Features of the English nation. Ten facts for those who want to understand the British. British opinion about Russian behavior
Therefore, today we will try to understand what underlies the attitude of the subjects of the British Crown to the population Russian Federation. What is it like overall - positive or negative? Isn't it better to hide yours? Russian origin or, on the contrary, flaunt them at every convenient and not so convenient opportunity?
So, if you decide to conduct an experiment by stopping the British on the street and asking them the sacramental question “How do you feel about the Russians?”, It is quite possible that after your victims come to their senses, discouraged by surprise, from their confused speeches it will be possible understand the following:
Confusion
Many English people don't know anything about Russians. Rice. pikabu.ru
The British know little about the Russians. Therefore, the first reaction to your question will very likely be a confused “I know nothing about Russians.”
It's a bit like being casually asked how you feel about the Laotians. Can you quickly describe your attitude towards them? So the British are at a loss.
It is quite possible that in their entire lives they have only crossed paths with a couple of either Russian or “Soviet” citizens (and most Englishmen are unable to make a distinction between Russians and the same Ukrainians - in their minds, everyone who speaks Russian - this is one big nation, including Belarusians, Moldovans, Uzbeks and other immigrants from the post-Soviet space).
Many Englishmen still associate Russia with communism, Soviet Union and the Cold War. It is not so easy to erase the sad Soviet past from the British memory. However, we must pay tribute, most of them do not equate the concepts of “state” and “people”. And even if the British may have a generally negative attitude towards the state, this does not mean at all that similar attitude applies to the entire population of the country. Not at all.
The British are smart and educated enough not to succumb to the propaganda pouring on them from the media, and to form their own independent opinion about events in the world and the people inhabiting a particular country.
Yes, the British themselves admit this, and I see it with my own eyes: the British media persistently demonize Russia, creating an image of an aggressive, backward country with a cruel and unpredictable leader. And yet, paradoxically, despite all the efforts and eloquence of local journalists, in general the British sympathize with the head Russian state. They are impressed by the strength and will that Putin openly demonstrates to the world - something that, in their opinion, soft-bodied British politicians lack.
But still, if you ask the British their opinion about Russian people, it is unlikely that they will give you a detailed answer. Russia is too distant and mysterious a country to have a clear idea of its inhabitants.
Maybe it's the French neighbors. The attitude towards them is clear and long-formed. The “paddling pools” should be secretly ridiculed and teased in every possible way, something the British have been doing quite successfully for centuries. Or take the same Indians. Although they arrived from afar and look exotic, they are familiar, familiar and understandable. Having not completely gotten rid of their large-scale colonial legacy, the British treat them in a paternally patronizing way, with a bit of sympathy and repentance for their own historical wrongs.
Curiosity
Some English people are curious to know more about the Russians. Rice. wikia.com
Another possible reaction of the British to the news that you come from Russia could be curiosity. This logically follows from the previous point - the British know little about Russia. Outwardly, we look like the Poles, whom England frankly don’t like, and we speak a similar language, but if the British are a little tired of plumbers coming in large numbers from Poland, the Russians are still an unread book for them.
It is very likely that you will be asked clarifying questions about where exactly you are from, although it is unlikely that your interlocutor knows anything other than Moscow and St. Petersburg. So, you can take advantage of the moment and arrange a small educational program on the geography of Russia. Moreover, there is a chance that the Englishman’s interest is not purely formal, but quite sincere.
Stories about the climate and harsh Russian winters are always a great success - something that the inhabitants of rainy Albion are deprived of. At the mention of snow and snowdrifts, a spark of envy always flashes in the eyes of the British, although I have no idea what to envy here.
Respect
The British who have interacted with Russians before usually show respect for the Russian nation. Rice. memecdn.com
If the British had the good fortune to communicate with the Russians earlier, and they were lucky to turn out to be decent, educated people, they forever become fans of the Russian nation. You can hear a sea of compliments addressed to you and mentions of the names of famous people from Russia. Most likely, you will be reminded of Leo Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Particularly advanced ones can go further and, wanting to please you, list the names of Tchaikovsky, Gagarin and Maria Sharapova.
In short, they will make you understand that Russia has something to be proud of and that you, as its representative, deserve to be treated with respect until you prove otherwise.
