture everyone and everything. We threaten countries and democratic regimes. We don't have a free press or freedom of speech. We are a poorly educated and uncultured herd that needs wise Western management. And this herd supports the president who usurped power and does not want to go to the barricades for the victory of European values.

But, most importantly, we are very, very aggressive.

How does our aggressiveness manifest itself?

We attacked defenseless Georgia and took away part of the territory from the “Caucasian orphan”, and then annexed Crimea and started a war with Ukraine, which wanted to take the European path. Because we want to capture this Ukraine. All and completely. For what? But our character is so harmful and aggressive - we don’t want “Ukraine to be Europe.”

It was Russia that started the war in Syria in order to support the bloody tyrant Assad, illegally (without the permission of the United States and NATO) brought its troops into Syria and is bombing the houses of unfortunate citizens, and also destroying the peaceful Syrian opposition.

In addition, evil Russia plans to drop nuclear bombs on the Baltic states and do something bad to Poland. It is known exactly what it is planning. Because Russia is a country that simply cannot help but plan to capture and enslave.

These are all claims, so to speak, of today. And there is also a “totalitarian past.”

In the last century, Russia captured all of Eastern Europe and mercilessly exploited the meek Eastern Europeans, offended and destroyed all the peoples of the former USSR.

These are roughly the accusations.

And I’m simply touched by the attempts of some of our politicians and public figures to explain to our “Western partners” that their accusations are quite unfounded and sucked from... Wherever they suck them from. Ending with social networks.

We are trying to justify ourselves, we are fighting against the rewriting of history, we are appealing to reason. For what? Do we really want them to love us? Like before! When was this “before”? Have there been times in the history of our country and our culture when the West loved Russia? I could now go through centuries and eras like a rosary, weighing and evaluating each year, remembering the victories and tragedies of my people. But I know for sure that I will not be able to find a historical period that could, even with great reservations, be called a time when Russians were loved.

Either they despised or were afraid. Or they were afraid and despised at the same time. Well, we didn’t even have a candy-bouquet period. And there was never a modest hint of possible love.

There was a desire to live in peace and human love. Our wish. Only ours. And quite recently, within our memory, it happened. What did we get in response?

This is where you have a good opportunity to accuse me of bias - they say, a victim of Kremlin propaganda, “Putin’s quilted jacket,” “repeats what they say on TV”...

And I want to introduce you to a couple more people who fell under the influence of the “Putin regime”.

Listen. And for those whose files are blocked, I will give the texts below - read them.

A.S. Pushkin

To the slanderers of Russia

What are you making noise about, people?
Why are you threatening Russia with anathema?
What angered you? unrest in Lithuania?
Leave it alone: ​​this is a dispute between the Slavs,
A domestic, old dispute, already weighed by fate,
A question that you cannot resolve.

For a long time now
These tribes are at enmity;
More than once I bowed down under a thunderstorm
Either their side or our side.
Who can stand in an unequal dispute?
Puffy Pole, or faithful Ross?
Will Slavic streams merge into the Russian sea?
Will it run out? here's the question.

Leave us: you didn't read
These bloody tablets;
You don’t understand, it’s alien to you
This family feud;
The Kremlin and Prague are silent for you;
Senselessly seduces you
Fighting desperate courage -
And you hate us...

Why? be responsible: for whether,
What's on the ruins of burning Moscow
We did not recognize the arrogant will
The one under whom you trembled?
Because they fell into the abyss
We are the idol that gravitates over the kingdoms
And redeemed with our blood
Europe freedom, honor and peace?..

You are formidable in words - try it in deeds!
Or an old hero, deceased on his bed,
Unable to screw in your Izmail bayonet?
Or is the word of the Russian Tsar already powerless?
Or is it new for us to argue with Europe?
Or is the Russian unaccustomed to victories?
Are there not enough of us? Or from Perm to Taurida,
From the Finnish cold rocks to the fiery Colchis,
From the shocked Kremlin
To the walls of motionless China,
Sparkling with steel bristles,
The Russian land will not rise?..
So send it to us, Vitiia,
His embittered sons:
There is a place for them in the fields of Russia,
Among the coffins alien to them.

