Vodka
Written by Max KuznetsovWhat is more Russian than vodka? There are as many — if not more — kinds of vodka as there are California cabernets. Choosing the right vodka in a Russian supermarket can be as challenging as choosing the right wine in an American one.
Zakuska
Written by Max KuznetsovZakuska is any food that goes well with vodka. Many Russians will tell you that any food is good with vodka. Still, there is a large body of information devoted to making just the right kind of zakuska.
Why Russians Are Not Smiling
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A German friend once asked me,"Why are Russian people so gloomy? Nobody smiles here”. I looked around and noticed that indeed, almost nobody in the Moscow subway was smiling. I said, "Why
should they?” My friend raised his eyebrow in astonishment and changed the subject.
I remembered our conversation and started searching for the answer to why Russians are seldom found smiling. A few months later I found a very solid and thorough explanation in the article A Smile in Russian Communicative Behavior by Dr. Iosif A. Sternin. Dr. Sternin explained that in Europe or North America, smiling is a sign of politeness. When you see people smiling at you in the USA or Germany, it doesn't mean anything other than an overall neutral attitude toward you.