I don't tend to smile at random people. If they say hi, i'll say hi back. Not for any dislike of them, I just never grew that habit, and yeah it does seem kinda forced to smile at them. Luckily this is the northeast so it's not really much of a thing anyway. I hear it's much more common a thing in the rest of the US.
@Frank LOL Живущий в США...Тем не менее, я счастливый человек, и часто я видел других, которые так же счастливы, как и я, и каждые пару месяцев случается, что я обмениваюсь улыбками с совершенно незнакомыми людьми..
My first Russian language teacher forty years ago told my class not to walk around smiling at people in Russia (then part of the Soviet Union). "They'll think you are either dangerous or an idiot."
I absolutely LOVED Russia. I walked alone wit my google map in hand & nobody bothered me. Obviously stay away from shady places(that's for everywhere). I used Google translator & the Cab drivers helped me this way. Even at restaurants & shopping. Had some good traditional food as well. I was lost & one police guy helped me wit the way & said Namaste smiling at me.. i was shocked 😁 .. as an indian, what struck me was how empty the streets are !! good trip, will visit again for sure.
I've been looking at both Russia and China recently, and they're both interesting countries with lots of good people. I think it's unfortunate that the political elites have to act like enemies, when we really shouldn't be. Most of us are just average people caught up on their unnecessary games, targeted by propaganda, given excuses for their cruel actions toward others. I wish we had a fast and cheap electric train going all the way from Lisbon to Moscow to Shanghai, imagine how much better connected we'd be.
I also wanted to go to China as well, but after many research and time I realized that it’s very authoritarian and is run by an evil government. It’s a shame because it is such a beautiful country.
I love how he is so proud of his lovely wife and he obviously doesn't care about the few losers who pollute his comments section. Can't wait to see the beautiful children this union produces!
I am really pleased that You Victoria are having enjoyment with Fedor in Russia. Wrap up warmly! I hope your plans work out for you. Say hi to your parents in Russia.
Loving this channel. This vid is timely as I want to go to Moscow in late April/May 2024. Researching Visa requirements and flights and stuff. Victoria, thanks for your hook-up for Visa and travel. Your channel and vids are what I needed. Looking forward to the January 2024 class. СПАСИБО!
Hi, if you're looking for vlogs in Russian you can watch this playlist th-cam.com/play/PLPx1uA5OMnWwRStYcgcMU6nMolgOFbVfl.html or this one th-cam.com/play/PLPx1uA5OMnWxoFHjgTiEjbzIkKjzlh5Vi.html
I come from a Russian family (Polish on my mothers side) and I didn't smile very much growing up but my teachers in school never let up on the fact that I had to "smile!" and would make me smile on command. I remember one of my teachers telling me to smile and I finally asked her "why" and then she told me that I would look friendly and happy if I smiled more and I just did not understand how a smile mattered more than actually being friendly and kind to people. I just smiled when I was excited or with my friends. Now that I'm older I think it's been ingrained in me to smile a lot so people leave me alone lol
@@GoLongAmerica I believe most of us Americans smile at people so they can go about their business. A lot like when asked "how are you" and the automatic response is "good" it's just a way of people actually avoiding each other without trying to upset the other party.
@@stephikarolyi8706 Black Americans actually don’t smile at strangers (I’m 1/2 black) and we consider most white Americans to have a fake friendliness. I believe Hispanic people don’t smile at strangers either.
@@stephikarolyi8706 if you ever meet a black person, and they smile at you…you can be certain that the smile is sincere. If a white person that I’m unfamiliar with smiles at me, I immediately become distrustful of their motives.
@@GoLongAmerica I think it heavily depends on the person and place. In south east Kansas all kinds of people will smile at strangers. The further you get in the cities people seem to smile a lot less, though I've never passed by a black person that didn't exchange a smile and kind words with but in Baltimore (my hometown) it is NOT the same. Smiles have a more flirtatious and different motive than in the Mid US for sure.
This was really helpful and informative! Thank you for sharing 😁 and I love you two together- you seem like a lovely couple 😁 all the best from the UK!🥰
In Russia they say - "do not go to someone else's monastery with your own rules." They are adults and understand that the order is different in another country.
Well, how much fun was this to meet your lovely wife and see your beautiful surroundings! I am really enjoying your videos and my pronunciations are improving so much - THANKS!
Keep the videos coming, your love for each other strong, and ignore the BS. Есть только одна раса, человеческая раса. Вы одновременно позитивные и вдохновляющие люди.
Great video. As someone who's married to a Russian and has spent some time in Russia, I'd add one don't. Don't talk about politics (esp. Kremlin politics) and maybe be careful talking about LBGTQ+ things. Otherwise, enjoy Russia!
Well, the don’t drink with strangers don’t (who would ever do that btw?) and these two, do not speak in favour of your fellow Russians, do they. They lay down a pretty sad stereotype of drunken, untrustworthy, stealing, sexist, P-haters. I think more highly of all the Russians that I know. Why not just say that Russians are a bit more reserved about freely expressing their thoughts about personal convictions, than is habitual in the western countries?
@@waadfrelle Well, being Latin American, i would say what's wrong drinking with strangers? haha I had been living in Russia several periods of time last 5 years and I always meet friendly and fun people on bars or venues, even sometimes I ended at their homes. Nothing wrong with that. Of course you can't be naive and always should have a sixth sense about them, but in general Russians are curious about foreigners and they are very hospitable persons.
