The Russian- Americans

Map of Russia

 Russiaalso officially known as theRussian Federation, a

country in northernEurasia.
It is a federalsemi-presidentialrepublic.
From northwest to southeast, Russiashares land borderswith
Norway,Finland,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania,
Poland,Belarus,
Ukraine,Georgia,Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan,China,Mongolia,
andNorth Korea.
It sharesmaritime borderswith Japan by theSea of
Okhotskand theUSstate ofAlaskaacross theBering Strait.
At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800sqmi), Russia is
thelargest country in the world, covering more than oneeighth of the Earth's inhabited land area.
Russia is also the world's ninth most populous nationwith
143million people as of 2012.
Extending across the entirety of northern Asiaand much of
Eastern Europe, Russia spansnine time zonesand incorporates
a wide range ofenvironmentsand landforms.

Capital:Moscow
President:Vladimir Putin
Currency:Russian ruble
Prime minister:Dmitry Medvedev
Population:143.5 million (2013)World
Bank

Climate of Russia

Theclimate of Russiais formed under the influence

of several determining factors. The enormous size of
the country and the remoteness of many areas from
the sea result in the dominance of the continental
climate, which is prevalent in European and Asian
Russia except for the tundra and the extreme
southeast. Mountains in the south obstructing the flow
of warm air masses from theIndian Oceanand the
plain of the west and north makes the country open to
Arctic and Atlantic influences.

Language
Of all thelanguages ofRussia,Russianis
the only official language. There are 35
different
languages
which
are
consideredofficial
languagesin
various
regions of Russia, along with Russian. There
are over 100 minority languages spoken in
Russia today.

Anthem

Translated as Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy
Federatsii
Its musical composition and lyrics were adopted
from theNational Anthem of the Soviet Union,
composed byAlexander Alexandrov, and
lyricistsSergey MikhalkovandGabriel El-Registan.
The Soviet anthem was used from 1944

Flower
Chamomileorcamomileis
thecommon namefor several
daisy-like plants of the
familyAsteraceaethat are
commonly used to make herb
infusion to serve various medicinal
purposes.
Popular uses of chamomile
preparations include treating hay
fever, inflammation, muscle spasm,
menstrual disorders, insomnia,
ulcers, gastrointestinal disorder,
and hemorrhoids

Animal
In Russia associations with the image of
thebearreceived relatively mixed reactions.
On one hand, Russians themselves
appreciate thebearfor its raw power and
cunning, and bears are very often used as
mascots or as a part of a design on a logo.

Sports

HOCKEY
Russia'sice hockey team has a long history
of tradition and success, and today about
30Russiansplay in the NHL.
During the Soviet era, hockey was one of the
dominant sports, and members of
thenationalteam were given the finest
apartments and cars.

Dance
Traditional Russian folk dance is as broad and
diverse as the nation itself.
Khorovo
d
Barynya
Kamarins
kaya
Chechotk
a

Karelian D
ance
Komi Danc
e
Ingush Dan
ce
Chechen D
ance

Tatar Dance
Bashkir Dance
Chuvash Dance
Kalmyk Dance

Lifestyle
Russians consider themselves a
well-educated nation.
(They read a lot, and will be very
surprised if you tell them you
have not read Pushkin or Tolstoy! )
Books in Russia are cheap, and
most people can afford to buy 510 books a month without
serious damage to the family
budget.

 Russians are also very fond of live performances at

the theatre, and since tickets are affordable (the
prices in cinemas and theatres are comparable), a
stunning range of options is available to everyone,
including opera, symphony concerts, musicals,
ballet, drama, etc.
Every city has at least one theatre.
Cinemas are becoming more and more popular in
Russia and today they are equipped with the latest
sound systems.

 During Soviet times, there was a well-developed

system of community work, and in every group
(class at school, department at work, etc.) there
was a person responsible for sports, education,
political information, etc. People that performed
these tasks were given benefits (free or discounted
travel, ability to buy rare goods, a better
apartment, etc).
The system of volunteering was largely broken with
Perestroika, but Russians still have an unwavering
community spirit (which sometimes goes to lengths
a westerner would consider as infringement).

 Russian culture is non-individualistic. The power of an

individual in Russia is much less than in the west and
most deals are pushed through family, friends and
acquaintances.
A famous Russian saying is, "One is not a soldier in
the battlefield." In Russia, it is necessary to know
people in power to make things work. This is why
Russians maintain more friendships than an average
westerner.

Religon

The majority of Russians consider themselves

Christians, and belong to the Russian Orthodox
Church. This is a great achievement for a country
where atheism was the official state religion for more
than 70 years.

 Religion, however, is not a real part of their life.

Russians pay more attention to horoscopes than to
the Bible. People usually attend church just to "light a
candle" and quickly pray. They do it to ask for
something to happen or to remember a close person
who is dead. People do not have to be a member of
the church to do it and they do not make monthly
contributions to the church. The church survives by
selling candles and reminder notes and charging for
services such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.

Marriage
A church marriage is
not official in Russia.
A couple has to
register their
marriage with
government
authorities before
they are allowed to
have a church
ceremony
performed.

Education
Since both education and cultural facilities used to
be widely available, Russians can be considered a
highly cultured nation.
Their general knowledge is very good: they know a
little bit about virtually everything.
Primary and secondary school is mandatory for 11
years, and includes a programme of History,
Literature, Music and Geography. A foreign language,
usually English, is studied for 6 years, although
French, German and Spanish are also available.
The history courses taught include Russian,
European and American History.

