Why Don't Russian People Smile? | Easy Russian 34 

In the US a smile usually means "I am being polite", while in Russia it means "I like you" or "I am having fun". It is just kind of different nonverbal languages.

In Rome, a big, young Russian policeman attended an Italian language class with me and several other students from many countries and several of us commented among ourselves how he never smiled. We joked how we would hate to have him pull us over for a speeding ticket. On the last day of the course he showed up with a dozen beautiful roses for the teacher and told her, his voice quavering and wiping away actual tears, how the class had been the highlight of his life. Never judge a book for a cover that comes without a smile.

This is true! I met a Russian girl at University that wouldn't smile to anyone. Once I talked to her, she'd smile more than me and would even make jokes. She totally opened up.

You must earn a Russian smile! I have learned Russians are serious people and just don't walk around like simpletons with a smile on their face. But when you get to know one or meet one, they smile as much as anyone else.

Why don't Russian people smile AT STRANGERS would be a better and more accurate title. Russians smile all the time! Just not at strangers.

if you get to know us better - we will smile at you. Russians love to smile truthfully, not „lie”

"Moscow is a big city. If you smiled at everyone you meet, you'd be exhausted by the end of the day" замечательный ответ 😃😃👏👏👏

Это интересно, потому что даже то, как мы думаем об улыбке, отличается от страны к стране. Из Японии.

When I visited St Petersburg I found that people smiled much more at me than people do in London. Certainly much more than in Munich - no one smiled to me there - it was a very unfriendly city unfortunately. But I found krakow (Poland) and St Petersburg to have the most helpful and friendly locals in Europe.

Theres an American saying “fake it til you make it” or like others said its a form of politeness. It’s not wrong nor right just cultural differences that’s all🤗

I agree with them. If there is a reason to smile, then do so. If not, then why? That makes you look fake and suspicious. I'm American, but I'm from New York and apparently we don't smile that much either and that's why a lot of people, even in the U.S, say that New Yorkers are rude because we look "grumpy".

Thank you polina for continuing these videos with Nikita. We miss katya but it's also really great to see more of you!

When I visited Russia in 1998, someone told me Russians thought Americans smiled too much.

Да здравствует Россия, любовь из Индии

«Ерунда полная» mid-question is probably the most russian energy i have felt in my life

I was asking my self this question for long years after living in some European countries ...and having some Russian colleagues mostly females, well THEY RARELY SMILE

Мой коллега как-то спросил, что он лыбится? Контуженый что-ли? 🤣

Then I think I could fit in that society. I mean, i love my country (Colombia), and people here... Unless if you are in the boring media class or the rich one but hypocrite one (those always smile in a polite way, but not sincere). People here would smile at you just if they want to, not because they have to, so i think once I travel to Russia, maybe people would like me lol

раньше тоже считала, что если улыбаются, глядя на меня, то со мной что-то не так) сейчас стала замечать улыбчивых людей больше, что в Питере, что в своей провинции. может и я ещё изменилась и стала чаще улыбаться сама, а другие подхватывают)

смех без причины - признак нехватки ума. Так моя учительница говорила всегда. Такой-же принцип и с улыбками.

I am from a society where everyone smiles at everyone and that is just cultural. What counts is what is in the heart.

I think the blond girl at the end made a lot of sense. When you think of something nice and smile, it's contagious. It improves your mood. What do you have to lose?

Молодцы! очень интересный выпуск)

This was so interesting! Спасибо 😊

Я лично по дороге куда-то могу вспомнить какую-то смешную шутку или же ситуацию и внезапно начать смеяться. Помню, как такое произошло, когда проходил мимо двух девушек, они сначала удивились, потом тоже начали смеяться. Люблю такие моменты. Ещё похожая ситуация у меня бывала на уроках по немецкому. На этом предмете меня с моим лучшим другом не рассжаливали и пару раз мы могли смеяться несколько минут без остановки, и это не специально, мы реально не могли остановиться! В такие моменты было жалко учителя по немецкому, хотя Галина Юрьевна сама любит пошутить, как я считаю, это очень крутая черта для преподователя. Надеюсь, что люди вокруг меня будут смеяться почаще, ибо смех продливает жизнь :D

Какое невероятное видео! Мы хотим большего Полина в канале!