Alexander Blok

Scythians

Millions of you. We are darkness, and darkness, and darkness.

Try it and fight us!

Yes, we are Scythians! Yes, we are Asians

With slanted and greedy eyes!

For you - centuries, for us - a single hour.

We are like obedient slaves,

Holding a shield between two hostile races

Mongols and Europe!

Centuries, centuries your old forge forged

And drowned out thunder, avalanches,

And failure was a wild tale for you

Both Lisbon and Messina!

You have been looking to the East for hundreds of years

Hoarding and melting our pearls,

And you, mockingly, only counted the time,

When to point the guns in the mouth!

Now the time has come. Trouble beats with wings,

And every day the grievances multiply,

And the day will come - there will be no trace

From your Paestums, perhaps!

Oh old world! Until you die

While you're languishing in sweet flour,

Stop, wise as Oedipus,

Before the Sphinx with an ancient riddle!

Russia - Sphinx. Rejoicing and mourning,

And dripping with black blood,

She looks, looks, looks at you

Both with hatred and with love!…

Yes, to love as our blood loves,

None of you have been in love for a long time!

Have you forgotten that there is love in the world,

Which both burns and destroys!

We love everything - and the heat of cold numbers,

And the gift of divine visions,

We understand everything - and the sharp Gallic meaning,

And the gloomy German genius...

We remember everything - the Parisian streets are hell,

And the Venetian coolness,

The distant aroma of lemon groves,

And Cologne is a smoky mass...

We love flesh - both its taste and color,

And the stuffy, mortal smell of flesh...

Are we guilty if your skeleton crunches?

In our heavy, tender paws?

We are used to grabbing by the reins

Zealous playing horses,

Break horses' heavy rumps,

And pacify the obstinate slaves...

Come to us! From the horrors of war

Come into peaceful embraces!

Before it's too late - the old sword is in its sheath,

Comrades! We will become brothers!

And if not, we have nothing to lose,

And treachery is available to us!

For centuries, centuries you will be cursed

Sick late offspring!

We are wide through the wilds and forests

Looks good in front of Europe

Let's make way! We'll come back to you

With your Asian face!

Go everyone, go to the Urals!

We are clearing the battlefield

Steel machines where the integral breathes,

With the Mongolian wild horde!

But we ourselves are no longer your shield,

From now on we will not enter into battle ourselves,

We'll see how the mortal battle rages on,

With your narrow eyes.

We will not move when the ferocious Hun

He will rummage through the pockets of corpses,

Burn the cities and drive the herd to the church,

And fry the meat of the white brothers!...

For the last time - come to your senses, old world!

To the fraternal feast of labor and peace,

For the last time at the bright fraternal feast

The barbaric lyre is calling!

What are the poets crying about? One poem is almost a hundred years old, the other almost two hundred.

About the same thing I’m talking about today - why and why they don’t like Russians, or what the hell do you want from us?

It turns out to be simply a fundamental Russian question. Almost the same as “what to do.”

But really, what to do? Is it possible for us to achieve (earn) Western love?

I believe that everything is much simpler. We need to come down to the sinful earth and understand that in relations with the West we have two possible “intimate” scenarios for the development of relations:

• we are despised and destroyed;
• we are despised and feared, i.e. respected. They despise silently and carefully weighing words and actions.

They respect not in the way that is customary among normal decent people, but in the way that politicians do - it is dangerous to tease and provoke a strong enemy. Decency must be maintained. And agreements. Don't be impudent and don't be rude.

History shows that there is simply no third option. No matter how much we want it.

And stop all this nonsense with love at the international level. This is utopia. Or worse than utopia.

A slave does not seek freedom. The slave is looking for a new good owner.

An owner who will feed and water well, dress beautifully and lightly punish for mistakes and laziness. Will own humanely.

For this reason, the West does not like us. We don't need a master. But the West does not need an equal partner. They came to this land many times to become masters. Did not happen. Then they came just to destroy us all. So far it has not been possible to destroy it. Bye. However, the desire clearly remains.

And this means that all the “love” is still ahead of us. And there is no need to look for something that has not been and cannot be in this world. For example, the West's love for Russia.

