Just because I’m from Russia doesn’t mean I love vodka

Being an international student is quite a challenge, since there are a lot of cultural differences between my home country and the US. The incredible school spirit brought me all the way from Russia to Michigan, and I am extremely excited to spend the rest of my college years here.

However, sometimes I feel that people judge me based on the social stereotypes about Russians, so it’s time for me to break some of them.

We don’t get cold because we’re ‘used to it’

Staying warm, Russian style

If I got candy every time I heard the phrase “You’re Russian, so you don’t get cold, right?” I would probably gain the Freshman 45, not 15. Yes, it gets freezing in Russia during winter, but it doesn’t mean I get immune to the cold. I am still a human, not a cold-blooded reptile, and I have to layer up and waddle around like a penguin just like everyone else.

Also, it’s not always cold in Russia: In the summer, people in my city complain about extreme heat, secretly wishing they could go naked because wearing clothes is unbearable in such weather. Russia is not a big ice cube – we have four seasons with different kinds of weather.

All Russians love vodka

Repeat after me: It is not true that all Russians drink vodka with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Like all humans, each of us have individual preferences when it comes to alcohol, and many young people actually think vodka is more for the older generations. However, it is true that our drinking age is 18 and that we have quite a good alcohol tolerance (which made the transition to college that much easier).

We all have pet bears

Pictured: Not a bear

No, we do NOT have pet bears. Why would anyone have a pet bear which would grow up into a giant terrifying creature and scare you to death? We have normal pets: dogs, cats, maybe parrots and rabbits on the more exotic side, but definitely not bears. I don’t know where this stereotype came from.

Russians don’t smile

If we aren’t always smiling, it doesn’t mean that we’re rude. Russian people are just not used to smiling at people that we have never met before – it’s not a thing in my country. But when you get to know the Russian person better, you might be really surprised by how hospitable our nation is and how much we love guests and feeding them pancakes.

Just look at that impassive face

It IS true that we have our own Winnie the Pooh

So this isn’t technically a stereotype, but it is not a joke that we have our own version of Winnie the Pooh – and I think it’s much more adorable than the American one.

How cute is he?

Overall, there are many stereotypes about Russia, and a lot of  of them are far from being real, so I encourage all of you to try to look beyond them. My culture has many interesting traditions, and I don’t mind explaining to people how things really work in Russia.

XOXO,

The Russian Girl