About the Russian culture

The relations of Russia and America in many respects difficult because of asymmetry of mutual understanding of cultures.

Russia quite well knows America. All of us watch the American film. We read the American books. Very many watch the American news or talk to foreign forums.

On the other hand — the vast majority of Americans knows about Russia only what is shown by media. Alas, all this is usually very far from the truth.

On this background attempts of Americans more detailed very interestingly look to get acquainted with the real Russia. But not how she is drawn in the western media.

Today this video where the American professor shares impression about viewing of the Russian movie has got to me. However, I looked in translation into Russian as I don't understand English aurally. But has found the original in English. I think, it will be interesting to somebody to look.

 

I would honestly be happy to see if this thread goes on.

I think that cultural misunderstanding might be a serious existing problem, and should get more attention.

 

I communicate not only on politicalforum.com. There is one more American political forum at which I write messages. It is interesting as far as the audience differs there and here. I have opened this topic identical at two forums. Activity of that forum is much lower, than it. But at that forum in a subject three pages of discussion and 52 answers

It is difficult to write, without having feedback. But I will try to make a little crossposting of the messages of that forum. They reflect my subjective opinion and are taken from a context, but, maybe, will be interesting

 

I talked more than a year to forums with radical anti-Russian users. And I found it as it seemed to me, essential distinction between the Russian and western mentality.

People of the West put the Law above the Person more often. Yes, in Russia know and often repeat sayings of "Dura lex sed lex" or the statement of the wise man: "don't ask whether well live in this country, ask whether laws are well carried out there". Also I know about the phenomenon in the west of Lynch's vessels and to that similar.

But in Russia it is considered to be that if the law harms people, then it doesn't need to be observed. Even it is in Russian difficult to formulate it precisely, especially, through the electronic translator. But the point is that when the law begins to resist to spirit of society, society shan't carry out this law.

Therefore, for example, very many conflicts at us are solved not through court, and directly between people. The neighbor has turned on the music late at night and prevents other neighbors to sleep? In the west of the probability that will file a lawsuit against him is high. In Russia the probability of it very much, is very small. At first will try to talk. Then, if doesn't help, to resolve an issue by force. People go to court only on serious questions.

Therefore in Russia the system of legal profession is much more less developed. In the West judicial activity is much higher, than in Russia. From here and there are so much lawyers.

Both approaches have the pluses and minuses. I won't undertake to judge what of them is better. But itself, of course, I will choose to what has got used

And because of it, in particular, there is a misunderstanding in political disputes. Russia considers that if society wanted something — it shall receive it. The vast majority of residents of the Crimea to Russia wanted to leave is their right. In the West more often consider that the law shall be higher than opinion of people. And in case of discontent it is necessary to change at first the law and to work further within new laws. Therefore transition of the Crimea to Russia is called annexation — this transition breaks the adopted laws.

And so far there is this difference in priorities, this dispute can't without serious consequences be solved.

 

There is interesting (and more than once indirectly being confirmed) a Sapir–Whorf hypothesis about influence of language on thinking.

The modern science finds influence of language on structure of a brain, but doesn't explain what concrete changes language renders. But anyway it is often interesting to me to study semantic differences of languages. For example, I believe that high religiousness of the Arab world is connected with the fact that the Arab language and the Koran have very closely intertwined. And not a gift the Koran forbid to translate into other languages — the belief remains together with language.

There are interesting semantic features and in Russian. For example, in Russian there is no separation of the words "murder" and "kill". "Violent deprivation of life" — "ubiystvo" («убийство») is both designated in a word. It turns out, for the Russian person of a detail by what way of people has been deprived of life, are less important, than for English-speaking. Important only the fact that the person has been deprived of life. I in the my first topic of this forum told how I at other forum in a dispute on the value of life couldn't come to consensus with the interlocutor. And not directly understood that the electronic translator adds not that value that I had under application of the Russian word.

It looks even more interestingly if to consider that in Russian of the word are much less multiple-valued, than in English. At the majority of words only one value. Therefore when to different Russian words there corresponds one English — it surprises nobody. But here the return example — it is unusual.

Even more amusing example — the words "world" and "peace". Both of these words in Russian are designated by one, "mir" («мир»). That is for Russian of "world" and "peace" is a one state. Of course, on a context they differ, but it has to make some impact on thinking. And the same word has the third, less used value — "society", "comminity". But for the last words at least there are separate words ("obschestvo", "socium"). And here for "peace" and "world" of separate words isn't present, only one, the common value

 

By the way, if talk about music, then interestingly it turns out. The Russian songs most popular in the West are often popular in Russia in the people, but not on a mass media And such songs in high-quality execution often come to us back already in English. For example:

 

Example of interaction of cultures. Russian view of Winnie-the-Pooh.



It is very difficult to me to estimate as far as it was succeeded to translate the level of humour of this animated film into English (in Russian this animated film is considered exceptional). But I have tried to find at least such option where this back translation into English uses the same terms, as the English original ("Trespassers W").

