Russians are a very demonstrative people, and public physical contact is common. Hugs, backslapping, kisses on the cheeks and other expansive gestures are common among friends or acquaintances and between members of the same sex.
Women generally kiss people three times on alternating cheeks starting on the left. Male friends may hug one another or give each other a pat on the back. An old superstition advises that you should never greet someone by shaking hands or kissing them whilst on the threshold of the doorstep.
It is a Slavic custom for a man greeting another man to grab him in a bear hug and kiss him three times on the cheek. Some Russian men even go as far as kissing each other on the lips.
There's a well-known Russian greeting tradition: the triple cheek-kiss. It's usually common between close relatives. Sometimes, it's shortened to two kisses. One cheek kiss is often used by girls to greet friends, or even close female coworkers.
It's not always appreciated to assume familiarity before you are close with them. For example, calling someone by a nickname or using an informal pronoun to talk to someone you are not close with is disrespectful. Russians are generally punctual; however, they tend to see time as rather fluid.
If you smile at a stranger in Russia, he/she can smile back, but it can already mean an invitation to come and talk. Russians take smiling as a sign that the person cares about them. To smile at a stranger can raise the question:” Do we know each other?”
In Russian communication, a smile is not a signal of politeness. Russians consider a polite smile as “servant's smile.” It is considered a demonstration of unwillingness to show one's true feelings.
Two kisses: Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia, Brazil (though, like France, the number can differ by region), and some Middle Eastern countries (though not between opposite sexes)
First things first, while many Anglo-Saxons believe that kissing as a greeting is unique to France, the practice is common in a wide range of European and Latin countries, as well as Russia and certain Arabic and sub-Saharan nations. Its origin is unknown, though there are many theories.
Russian dating practices are similar to those in English-speaking Western cultures. However, Russians generally approach dating with the prospect of a long-term relationship in mind. Marriage is the ultimate goal; thus, dates are less casual than what Australians are accustomed to.
It is expected that you make eye contact whilst greeting as a sign of respect and trustworthiness. Some Russians may see you as untrustworthy if you laugh and joke too much, especially if you are discussing important matters.
Russians are a very demonstrative people, and public physical contact is common. Hugs, backslapping, kisses on the cheeks and other expansive gestures are common among friends or acquaintances and between members of the same sex.
Kissing isn't universally accepted and, even today, there are some cultures that have no place for it. Indeed, some 650m people—or about 10% of the world—don't partake at all. Until contact with the West, for example, kissing wasn't practiced among Somalis, the Lepcha people of Sikkim or Bolivia's indigenous Sirionó.
The researchers found romantic kissing to be the norm in the Middle East, with the practice established in 10 out of 10 cultures studied. In Asia, 73 percent enjoyed romantic kissing; in Europe, 70 percent; and in North America, 55 percent. No smoochers were found in Central America.
Three Kisses: Belgium, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Egypt, and Russia (where it's accompanied by a bear hug)
Southeastern Europe
Typically, Croats and Bosniaks will kiss once on each cheek, for two total kisses, whereas Serbs will kiss once, but three times as a traditional greeting, typically starting at the right cheek.
Я люблю тебя. Ya lyublyu tebya. “I love you.”
Sign of welcome kiss
In the Slavic culture, the long-lasting tradition of two men exchanging a kiss on the lips when they met was a sign of respect and friendly intentions.
By the 1960s and 70s, blue jeans were taking the world by storm. Worn by every young person in the West, Soviet teens and young adults wanted to wear them too. There was one issue: jeans were not made by Soviet manufacturers and the Party actively discouraged people from having an interest in Western dress.
Russians love laughing and they are truly capable of doing it! Although, if it's true that Russians easily smile and laugh when they're surrounded by friends and family, it's also fair to say that people are not yet accustomed to smile at strangers in contemporary Russia.
The national drink is an inseparable part of Russian social life. Vodka is drunk everywhere, with the intention of breaking down inhibitions and producing a state of conviviality Russians refer to as dusha-dushe (soul-to-soul).