Understanding Russian Culture in Its Myriad Forms

When you talk of a certain community or a nation, you are immediately enchanted by their well-preserved culture and tradition. Such is true with a mammoth called Russia. With a plethora of cultural practices, art forms and traditions hovering around the nation, Russia has lots to offer. Whether it is the theater, history, architecture, art forms, the famous Russian nesting dolls, the local customs and traditions, the dressing style, or the folk dance, the list is endless. A true Russian culture enthusiast celebrates elements of this rich culture in more ways than one. Let us have a brief look on the valuable elements of the rich Russian culture:

The Theatrical culture:

During the Soviet times, the theatrical culture emerged and evolved rapidly. Russian artists were spread around with immense talent in different forms of theater such as the Muppet Theater, Youth Drama, Musical and Opera and so on. Live performances were a supreme favorite of the Russians. Movie theaters also developed interest amongst the Russian admirers of visual art; however, while they termed movie theaters as ‘cinema’ it is the live performances that were termed ‘theater’.

The Culture of Education:

Trust the Russians and their high regard for education that it is a culture in itself. In fact book reading is a favorite past time among most Russians. The books too are very cheap and commonly available. With master writer s like Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy, and Maxim Gorky you can’t really blame the Russians for their love for books.

The Culture of Community Work:

Community work forms a major part of the Russian culture. People from different social strata are encouraged to contribute their two bits to the society. The community work is often rewarded with lifestyle incentives based on the community service they people delve in. Incentives could include free or cheap travel allowances, availing goods that are deficit and gaining better accommodation facilities from the government.

Handicrafts:

There’s nothing quintessentially Russian than a series of Russian Dolls neatly stacked one inside the other. The handmade dolls feature multiple figurines of decreasing sizes perfectly fitted within each other and can only be crafted by skilled Russian artisans with years of training and experience. The dolls have become an integral part of every tourist visiting Russia.

These are just some of the things that have collectively managed to shape the average Russian intellect. And if you’re looking for proof, speak to an average Russian on the street; you’d be surprised with his knowledge.