@@iwasthere01 right, that is what I am saying. I have the same experience, as far as meeting lovely en curious people. I’m just not a drinker I suppose :)
Such a cute couple! I visited Russia a couple times - first for vacation, then for work + vacation. I absolutely loved it. People don't smile at you - it's like there is ice between you - but break that ice and OMG people are wonderful. When I got home (Hong Kong) from my second trip, I studied Russian in a class 2 hours every Saturday for about 16 months. It's just tough if you don't get to use it. I have Russian friends, we speak 5 words in Russian and flip immediately into English... I finally gave up, but I'd be keen to try again.
Much of USA same no smiling, yet still, often in US people see a what they feel is a like-minded person and offer up a smile every now and then :) been to HK and lol dont recall smiling at anyone
@@HappyDragon64 - Agreed - HK is not a smiley place. lol I think the US is relatively smiley. But in either, if you smile at someone they will crack and smile back. In Russia, smile at a stranger and you are more likely to be looked at as though you have mental issues.
I don’t smile. I did when I was a kid but because I am from Canada so it’s part of the culture but I never liked too it always felt forced. However, a large part of my background is heavily Eastern European so, I embrace that part of my heritage.
@@cer2299 Well, even as a kid I always felt forced smiling felt fake. For me, it’s more important to keep real happiness in one’s heart not what’s displayed on your face. Besides, I met plenty of people that look happy but aren’t.
Another point was that, in Russia, those who know English generally know British English, not American English. Be aware of some of the differences there, too. We used a combination of Russian and English when we were traveling, but still had some mix-ups even in English!
Russian Agency is great at doing visas for Americans. They have 3 office locations, but you don’t need to go to an office to get your visa. I’ve been to Russia 3 times. So much fun traveling there! 😊
The not smiling thing is always interesting to me because, even if we are super shy, in brasil, we smile at strangers all the time without even noticing. It’s so common to smile and wish others a good day when you pass by someone lol
I suppose it's just a different way of being nice and polite: In countries like ours, smiling and giving friendly greetings is the polite thing to do, maybe for the Russians the respectful thing to do is not distracting people (strangers) from their busy days while they are outside.
Hey! That's a wonderful video! Fedor, I subscribed your channel maybe 5 or more years ago. I can speak Russian but still I enjoy your videos. I didn't write any comment yet but after this video I would like to say that you are doing a great job, your videos are great, energetic and educative, and they give an inspiration doing my channel as well. Спасибо!
Fedor, you guys are great. I’m coming up on my one year anniversary studying Russian and I am so excited to visit in the future. Спасибо большое за видео и я надеюсь, что вы оба прекрасно проведёте время, жива в России вместе.
It makes me sad to think that rule #1 might not apply as much anymore ☹️ Not that it’s _dangerous_ in Russia right now, but Western country people like me might have trouble getting in to Russia these days.
I was really impressed with your video. I have always loved the way Russian sounds (studied for 2 semesters years ago). I am from LA originally but in Puerto Rico for my ministry. I would love to find out how you too met. I wanted to visit Russian, but after some bad things about how it mght be very dangerous for me as a black man, I gave up on that dream. Good looking couple by the way! I'm not hating you! Really interested in Russian vocabulary to evangelize. God bless you both!
well, here is my experience. don´t be scare: well, I´m from Mexico, so, scared from Russia? never! haha, even though russians are very serious, I never felt in danger.(i traveled to Moscow, Zelenograd,and some other parts of near Moscow, Taganrog) while I was in Moscow, I was walking and using metro all the time (get a metro card!!) I was walking by the Kremling at 4am by myself !! and was perfectly safe! even talked to some kremling guards, and they were cool as hell :D don´t travel without a visa: well, yeah, you won´t even make it in the country, so get a visa. don´t drink with bad company: I drank at a bar 1st night i got there, with bunch of strangers, was awesome! next time i drank at pub (borrachitos bar) mexican pub, was on the celebration of "day of the dead" again.. full ok unknown and mexicans, was awesome also!! don´t smile at strangers: being from Mexico, we are used to say, good morning, afternoon, evening and all that to no matter who, just to be polite. I was staying at an AirBnB and everytime I would say, good morning or afternoon to ppl, they would, give me this kinda strange look (not angry look) but, It was just weird for them haha. **I have several russian friend and I guess they forgot to tell me this** even though I did it my whole trip there. they best app is YANDEX. useful translator, it gets 97% accuracy. I took a year and a half of russian before going, plus some studying with russian friends.
Now that Russia is closed. Go to Kazakhstan! You don’t need a visa. They speak Russian. They are very hospitable. You won’t regret it. I’m writing this from Almaty right now. this country is beautiful.
Привет! Since you're doing a "I want to go go Russia" series, may I suggest another helpful video idea? As a person of color I've always wondered how people in Russia view darker people/ how looking obviously foreign affects one's everyday life in Russia as a tourist and as a permanent resident, because I know some countries (mostly asian countries) are not as welcoming to those people. But I haven't really found videos about that from people that aren't Russian natives. So maybe you could ask your wife to share a little bit of her experience visiting Russia and whether her skin tone affected her everyday life here/ whether people treated her a certain way because of it?