Я много улыбаюсь, когда слушаю подкаст easy german 😁

ок,русские нк улыбаются без причины. но неприязнь ,негативные эмоции без причины вполне себе могут позволить

Australian theory: Russians may not smile a lot because it involves pulling the lips back from the teeth and therefore the teeth are exposed to the cold. This is somewhat analogous to Australian English where we speak with our mouths almost shut to keep out the flies.

Мы улыбаемся когда нам смешно, весело. Зачем просто улыбаться? 🤔🥰😉Ну если видишь друзей, знакомых тогда улыбаться нормально.

Im came from central asia and l have been working russia ( sankt piterburg) for two month. I think that thera are two tiype of people. Smiling and not smiling. Some people so kind ,some dont. I think it depends on you if you know how to communicate it doesnt matter who is smiling or not.

I think people understood that they should smile all the time without obvious reason or not to smile at all! In my understanding, it's polite/nice/friendly to smile when you meet people not necessary that you know but when you visit a shop for example, when you communicate with someone. And not to seem ANGRY because you are just serious.

I heard about that and I could not believe probably because I am italian and for us to smile is something spontaneus and I think that we consider it as a sign of self-confidence or of proactive person and we tend to suspect or on the contrary to worry about someone who looks sad, now I know that this is different in some country 😁

ну если ты скажешь американцу что он не искренне улыбается то он сильно удивится, американцы искренне формально улыбаются, улыбка для них это как сказать привет молча, это такая вежливость что-ли😁

I have been to St. Petersbourg and Moscow,l honestly noticed thar people in SPB,were more comfy with a stranger like me,while asking for infos. In my experience,in both cities,the ones who haven't smiled to me,as a woman (it does not mean they were rude,maybe just not used to,l felt it),were the men. Ladies have always been smiling (in a shy way,which l liked) ,glad of it. Love to Russia from 🇮🇹.

I am glad the Easy Russian has a variety of guides. [ Beside the usual silly grinning girls ]

Laughing for no reason is a sign of foolishness? I'd be the biggest fool in Russia, I suppose. I laugh all the time at things ranging from ridiculous to nothing at all. I think more people should laugh for no reason. No reason to take things so seriously!

6:04 впомнил почему тот старый ролик где у сотрудника милиции брали интервью и его короной фразой стало " Нууу в этой ситуации как ээ это самое , наши полномочияяя ...все! "

В России , да не принято улыбаться фальшиво , ("просто потому что" ), но при обращении , лично , всегда ( как правило ) улыбнутся и постараются помочь (проверено на себе ) :)))

I read a joke about smile back in Soviet time. A man was arrested and interrogated by KGB while walking in the street smiling. Man: Why am I under arrest? KGB: You seem too happy, smiling for no reason.

Chill, it's just cold outside so we save energy to keep ourselves warm instead in spending it on smiling lol I dunno, we actually smile a lot when interact with other people. At least I like doing that and I always get a response, sometimes strangers even start a small talk for no reason, just to cheer me up I guess. I think nobody, even in other countries, smiles while walking on the street, and so we don't, but while talking to someone it really depends. Maybe it's just my experience, I don't know. I've never felt the difference though I was in other countries and talked to locals

Hard bass intensifies

American smile (fake smile) 😂

Спасибо за интересное видео!

in America I feel as though smiles mean a lot less because they are overused in every situation. For example: When someone makes a bad joke, you should smile When someone holds the door, you should smile When someone gives any sort of compliment (even backhanded ones) you should smile When someone in your neighborhood walks by you or even walks across the street from you, you should smile At this point I'm tired of being polite, it's way too hard to do 😕

В СССР люди веселые были и много улыбались. А сейчас с чего лыбиться?

Столько мнений хороших, убедительных ... Им хочется верить!

I am Portuguese! Here in PORTUGAL, laughing is also part of a social act or a courtesy when you meet a stranger! ... The general environment also allows for this! ... (Of course, when a person suffers from depression or when you are sad, there is no motivation to smile at all!).

