Quote Originally Posted by Eric C. View Post
Oh yeah, you're so right about that! I've happened to be confused by a number of Russians trying to get really close to me while talking. The most interesting thing is, no matter if you're stepping back, they won't really get it and won't give up their attempts to have your face a few inches in front of theirs. =)
Ahaha. I tried to imaging such a situation, and I realized, that it's very much true. "Hey, where are you going? We are talking right now". )))

Regarding conversation style: I've read once that Russians have problems with long pauses while talking to strangers, especially comparing to Northern nations (Scandinavians, etc.). When there's suddenly a lull in a conversation most Russians are afraid that it's "dying" and do their best to "restart" it, they redouble their efforts in engaging their interlocutor, trying new topics, etc. That's a classical culture misunderstanding. While Russians think that they are being good company people from other countries often see them as overly talkative, inattentive or even intimidating. The funny thing is that Russians do not necessarily like to talk that much, they just feel that they are supposed to make an effort for the sake of a person they are talking to.