Those Englishmen who have gotten to know Russians better note that the initial wariness and severity of Russian people is quickly replaced by sincere friendliness and warmth in further communication.
The British are also pleasantly surprised by the erudition and education that Russians demonstrate - in modern England, few people are able to talk about books for hours.
Sympathy
Russian model Natalia Vodianova with ex-husband- English Lord Justin Portman - and their common children. Photo from uznayvse.ru
As a rule, men all over the world, and the British are no exception, sympathize Russian women. This sympathy is confirmed by the eloquent statistics of marriages with Russian women. There are countless examples in my environment happy couples Englishman + Russian (read about how to marry an Englishman).
However, I have to note that English women nevertheless, they are less favorable towards Russian men and I have not seen any opposite examples of couples (English + Russian) in 5 years of living in England.
English men are very willing to marry Russians, have children with them, and the presence of offspring from a woman’s previous relationship is not a problem for them.
What captivates them? Undoubtedly, last but not least is the external attractiveness of Slavic women. But the main thing is still not this, but the willingness to support your man in word and deed, take care of the farm and home, give birth and raise heirs - in a word, share all those traditional family values, which most normal men dream of since childhood.
From what else appeals to the British, we can mention the sound of Russian speech and the unique Russian accent. In their opinion, the Russian language sounds melodic and provides rich opportunities for artistic expression thoughts.
Those who have visited Russia usually note the beauty and grandeur of Russian architecture, and Moscow Metro and is completely considered a work of art - in this regard, Moscow really has something to be proud of: the London underground looks frankly pathetic and dull.
Indifference and antipathy
Political relations between Russia and Great Britain can hardly be called warm. Photo from rt.com
How else can the British treat Russians?
If not with sympathy and curiosity, then with indifference, and in some, fortunately rare cases, with outright antipathy.
The British may be put off by the straightforwardness and even rudeness of Russians, of which the latter may not be aware. Therefore, before communicating with the British, it is very useful to master some basic rules behavior - I wrote about this in the article “How to communicate with the British: 10 behavioral mistakes.”
Of the qualities that make Russians a generally unsympathetic nation, the British also recall assertiveness and toughness, using such unflattering epithets as “mean”, “blunt” and “tough” (it’s best to look up their meaning in a dictionary).
By the way, about dictionaries: the British are frankly offended by the Russians’ ignorance of the English language. It is difficult for them to understand how their native language can be incomprehensible to someone. After all, nowadays everyone is simply obliged to speak English, period. This is how the British think and therefore are too lazy to learn anything else, and Russians think in the same way about their native language. In this sense, our nations are similar.
I would like to finish my story about the attitude towards Russians with the words of one Englishman, giving hope:
"Russians - beautiful people. I would say this: don’t count every Russian bad person just because you know a couple of Russian scoundrels. Personally, I prefer Russians to the British, although I am an Englishman myself.”
The vast majority of foreigners consider Russian girls beautiful. As for other qualities and abilities, opinions differ. Today we will tell you what the British think about us, honestly and without embellishment.
Personal care
Nature has generously gifted Russian girls, and their mothers, older sisters and friends taught them how to properly take care of themselves. Slavic appearance- something that is valued always and everywhere, especially against the backdrop of unmade-up and, at times, uncombed Englishwomen. A girl from Russia does not forget about makeup and manicure even on an ordinary rainy day, and in order to do her hair styling, she does not need a special case or holiday.
Sense of style
A Russian girl carefully chooses her wardrobe. She will never wear a pink miniskirt with sneakers and will not go to the club in winter in an orange top with a low neckline and denim shorts. She has a lot of designer clothes, expensive dresses and brand bags in her closet. She knows what colors are trending now, how to properly highlight her strengths and skillfully hide her flaws, if she has any at all. And of course, business card Russian beauty - heels, and not just 10-centimeter ones.
Sexy Russian accent
Yes, yes, what you are so ashamed of and what you are diligently trying to get rid of is actually your advantage. In the company of British men, a Russian accent is considered the very highlight that will help you stand out from the crowd.
Whoever said that the British have the best sense of humor in the world clearly flattered them. The residents of Foggy Albion themselves do not think so. Russians, according to the British, joke better than anyone else in the world. A non-standard view of the world, slight sarcasm even in relation to her own country and the ability to play with words distinguish the girl from Russia.