At 6:20 that lady seems to be close to the real thing of the smile issue!

Блин, реально же, для улыбки нужен повод. Да и просто люди идут и думают о своем, зачем улыбаться просто так О.о И правда, для меня улыбка - это именно показатель отношения, а не попытка быть хорошей) Так что направо и налево не улыбаюсь)

In my country we smile to be polite, specially in formal or job enviroments not smiling is considered rude, it's not fake, we all know we are just being polite. Cultural differences. Because of my job I've meet people from all over the world and I can confirm russians are the least smiling people, but they are not impolite.

For Us Brazilian , We love smile and make another peoples smiles as well, even though with ALL dificulties We just smile , this is How to be Brazilian

Most of the people interviewed all BELIEVE other people smile basically as a mask or way to hide their real self…sneaky or something. I found that kinda odd

Russian people are beautiful, stern or smiling!

2:06 he forget to switch his voice mode into normal human

Улыбка без причины - признак дурачины.

wonderful video, keep on moving.

Russians I met in Russians told me the same thing - they hate the 'american smile' which is a con to them

В России важнее БЫТЬ, а не КАЗАТЬСЯ.

Русские не улыбаются без причины налево и направо (как говорится, смех без причины - признак дурачины). Русские традиционно улыбкой одАривают, а будешь ли ты одарен улыбкой зависит от того, какой ты человек, заслуживаешь ли улыбку, =доброму человеку улыбка непременно достанется

As an American, I like to smile at passerby's because (trusting) people like sincere smiles and I have heard SO MANY times how a simple, honest smile (even from a stranger) helped a person have a changed perspective on their life or maybe just their day. Sincerity is mostly in the eyes. I have even heard testimonies that it has saved persons that were intending suicide. To want to share sunshine, a person must have a love for others and care about their wellbeing regardless of who those people are. It is called unconditional love. It is what the world needs now.......and always......everywhere. Share love. Share a smile. Делитесь любовью. Поделись улыбкой.

If you're happy for a reason that reason can be taken away from you, so be happy for no reason :D

where is anya,the girl that used to moderate old episodes?

I'd say this is quite a representative "sample" of the population of cities like Moscow and S-t. Petersburg. You can indeed find people smiling on the streets in these cities, but still this is quite rare. Moving further east, there are fewer and fewer people like this, since the influence from the west is less strong. If you go to Siberia or even the Urals, don't even try smiling at a stranger, especially if you're somewhere in the suburban districts, as this could, potentially, be dangerous. Overall though, all the reasons, I would say, are correct. The idea of being genuine, honest, truthful and open is respected in the Russian culture. Smiling is not polite and it's not etiquette; it's an expression that shows your genuine joy or pleasure. Since people often get misled in Russia, there is a lack of social trust. Strangers don't trust each other as much as they do in the west. This is just a fact. In "Macbeth" by W. Shakespeare, there are two very pertinent quotations: "false face must hide what the false heart doth know" and "there are daggers in men's smiles". Thank you very much to the authors of the video and to the channel, this is a very interesting topic indeed.

Я прожил год в России много лет тому назад. Не знаю как сейчас, но тогда действительно в магазинах продавци совсем не улыбались и были далеко от этого. Была большая разница с нашими магазинами. Но в жизни люди были как у нас. Когда одни в странспортах: нет повода улыбнуться - Люди не улыбаются. Но если с друзьями в празниках: улыбаются

Чё уж там, улыбаться. Давайте сразу обниматься и целоваться!

Полина спасибо за хорошее видео интервью. У меня есть пару вопросов и предложений к вам, могли бы вы предоставить e-mail чтобы с вами контактировать?

Must be a Slavic thing, they say the same about Polish people.

Маски на лицах это теперь наше будущее и настоящее, поэтому улыбки потеряли свою актуальность.

Why this should bother anyone? People smile on occasion

Great video!

Why Russians can't just accept the fact that it's our culture being serious-faced and tensed at all time outside with strangers! I'm half Russian and half Türkmen, and I accept the fact mentioned above. Each person chooses their own environment, I mean an I-should-have-been-born-there environment. And therefore they more stick to that culture and habits. I prefer more American-smile-to-strangers factor to not smile at all. We just all different that is what called uniqueness :)

so great !!!

