Russian culture has a long
history and tradition and Russians are very
proud of it.
Russians consider themselves as a well educated
nation. They read a lot, books are cheap,
and one can afford to buy 5-10 books a month
without serious damage to a family budget.
Russians are also big fond of live performances
at theatres and since tickets are affordable
(prices in cinemas and theatres are comparable),
they enjoy attending theatres: opera, musical,
ballet, drama etc.
Usually every city has a few theatres. The
theatre culture was developed during the
Soviet times when tickets were sold through
schools and enterprises: cities were divided
into areas and there was a theatre agent
responsible for each particular area. The
agent would bring tickets for distribution
to every enterprise and school in his area
and the person responsible for "culture
sector" would organize collective visit
to the theatre. I think it was an excellent
system since people had the opportunity
to attend theatres from the early age, starting
from attending performances in a Muppet
theatre, then moving to the Youth Drama
Theatre, then to Drama, Musical and Opera,
according to their age. Also attending performances
in a company is always much more fun, which
contributed to the popularity of theatres.
This is how most Russian people have developed
their taste for live performances.
Movie theatres are also becoming popular
in Russia and they are equipped with the
latest sound systems. When Russian people
talk about movie theatres, they will usually
say "cinema"; if they talk about
"theatres", they mean live performances.
During Soviet times there was a well developed
system of community work and in every group
(class at school, department at work etc)
would be also a person responsible for sport,
education, political information of the
group etc. People that were doing community
work were given benefits (free or discounted
travel, ability to buy deficit goods, ability
to receive a better apartment from the government
for free etc) - remember, there was no private
property until Perestroika, everything used
to belong to the state, which was controlling
distribution and would award the most active
citizens. Unfortunately the system of volunteering
was broken with Perestroika but Russians
still have that great community spirit (which
sometimes goes to the lengths a westerner
would consider as infringement).
Russian culture is non-individualistic.
The power of an individual in Russia is
much less than in the west and most deals
are pushed through family, friends and acquaintances.
Russian saying is, "One is not a soldier
in the battlefield". In Russia, one
still needs to know people in power to make
things work. This is why they maintain more
friendships than an average westerner. They
often have to rely on their friends to help
them out. You know someone who knows someone
who is in power; this is the way they have
the things done. If you know the right people,
you can have the most difficult things done
with little effort. In my life, a few times
I ran into dead ends where there was nothing
I could do in the straightforward way; the
people were right to refuse me, according
to the official rules. But once I could
find people who knew someone inside the
system, a month wait would turn into just
a few hours wait or they would find a place
for me where they said the rules would not
allow them to give me one. Foreigners would
just give up; Russians believe there is
always a roundabout.
The majority of Russians consider themselves
as Christians, and belong to Russian Orthodox
Church. It's a great achievement for the
country where atheism was the official state
religion for more than 70 years. Frankly,
most of them are not true believers. They
appreciate Christian moral values but do
not follow them. Religion is not a real
part of their life. Russians are more aware
of horoscopes than the Bible. Church service
in Russia can be attended any day of the
week and performed every day 2 or 3 times
(early morning at 3 a.m., then at 8 a.m.
and then in the evening at 7 p.m.). People
usually attend the church just to "light
a candle" and quickly pray. They do
it to ask for something to happen (a business
deal, an exam) or to remember a close person
who is dead. People do not have to be a
member of the church to do it and they do
not have monthly contributions to the church.
Church survives selling candles and reminder
notes and charging for services such as
baptizing, weddings and funerals. Church
marriage is not official in Russia. A couple
has to register their marriage with government
authorities first to be allowed to have
church ceremony performed.
Medical aid and education in Russia are
free, though Russians joke that education
becomes less and less free with every year.
One can still get a university education
for free by passing the entrance tests (exams),
but the universities have to decrease the
number of students studying on a free basis
because of poor state financing.
Since both education and culture facilities
used to be widely available, Russians can
be considered a highly cultured nation.
Their general knowledge is very good: they
know a little bit about virtually everything.
At secondary schools, they study not only
the history of Russia but also the world
history, including American and European
history. In the same secondary school course
(11 years school qualification is mandatory
in Russia) they study world literature,
world music, and world geography. Many books
of western authors are mandatory reading
in the course of literature (in Russian
translation of course). The standard secondary
school program includes studying of a foreign
language for 6 years (grades 5-11), usually
it is English but also can be French, German
or Spanish. Most subjects in the course
of a secondary school are mandatory for
all schools throughout the whole Russia,
and only since recently there are some subjects
that students can choose in addition to
the general course.
On the entrance exams at universities and
colleges only questions from the general
course of the secondary school can be asked.
Universities and colleges accept students
according to the results of entrance tests,
and not according to their marks at school,
though having excellent marks can help (for
example, you would only have to pass 1-2
exams instead of regular 4).
Intellectually, Russians are interesting
people to talk to and enjoy deep subjects.
Philosophy is still a mandatory subject
when you study for a degree and one of the
3 compulsory subjects for PhD qualifying
exam (the other 2 are foreign language and
the specialty itself).