Love for coffee
A cup of tea with milk is something that an English woman will definitely ask for when she comes to visit, and then she will also inquire about the type of tea that the guy offered her. Russians don’t bother about this, especially since half the brands you know - Lipton, Pickwick or Indian tea “with an elephant” - don’t exist in England at all. But a Russian girl will happily go to a coffee shop, and not to the usual Costa, but to a cozy place like those in St. Petersburg. Inviting a Russian girl to Starbucks means hurting her feelings. So the British young man you'll have to look all over Tripadvisor to find anything worthwhile.
Demandingness
If coffee, then in beautiful cafe, if dinner, then in an expensive restaurant. No fast food or cheap eatery. Not paying for it in a cafe means looking like a fool or a miser. It’s better not to come without flowers at all, but to give jewelry, perfume and other surprises for the holiday. It doesn’t matter that March 8th is not celebrated in England - if a girl is from Russia, she should receive a gift on this day.
Intelligence further enhances attractiveness. Thanks to school and university, as well as curiosity and a thirst for learning everything new, Russian people know much more than the British and other Europeans. A Russian girl will easily tell you what the Tower is famous for, what happened to Princess Diana and how many kingdoms are part of Great Britain, which will confuse the Englishman.
The British only know what the USSR is from BBC films and TV shows. So any information about the Union, life behind the Iron Curtain and rationed food, even if you only know about it by hearsay, from your parents and grandparents, will be received with a bang and with your mouth open!
Each nation has its own special character traits. This applies especially to the English. Every Englishman, wherever he lives in currently, has a set of qualities that will not allow him to be confused with a representative of another nationality.
It can be said that the characteristics of the English are the result historical development country, a reflection of its traditions and customs, as well as a consequence of England’s island position.
Many authors have tried to describe from the perspective of a typical Englishman, his character, habits, interests. But we should not forget that each person is unique, so it is important not to simplify or exaggerate information about the life of an entire people.
Constancy of character
Among national characteristics The character of the British is highlighted by one of the main ones - their constancy and commitment to various rituals and traditions. Some traditions turn into performances, such as the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London or the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
Some traditions are deeply embedded and even attempts to change something are not considered. An Englishman's own vision of the world cannot change under the influence of external factors how his habit is unable to change.
It is believed that the people of England are calm in any situation. Their equanimity and self-control are determined by the fact that from childhood they are taught to react in a certain way to life situations, do not show true feelings, overcome hardships and hardships. It is rare to see an expression of emotion on the faces of the British, be it surprise or anger.
Paradoxical and eccentric
Despite constancy and restraint, among the character traits of the British there are not last place Their eccentricity occupies them, which provokes some paradoxical behavior. Showing emotion during football matches is not typical for an Englishman.
Also, the British rarely restrain their emotions when faced with criticism or ridicule of their traditions or way of life. This is a fairly patriotic nation, ready to pay taxes to support the royal family, which may be dissatisfied with some rules until they are introduced into law.
The paradoxical character of the British is determined by some inconsistency of their behavior. They do not like heat, but love fireplaces, have no idea about the affairs of their neighbors, but know everything about the life of the royal family, can dress casually at home, but even to a large exhibition cattle They will put on a hat and insert a flower into the buttonhole of their jacket.
These features national character The British are inexplicable, but they are invariably proud of them.
The eccentricity of behavior lies in the life of the British without regard to others. They do not care about the opinions of others, although they will listen politely. The British can collect strange things, walk with a folded umbrella in the rain, and dress extravagantly.
This tendency to stand out, to become different from everyone else, probably arose precisely because of the historically established strict norms of behavior, regulations and rules that do not allow one to be very different from others.
Ritualism of behavior
No matter how eccentric and original the inhabitants of England are, for the most part their behavior is ritualistic.
The British observe certain rituals when communicating: even with strangers, they will carry on a conversation about the weather, gardening or minor news, because that’s the custom. It is not even the topic of conversation that is important, but the process itself.
There are certain rituals in organizing entertainment, eating, choosing clothes, organizing leisure time on weekends, and communicating with different categories of people. During the day, an Englishman can perform certain actions, not because he wants to, but because it is prescribed by rituals.