I can give you my two cents as a Russian who immigrated to USA in the 90s and traveled back for work few times over the years after the collapse of the soviet union. Somewhat complicated subject. Going to the days of the Soviet union people of African descent were viewed as revolutionary comrades suffering consequences of colonialism and fighting oppression of the west so in that respect there was not that much of KKK style hate towards people of color. USSR was heavily involved in establishing communism in Africa a lot of african exchange students were coming over to study in Russian universities etc. We had our own people to hate and stereotype jews, armenians,chechens, georgians,uzbeks :). You could probably put three white people in front of the average Russian and he'd be able to tell you their ethnic background, Russian, vs Belorussian Jew vs Ukranian Armenian vs Georgian even though to an american eye they are all white. To this day 20+ years after leaving USSR I keep my hair high and tight as to not have a jewfro so I can blend in with my fair skin and blue eyes :). That being said depending on the city and how far away you are from the central tourist and business hubs there may or may not be that many foreign people of color walking the street so you may draw some curious looks or people might come up to you and strike up a friendly conversation especially if you are a woman of color. When we traveled with my black coworker off the beaten pass people did come up to her wanting to know where she was from and how she liked russia and other general out of curiosity questions. It was all friendly no snarky comments, I pretended I didn't speak Russian and enjoyed people watching. Also depending on generation of the russian and the proximity to the major hubs you need to be aware of language nuances when it comes describing people of color. Obviously african-american is not widely used in Russia. Not every person of color walking on the city street in Russia is from America :). Word негр was absolutely perfect non offensive way to describe a person of african descent when I was growing up while words черный or чернокожий were pushing into the gray area of condescending to offensive. Nowadays, around the big cities they are becoming cognizant that негр sounds close to an N word to an English speaker so there is a flip flop now between the two. But on periphery or if speaking to the middle aged or older person you might hear it and normally it's not meant as an offense a slight or patronizing in any way.
@@TheKuritsa Thanks for giving such a detailed answer 👍 It's always interesting to learn about how history from decades ago can still have a significant impact on people's everyday lives today
@@TheKuritsa добавлю еще пару центов))). Английский я знаю не очень хорошо (читаю, но предложения формирую с ошибками). ИМХО, расизм 90х годов и далее это было частью развала СССР. То есть, СССР помогал африканцам, боролся против апартеида и сегрегации, помогал странам Африки (это вызывало нехорошие чувства, которые подогревались диссидентами) - значит быть расистом это было модно и правильно, несовково и по западному. Потому и многие российские оппозиционеры так отнеслись к недавнему БЛМу, в том числе Ксения Собчак, которая ехидно посмеивалась. В целом вы правы - африканцы вызывают удивление, но не агрессию (за исключением явных неадекватов), африканцы были у нас большой редкостью.
Федя, ты отхватил себе настоящую красавицу, я искренне любовалась Викой весь ролик. Как на вашу пару реагируют непривычные к разнообразию наши соотечественники?
@@BeFluentinRussian ну а кто может что негативное сказать про такую красотку? Только какой-нибудь очень неадекватный человек. Надеюсь, вам такой не попадётся.
Victoria! 😂 Girl, I told you. How are you gonna survive winter all the way in Novosibirsk??? I'm terrified of going to the south of russia in the fall and winter (probably gonna be happening in about two weeks) and you're all the way in Siberia! Grrrrlll!! How are you gonna make it?? I got a test run tonight working outside in Idaho 63 - 52 degrees fahrenheit. Got the confirmation that I AM NOT READY FOR THAT COLD!! 😭
Hmm, I've been to Russia several times, but while I agree on the visa, I never needed an invitation. But maybe regulations are different between Europe or Austria and Russia vs the US and Russia...?
Europeans now can apply for the eVisa which is easy to obtain, technically you just register, pay 40 euro and after a few days u have your visa in your email. American , Canadian, UK, Australia, NZ citizens still need a visa to enter Russia.
I felt safer in Irkutsk and Moscow than when I was in Paris :/ As for the weather, if it's winter, I will pack my bags immediately, because there's no winter where I come from XD
Learn some russian . . You will always be liked by locals more if you make an attempt enen to know a little . Do it . Пожалуйста, учите русский язык. Very nice channel . When i speak russian i am sure locals will smile :) joking . Learning since 6 months
If I go to Russia I might have to wear a mask because the not smiling part will be a huge issue for me haha. If I’m not talking to anyone then sure I won’t smile but as soon as I open my mouth to speak there’s a chance that I’m smiling without even realizing it. Idk why but every time I talk smiling feels a lot more natural for me than frowning does. Like I literally have to force myself to NOT smile. Also when I talk to someone I’m usually just joking around or making lighthearted conversation so I guess the only time I’m not smiling is when I’m being serious or I’m angry/sad. 😅 Thanks for making videos like this! I always find them interesting because I never learned anything about Russia while growing up aside from some of their history.
This not smiling thing is also "know" in Poland :) I think it's a common thing for Eastern Europe beocuse at the the past there weren't so many occasion to be happy and also People were frighten to smile to someone, becouse stranger guy can be a spy or that person could have reported you to the authorities.
I’m a Canadian and I wanna visit Russia someday. I’ve been learning Russian and I love speaking it, but nobody here speaks it. Also every Russian I’ve met has been ridiculously sweet and kind to me. Unfortunately im lgbt, and with the war, I don’t think il be very safe :(
I was several times in Moscow because my wife is from there and it was just nice each and every time, even in the suburbs. I felt much safer than in the european union, for example Paris is a complete shithole in my opinion and even in Vienna there are districts where I didn't feel as safe as in Moscow. It doesn't match the west media but even the Czech Republic and Hungary is much nicer than most of the fancy west european cities in my opinion.
@@WLORULZ7899 I was in villages outside of moscow and had not a single problem too, you really want to say that for example siberia is more dangerous (beside the fact they have bears and stuff there) ?
You make a great team! I feel for you Victoria....my husband is Russian and when I got to Russia. I smiled to everyone, because I am British and its normal for us.....I hope that situation actually changes with the young people of Russia....I really hope in future more people will see the value of being more friendly and smiling to cheer the day up.