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More than once I have heard that Russians are not liked abroad . Various people told their stories about this. Some were openly indignant and indulged in retaliatory condemnation of inhospitable peoples, some began to be completely ashamed of their own origins, others did not pay attention and continued to experience their own exclusivity. However, all these people had one thing in common - they were Russians, or better put, Russians who were faced with a special attitude of foreign residents towards our compatriots.

Are Russians abroad really treated differently from other foreigners? And why is there a growing stereotype in our society that we are not loved anywhere? These are the questions I want to address in today’s article.

For the first time, I personally learned that Russians are not very welcome - while on vacation in Ukraine, which was once friendly to us. To do this, it was worth coming to Odessa and staying in a hostel, the owners of which were former residents of western Ukraine. It was there that I had a clear realization that even if you pay for everything on an equal basis with other tourists - to you are obviously skeptical - once the owners hear your Russian speech. It cannot be said that I was deprived of anything there except attention. Nevertheless, the restrained enemy mood was permanently felt.

Friends traveling to the Western part of the country, in particular to Lviv, also told me about the Ukrainian phenomenon in relation to Russians. There have been situations when local residents basically did not speak Russian with them. The guides conducted the tour in Ukrainian, having learned that the group of tourists included 20% Ukrainians. Salespeople in stores simply did not pay attention to my friends when they tried to tell them about the desired purchase. In restaurants they were served last, apparently again because they spoke Russian. In a word, There was no talk of any hospitality or tolerance towards Russians specifically. The guys, stunned by their “success,” then specifically began to observe how crests treated the Germans or French and saw a cardinal change - smiles, friendliness and courtesy.

Why did they, my comrades, receive such treatment from their once fellow Slavs?

Perhaps this is too deep a question for this material. But if we try to answer it briefly, it should be noted that biased attitude of Ukrainians living in the western part of the country, to Russians coming there, due to long-promoted nationalism in a particular area. It was there, starting almost from the end of the Second World War, that the people were convinced that Russia was the main enslaver of Ukraine, the culprit of famine and the death of thousands of people... Perhaps the Ukrainians would have liked being captured by the Germans more?

Today, only such a justification for the dislike of Ukrainians towards Russians has been found. But, as you can see, it is connected with events that have passed long ago and have lost their significance due to the statute of limitations. However, as a consequence, Russians have to take the rap for what our ancestors did (and did they do at all?).

A similar situation awaits fellow citizens and in the Baltics, where Russians are viewed very negatively. Almost fascist. We are considered occupiers there, again - according to the old “memory”. It is in this vein, by the way, that history is interpreted for children in Baltic schools. That is there They are purposefully raising generations of Rus-haters. And all this to Russia for winning the Second World War, for communism, and for the victory over fascism...

However, if you are still a fan of nearby “Europe” and its special architecture, for example, Tallinn or Lviv, then, of course, you should not refuse a trip to these cities because of the prejudices of the local population. It is simply important to understand why the younger generation of Ukrainians or Balts not only does not speak or understand the Russian language, but also hates our country with fierce hatred. To do this, it is enough to find out what they were told in schools about the role of Russia in the history of their state. And make sure once again that the fish still rots from the head.

But let’s not focus on the post-Soviet space. After all, their motives for dislike for Russians may be more or less understandable to us, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. And here It’s definitely worth understanding why Russians are treated with skepticism, say, in Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, India or Thailand.

Let's start with the fact that almost all of the countries mentioned above are the most favorite destinations for Russians when choosing a standard two-week vacation at sea abroad. The first three attract our compatriots due to the relative proximity of their location, the imperceptible resolution of visa issues, their low cost and widespread “all inclusive” offers. The remaining two Asian powers usually attract those who like to fly away and see the same heavenly place that was shown to us all our childhood on TV, in advertisements about “The Bounty”.

In view of the fact that in recent years the income level of Russians has increased noticeably and many fellow citizens have acquired foreign passports, these tourist destinations are literally flooded with Russian travelers. Unfortunately, most often, they do not know either the international language for communication or the traditions of the countries they are flying to. For some reason, the main parameter for our fellow citizens when choosing a place to vacation became status - abroad, inexpensive prices for flights and accommodation, as well as a buffet included in the price and alcohol in unlimited quantities.