 

Hm. Well, I guess that might be explained by them being more or less old classics, and thus out of charts, but remaining in memory. You do not often hear 'What a wonderful world' performed by Lous Armstrong being played on MTV, or 'Mr. Sandman' song performed by Chordettes. But - there are very little people across world, who would not recognize them from the very first accords, because they kinda became part of epoch and left imprint in history, from time to time sound in films, and generally known by - the people. Same goes for old russian and soviet songs, even if they are not as well known abroad as songs from USA. Still, I bet everyone knows 'The Peddlers' song, at least the instrumental of it - because it was used in Tetris.
Or, if we'll look whithin Russia itself, we'll see same exact phenomenon - there are plenty of songs that popular among people, that are not present on music channels - just because they are pretty much old. Yet! - not many people won't recognize 'I Am Walking the Streets of Moscow', 'Island of Misfortune' or 'I asked the Ash-Tree' in an instant.

 

I love 19th century and 20th century russian arts. Rachmaninov, Moussorgsky, Prokofiev, they were all greats composers. I don't know that much about russian culture. However, on many aspects, I think that western european, especially latin people have more in common about the cultural side with russian than american.

 

Wel, maybe..? Though it is hard to make direct parallels for me, I.. Soncerely do not know the culture of latin americans, for example, to judge. I can only present examples of the culture I know, and some interesting points in it - though would be curious to see, if there are similarities with other cultures.

For example, one of the things usually overlooked in period of revolutions, civil war and establishment of Soviet Union, is a rise of avant-garde that country's various branches of art were experiencing. Painting and films, architecture and machinery, various ideas, big and small, that gave birth to various styles in later years, have been one of memorable parts of that 'revolutionary culture'.

...and echoes of these ideas are still present.



​

 

Little remark about 'Man with a Movie Camera' version I placed in my latest post - originally film was mute, and accompanied by music in movie threaters. Later various soundtracks have been made, such as one in that version on YouTube. But camera work and montage are original, with no additional processing of any kind. Basically - this is same film that aired in 1929, only with modern music added.

 

And we shouldn't forget that the soviet and mainly the russkiew were the first to send a man in space.

 

Well, that is more a scientific achievement, than cultural - though it did left a big imprint on culture of the time.

Still, as I said, would be glad to hear about other cultures and curious to see if they may be some similarities of even enfluences between them and russian/soviet culture, in either way. ^^

 

I think that cultural and scientific achievement are related. Art and science both need some liberty of imagination, they need to educate enough people to transmit either the scientific or arstitic knowledge. How many early scientists were too a little bit artist too, and the opposite is true enough.

 

Certainly. The first that was made by the Soviet power after the revolution - it is active cultural development. Illiteracy liquidation, education, powerful social mobility ("social elevators" in Russian terms) in education. It allowed to rise in 10-20 years from the level of the backward agrarian power to the large industrial country. Then allowed to endure the most bloody war. And, despite loss in this war of the one sixth part of the population to come out on top of the world on the industry, economy and science soon. Most of the Soviet famous scientists and designers left from the bottom of social system. If there was no cultural development, they would never reach the scientific and technical heights.

It is sad only that a lot of things from these achievements have been lost in the 1990s. And that now social mobility in Russia began to work very badly.

 

Yes, it is probable, you are right. It was simply interesting to observe how in the 1990s a number of the songs not popular on the Russian platform returned to us with deafening success from the West

 

Poutine profited from that, grand son of a serv, he is now the most powerfull man of a Russia.

 

*Putin.
And, well, I am fairly sure the new generation that grew up with access to Internet is bringing a higher councisness and likely a new blooming for culture. We will see, if it is so.

 

Very many critics of the Russian perception of reality constantly forget that in Russia now more than 80 million people use the Internet constantly. More than 70% of adult population. That is everyone 3 of four people constantly use the Internet. Of course, most of them scoops foreign news not from foreign primary sources, and from social systems, but it affects the speed of distribution of news a little. Costs to something interesting or loud to appear in Facebook or Twitter as in few hours know millions of people about it.

It is a question of interaction of cultures too, of course. Because Russia not only reads the Western news, but also writes at forums, for example. Even if it is people, like me, not knowing English Technologies open absolutely new levels of interaction of cultures.

 

‘Masha and the Bear’ Episode Hits More Than Two Billion Views on YouTube

The seventeenth episode of the animated show “Masha and the Bear” has now been viewed just short of 2.61 billion times on YouTube in the four years since it was posted on the video sharing website. The episode is only the fifth video in the website’s history to surpass two billion views, according to Meduza.

The most-viewed video is South Korean rapper Psy’s “Gangnam Style” with 2.78 billion views. Meduza wrote that the cartoon, entitled "Masha Plus Kasha," is the only non-music video in YouTube's top ten.

In February 2015, Animakkord studio, the cartoon’s creator, won the award for the best animated series at the Kidscreen children's entertainment television summit in Miami. At the moment, 62 episodes of the animated series have been released.

// http://getrussia.com/news/masha_and_the_bear_episode_now_has_more_than_two_billion_views/

 

My friend's daughter watches Masha.

 

Careful! Now in NATO, KVN was attributed to the political tools of the Kremlin

http://weaponews.com/news/3565-stratcom-announced-kvn-a-political-tool-of-the-kremlin.html

Cartoon "Masha and the Bear" may be next! : D

 

I hope they won't ever get to see any of George Carlin's performances. Old **** sure had some great satire and criticism for the USA~!

 

Well the rules on that do seem to be slippery. I've just heard this week that if you don't support Macedonia's entry into NATO you're a Putin stooge!

 

Wait. NATO expanding again?