British snobbery
One of the negative ones is their snobbery. This quality is often explained as a consequence of the imperial psychology that came from the time when England subjugated almost half the world. The English feel superior to other peoples, and this superiority lies not in having no one above them, but in having someone below them.
Previously, from childhood, a stereotype was implanted in their consciousness that they needed to show the greatness of the British nation, to set an example to the whole world. And even when the empire fell, this idea did not easily leave the subconscious of people.
Also, often the British simply do not delve into the life and characteristics of other peoples, selfishly giving preference to their own internal problems. The island position of England determined the special hostile attitude of the British towards other nations. What happens on the mainland is largely perceived by the people of England as something different from their life as a civilization from the barbarians.
Tolerance of a nation
But we must give the British their due; they will never show their hostility in person, for which they are often considered two-faced. This is determined by their politeness - they will never out loud express dissatisfaction or disagreement with someone else’s opinion, uttering some of the complacent phrases: “This is very interesting idea" or " Quite an interesting reasoning." In reality, this will mean disagreement.
In general, they quite rarely utter categorical phrases. Even when answering the question “What time is it?” from an Englishman you can hear “I believe it is six o’clock” or “I think it is six o’clock.” Those who often communicate with representatives of the British people consider it impolite - such polite address ostentatiously hides their indifference, indifference and suspicion.
The natives of England do not care how a person dresses, how he speaks, or how he behaves. The eccentricity of others is not condemned and seems to go unnoticed. This principle of their life can be expressed in the words “Live and let others live.”
The British tolerance also extends to their attitude towards nature. England is considered a green country with unique nature. It is not uncommon for Britain to have a lonely house standing among the trees, which shows the presence of a person even in remote areas of the country, or parks and gardens in major cities, more like wild nature.
The isolation of the British
The isolation of the nation is explained geographical location countries. Insular psychology separates not only England from the mainland countries, but also each person from each other. This nation loves privacy very much. The British have a very difficult time getting along with other people, but they maintain connections with the friends they make for many years.
When meeting with acquaintances, men do not show joy, do not exchange routine smiles, do not hug, but limit themselves to a classic handshake. Women do not exchange real kisses when they meet, but only imitate sounds and gestures somewhere in the area of their friend’s ear.
Physical contact when communicating with friends is considered indecent and unnatural.
In this regard, the British live by the “don’t touch me” principle. Every person tries to avoid contacts with strangers. When such contact cannot be avoided, for example, in public transport, they do not look into each other's eyes, they try to avoid eye contact.
English humor
It seems to all foreigners that the excellent sense of humor of the British is just a myth. Their jokes seem flat, ridiculous, uninteresting and stupid. The British themselves are proud of their sense of humor and react painfully to such assessments from others.
Accusing them of lacking the ability to joke hurts their pride more than condemning other character traits. Perhaps the lack of a sense of humor among the English is attributed to their inability to laugh at themselves, their traditions and their interests.
More associated with words than with sitcoms or dressing up. Therefore, it traditionally appears in literature - in comic characters W. Shakespeare, C. Dickens, D. Austen, L. Carol and other authors. Also, English humor can manifest itself without words: Charlie Chaplin's short comedies still cause laughter all over the world.
All these qualities determine the original, unique and to some extent paradoxical world- typical English character. It is simply impossible to confuse a representative of this country with someone else.
The British live on the island of Great Britain. It is also the homeland of the Scots and Welsh. Actually, the English are the product of a mixture of many ethnic groups- the ancient Iberian population with peoples of Indo-European origin: Celtic tribes, Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes, to some extent - Scandinavians, and later the Franco-Normans.
National character is tenacious among all peoples. But this applies to no people more than the English, who seem to have something of a patent on the vitality of their nature. Thus, the first and most obvious feature of this nation is the stability and constancy of character of its constituent individuals. They are less susceptible than others to the influence of time and passing fashions. If authors writing about the English repeat each other in many ways, this is explained, first of all, by the invariability of the foundations of the English character. It is important, however, to emphasize that, for all its stability, this character is made up of very contradictory, even paradoxical features, some of which are very obvious, while others are subtle, so that every generalization concerning the English can easily be challenged.
The curiosity of the English allowed them to become acquainted with the best of what other peoples possess, and yet they remained true to their traditions. While an Englishman admires French cuisine, he will not imitate it at home. Representing the embodiment of conformism, the British at the same time retain their individuality.
