Thread: Cultural Differences Between Americans and Russians

Regarding the space thing, absolutely true. While everyone has their 'bubble', Americans tend to have much larger ones. If you can't get used to people being in your space, then God help you if you ever ride on a Russian metro or bus.
Both are usually fairly packed. One thing I recall from riding on the автобусы was the procedure for getting on and then getting off. Getting on was basically everyone cramming onto the overfull bus, and as soon as I everyone was on the bus driver would leave. People might pay as they're boarding, but usually many people, especially in the back, don't get to pay their fare until after the bus is already moving. In America you usually have to have exact change to ride the bus, and the bus doesn't leave until everyone has paid; my experience over there was people will pass money up to the driver, who will then make change and pass it back. It seemed like a very honesty-based system--people never seemed to try and "cheat" and not pay at all, and all of your change would make it back to you despite passing through the hands of half a dozen strangers. The drivers making change was a little bit disconcerting to me at first, but I never saw an accident. Don't be surprised if you go and your bus driver looks like this:



For getting off the process seemed to consist of tapping the person in front of you (usually after the bus leaves the stop before yours and is still in motion) and asking them вы выходите? If the answer was no, you would begin this 'dance' of trading places (keep in mind the bus is usually extremely packed). You would continue to do this until the person ahead of you is responds that they are getting off, and then you are to assume that they have done the same thing you just did and that everyone in front of them is getting off as well.

This might seem like normal every day activity for a native, but keep in mind that most Americans have their own cars and transport themselves (except for in the very big cities).

I don't know if this holds true for everywhere, but I noticed over the course of the month I spent over there (these observations are for Kiev, Ukraine by the way, although as the 'mother of all Russian cities' I imagine most of it holds true for many parts of Russia) that many people would re-wear the same clothes a lot. In America it's usually considered bad hygiene to not shower at least once a day and to wear the same pair of clothes twice without washing them (though you can get away with re-wearing a pair of джинсы).

Also, I don't know if this was just the family I was living with, but most Americans have access to a washer and dryer. The family I lived with in Kiev had a very small washing machine in the bathroom and then...I don't know exactly what to call it because I've never seen one before, but the best way I could describe it was they had something that looked like like multiple towel racks that radiated heat that they would hang their clothes on to dry.

In America sales people are very courteous and will nearly bend over backwards to help you. Over there, don't be surprised if the shopkeeper is quite literally yelling at you to see what you want within ten seconds of walking in the door. (This, of course, varies on the store. I went to a bookstore and the people there were fairly kind and helpful) Also over there while standing in line at a restaurant or street vendor it'd be a good idea to know what you want well before it's time for you to order. In America people can quite often hold the line trying to decide what they want to buy.

Don't try to leave your change. In America many establishments have "take-a-penny" cups by the register. The idea is if you get a few pennies as change you can leave it for someone else to use to make things come out even. (For example, if your change is 1 cent you can leave it in the cup. Then perhaps the next person, or someone else later, who has a total of $1.01 can give the person at the register $1 and then a penny from the cup. That way they don't have to give the person at the register $2 and receive $0.99 cents in change--a lot of coins are annoying to carry around.) While in Kiev I tried to leave my change with a lady selling newspapers, but she was quite adamant about making me take it.

For getting off the process seemed to consist of tapping the person in front of you (usually after the bus leaves the stop before yours and is still in motion) and asking them вы выходите? If the answer was no, you would begin this 'dance' of trading places (keep in mind the bus is usually extremely packed). You would continue to do this until the person ahead of you is responds that they are getting off, and then you are to assume that they have done the same thing you just did and that everyone in front of them is getting off as well.

That brings back memories))

I remember two babushkas dueling with umbrellas for a seat on the bus!