@@jaymylotto8134 I am not suggesting randomly...I remember having a nice time with my husband on a Trolley bus and I was smiling because of the conversation I was having and I accidentally had my smile on my face when I happened to face towards a lady who was drunk I think. She said some strange stuff and my husband had to basically say something back to her. So no I did not mean randomly....but I smile when I am buying things at a shop to workers to try to bring some cheer to their days.
It is so funny you're telling people to not forget VISA. While in other places people can be surprised when they find out they can go to Europe without a VISA. But it's kinda obvious that it's necessary check if it is needed when you plant to visit a country.
What a nice couple you 2 are! Btw, I've been to both Moscow and St. Petersburg (мой любимый город) several times, I went out alone at night and I always felt absolutely safe! Everybody was friendly and helpful, I even met smiling Russian natives!!
We are visiting Moscow right now and we can’t get our phones to work outside of the hotel. We did buy a SIM card but unfortunately, they didn’t work. But great tips! I’m practicing my Russian face every day here.
I fully admit that I am scared shitless about having to use a squat toilet and that single-handedly will keep me from visiting Saint Petersburg (my life bucket list travel location). My wife and kid don't know about those toilets. Their response will be "oh hell no!". You guys are really cute, thank you for the video about culture!
If it makes you feel better, I was in St Petersburg last month, and not once did I see a squat toilet! In my hotel, in museums, in restaurants, everything was with a normal modern toilet. Don't worry :)
![[안방1열 풀캠4K] 베이비몬스터 'DRIP' (BABYMONSTER FullCam)│@SBS Inkigayo 241110](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AQ4RIghEvUs/mqdefault.jpg)
If you want to check out more videos with me and Victoria, go here - th-cam.com/users/livinglifewiththeshirins
I love the not smiling at strangers custom. As an introvert, that is reassuring. I'm practicing not smiling at strangers here in America.
it’s just a social way of showing respect, in America if you don’t it seems like you’re not friendly
I don't tend to smile at random people. If they say hi, i'll say hi back. Not for any dislike of them, I just never grew that habit, and yeah it does seem kinda forced to smile at them. Luckily this is the northeast so it's not really much of a thing anyway. I hear it's much more common a thing in the rest of the US.
@Frank LOL
Живущий в США...Тем не менее, я счастливый человек, и часто я видел других, которые так же счастливы, как и я, и каждые пару месяцев случается, что я обмениваюсь улыбками с совершенно незнакомыми людьми..
My first Russian language teacher forty years ago told my class not to walk around smiling at people in Russia (then part of the Soviet Union). "They'll think you are either dangerous or an idiot."
Now I want to go to Russia, I feel like these are my people
I absolutely LOVED Russia. I walked alone wit my google map in hand & nobody bothered me. Obviously stay away from shady places(that's for everywhere). I used Google translator & the Cab drivers helped me this way. Even at restaurants & shopping. Had some good traditional food as well. I was lost & one police guy helped me wit the way & said Namaste smiling at me.. i was shocked 😁 .. as an indian, what struck me was how empty the streets are !! good trip, will visit again for sure.
Can Fedor be more adorable? What a great ambassador for Russia / human race!
🙂Adorable couple. You both have the most beautiful smiles🙂
I've been looking at both Russia and China recently, and they're both interesting countries with lots of good people.
I think it's unfortunate that the political elites have to act like enemies, when we really shouldn't be.
Most of us are just average people caught up on their unnecessary games, targeted by propaganda, given excuses for their cruel actions toward others.
I wish we had a fast and cheap electric train going all the way from Lisbon to Moscow to Shanghai, imagine how much better connected we'd be.
I also wanted to go to China as well, but after many research and time I realized that it’s very authoritarian and is run by an evil government. It’s a shame because it is such a beautiful country.
I love how he is so proud of his lovely wife and he obviously doesn't care about the few losers who pollute his comments section. Can't wait to see the beautiful children this union produces!
Given how capitalism is ruining the climate, we all might need an increase in melanin in our skins ASAP
@@denxero I think you jest? China is ruining the environment, and the climate will have summer and winter until the end.
Thank you so much for your kind words
@@billstiefel7384 China build the shit the west consume, we export our own pollution there...
@@LivingLifeWithTheShirins Wish Better For You And Your Husband, God Bless Each Of You
I am really pleased that You Victoria are having enjoyment with Fedor in Russia. Wrap up warmly! I hope your plans work out for you. Say hi to your parents in Russia.
Loving this channel. This vid is timely as I want to go to Moscow in late April/May 2024. Researching Visa requirements and flights and stuff. Victoria, thanks for your hook-up for Visa and travel. Your channel and vids are what I needed. Looking forward to the January 2024 class. СПАСИБО!
It would be great if you could do vlogs like this, using Russian so that you could introduce vocabulary from the things you show us and whatnot
We have made similar videos in Russian on our Couples channel check it out: th-cam.com/video/bNiEfEYY6CA/w-d-xo.html
Hi, if you're looking for vlogs in Russian you can watch this playlist th-cam.com/play/PLPx1uA5OMnWwRStYcgcMU6nMolgOFbVfl.html or this one th-cam.com/play/PLPx1uA5OMnWxoFHjgTiEjbzIkKjzlh5Vi.html
@@LivingLifeWithTheShirins Thanks! I had no idea you had this channel, wish you all the best
I come from a Russian family (Polish on my mothers side) and I didn't smile very much growing up but my teachers in school never let up on the fact that I had to "smile!" and would make me smile on command. I remember one of my teachers telling me to smile and I finally asked her "why" and then she told me that I would look friendly and happy if I smiled more and I just did not understand how a smile mattered more than actually being friendly and kind to people. I just smiled when I was excited or with my friends. Now that I'm older I think it's been ingrained in me to smile a lot so people leave me alone lol
You have a very nice smile. In the USA we are also taught to smile on command.