It cannot be said that the British have never changed. Changes occur constantly, but these differences, so visible on the surface, do not affect nations.
For better or worse, the original traits of English nature still remain common denominator, have a profound impact on the national character and general style life.
When it comes to "tough" upper lip"an Englishman, behind this there are two concepts - the ability to control oneself (the cult of self-control) and the ability to respond appropriately to life situations (the cult of prescribed behavior). Neither one nor the other was characteristic of the English until beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Equanimity and self-control, restraint and courtesy were by no means traits of the English character for “merry old England”, where the upper and lower classes of society were rather distinguished by violent, hot-tempered temperaments, where there were no moral prohibitions for defiant behavior, where public executions and canings were a favorite spectacle , bear and cockfights, where even the humor was mixed with cruelty.
The principles of "gentlemanly behavior" were elevated to a cult under Queen Victoria. And they prevailed over the harsh temper of “old England”.
Even now the Englishman has to wage a constant struggle with himself, with the natural passions of his temperament, rushing out. And such strict self-control takes too much mental strength. This can partly explain the fact that the British are slow-moving, inclined to avoid sharp corners, and that they have an inherent desire to be away from prying eyes, which gives rise to a cult of private life.
Sometimes it's enough to watch the English crowd on national holiday or at football match to feel how the national temperament is breaking from the reins of self-control.
Modern Englishmen consider self-control to be the chief virtue of human character. The words: “Be able to control yourself” - better than anything express the motto of this nation. How better person knows how to control himself, the more worthy he is. In joy and sorrow, in success and failure, a person must remain unperturbed at least externally, and even better - if internally. From childhood, an Englishman is taught to calmly endure cold and hunger, overcome pain and fear, curb attachments and aversions.
Considering an open, uninhibited display of feelings a sign of bad manners, the British sometimes misjudge the behavior of foreigners, just as foreigners often misjudge the English, mistaking the mask of equanimity for the face itself, or not realizing why it is necessary to hide the real state of mind under such a mask.
The Englishman is usually tall, his face is wide, reddish, with soft, sagging cheeks, large red sideburns and blue, impassive eyes. Women, like men, are often also very tall. Both have long necks, slightly bulging eyes and slightly protruding front teeth. Often there are faces without any expression. The English are distinguished by moderation, which they do not forget about both during work and in pleasure. There is almost nothing ostentatious about the Englishman. He lives first of all and most of all for himself. His nature is characterized by a love of order, comfort, and a desire for mental activity. He loves good transport, a fresh suit, a rich library.
Among the bustle of people, it is not difficult to recognize a real Englishman. No noise or scream will confuse him. He won't stop for a minute. Where necessary, he will certainly step aside, turn off the sidewalk, swerve to the side, never expressing the slightest surprise or fear on his important face.
The English people of the common class are extremely friendly and helpful. An Englishman who asks a foreigner with some question will take him by the shoulder and begin to show him the way with various visual techniques, repeating the same thing several times, and then he will look after him for a long time, not believing that the questioner could understand everything so quickly.
The British not only know how to bypass all obstacles, avoiding breakdowns, but the work itself is carried out with complete calmness, so that even the closest neighbor often does not suspect that a gigantic work is in full swing next to him.
In a country beset by fierce winds, rains and fogs, conditions have been created in which a person, more than anywhere else, is secluded in his home and removed from his neighbors.
There is no people in Europe whose custom is elevated to such an inviolable law. Once a custom exists, no matter how strange, funny or original it may be, not a single well-bred Englishman will dare to break it. Although the Englishman is politically free, he is strictly subject to social discipline and ingrained customs.
The British are tolerant of other people's opinions. It is difficult to imagine to what extent this people has a strong passion for betting. The proliferation of clubs is also a phenomenon. The club is considered a home, a family sanctuary, the secrets of which no one can violate with impunity. Expulsion from the club is the greatest shame for an Englishman.
The Englishman feels a strong need for society, but no one knows how to retire among numerous friends better than him. Without violating decency, he is able to perfectly be with himself among a huge crowd, indulge in his thoughts, do whatever he pleases, never embarrassing either himself or others.
No one knows how to manage their time and money as strictly as an Englishman.
