Weird manners in Russia often involve strong superstitions, unique social cues, and differing views on public vs. private behavior, like bringing odd-numbered flowers (even numbers are for funerals), spitting to ward off the evil eye after compliments, not smiling genuinely in public (it seems insincere), and taking off shoes indoors (bringing slippers is polite). Superstitions also dictate not shaking hands over a door, avoiding early birthday wishes, and never refusing vodka.
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.
Knocking on wood is practiced in Russia as in other countries to ward off bad luck. Spits over one's shoulder wards off the coming of a bad thing mentioned. To meet a woman with empty water buckets is considered a bad omen. It is considered bad luck to make a toast with an empty glass.
You might think that it's a cold country and that's totally fine, but shaking hands with gloves on is considered to be extremely impolite. Be ready to take your gloves off if you're about to be introduced to someone. Another 'handshake rule', never shake hands over the threshold if you're in Russia.
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 current Penal Code permits the death penalty for five crimes:
me and my friends usually say чзх - че за хуйня, че за - what the or че/что блять. or you can say втф which is basically wtf abbreviation.
Russians do smile at people they know. Shop assistants smile at the clients they already know, not necessarily at others. 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.
Never make "your mom" jokes unless you are 100% sure the other party knows you are going to make one. An odd number for flowers in a bouquet for a living person, an even for when you visit a cemetery. Don't ask “How are you?” to people you don't know.
It's a common stereotype that Russians don't smile. In reality, Russians smile when there's a reason to smile. Smiling at strangers, especially in formal settings, can be perceived as insincere or even suspicious. A smile should be genuine rather than a default expression.
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! “
Just before leaving for a journey, travelers and family members sit down together in silence for a short moment—often for a minute or two. This pause is believed to bring good luck, ensure a safe trip, and prevent any forgotten items or mishaps along the way.
The 7 Letter Spelling Rule – The Vowel ы
The hard vowel ы can never follow the velar letters г к х or the sibilants ж ч ш щ. Instead, you'll use the vowel и. It's particularly important to remember this rule when it comes to forming Russian adjectives.
A flick on the neck
When you see someone bending their neck slightly and flicking the side of it with their finger, congratulations, you've got an invitation. This is an exclusively Russian gesture meaning “Let's have a drink”. It can also be used to allude to someone being drunk without saying it out loud.
Шиш (Shish) is a rude gesture. For example - "shish you" (шиш тебе) will mean that the one to whom you show - "will not receive anything". A synonym for the word "shish" is a фига (figa), дуля (dulya), кукиш (kukish), and so on.
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. At the same time, a welcoming kiss on the hand, leg or arm was to show уважение перед старшим (consideration to elders) or to a person belonging to the elite.
According to Gallup's 2023 Global Emotions Report, Indonesia has been named the country that smiles the most, showcasing the nation's warmth and optimism even amid global challenges.
In Russian chats, a simple ) can replace a smiley face. The more parentheses, the stronger the smile: ) = slight smile, )) = happy, ))) = very cheerful. But it's not just about happiness. Brackets can soften a message, make it more friendly, or show irony.
In Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, oy (ой) is often used as an expression of various degrees of surprise, like "Whoops" or "Oh". In the Scandinavian languages, Oi! or the Swedish variant, Oj!, is commonly used as an exclamation of surprise, like "Oh" or "Whoops".
Блять (blyat')
Perhaps the most versatile Russian curse word, blyat' functions similarly to the English F-word as an intensifier or exclamation. It's used to express everything from mild annoyance to extreme anger and can be inserted almost anywhere in a sentence for emphasis.
Just keep this Russian slang abbreviation in mind. Хз (kheze) is short for хрен знает (khren znaet), хуй знает (khui znaet) and means “I don't know.” Without a smiling bracket it sounds too harsh, so it's better to put ( or ) after that—or more brackets, if you want to express strong emotions.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA, the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, and ZAMBIA abolished the death penalty for all crimes. ZIMBABWE abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. PORTUGAL abolished the death penalty for all crimes. DENMARK abolished the death penalty for all crimes.
Crime in Russia refers to the multivalent issues of organized crime, extensive political and police corruption, and all aspects of criminality at play in Russia. Violent crime in Siberia is much more apparent than in Western Russia.