@@GoLongAmerica I believe most of us Americans smile at people so they can go about their business. A lot like when asked "how are you" and the automatic response is "good" it's just a way of people actually avoiding each other without trying to upset the other party.
@@stephikarolyi8706 Black Americans actually don’t smile at strangers (I’m 1/2 black) and we consider most white Americans to have a fake friendliness. I believe Hispanic people don’t smile at strangers either.
@@stephikarolyi8706 if you ever meet a black person, and they smile at you…you can be certain that the smile is sincere. If a white person that I’m unfamiliar with smiles at me, I immediately become distrustful of their motives.
@@GoLongAmerica I think it heavily depends on the person and place. In south east Kansas all kinds of people will smile at strangers. The further you get in the cities people seem to smile a lot less, though I've never passed by a black person that didn't exchange a smile and kind words with but in Baltimore (my hometown) it is NOT the same. Smiles have a more flirtatious and different motive than in the Mid US for sure.
Victoria is super cute and she has such a nice voice 🥰 great video you guys!
I can’t wait to visit Russia 🙏🏼 Thank you for uploading this. This helps a lot!
Pleasure to meet your lovely wife. Love from Angola.
This was really helpful and informative! Thank you for sharing 😁 and I love you two together- you seem like a lovely couple 😁 all the best from the UK!🥰
I have so many wonderful Russian clients and as an Australian, we always smile. I’m so sad if they thought that was weird.
They're in your country, so now THEY have to adjust to your customs!
In Russia they say - "do not go to someone else's monastery with your own rules." They are adults and understand that the order is different in another country.
You two are so cute…thank you for this video ❤️💕
So nice to see your wife, you guys are lovely! and thanks for such an informative video :)
Я знаю Фёдора и Викторию. Очень хорошие люди!
#3 Dont drink with bad company. :DD reminds me of Bald's Video: "Drinking Vodka In A Soviet Apartment...What Could Go Wrong?!" xDDD
I'd say this is universal advice. Everywhere, in any country do not drink in bad company. It's obvious.
Well, how much fun was this to meet your lovely wife and see your beautiful surroundings! I am really enjoying your videos and my pronunciations are improving so much - THANKS!
Keep the videos coming, your love for each other strong, and ignore the BS. Есть только одна раса, человеческая раса. Вы одновременно позитивные и вдохновляющие люди.
Насчёт одной человеческой расы согласна не на 100, а на 1000%!
Great video. As someone who's married to a Russian and has spent some time in Russia, I'd add one don't.
Don't talk about politics (esp. Kremlin politics) and maybe be careful talking about LBGTQ+ things.
Otherwise, enjoy Russia!
Thank you for your comment!
No problem. Мне нравится твой канал.
Well, the don’t drink with strangers don’t (who would ever do that btw?) and these two, do not speak in favour of your fellow Russians, do they. They lay down a pretty sad stereotype of drunken, untrustworthy, stealing, sexist, P-haters. I think more highly of all the Russians that I know. Why not just say that Russians are a bit more reserved about freely expressing their thoughts about personal convictions, than is habitual in the western countries?
@@waadfrelle Well, being Latin American, i would say what's wrong drinking with strangers? haha I had been living in Russia several periods of time last 5 years and I always meet friendly and fun people on bars or venues, even sometimes I ended at their homes. Nothing wrong with that. Of course you can't be naive and always should have a sixth sense about them, but in general Russians are curious about foreigners and they are very hospitable persons.
@@iwasthere01 right, that is what I am saying. I have the same experience, as far as meeting lovely en curious people. I’m just not a drinker I suppose :)
Such a cute couple!
I visited Russia a couple times - first for vacation, then for work + vacation. I absolutely loved it. People don't smile at you - it's like there is ice between you - but break that ice and OMG people are wonderful. When I got home (Hong Kong) from my second trip, I studied Russian in a class 2 hours every Saturday for about 16 months. It's just tough if you don't get to use it. I have Russian friends, we speak 5 words in Russian and flip immediately into English... I finally gave up, but I'd be keen to try again.
Much of USA same no smiling, yet still, often in US people see a what they feel is a like-minded person and offer up a smile every now and then :) been to HK and lol dont recall smiling at anyone
@@HappyDragon64 - Agreed - HK is not a smiley place. lol I think the US is relatively smiley. But in either, if you smile at someone they will crack and smile back. In Russia, smile at a stranger and you are more likely to be looked at as though you have mental issues.
I don’t smile. I did when I was a kid but because I am from Canada so it’s part of the culture but I never liked too it always felt forced. However, a large part of my background is heavily Eastern European so, I embrace that part of my heritage.
@@cer2299 Well, even as a kid I always felt forced smiling felt fake. For me, it’s more important to keep real happiness in one’s heart not what’s displayed on your face. Besides, I met plenty of people that look happy but aren’t.
Despite the best efforts of the wind, this video is wonderful.
awe your wife is stunning !!
Horrible.
@@jaymylotto8134 ???????????
@@jaymylotto8134 Jealous?? :D
@@jaymylotto8134 Yes you are. glad you realize that about yourself! ✊🏾
@@jaymylotto8134 I agree
Lovely people! Be safe and well from Atlanta , Ga US.
