Yes, Russians often kiss on the cheeks as a greeting, typically three times on alternating cheeks (left, right, left) between close female friends or family, while men usually shake hands, though historical political greetings involved three cheek/lip kisses. It's a sign of close familiarity, not for strangers, and generally reserved for women greeting women or close relatives, with men greeting other men usually with hugs or handshakes.
In Russia, kissing on the cheek when meeting or saying goodbye is quite common, but it depends on the level of closeness between people.
Kissing both cheeks is a common way of greeting someone in France, but we know it can be intimidating at first. Especially if you don't do something similar in your home country.
The act demonstrated the special relationship that exists between Communist countries, consisting of an embrace, along with a series of three kisses on alternate cheeks. In rare cases, when the two statesmen considered themselves on exceptionally good terms, the kisses were given on the mouth rather than on the cheeks.
In the Slavic culture, the long-lasting tradition of two men exchanging a kiss on the lips when they met was a sign of respect and friendly intentions.
Russians also maintain direct eye contact while giving the appropriate greeting for the time of day. Female friends usually kiss each other on the cheek three times when they meet, first on the left cheek, then on the right, and then a final time on the left. Close male friends hug and pat each other's back.
The 7-letter Russian spelling rule states that after the consonants г, к, х, ж, ч, ш, щ, you never write the vowel Ы, but instead use И, even if the sound is hard (like in жизнь - life). This also applies to other vowels: after these seven letters, never write Ю, use У (e.g., чуть), and never write Я, use А (e.g., часто), a principle often extended to include the letter Ц in broader rules. This rule ensures consistency with phonetic shifts after these specific "hard" or "hissing" consonants, helping learners avoid common mistakes in endings.
Hugs, backslapping, kisses on the cheeks and other expansive gestures are common among friends or acquaintances and between members of the same sex. Russians stand close when talking. Putting your thumb through your index and middle fingers or making the "OK" sign are considered very rude gestures in Russia.
When a Russian gentleman really likes you, he'll go out of his way to ensure that you happen to be comfortable and happy. This may include running errands for everyone, or simply taking care of practicalities. He may also go out of his way to surprise you with gift ideas.
A lighter version is “Пока-пока!” (paka-paka). It appeared in the 90s of the last century under the influence of English “Bye-bye!” Pronounce it like [пак̀а / pak̀a]. The English equivalent is “Bye!
The 90/10 kissing rule, popularized by the movie Hitch, suggests that one person leans in 90% of the way for a kiss and pauses, allowing the other person to close the remaining 10%, which signals their consent and involvement, preventing it from feeling forced and creating anticipation. This technique gives the other person control, allowing them to either lean in for the kiss or pull away, indicating their comfort level.
Central America, South America and Africa are particular regions where there is not much of a kissing culture. Only 4 of the 17 cultures researched in South America, 4 of 27 in Africa and 0 of 10 cultures in Central America lock lips romantically.
Cheek kissing is an informal greeting or social kissing gesture to indicate friendship, family relationship, perform a greeting, to confer congratulations, to comfort someone, or to show respect.
The most important part of the appearance is the face, it should be white, smooth and well—groomed. Next, a man should have beautiful glowing eyes and thick eyebrows.
First-date etiquette in Russia is pretty classy, focused on good manners and making a good impression. While Russians aren't famous for their punctuality, they respect the quality in others. It's rude to keep people waiting, and you'll want to be a few minutes early.
Russia severely restricts free speech. Publishing and distribution of information (including private comments on chats, social media or social apps) related to the Russian leadership, government, government policies, armed forces and any military operations may be considered illegal.
The most direct way to say "I love you" in Russian is "я тебя люблю" (ya tebya lyublyu). This phrase breaks down simply: "я" (ya) means "I," "тебя" (tebya) means "you," and "люблю" (lyublyu) means "love." Russians use this phrase for expressing deep, romantic love - it carries real weight in relationships.
But it does provide some rough guidelines as to how soon may be too soon to make long-term commitments and how long may be too long to stick with a relationship. Each of the three numbers—three, six, and nine—stands for the month that a different common stage of a relationship tends to end.
Red flags in a guy include controlling behaviors, disrespect (for you, your time, boundaries), lack of empathy or accountability, poor communication (like the silent treatment), excessive jealousy, dishonesty/manipulation (gaslighting), and any form of abuse or disrespect toward service staff, often patterns like love bombing, substance issues, or making all exes "crazy". These signs signal potential toxicity, immaturity, or a lack of respect and emotional stability, making healthy partnership difficult.
16 things tourists should never do while visiting Russia
Article 228 concerns “Illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, manufacture, processing of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues, as well as illegal acquisition".
Simply put, smiling is not common in Russia, and it can make you seem untrustworthy. This is especially true if you're smiling at someone you don't know. In Russia, smiles are reserved for friends or individuals you have some kind of relationship with. Otherwise, they are considered off-putting.
"Paka paka" (пока пока) in Russian is an informal, casual way to say "bye-bye," used with close friends and family, similar to English expressions like "see ya" or "ta-ta," derived from the single word "paka" (пока) meaning "bye". While "paka" (пока) literally means "while" or "until," it functions as a simple "bye," and doubling it adds emphasis and cuteness, making it very informal.
Russian has two different rolled-R sounds. One is a trilled rolled R, but the more common rolled-R sound is a lightly rolled R that you might use in the Russian word “ruble.”
To say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 in Russian, you say: один (odin), два (dva), три (tri), четыре (chetyre), пять (pyat), шесть (shest), семь (sem), восемь (vosem), with pronunciations like "ah-DEEN," "DVAH," "TREE," "chye-tir-ye," "pyat," "shest," "syem," and "VO-syem," respectively, using the Cyrillic spellings and English phonetic guides.