Originally Posted by zxc

....

in continuation of the topic about Ukrainian public transportation (in a regional town)

collecting fare after taking off is actually against the law, but nobody seems to care or be scared

the passengers must request the stop out loud the earlier the better but even then there's no guarantee the driver will hear them so sometimes quarrels break out over who's mute and who's deaf, doors get slammed and driving becomes erratic

exiting the bus some passengers thank the driver, and i always wonder what for

buses are not equipped with air conditioning, so in summer the only source of coolness is hot air coming in through windows and open sunroofs. when there's a woman with a baby even those could get shut at her demand so the baby doesn't catches cold from the draught

i rode once a Germany manufactured bus which i don't believe doesn't have climate control system, the day was hot but still it wasn't on


overall it's an inherent chaos, if for some odd reason rules need to be put in place they're invented on the spot, very little is being done according to the written official legislation, disregard to the law is total and ingenuous

Originally Posted by LXNDR

the passengers must request the stop out loud the earlier the better but even then there's no guarantee the driver will hear them so sometimes quarrels break out over who's mute and who's deaf, doors get slammed and driving becomes erratic

"State" buses, trolleybuses, etc. always stop at predefined stops without asking. Only smallish "marshrutkas" ('taxis for poor') tend to skip small or "unpopular" stops and prefer to stop there on demand only, which is nice, since it makes the ride faster.

overall it's an inherent chaos

??
I'd say the system is pretty straightforward.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

"State" buses, trolleybuses, etc. always stop at predefined stops without asking. Only smallish "marshrutkas" ('taxis for poor') tend to skip small or "unpopular" stops and prefer to stop there on demand only, which is nice, since it makes the ride faster.

OK, where i reside there're no 'state' buses, the 'state' trolleybuses run once an hour on two routes only, the rest is fixed-route taxis many of which technically are buses, and these do not like to stop on demand preferring to do so at fixed bus stops (another law violation) which still need to be requested, and skipping them if nobody requests or waives from the bus stop, sometimes they don't stop despite being thumbed
under passenger seat at the back you're likely to find a wheel or a tire

over here it's the trolleybuses which can be called 'for poor' as the fare is lower and the ride is slower, i believe this should apply for everywhere since trolleybus and trolley depots are state owned

Originally Posted by LXNDR

i rode once a Germany manufactured bus which i don't believe doesn't have climate control system, the day was hot but still it wasn't on

... We tested new buses on an exemplary Artiom street. Talked to a cashier and he confessed that buses made in Lvov (a Ukrainian city one of Euro-2012 hosts) constantly go out of order. From him we also found out the secret of the climate system, an issue which bothers many Donetsk residents, namely why the air conditioning being ostensibly present, doesn't actually function. It turned out that having spend the finances on the air conditioner the orderer (that is the city council) saved on the pipes which channel the cold air across the cabin.


source: Архив журналиста - Европатруль в Донецке, часть 1 (19 фото, 5 видео)

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Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

??
I'd say the system is pretty straightforward.

that was said about life in general



another very interesting custom is painting border stones white near houses on the eve of festal days that goes along with lime daubing of trees trunks

Originally Posted by LXNDR

lime daubing of trees trunks

Why is this done? I have wondered about this all my life. In some countries this is really common and in some countries you never see it. I have never been able to figure this out.

Painting trees with some white substance is widespread in Russia
I remember an explanation from primary school that it's done to help insectivorous birds to find and eliminate bugs on snow-white trunks. But I'm not sure if it's true.

Originally Posted by Dmitry Khomitchuk

They do it to protect trees from sudden weather change in early spring and late autumn. Also to protect from bugs, lichen, timber fungus, etc. There are many kinds of covering: different mixes of lime, clay etc.

Originally Posted by xdns

Painting trees with some white substance is widespread in Russia
I remember an explanation from primary school that it's done to help insectivorous birds to find and eliminate bugs on snow-white trunks. But I'm not sure if it's true.

i'm really curious how trees survive without it in other parts of the world

basically if you wish to make a city look like a village daub trees with lime

man, it's so lime


ok this at least has explanation, is there explanation for painting border stones white?