Privet from Brazil... what lovely couple !
Another point was that, in Russia, those who know English generally know British English, not American English. Be aware of some of the differences there, too. We used a combination of Russian and English when we were traveling, but still had some mix-ups even in English!
Russian Agency is great at doing visas for Americans. They have 3 office locations, but you don’t need to go to an office to get your visa. I’ve been to Russia 3 times. So much fun traveling there! 😊
The not smiling thing is always interesting to me because, even if we are super shy, in brasil, we smile at strangers all the time without even noticing. It’s so common to smile and wish others a good day when you pass by someone lol
I suppose it's just a different way of being nice and polite: In countries like ours, smiling and giving friendly greetings is the polite thing to do, maybe for the Russians the respectful thing to do is not distracting people (strangers) from their busy days while they are outside.
Hey! That's a wonderful video! Fedor, I subscribed your channel maybe 5 or more years ago. I can speak Russian but still I enjoy your videos. I didn't write any comment yet but after this video I would like to say that you are doing a great job, your videos are great, energetic and educative, and they give an inspiration doing my channel as well. Спасибо!
Thanks for the useful everything. I will be visiting Krasnodar in 2 weeks . 🤩 Please more videos like this.
Fedor, you guys are great. I’m coming up on my one year anniversary studying Russian and I am so excited to visit in the future. Спасибо большое за видео и я надеюсь, что вы оба прекрасно проведёте время, жива в России вместе.
It makes me sad to think that rule #1 might not apply as much anymore ☹️ Not that it’s _dangerous_ in Russia right now, but Western country people like me might have trouble getting in to Russia these days.
Well presented you two. Well done. Very informative
YALL HAVE A CHANNEL TOGETHER WHERE HAVE I BEEN🤩🥳🥳
your wife is very beautiful and she's lucky to have you! one day, i'll be able to say that in Russian.
I live near London and I’m more fearful of going into London than anywhere in Russia.
Yeah parts of london are shitholes.
London is fine. Wrong place wrong time Yeah ok but overall it's safe.
No offence but that is just silly. Russia has placed way more dangerous and poverty struck than any other place in England , let alone London
@@mrwetcloth4571 have you been in Russia?
@@mrwetcloth4571 really? Which ones though?
Looks like you are having a loving autumn in Novosibirsk.
Side note:
You are both so unbelievably good looking.
W family. God Bless
Excellent video! Большое спасибо
Thanks Fidor and Victoria.
I was really impressed with your video. I have always loved the way Russian sounds (studied for 2 semesters years ago). I am from LA originally but in Puerto Rico for my ministry. I would love to find out how you too met. I wanted to visit Russian, but after some bad things about how it mght be very dangerous for me as a black man, I gave up on that dream. Good looking couple by the way! I'm not hating you! Really interested in Russian vocabulary to evangelize. God bless you both!
Great couple, i hope god bless you. Your wife is soooo beautiful, take care of her😄
Thanks for this!
Fyodor and Victoria you are such a nice couple,always giving us good examples about life in Mother Russia.Greetings from Portugal!!!...
Нужен более волосатый микрофон
well, here is my experience.
don´t be scare: well, I´m from Mexico, so, scared from Russia? never! haha, even though russians are very serious, I never felt in danger.(i traveled to Moscow, Zelenograd,and some other parts of near Moscow, Taganrog) while I was in Moscow, I was walking and using metro all the time (get a metro card!!) I was walking by the Kremling at 4am by myself !! and was perfectly safe! even talked to some kremling guards, and they were cool as hell :D
don´t travel without a visa: well, yeah, you won´t even make it in the country, so get a visa.
don´t drink with bad company: I drank at a bar 1st night i got there, with bunch of strangers, was awesome! next time i drank at pub (borrachitos bar) mexican pub, was on the celebration of "day of the dead" again.. full ok unknown and mexicans, was awesome also!!
don´t smile at strangers: being from Mexico, we are used to say, good morning, afternoon, evening and all that to no matter who, just to be polite. I was staying at an AirBnB and everytime I would say, good morning or afternoon to ppl, they would, give me this kinda strange look (not angry look) but, It was just weird for them haha.
**I have several russian friend and I guess they forgot to tell me this**
even though I did it my whole trip there.
they best app is YANDEX. useful translator, it gets 97% accuracy.
I took a year and a half of russian before going, plus some studying with russian friends.
Thank you for the tips 🥰
Now that Russia is closed. Go to Kazakhstan! You don’t need a visa. They speak Russian. They are very hospitable. You won’t regret it. I’m writing this from Almaty right now. this country is beautiful.
Russia is not closed what are you talking about Yes Kazakhstan is beautiful but youre wrong russia is open
Привет! Since you're doing a "I want to go go Russia" series, may I suggest another helpful video idea?
As a person of color I've always wondered how people in Russia view darker people/ how looking obviously foreign affects one's everyday life in Russia as a tourist and as a permanent resident, because I know some countries (mostly asian countries) are not as welcoming to those people. But I haven't really found videos about that from people that aren't Russian natives. So maybe you could ask your wife to share a little bit of her experience visiting Russia and whether her skin tone affected her everyday life here/ whether people treated her a certain way because of it?