As a result, overseas countries saw Russians with their own eyes - greedily devouring everything that was on the tables and drinking alcohol in unprecedented quantities. The whole point is that "freebie", for which our tourists paid at the beginning of the trip is, perhaps, the determining reason for visiting a particular country from those previously mentioned.

If you are ready to argue with me, then explain why Russians with the same success are not rushing in the same numbers to Italy, Portugal or Morocco? The answer is simple - going there is much more expensive, getting a visa is more difficult, and you can’t hope for “all inclusive” at all, especially based on the budget that you spend on the already familiar Turkey.

But let's not deviate from the topic and return to the reasons for the dislike of our compatriots in the most popular tourist destinations.

Thus, in Egypt and Turkey, Russians are skeptical due to the fact that many of our travelers categorically do not observe the traditions of the selected Muslim countries – they drink a lot, swear loudly, dress vulgarly and demand not only increased attention, but also special treatment. In the minds of some compatriots, for some reason, there is an opinion that if they paid 400 bucks for their tour, they should be treated like kings. Neither the Germans, nor the Italians, nor even the British require such service, clearly realizing that for the price they can only count on what is indicated by the rules.

In addition, Russians are one of the most inflexible nations, considered abroad. They treat local rules and laws with contempt, behave unpredictably and feel complete impunity at resorts. Naturally, here we are talking about special ranks of our fellow citizens, in particular about those who, as the Turks think, are constantly losing and looking for a child named “Tagil...”.

Exactly Thanks to these “percentages” of our compatriots, a general impression of the nation is created. Which is very unfortunate for those who, so to speak, know how to behave.

Obviously it's far not all Russians, including Russians, behave rudely and threateningly , as people abroad who take our side on vacation might think. Of course, there are universal rules for travelers, following which you will always be received well and with respect, regardless of your country of origin.

However, even very prudent fellow citizens will have to pay for their predecessors, who are sometimes very uneducated in terms of tourism. And this is what we are talking about here.

As noted earlier, countries such as India and Thailand seem to be welcoming the Russians without their former interest. The change is due to the fact that Russians behave quite depravedly there too. Especially regarding Asian rules and traditions. For example, a tight hug on the street between a man and a woman is considered immoral in India. It is also not customary for the fair half to wear short skirts here. It’s funny - giving something to a Hindu with your left hand is considered offensive, since this very limb in Indian culture is considered dirty (they wash themselves with their left hand).

But that's not the only problem. Arriving on vacation in cheap Asian countries, our tourists literally squander money left and right . In some places they bargain until they lose their pulse - for example, for souvenirs and gifts for relatives, in some - They pour out money in a powerful stream - alcohol, drugs, parties. As a result, prices at well-trodden “Russian-tourist” resorts are increasing significantly every year.

Who benefits from this? Naturally, the locals, who, of course, love our fellow citizens because they can make good money on them, but are hardly respected - because smart people, by Asian standards, will never “throw away” money.

As for the Russians themselves, who travel to Asia out of habit for a “cheap” paradise, with each new season they feel a noticeable increase in the price tag, bargain more and more furiously and become, in the eyes of Asians, greedy misers who are ready to spend money only on “girls and booze.” " Well, those compatriots who are traveling to Asian countries for the first time and have heard about the cheapness of life here should take into account that thanks to their predecessors, resorts are slowly becoming more expensive, so You will have to search carefully for truly budget places!

There is also a category of Russian enterprising tourists who, having studied the Thai and Indian markets, have turned their attention to them. In specific countries during the season you can now meet many young people from Russia who, once enchanted by the eternal summer, decided to stay there forever. Basically, they trade in the familiar sphere of tourism or trade, profiting from their own inexperienced and wealthy compatriots. And here it’s time for our travelers to turn a face against the Russians who have settled in Asia, but disrespect towards “Russian business” is growing on the part of the Asians themselves. Firstly, we take their jobs - and this is their bread. Secondly, the thirst for easy money just rushes out of Russians , which from the point of view of demonstrating the fundamental qualities of the nation does not add bonuses to our basket.