At the same time the majority of Russians
don't have what you call in the west "good
manners". Their manners are not bad,
they are just Russian. Russia is quite a
tough country and Russians usually do not
hesitate to say what they think in a way
that doesn't leave room for any misunderstandings.
During the Soviet period having "good
manners" was considered as a bourgeois
survival. Russians are very straightforward.
When they meet or phone each other, they
seldom spend time on questions like "How
are you?" and go straight to the point.
They are not rude, it's just a way of doing
things.
Having a university or college degree is
common. Russia has the highest educational
level in the world (more than 40% of the
total population have college or university
degree). Since Perestroika, the system of
higher (university) education is slowly
deteriorating as well as the medical aid
system, which used to be among the world's
best. The problem with Russian education
is that it was always rather theoretical
and unrelated to practice. Therefore, it's
common for a person having an engineering
degree to work in sales, or one with a chemical
background to find himself in marketing.
In the old days having a degree was an end
in itself. They are trying to change the
educational programs now, but it will take
years to build the system.
It's not of any wonder if a woman with university
degree works as a secretary. Having a Ph.D.
is also not a big deal, and doesn't give
you a big advantage; good knowledge of English
will provide you with a better competitive
edge. The position that one has in a company
is not as important as the company in which
he or she works. Foreign companies and even
foreign public/charity organizations are
considered to be the best employment.
Having your own business in Russia is a
big challenge. The tax system works in the
way that if one has a small business (individual
private enterprise), he must pre-pay taxes
before he receives permission to act. It's
unbelievable, but it's true: one is supposed
to estimate his future income, and pre-pay
taxes proceeding from the assumption. Then
he gets a permission to start his business
activity; but he must run to the tax department
the second he earns 1 Ruble more profit
than it was estimated and paid in advance.
Otherwise it will be considered a hidden
profit, and one can easily get a fine of
the size equal to 200% of the amount of
the hidden profit. I understand that it
sounds funny, but it just works like this.
The authorities are suspicious towards owners
of small businesses.
The bigger enterprises have a more convenient
tax system. In 2000 the government announced
united tax of 12% on profits, and even said
the hidden (*black*) capitals may be legalized
if the owner pays this 12% tax. At the same
time there were comments from top government
officials that this is only a temporary
retreat, and the progressive tax system
will be brought back as soon as people get
used to paying their taxes. Actually, the
government hoped that people would start
paying tax and show their real profits -
but Russians know their government. They
don't want to be easily trapped by showing
off their true income, and then be obliged
to pay again enormous taxes of the past
(up to 90% in different taxes on profit
- state, region, city and others). Collecting
taxes is still the biggest concern for the
Russian government. Most serious investors
of so called "New Russians" transfer
their capitals abroad (of course, it's illegal,
but there are so many ways to take a roundabout).
This 12% united tax attracted many foreigners
to become Russian residents. In Moscow and
St. Petersburg, there are sizable communities
of expatriates that live there mostly because
of the low taxes - investors etc. Other
westerners live there because of the low
cost of living; on a western disability
pension one can live in Russia as a king.
They even have their own expatriate newspapers
in English!
Before the year 2000, the Russian tax system
was very complicated. Counting all the taxes
supposed to be paid, the total amount could
reach 90%, including taxes on the salaries
for employees. To pay 100 rubles to an employee,
an employer had to pay about 80 rubles of
tax to the state: pension funds, social
insurance, medical insurance and so on.
There were many federal, regional and city's
taxes, which were different from one region
to another. The system made companies have
double accounting, and sometimes double
salaries - an official one and so called
"black cash salary".
Another reality businesses face in Russia
is organized crime, which often has close
connections with authorities. Small and
medium businesses have to pay about 10%
of the profits to "raket". Nowadays
many businesses prefer to employ "commercial"
departments of police organizations or private
security companies, which are in reality
just a camouflaged "raket". They
will "help" you in a case of bad
debts, problems with business partners or
criminal situations like robbery etc, providing
you a "roof". All "criminal
cooperations" have official businesses
registered, and you pay them an official
fee additionally to unofficial.
It was a very funny case in Ekaterinburg
at spring 1999, when one of the "cooperations"
registered their association as "OPS".
In Russian it is a common abbreviation for
"organized crime syndicate" ("Organizovannoye
Prestupnoe Soobshcestvo"). The guys
from "OPS" explained their name
differently as "Public Political Union"
("Obschestvenno Politicheskiy Soyuz").
It was one of the most famous and big groups
in the city, and the choice of such a name
demonstrated that the guys were feeling
absolutely comfortable with their status.
Well, you consider us as "OPS"?
You've got it.
If you have some problems with your business
partner, your "roof" ("krysha")
will meet with the other guy's "roof",
and they will try to settle your business
problems trough mutual discussion. If they
can't get right, they may apply to an unbiased
source - a person "in law" ("v
zakone"), who will take a decision,
usually quite just. This decision is final,
and you can't apply against of it, or get
rid of it. There is an official way of settling
the problems through a state court, but
it's almost out of use: it's long, unpredictable
and rather pathetic.
But businessmen are in a better situation
than the people that work as employees.
