by Marina Stein

Created on: March 17, 2010

After Russia changed its course and turned to the western way of life, the interest in that country grew. At the same time Russians are still an enigmatic people and a lot of myths still exist about the country, its people and their customs. However, it becomes easier to get acquainted with the Russian ways, either by visiting Russia or by reading new and unbiased articles and books about that fascinating country.

What are the most persevering myths about Russia? Let's not entertain the old ones about Russian men sharing their women and bears wondering the streets of Moscow - though these stories were pretty popular right after Socialist revolution of 1917, they obviously are not accepted as true today.

Myth #1. Vodka.

Vodka is considered to be a Russian national beverage. Surprisingly enough, it is not true. Not everybody in Russia drinks vodka. Actually, vodka is not even Russian invention. It was introduced to Russia in the 15th century by European merchants. However, there is a beverage which is much more popular in Russia, and everybody there drinks it at some point though it is not originally Russian either. That beverage is tea.

It is very customary for Russian people to drink a lot of tea - almost every meal ends with tea served in better china with lemon and sugar (to taste). The famous samovar (a special device to heat the water) was a part of every household for a long time. Nowadays samovar can still be found in some homes but more for decorative values than for actual heating the water.

Myth #2. Racism.

Russian people are not racists in any way - even Communist leaders always taught that all people were created equal. The myth about Russian racism has its roots in the period of Cold War, and during that period Americans were as scared and concerned about Russians as Russians were about Americans. So it would be unfair to consider Russians to be racists.

Russian people are proud of their country and their achievements, be it in sports, technology or scientific development. They are competitive but they also recognize the right of others to be proud of their countries and heritage.

Myth #3. Laziness.

Often in Russian fables there is a lad who achieves everything while lying on his back doing nothing by just being lucky in enlisting right allies and helpers. Somehow it became an image of a typical Russian person. Well, during long Russian winters when snow covers the land and no farming could be done, peasants have their time of leisure. However, come spring, summer, and fall, they work from dawn to dusk and than some, growing and harvesting crops.

In general, Russian people are not lazier than any other people on Earth. They enjoy time off if possible, and they work hard at the times of necessity. However, Russians are much more inclined to make a huge effort in a short period of time than work steadily for a long time.

As we can see, there are a lot of myths about Russian people. In order to distinguish truth from tales, you need to be curious without being judgmental and get information from serious accredited sources - or visit the country.

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