He works extremely hard, but always finds time to relax. During working hours, he works without straightening his back, straining all his mental and physical strength, V free time he willingly indulges in pleasure.
Every Englishman, no matter where he lives, bears the stamp of his nationality. A Frenchman cannot always be distinguished from an Italian or a Spaniard, but an Englishman is difficult to confuse with anyone else. Wherever he appears, he will bring his customs, his manner of behavior, nowhere and for no one will he change his habits, he is at home everywhere. This is original, original, highest degree whole character.
The Englishman is very vain. He is sure that in his country everything is going better than in others. Therefore, he looks at the foreigner arrogantly, with pity and often with complete contempt. This deficiency among the English developed due to a lack of sociability and an exaggerated consciousness of their superiority over others.
Money is the idol of the British. No one holds wealth in such esteem. Whatever the social position of an Englishman, be it a scientist, a lawyer, a politician or a clergyman, he is first and foremost a businessman. In every field, he devotes a lot of time to making money. His first concern always and everywhere is to make as much money as possible. But with this unbridled greed and passion for profit, the Englishman is not at all stingy: he loves to live with great comfort and on a grand scale.
The British travel a lot and always try to find out more facts, but they get very little close to the people of the countries they visit. Etiquette, pride, misunderstanding and contempt for foreign customs do not allow them to get close to foreigners in a foreign land. In England, nothing turns into ruins, nothing outlives its useful life: innovations crowd alongside legends.
The Englishman has a natural ability to seek adventure. Phlegmatic by nature, he is capable of being passionately interested in everything great, new, original. If an Englishman's life develops in such a way that he is deprived of the opportunity to wage a difficult struggle with everyday obstacles, then he begins to suffer from unbearable blues. Then, out of oppressive boredom, he begins to look for entertainment in the strangest adventures.
In the field of art, the Englishman loves above all grandeur and originality. The latter manifests itself, in particular, in the enormous size of bridges, monuments, parks, etc.
The ideal of the British is independence, education, dignity, honesty and selflessness, tact, grace of manners, refined politeness, the ability to sacrifice time and money for a good cause, the ability to lead and obey, perseverance in achieving a goal, lack of arrogance.
V. Sukhareva, M. Sukhareva, Book "Psychology of Peoples and Nations"
It is believed that the character English nation Numerous conquering tribes left a big mark: the Angles, Romans, Celts, Normans, Scandinavian Vikings, Jutes and Saxons. It is precisely this multifaceted intervention in the life and history of England that explains the special character of the native English: it combines Celtic dreaminess, Anglo-Saxon practicality, Viking courage and Norman discipline.
More than 300 thousand Russian emigrants currently live in Great Britain, and this figure can be increased to one million if we take into account Belarusians, Ukrainians, emigrants from Latvia and Lithuania and some others who prefer their own native language(due to lack of demand) Russian is more than English.
What Russians say about Great Britain
At first glance, this country is very welcoming and friendly - even people smile on the streets strangers, every careless action is answered only with “excuse me” or “sorry” and it seems that everyone treats you incredibly kindly.
But such impressions very quickly give way to the true state of affairs: the cordiality of the British does not exist, it is imitated by a polite mask, complemented by endless apologies that fly out of the mouth automatically and do not carry any emotional load. Who even compared the English “sori” with the “red” Russian word, bursting out if, for example, a hammer lands directly on a finger instead of a nail head.
There is an opinion that the majority of Englishmen treat all foreigners with a rather partial attitude: some with sympathy, some with disgust, some even with contempt, while considering their nation the best in the world. As one of the bloggers put it in his judgments about the British, “among British subjects, Russians occupy a place in the ranking of nations next to immigrants from the countries of Eastern Europe, perhaps, giving way only to representatives of African countries and Indians.”
Russians often become the object of irony - a kind of English humor, which is sometimes expressed in very unpleasant moments: for example, in banks you can encounter a mocking offer to cash a check in Russia, and instead of an apartment approved after viewing, you end up renting the wrong one at all.