In principle, you can close your eyes to this. On the other hand, it’s really rude to enter someone else’s monastery with your own rules. But it is precisely by such “exhibits” that other nations judge Russians in the future. Just look at the story of the bank robbery by Russian tourists several years ago in Thailand - the first tourists in the history of the country who dared to steal money and try to escape! The first tourists in the history of the country, who, according to the law of the kingdom, were to be given the death penalty.

As for India, it has tightened the procedure for obtaining a visa for Russians, according to unofficial data precisely because « Russians are frequenting GOA» . For this reason, compatriots applying for a visa to India while on the territory of another state must, in addition to the required documents, undergo an interview with the consul regarding the reason for visiting the country. Hindus do not apply such a procedure to any other nation. They are really surprised by the number of Russians moving to GOA every year. What did our tourists find there? - a paradise on the ocean, Russified coffee shops and restaurants, cheap Indian rum, and, although illegal, drugs freely distributed and consumed. It is this last fact that, apparently, is so alarming to Indians who issue visas to Russians.

Of course, it is impossible to say that our travelers behave worse than other tourists abroad. There are statistics on this subject provided by the respected travel portals Tripadvisor and Skyscanner, where in the first case, a survey four years ago showed that the most ill-mannered foreigners are actually Americans, and the Russians took only sixth place, giving way to the French, Germans, Chinese and British. Skyscanner identified the French as the most careless tourists, Russians are in second place, followed by the British themselves.

In a word, not everything is as bad as it may seem at some point. And if we take into account another national trait of Russians - such as indifference, then it’s not worth talking about the complexes of fellow citizens abroad that could arise due to some kind of disrespect for our “passports”.

Returning to the topic of the dislike of Russians abroad, I would also like to cite the arguments of our famous compatriots on this matter.

For example, Member of the Federation Council Ralif Safin believes that Russians are loved in the world, but at the same time they are afraid: “ They began to be afraid after the collapse of the Soviet Union. We came to the West wild and rough, we thought we were cool , but they didn’t know how to greet politely, didn’t know the language, didn’t let women go ahead... They are still afraid of us, because they know what kind of revolutions we are organizing. But still they love for their broad soul.»

And here Chairman of the CIS Interstate Committee Efim Malitikov directly says that they don’t like Russians, but only exploit our talents: “ They don’t like it because God gave us the opportunity to adapt to everything. In Britain and America, our emigrants occupy leading positions in the economy. It makes you jealous. In addition, our country is large and powerful, with enormous resources. They don’t like me for this either, but many would like to be in the place of the Russians. They don’t like it because Russians can fight and work not for money, but for an idea.”

In addition to the countries indicated in this article, in which our compatriots managed to put an end to it, there are many other states - less or, on the contrary, more noted by Russians. But I’ll keep silent about them. In general, we can identify the following trend in the attitude of foreigners towards Russians.

People in the West are afraid of us , since the behavior of Russians is often unpredictable for the verified logic and purity of Europe. In addition, with all our external severity, we can also be very emotional, which completely discourages the western part of the continent.

For Americans, Russians are potential enemies. , as, by the way, for most of Europe. However, in addition to this, Americans remember well the unique “brains” that flowed to them like a river after the collapse of the USSR and therefore value the intellectual development of Russians. But they also clearly remember that business in Russia was built on strict thieves’ laws. It was in the 90s that, in addition to the drain of talent from the Union, domestic mafiosi also arrived in the United States. Myths about the Russian mafia still live in the minds of Americans. Therefore, they are also afraid and also do not like, like Europeans.

As for Asia, they are happy to meet Russians and are ready to love. For our money. In this place, we can truly allow ourselves to live like kings and resurrect in ourselves all the imperial habits inherent in the expanses of our homeland. But as you know, the East is a delicate matter. And ordinary non-compliance with its rules and customs is returned to Russians with the same disrespect, and as a result - only fake interest, aimed exclusively at “pumping” money from generous Russian tourists.

In general, I would like to say that the attitude of residents of other countries towards ours is changing over time. And it mainly depends on the quality of behavior of Russians in one place or another in the world. The law of the Universe that “what you give is what you get” always works. Therefore, only in our power, in the power of every person from Russia traveling to different countries on the planet, can change a negative image to a more presentable one. If this is what we need, of course.