 Having a university or college degree is common.

Russia has the highest education level in the world
(more than 40% of the total population have college
or university degree).
Intellectually, Russians are interesting people to talk
to and enjoy deep subjects.

Manners

The majority of Russians don't have what you call in the

west "good manners."
Russia is a tough country and Russians usually do not
hesitate to say what they think in a way that doesn't
leave room for any misunderstandings.
During the Soviet period, having "good manners" was
considered a bourgeois survival tactic.
Russians are very straightforward.
When they meet or phone each other,
they seldom spend time on questions
like "How are you?"
but go straight to the point.
They are not rude, it's just their way of doing things.

 The majority of Russian people do not really

understand the huge difference between life in
Russia and in the West. Russians do not consider
their life miserable.
They feel that things are changing for the better and
"everything's starting to work out" for their country.
Russians like to emphasize their different attitude
towards material values and consider themselves as
sincere, cordial, understanding, and unselfish. They
like to talk about the "specifics of Russian soul" or
the "mysterious Russian soul," and repeat the
famous phrase of a Russian poet, "You can't
understand Russia with your mind."

 Russians love their country. They may criticise it severely,

but if you try to do the same they will defend it furiously.
They are citizens of the largest county in the world, which
has a rich history and deep cultural roots, and they are
proud of it.

A matryoshka doll, also known as Russian nesting doll or babushka doll

Russian- American Culture

Fast Fact: In the United States, the size of

the Russian-speaking population is
estimated at 5.5 million. Almost one-fourth
of the Russian-American population is
concentrated in New York State.

Demography

There is much controversy over the use of the term

Russian.
To some, it is an ethnic distinction reserved
specifically for those originating from Russia; to
others, it is a nationality encompassing citizens from
some or all former Soviet states and satellite
republics; and to still others, Russian is not
defined by nationality at all, but instead by
languagethose who speak Russian as their first
and primary language, whatever their origin or
citizenship may be.

Migration
During the Soviet era, citizens found it very difficult
to leave their home countries.
The Russians coming to the United States were
often well-educated men and women with degrees
in science, engineering, and medicine who sought
better employment prospects.
These Russians settled in areas of the US that are
particularly rich in employment opportunities, with
the New York City metropolitan area representing
one of the largest destinations. Almost one-fourth of
the overall Russian American population in the US
today is concentrated in New York State (Ameredia,
2008).

Family

Cross-cultural survey data indicates high levels of collectivism

in Russian culture.
Russian collectivism developed over many centuries due to
severe climate and geophysical challenges, hostile incursions
from Mongols, Tatars, and other groups.
One of the most important Russian-American cultural values is
the familys role in treatment, care, and diagnosis of illness.
When a clinician diagnoses a Russian-American, it is
imperative that the clinician tell the diagnosis to the family
members, only.
It is expected that the family members shield the patient from
the worries and horrors of the diagnosis. As explained by
Shpilko (2006), it is the familys obligation to take on the
burden of the truth. Such a belief demonstrates the intensely
familial nature of the Russian community and evidences the
importance of their internal support networks (Shpilko, 2006).

Women

Domestic violence against women in Russia

is four to five times higher than in Western
countries (Horne, 1999).
It is identified fewer signs of openness and
closeness between family members and
spouses than between friends (especially
among men).
Clinical case study material suggests limited
personal disclosures among spouses due to
a fear of appearing weak (Hundley &

Elderly
Elderly Russians have been identified as the most
vulnerable subgroup for mental illness (Polyakova,
2006).
Russians who fled the Soviet Union to live in the U.S.
experience the twin challenges of aging and
acculturation: Older members often left their homeland
for the sake of their children and subsequently face
issues of acculturation and aging at the same time .
Stress typically manifests in the elderly Russian-American
community as depression, anxiety, demoralization, and
somatization (Polyakova, 2006).
The crisis of mental health among elder Russian
immigrants is intensified by the ingrained cultural
expectation that emotional troubles be resolved alone.

Youth
In Russia, youth have high prevalence rates of
serious and persistent mental health problems: The
Russian media are full of graphic accounts of
children under stress, often accompanied by claims
that between 40% and 80% of Russian children
have mental health problems.
Russian parents promote interdependent
relationships in their children and foster mutual
obligations (Chentsove-Dutton, 2012).
Parents expect their children to be submissive to
authority, often providing unsolicited support, while
simultaneously encouraging self-sufficiency and
autonomy : this double message can be confusing
for children (Leipzig, 2006).

Specific Health Risks

In order to accurately assess the specific health risks

of the current Russian-American population, it is
essential to trace back to the origins of the Soviet
health care system and examine the health care
transition that took place.
Current health risks, both for homeland Russians and
those who have relocated to America, include
cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases,
cancer, and malnutrition, with specific mental
health concerns including high stress levels,
tendency toward depression, and substance

Acculturation

Researchers have identified a cultural disconnect

between Russian immigrant elders and their
assimilated children, who tend to identify more with
the modern American culture and lifestyle than with
their Russian heritage and traditions.
According to some researchers, children expect
more autonomy and independence in accordance
with Western values, which can create conflict with
more traditional parental values for authority,
interdependence, and control (Machovskaya, 2010).

 Children often also act as cultural brokers for

their less acculturated parents by completing
tasks for their parents, such as answering the
telephone, explaining the education system,
and translating doctors visits (Curtis & Trickett,
2009).
Doing so is associated with increased stress for
the children, including problems at home, at
school, and with friends (Curtis & Trickett,
2009).