I can give you my two cents as a Russian who immigrated to USA in the 90s and traveled back for work few times over the years after the collapse of the soviet union. Somewhat complicated subject. Going to the days of the Soviet union people of African descent were viewed as revolutionary comrades suffering consequences of colonialism and fighting oppression of the west so in that respect there was not that much of KKK style hate towards people of color. USSR was heavily involved in establishing communism in Africa a lot of african exchange students were coming over to study in Russian universities etc. We had our own people to hate and stereotype jews, armenians,chechens, georgians,uzbeks :). You could probably put three white people in front of the average Russian and he'd be able to tell you their ethnic background, Russian, vs Belorussian Jew vs Ukranian Armenian vs Georgian even though to an american eye they are all white. To this day 20+ years after leaving USSR I keep my hair high and tight as to not have a jewfro so I can blend in with my fair skin and blue eyes :). That being said depending on the city and how far away you are from the central tourist and business hubs there may or may not be that many foreign people of color walking the street so you may draw some curious looks or people might come up to you and strike up a friendly conversation especially if you are a woman of color. When we traveled with my black coworker off the beaten pass people did come up to her wanting to know where she was from and how she liked russia and other general out of curiosity questions. It was all friendly no snarky comments, I pretended I didn't speak Russian and enjoyed people watching. Also depending on generation of the russian and the proximity to the major hubs you need to be aware of language nuances when it comes describing people of color. Obviously african-american is not widely used in Russia. Not every person of color walking on the city street in Russia is from America :). Word негр was absolutely perfect non offensive way to describe a person of african descent when I was growing up while words черный or чернокожий were pushing into the gray area of condescending to offensive. Nowadays, around the big cities they are becoming cognizant that негр sounds close to an N word to an English speaker so there is a flip flop now between the two. But on periphery or if speaking to the middle aged or older person you might hear it and normally it's not meant as an offense a slight or patronizing in any way.
@@TheKuritsa Thanks for giving such a detailed answer 👍 It's always interesting to learn about how history from decades ago can still have a significant impact on people's everyday lives today
@@TheKuritsa добавлю еще пару центов))). Английский я знаю не очень хорошо (читаю, но предложения формирую с ошибками). ИМХО, расизм 90х годов и далее это было частью развала СССР. То есть, СССР помогал африканцам, боролся против апартеида и сегрегации, помогал странам Африки (это вызывало нехорошие чувства, которые подогревались диссидентами) - значит быть расистом это было модно и правильно, несовково и по западному. Потому и многие российские оппозиционеры так отнеслись к недавнему БЛМу, в том числе Ксения Собчак, которая ехидно посмеивалась.
В целом вы правы - африканцы вызывают удивление, но не агрессию (за исключением явных неадекватов), африканцы были у нас большой редкостью.
Ребята, вы такие классные и позитивные! Заряжаете позитивной энергией! Спасибо за видео! :)))
Victoria, you are so beautiful ❤️ love you guys together 💕
You are the best teacher❤🎉
omg I can't try not to smile ｡｡゛(ﾉ>
Федя, ты отхватил себе настоящую красавицу, я искренне любовалась Викой весь ролик. Как на вашу пару реагируют непривычные к разнообразию наши соотечественники?
Пока не было ничего негативного! По крайней мере нам в лицо ничего негативного не высказывали:)
@@BeFluentinRussian Приятно это слышать.
@@BeFluentinRussian ну а кто может что негативное сказать про такую красотку? Только какой-нибудь очень неадекватный человек. Надеюсь, вам такой не попадётся.
@@BeFluentinRussian ИМХО, негатива может быть больше в интернете, чем в реальной жизни.
@@Natashanjka такие явные неадекваты - редкость, мне кажется, чаще может быть удивление или интерес.
@ 4'30'' Очень красивые осенние цвета! Солнце на деревьях ... волшебное.
Не могу дождаться, отправляясь в Россию. Я учусь с самоотдачей, чтобы выучить язык как можно лучше. Это моя мечта поехать в Россию)) Спасибо за совет
Victoria! 😂 Girl, I told you. How are you gonna survive winter all the way in Novosibirsk??? I'm terrified of going to the south of russia in the fall and winter (probably gonna be happening in about two weeks) and you're all the way in Siberia! Grrrrlll!! How are you gonna make it??
I got a test run tonight working outside in Idaho 63 - 52 degrees fahrenheit. Got the confirmation that I AM NOT READY FOR THAT COLD!! 😭
Hmm, I've been to Russia several times, but while I agree on the visa, I never needed an invitation.
But maybe regulations are different between Europe or Austria and Russia vs the US and Russia...?
Europeans now can apply for the eVisa which is easy to obtain, technically you just register, pay 40 euro and after a few days u have your visa in your email. American , Canadian, UK, Australia, NZ citizens still need a visa to enter Russia.
well done ! greetings from Vermont
I felt safer in Irkutsk and Moscow than when I was in Paris :/
As for the weather, if it's winter, I will pack my bags immediately, because there's no winter where I come from XD
Don‘t get mobilized sweetheart! Your Wife is just gorgeous! Greetings from Switzerland Europe!
You two make a very nice couple. Your wife is sympatychnaya!
I don't intend to go to Russia but I clicked the video because of this lovely couple!
Learn some russian . . You will always be liked by locals more if you make an attempt enen to know a little . Do it . Пожалуйста, учите русский язык. Very nice channel . When i speak russian i am sure locals will smile :) joking . Learning since 6 months
OMG How cute are you two xxxx
i wish i could visit with you both as guides! its scary to travel the older you get.
Hello, what app is that you just showed that instantly translates from Russian to English? Thanks!
Such a cute couple! :-)
In Japan, too, don't look at or smile at strangers.
