In Russia, you often drink to your own health and say "Будем здоровы!" [bóo-deem zda-ró-vye"], which can be translated as "To our health!"
Normally, in Russia, toasts are pronounced after every shot with Russian words like 'Za Nas! ' or 'Za zdorovie! ' which means ' to us' and 'to health' The toasts could be words like these or could also end up long.
At a wake, the first toast is raised to the dead person, and glasses must never be clinked. At birthdays, the first toast is to the health of the celebrator; the second to that of the parents. At weddings, similarly, the first toast is to the newlyweds, the next to their parents.
About. “Nostrovia” is the English mispronunciation of the Russian word, "Na Zdorovie", meaning "cheers". Nostrovia is now used as English slang for “let's get drunk” and as a common drinking toast.
The Drunken Neck Tap: You may flick at your neck with your first or middle fingers, or just tap it. This is widely understood throughout Russian-speaking lands. Your buddy is tipsy.
The Russian equivalent for Cheers! is За здоровье! [za zda-ró-vye]. Literally it means: "To your health!".
Greetings and Small Talk
Hello (formal) – Здравствуйте (ZDRAstvuyte) Hello (informal) – Привет (priVET) Good morning. – Доброе утро. ( dObroye Utro)
приветствие {n} salute (also: greeting, salutation, welcome, accost, halloa, hallo) салют {m}
You might find that some Russians will loudly exhale after toasting before taking a drink. This is a custom that comes from an old adage that exhaling will prevent a hangover.
The word Vodka comes from the translation of water in Russian: “Voda”. On the other hand, the Polish used the term to refer to any white distilled drink. Its birth brings us to the Middle Age, when it started becoming popular.
In Russia, vodka is often served in small shot glasses and consumed quickly. It's customary to drink vodka straight, without mixing it with other beverages. If you're offered a shot of vodka, it's polite to accept it and drink it quickly.
Vodka is meant to be gulped down in one go, not sipped. Since this can give you a bit of a kick, Russians always have some zakuski, or snacks (including pickles, herring, boiled potatoes, and black bread) to chase the shot.
In Russian, fillers are called слова-паразиты (slova-parazity, "parasite words"); the most common are э-э (è-è, "eh"), вот (vot, "here it is"), это (èto, "this"), того (togo, "that kind, sort of"), (ну) такое ((nu) takoye, "some kind [of this]"), ну (nu, "well, so"), значит (značit, "I mean, kind of, like"), так (tak, ...
which meant "Towards the bliss of heaven!" "Ura" or "Hura" is the battle cry of the Russian Armed Forces, as well the Soviet Armed Forces and Red Army that preceded it. Its usage dates back to the Medieval era, derived from the Mongolian phrase hurray, meaning "to move" or "to attack".
За твое/Ваше здоровье
Another popular way to say Cheers is За Ваше здоровье (plural you) and За твое здоровье (singular you). It sounds similar to на здоровье (na zdarovye) which is what non-Russian speakers often erroneously think is the most common Russian toast.
Flash someone a well-meaning "thumbs up" sign in Russia, and they'll interpret it as a vulgar insult. Rude Hand Gestures of the World: A Guide to Offending without Words, a new title from Chronicle Books, delves into the varied interpretations of hand signals around the planet.