In short, when meeting a Russian for the first time, male or female, good etiquette is shaking hands firmly while retaining eye contact. Looking away is rude and shows indifference. Men should wait for a woman to offer her hand first. (Tip: Do not shake hands over a threshold; enter the room first, then shake hands.)
People give the appropriate formal greeting depending on what time of day it is: “Dobroe utro” (Good morning), “Dobriy den” (Good afternoon) or “Dobriy vecher” (Good evening). A more casual greeting is “Privet” (Hi).
Russians highly value stability and security. As Geert Hofstede has said, “[they] feel very much threatened by ambiguous situations”, an attitude reaffirmed by their recent history. People are more comfortable with assured stability and tend to approach situations with scepticism and caution rather than taking risks.
If you smile at a stranger in Russia, he/she can smile back, but it can already mean an invitation to come and talk. Russians take smiling as a sign that the person cares about them. To smile at a stranger can raise the question:” Do we know each other?”
Expressions: Russians, particularly men, often have a serious front towards strangers that softens once they build familiarity with a person. While they are known to be very animated with friends, smiles are not often exchanged between strangers on the street.
Show Some Affection
Traditionally, Russians would kiss three times on the cheek when meeting. Now, one kiss is more common, but a hug will also be expected. This might not be such a strange act for women, but men from other countries sometimes find it odd.
Traditionally, Russian beauty standards favor women who are tall — about 5 feet 8 inches — with long blonde hair and a thin figure.
Within Russian culture itself, beauty is often linked to gender and traditional social norms: beauty is not just about looks, it is about shaping the way people behave in patriarchal society. For the new generation, redefining beauty is important, not only on the aesthetic but ideological level, too.
Russians love laughing and they are truly capable of doing it! Although, if it's true that Russians easily smile and laugh when they're surrounded by friends and family, it's also fair to say that people are not yet accustomed to smile at strangers in contemporary Russia.
Patronymic is another form of expressing respect, politeness or distance in Russian. Name+Patronymic are usually used together with the polite form “Вы” (e.g.: А что Вы думаете по этому поводу, Иван Петрович?). If you use only patronymic without name when addressing a person (e.g.: Здорово, Петрович!
Always show heightened respect to those who are older than you. It's common to adopt a more formal demeanour. Offer your seat to an elderly person, pregnant woman or woman with a small child if they do not have one. Men are expected to open doors for women, pay for their food, help them carry items, etc.
Generally, most Russians adore children and aspire to have their own. It's a primary goal to see one's child be more successful than oneself and so Russians are often deeply proud of their kids. People can be expected to boast of their son or daughter's success.
In Russia, the middle finger is used to simply point (usually at the speaker themselves) and to communicate emphasis.
Я тебя люблю
This phrase is the most common way to say "I love you" in the Russian language, and it's used in the same way as the English expression. You can swap the words around in different ways without losing the meaning, such as Я люблю тебя (I love you), Люблю тебя (love you), and Тебя люблю (love you).
Is eye contact disrespectful in Russia? It is expected that you make eye contact whilst greeting as a sign of respect and trustworthiness. Some Russians may see you as untrustworthy if you laugh and joke too much, especially if you are discussing important matters.
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.
In Russia, smiling in public is often considered impolite. It can also make you an alien or a suspicious person. Even worse — you may get stopped by the police on the street and asked to explain the reason behind your smile.
Australians uphold “fit, healthy, and natural” as the attributes that make you beautiful. Vibrancy, warmth, and self-confidence also top the list of qualities deemed important. Healthy skin and beautiful eyes are seen as the most desirable physical traits.
In the past they used herbs and women knew how to eat a diet that enhances their beauty. Russian women use sour cream, milk, oil, egg yolk and fat to make their skin look healthy and attractive. Every young woman also knew that cucumber juice and parsley water brightens the skin and makes it radiant.
In Russia, dates are usually written in "day month year" (DMY) order. This order is used in both the all-numeric date (for example "28.08. 17") and the expanded form (for example "28 августа 2017 г.".
As a rule, Russians do not smile at strangers on the streets, in the Metro, in the store, or anywhere else. The reason Russians don't smile at each other on the streets is that smiling is generally considered to be something to be shared with a friend.