Adorable 💑
If I go to Russia I might have to wear a mask because the not smiling part will be a huge issue for me haha. If I’m not talking to anyone then sure I won’t smile but as soon as I open my mouth to speak there’s a chance that I’m smiling without even realizing it. Idk why but every time I talk smiling feels a lot more natural for me than frowning does. Like I literally have to force myself to NOT smile. Also when I talk to someone I’m usually just joking around or making lighthearted conversation so I guess the only time I’m not smiling is when I’m being serious or I’m angry/sad. 😅
Thanks for making videos like this! I always find them interesting because I never learned anything about Russia while growing up aside from some of their history.
Сохранят ли граждане дружеские отношения с американцами в 2024 году? я точно
This not smiling thing is also "know" in Poland :) I think it's a common thing for Eastern Europe beocuse at the the past there weren't so many occasion to be happy and also People were frighten to smile to someone, becouse stranger guy can be a spy or that person could have reported you to the authorities.
that's how I imagine this report: he's a spy because he smiled! hahaha
#1 and #3 sound like opposites. "Don't be scared" but "bad things will happen to you if you drink with strangers". It is a mixed message.
I think they’re implying to be careful/aware, but I understand that thinking that way comes from being scared in the beginning
You should do a video on Russian drinking customs. What's normal? What practices should I watch out for?
Not even going to lie I was excited to see some bears when I first got to Russia and boy was disappointed
It seems you took the wrong Metro line 😀
I’m a Canadian and I wanna visit Russia someday. I’ve been learning Russian and I love speaking it, but nobody here speaks it. Also every Russian I’ve met has been ridiculously sweet and kind to me. Unfortunately im lgbt, and with the war, I don’t think il be very safe :(
I was several times in Moscow because my wife is from there and it was just nice each and every time, even in the suburbs. I felt much safer than in the european union, for example Paris is a complete shithole in my opinion and even in Vienna there are districts where I didn't feel as safe as in Moscow. It doesn't match the west media but even the Czech Republic and Hungary is much nicer than most of the fancy west european cities in my opinion.
I've heard the same thing about Paris, I have no desire to go there.
My sister who visited Greece also said that Athens is gross.
I totally agree with you. The west is being destroyed right now
Moscow and St. Petersburg are the safest parts of Russia lol
@@WLORULZ7899 I was in villages outside of moscow and had not a single problem too, you really want to say that for example siberia is more dangerous (beside the fact they have bears and stuff there) ?
@@pfarraldcash6095 Way faster than I have expected...
Are you guys living in Russia now (March 2023)? What's it like now, if you are?
The smiling thing is exactly the same here in Norway haha. (unless we’re hiking- then we pretend we know everyone.)
Is she tiny or are you taller than I thought? Always thought you were like 1m75 max.
I am 192cm, and she is around 160cm:)
Контрастненько :)
You should make a video about how you met :)
таких видео у них много=)
We have made that video several years ago, here's the link to our Family Channel th-cam.com/video/ebp9T_uObqw/w-d-xo.html
@@LivingLifeWithTheShirins Oh, I didn't know! I'm a new subscriber and had no idea about your second channel! Will start watching you there as well :)
You make a great team! I feel for you Victoria....my husband is Russian and when I got to Russia. I smiled to everyone, because I am British and its normal for us.....I hope that situation actually changes with the young people of Russia....I really hope in future more people will see the value of being more friendly and smiling to cheer the day up.
Smiling randomly is weak, beta behavior.
@@jaymylotto8134 I am not suggesting randomly...I remember having a nice time with my husband on a Trolley bus and I was smiling because of the conversation I was having and I accidentally had my smile on my face when I happened to face towards a lady who was drunk I think. She said some strange stuff and my husband had to basically say something back to her. So no I did not mean randomly....but I smile when I am buying things at a shop to workers to try to bring some cheer to their days.
Beautiful couple!
It is so funny you're telling people to not forget VISA. While in other places people can be surprised when they find out they can go to Europe without a VISA. But it's kinda obvious that it's necessary check if it is needed when you plant to visit a country.
My trip to Moscow and St Petersburg set for last month was cancelled by the tour company because of Covid. What is the situation there now?
Getting worse as for different restrictions
What a nice couple you 2 are!
Btw, I've been to both Moscow and St. Petersburg (мой любимый город) several times, I went out alone at night and I always felt absolutely safe!
Everybody was friendly and helpful, I even met smiling Russian natives!!
Look at your wife, omg her smile. So beautiful. Where did you meet? 🤗
I used Visa Express to get a 3 year visa to Russia. :)
Great video, very helpful and motivating ))) what is the name of that app that was shown?
We are visiting Moscow right now and we can’t get our phones to work outside of the hotel. We did buy a SIM card but unfortunately, they didn’t work. But great tips! I’m practicing my Russian face every day here.
That's weird, considering Moscow has full coverage of 2G, 3G, and most of 4G bands, even in a subway.
Good advice in bite size chunks!
Привет Вика!
Omg Victoria's voice was like an angel.
Wow Victoria is beautiful.
It's a myth that in UK we go around smiling at strangers. We really don't.
Americans do though so it was a good reminder! It was harder than expected to stop when in Moscow.
I fully admit that I am scared shitless about having to use a squat toilet and that single-handedly will keep me from visiting Saint Petersburg (my life bucket list travel location). My wife and kid don't know about those toilets. Their response will be "oh hell no!".
You guys are really cute, thank you for the video about culture!
If it makes you feel better, I was in St Petersburg last month, and not once did I see a squat toilet! In my hotel, in museums, in restaurants, everything was with a normal modern toilet. Don't worry :)
Been to St. Petersburg several times, stayed in various locations - never even once have I seen any squat toilet anywhere.