With all the headaches and stress, they
still have some money and considerably good
living standards.
Government employees, particularly medical
doctors and teachers, do not receive their
salaries for months, sometimes up to 6-8
months. It does not mean that they don't
receive salaries at all. It started in early
90th, first as delays with payments. So
the first time one received his salary a
week later, then next month - 2 weeks later,
and so on. Eventually it happens that in
June you receive your salary for last December.
One receives some money regularly, and he
can survive, though the government owes
him thousands. This way was quickly picked
up by the other organizations, and now even
if one works for a private company, he might
not receive his salary on time. The government
constantly promises to fix outdated payments,
and pay pensions and salaries to people
working in a budget system on time, but
for many years it's only promises.
Russians are smart. They have so many difficulties
and problems in life, that they can easily
find a roundabout way for anything. They
don't have a deep respect towards any law,
including traffic rules. Russians are of
some the most reckless, but at the same
time skillful, drivers, and the most careless
pedestrians in the world.
A famous Russian comic, Mikhail Zadornov
(it's also quite a coincidence that he is
a name-sake of a former Russian minister
of economy; once in a foreign encyclopedia
they mixed up their photos - at the article
about a minister was published a picture
of the famous comic; well, nothing to worry
about - Russian economy is also a very funny
thing), so, this famous comic said: "The
state steals everything it can from people.
The people steal everything they can from
the state".
Stealing is not considered to be a big deal
as long as you have not been caught, and
don't steal from your friends or the people
you know. Stealing from one's work place
was considered for years as an essential
"skill of well being". During
the Soviet time there was such a phrase:
"Everything around belongs to the public
(nation), so everything around belongs to
me".
There was no such term as "private
property", that's why Russians don't
care about intellectual property either.
No other country in the world has such abuse
of pirate software, video and audio records,
CDs etc exposed for sale on every corner.
They used to publish books of Western authors,
and the authors found it out only when started
to receive letters of thanks from Russia.
The pirate production is very cheap, for
example a CD with the newest version of
Microsoft Office or Windows will cost you
$4 or less, the same is applicable for any
other software product.
The information from my sites was stolen
many times. If foreign based services remove
offensive sites (or take care that stolen
information is removed) within 24 hours,
Russian ISP's advised me to contact the
thieves and try to regulate the matter myself.
I would understand if it was paid subscribers
whose money they did not want to lose, but
one of the sites was hosted by a free service
provider www.narod.ru, and the result was
the same: "Yes, we also think it's
bad, but we are not authorized to solve
such problems. Apply to the site owner".
Articles from my Russian site are stolen
regularly, I stopped counting. One of my
agents also reported a book published in
Belarus that was an exact copy of the information
from the website. There is no way you can
get the thief back. (I recently started
placing them on the Black List though :-)
Russians are used to a situation where everything
is unpredictable and unstable. They live
in a society where anything can happen,
and don't wonder when the national currency
loses 25% of it's value 3 days after the
president's public promise that there won't
not be any inflation in the nearest future
because the situation has never been more
stable. They have to adapt to new rules
and laws quickly, and they manage successfully
with this task. After "The Black Monday"
(17 August, 1998) when the government announced
default, and the ruble fell dramatically,
people from any Western country would run
to change the government. Russians ran to
exchange rubles for dollars.
Actually, the crisis of 1998 made good for
the country: when imported products became
unaffordable, the Russian industry had favorable
conditions for development and could occupy
the large part of the market. Currently
economical situation of Russia is stably
improving.
Russians had to make the long journey from
the total control of the Soviet times to
the total uncertainty of the current situation.
Their life has changed extremely, and if
taking peoples' happiness means of measurement,
it definitely changed for the worse. The
older people are very sorry for the Soviet
times, when everything was understandable,
predictable and stable. One could not get
a much better life than the others with
all his talents and hard work, but he was
confident he would have the necessary minimum:
a place to stay, a job, free good quality
medical aid and affordable prices for goods,
his children would have free education and
free access to any sport and cultural facilities.
Well, guys, it was not such a bad time!
Nowadays people have lost those advantages
of the socialist state, and they have yet
to have the full advantages of Western capitalism.
The majority of Russian people do not really
understand the huge difference in the life
in Russia and on the West. Russians do NOT
consider their life as miserable. They feel
that things are changing for the better
and "everything's starting to work
out" in their country. President Putin
with is desire to clean up and stop corruption
is very popular in masses. The frantic desperation
of early 90th, when there was no food in
shops, and late 90th with their economical
roller coaster, is no longer there. The
child birth rate is on the raise, which
is a sure indicator people feel more confident
about their future.
Russians like to emphasize their different
attitude towards material values and consider
themselves as sincere, cordial, understanding
and unselfish. They like to talk about "specifics
of Russian soul" or "mysterious
Russian soul", and repeat the famous
phrase of a Russian poet "You can't
understand Russia by your mind".
Generally, Russians love their country.
They can criticize it severely, but if you
try to do the same they will defend it furiously.
They feel like citizens of the largest county
in the world, which has rich history and
deep cultural roots, and they are proud
of it.