And to top off the article, I would like to ask - have you had any experience of foreigners being unfriendly towards you as a Russian abroad? If so, which one?

AND What do you think about why Russians are not liked abroad?

There is an opinion among Russians that Russians are not loved throughout the world. Most residents of our country are sure that the Western world hates us because of our broad soul and open character, because of our endless kindness and responsiveness.

And, of course, we are the smartest - they fear us. I have never heard more nonsense! Firstly, we are no longer the most open, hospitable and kind. Secondly, the Russian broad soul has long become a myth. In a country where people have such a broad soul, there simply shouldn’t be so many homeless animals, orphanages and teenage alcoholism. And regarding fear: comrades, what fear! I just want to say, who needs you, to be afraid of you. It’s rather a delusion of grandeur based on nothing: I’m so important, everyone is afraid of me. Laughter, and that's all.

However, my reasoning is not based on my own inventions, but solely on experience and observations.

Experience 1. USA.

Oh, how we love to scold this country. It’s disorderly and decaying, and the people there are stupid and ignorant, and they don’t have proper food. And they simply hate Russians there. But here’s the paradox: the majority of people who say this are those who have never been to the US or the neighboring city.

Naturally, each country has its own advantages and disadvantages, but that’s not the point now. While in the States, many of my compatriots more than once encountered the fact that their answer “I am from Russia” received a not very friendly reaction in their direction. That is, no one threw himself on their necks, invited them to dinner, shook hands or offered a large sum of money as a sign of boundless respect. Personally, I have never encountered any manifestation of unfriendliness towards Russians and Russia. Yes, Americans cannot always say with confidence where the largest country in the world is located or who won the Second World War, but certainly no one feels any hatred and - even more so - fear of the Russian brain.

Experience 2. Latvia.

Before traveling to this country, I heard a lot of scary stories about how you can’t even speak Russian - it’s best to use English. But in practice it turned out that if young people in this country speak English, the older generation is much more willing to speak Russian and at the same time people are very friendly. More than once I had to address passers-by on the streets, and when I did this in Russian, they also answered me in Russian without disdain or displeasure, although with a funny accent. They showed us the way, happily talked about the sights and were interested in how things were going in Russia. However, one of my colleagues once returned to the hotel extremely irritated because, having heard her speak Russian, the salesperson in the store simply refused to serve her. As it turned out, my friends and I were in the same store, buying Riga balsam there - and imagine - we didn’t encounter any negativity, although we spoke Russian quite loudly among ourselves and laughed.

Experience 3. France.

On the very first evening of my stay in Paris, my travel colleague, Russian Aunt Valya, grumbled and was incessantly indignant about how arrogant these French people are and how much they hate Russians. Why would she do this? I must say that I, like Aunt Valya, do not speak enough French even to ask how to get to... Or rather, I can ask, but to understand the answer - it will be beyond my strength. It’s no secret to anyone that the proud French themselves do not speak English willingly or do not speak it at all. Despite all these nuances, by lunchtime I was having a nice conversation with a man at Notre-Dame about politics, society, and relations between our countries. But he just came over to have a cigarette. He heard the accent, asked where I was from, and then word by word, using all the familiar expressions of all the languages ​​of the world, a conversation began. In the evening, a group of young Frenchmen bent over my rain-soaked map, trying to figure out where I needed to get to. We laughed and joked, then they asked: “Where are you from?” “From Russia,” I answered. They expressed their admiration for our country and its beautiful women to me in broken English, and we went for coffee and cake.

Experience 4. Russia.

I've lived here all my life. I know this country well. And I can say for sure that this is where people are most often rude in stores and cut off on the roads. Only here, having accidentally hit a man in the subway (supermarket, bus, market), a woman has every chance of hearing the most unpleasant words addressed to her in response to a quiet “sorry.” Only in Russia can a woman who has fallen on a slippery road lie for three hours without receiving help from passers-by, because they will simply think that she is drunk. Well, helping a drunk is beyond Russian dignity.

And here I have a completely reasonable question: who hates Russians the most? And then there is a reasonable answer: there is nothing more terrible and destructive than self-hatred. And even more reasonable advice: no one will love us until we love ourselves.