Not only in public. In my experience, teachers in Russia smile very seldom. I'm Russian and I would prefer them to smile and be kinder. It's a kind of consciously preferred style of teaching and instruction (strict, rigorous and cold, almost military). Stick (no carrot) policy is wide-spread in many areas of life here. I like people when they smile much better (a real smile or fake I don't care, of course, a sarcastic smile is not really a smile, it's more like a grimace).

Мне очень нравится музыка, которая явилась в конце ролика.

Give them vodka and you will receive more than a smile

Русские очень негативные и токсичные. Есть позитивные. Но мало. В основном молодежь.

they don't smile. If they smile in winter, their mouth would instantly freeze. That's why they avoid. So the reasons are 50% avoiding frozen mouth and 50% avoiding Gulag for looking too happy. ^^

Also Serbs don't smile.... If is something funny they smile and laugh..

Жизнь потому что такая, трясёт как на перфораторе.

Позабавило, с какими физиями некоторые отвечают: ерунда!

I think I read an article awhile ago about the impact Communism had on people regarding friendships or being friendly. Basically, in the US, a lot of us form these fake friendships because of capitalism. We’re actively trying to make our lives better and make connections. But in Russia, and especially when communism ruled, you don’t expect much from people cause they can’t make your lives better. Does this make sense, or is it bs?

I'm Russian, and i smile. If i have a reason for this. :> (f.e. - sarcastic smile here :>)

Наверно жизнь стала трудной

Энергии на эту улыбку не хватает, и так холодно, так ещё и улыбаться просят

Russian smile quite a lot when you talk to them, they won’t laugh about a joke that’s not funny tho.

They said it's nonsense yet they've told it with no smile on the face.

their face frozen by the winter cold

русские не улыбаются, потому что они исторически не знают, каковой будет первая реакция на их улыбку. " смех без причины - признак дурачины", - эта поговорка оправдывает подобное поведение. Кстати, оттого реакция пьяных русских настолько экстемальна : либо он заставит тебя забрать его последнюю рубашку, либо полезет к тебе в драку, по надуманному поводу. Потому что русские слишком внутренне напряжены, будучи не уверенными в своём будущем.

I wouldn’t smile if I lived their either. The US will not be much different in five years.

living in Kazakhstan i can say people from Moscow are really mean. and vice versa in Saint Petersburg

Сто раз уже культурологи объяснили, что в славянских культурах (вообще всех) улыбка НИКАК не связана с вежливостью в отличие от англо-саксонской культуры. Поэтому в обычном общении, не сопряженном с шутками и смехом, славяне не улыбаются. Т.е. любому славянину, чтобы считаться вежливым и считать других людей вежливыми, достаточно адекватного поведения и вежливых слов (спасибо-пожалуйста, здравствуйте-до свидания и т.п.). Всё. Англо-саксу же этого будет недостаточно, чтобы считать человека вежливым. Ко всему этому должна еще прилагаться улыбка. Ну, понятно, культурные различия, все дела. Это нормально. Вопрос в том, почему англо-саксы пытаются свою норму всему миру навязать? Это как-то... невежливо, хе-хе.

Никто почти не согласен с тем, что русские редко улыбаются, а тем не менее это правда. Русского человека заграницей сразу видно по лицу) Даже отношение к улыбке разное в России и других странах.

An official smile is a facade. Everyone knows that. If a stranger is genuinely joyful smiling at you, you would only learn when you get to know them.

If in Russia someone goes and smiles at everyone, it means one thing, he is under drugs or crazy.

As an American, I hate fake smiling and agree with the Russian sentiment that you should have a reason to smile.

i prefer russian "seriousness" over american fake happiness

Had a Russian co worker and always wondered why she was so straight faced, at first I thought she was rude and didn't like me lol... But then she kept chatting with me and we had great convos so I was so confused... Turns out they only smile naturally, whereas in Britain its more a case of smiling to be polite

Because russians always smile last

I have to say that Slavic people have some of the purest hearts and some of the most loving demeanour in the world... Opposite to what people think or judge