By the way, about a sense of humor - in England its presence is considered one of the most important human virtues, and therefore everyone in this country tries to show themselves as a person with an excellent sense of humor, which often looks quite ridiculous. The British often plunge foreigners into sincere bewilderment with their penchant for physiological jokes, such as greasy, falling trousers and so on. At the same time, most jokes do not imply a particularly deep context, but rather serve as a kind of outlet for accumulated feelings and emotions. Many English people not only love to make fun of others, but also often laugh at themselves, which contrasts greatly with their stiffness and arrogance.
If we return to the topic of the fact that in the UK Russians are not very favored, then it is worth mentioning that active anti-propaganda about Russia in the media plays a big role in this. Many Russian emigrants living here complain that the news broadcast is entirely negative, portraying the Russian person as an ignorant "barbarian" who prefers to earn money through illegal means.
Vladimir Milovanov, who has lived in the UK since 2003, says that in ten years he has not heard anything good about Russia on official TV or read anything good about Russia in official sources. “The minimum information that can be found,” he writes, “is always negative. At the same time, they manage not to talk about what it is impossible to remain silent about.”
All of the above does not mean at all that a Russian emigrant will be an outcast in the UK, although, of course, one cannot count on a warm welcome. At the same time, it is within the power of the person himself to form a kind and positive attitude towards himself, albeit not immediately, but over time. And first of all, you have to start with good knowledge in English– until the ability to speak and understand is brought to the point of perfection, it is practically useless to expect respectful attitude towards oneself.
Despite the fact that the British are a rather closed and delicate people who do not openly demonstrate their emotions, especially negative ones, their attitude towards an educated foreigner is quite acceptable. By the way, the education of the Englishman himself also plays a role: if among the middle class and above it is difficult to find an ardent Russophile, then among the less educated you can find those who believe that the Russians (meaning the hardworking Baltic people) have captured all the jobs.
By the way, among immigrants there is an opinion that Russians in Great Britain are treated with sympathy, which is explained by Russian non-aggression, law-abidingness, hard work and rapid assimilation in this country. But the attitude towards other emigration ethnic groups is much more restless.
About life in the UK for Russians
Most Russians in England are middle class, having an apartment or house on credit near the center, a job in middle management, a vacation once a year to Europe and children studying in a public English school.
In general, one can speak quite positively about life in the UK - there are a lot of jobs with low earnings and that do not require special qualifications. In this case, the funds received are usually enough to rent a room and food. For many Russians from the Baltic states, especially those who are older, this is quite enough - if you live up to 60 years, you can hope for a pension, which is due even to a person in the UK who has not officially worked a day in his life. Such a pension gives the right to free travel, a free apartment somewhere in a disadvantaged social reservation and benefits.
About the English mentality
The dominant feature of the English character is adherence to tradition. Moreover, the British strive to leave some of their traditions, habits and rituals in their original form in order to retain all the features of gentlemanly behavior. It is interesting that the British find it extremely difficult to part with the past - for them the process of getting rid of old furniture is a certain difficulty, they strive to plant gardens in the same style as their ancestors, and a restrained manner of dressing is characteristic of most British people - regardless of their financial situation.
As for the famous English coldness, it is actually just a special ability of the British to self-control. It is this coldness that is considered the basis of “gentlemanly behavior” and is characteristic feature English mentality. In order to control oneself and wear a mask of equanimity, every Englishman from childhood has to struggle with his own temperament and accustom himself to strict self-control. By the way, an open or uninhibited display of feelings in public is considered in Great Britain a sign of bad manners and greatly affects every British person in foreigners (especially the emotional French and passionate Spaniards).
This is precisely what explains the excessive severity of the British when raising children - they are convinced that gentleness in relation to their offspring does not benefit them. As in everything else, the British treat children with restraint, thus trying to form in them the habit of curbing their own feelings. It is customary for children in the UK to be sent to study close to their parents’ home in order to instill in them independence and responsibility (often in boarding schools and famous schools, where British children are taught fairly strict rules and strict discipline, which, in the opinion of parents, contributes to the education of a true Englishman).
In general, the British are a special nation. In this country, every self-respecting Englishman is obliged to have a hobby - it doesn’t matter in what form, the main thing is that this hobby is brought to perfection. They say: “My home is my castle.” They are characterized by snobbery, arrogance towards other nations and stiffness. They don't share problems or difficulties because it's not accepted. And their main tradition is unwavering loyalty to the monarchy, although the queen has long become simply a symbol of Great Britain.
