Many foreigners consider Russians strange, talking about the mysterious Russian soul and absolutely illogical actions. Russians have a lot of traditions and habits that foreigners can neither understand nor explain.
Girls, especially urban, love to dress up. For
example, an evening dress and stiletto heels are the perfect outfit
for walking around the city.
Having packed their belongings
and packed up their bags, the Russians will sit for a moment, to
“sit on the path.”
Only a lazy Russian limited to the phrase
"for health" or "na zdorovie". So, when someone rises to make a
toast, be ready to follow the train of thought for the next half
hour.
When asking the Russian “How are you?”, Do not expect
to hear back simply “Thank you, good.” Here, in response, it is
customary to report in detail about the entire current life
situation.
Russians don't just smile out of politeness. A
smile needs to be earned, and friends usually smile, and strangers
smile is not accepted.
Forget Christmas! The main winter
holiday is the New Year with an essential NEW YEAR tree and gifts
under it.
In fact Russians love New Year so much that they have two of them. The old New Year is a rare historical phenomenon, an additional celebration that resulted from the change of the calendar. Because of this discrepancy of calendars, Russians celebrate two “New Years” - in the old and new styles. By the twentieth century, the calendar of Russia, which continued to use the Julian calendar, was 13 days behind Europe, which had long since switched to the Gregorian calendar. To reduce this gap in 1918, they switched to the Gregorian calendar - a new style. However everyone kept celebrating New Year by Gregorian and a Julian calendar.
Ancient Russian art
and Culture of Ancient Rus'
The
culture of Ancient Rus' is characterized by the following features:
An important role was played by the experience of previous generations,
traditions.
Locality, isolation, disunity of Russian lands, caused by
the lack of economic interests in the conditions of natural economy.
Strong influence of religion.
Culture of Russia in the XIII—XVII
centuries
Key features of cultural development in that period:
The
need for self-identification of the Russian people and, as a result, the
blurring of differences between individual principalities and the
formation of a common Russian culture.
The rise of the Orthodox
Church as the guardian of the cultural and political traditions of the
Russian state. The end of doubling.
Rus''s self-isolation not only
from Muslim, but also from Catholic countries.
The Russian Empire, due to historical circumstances, throughout its existence willingly borrowed many elements of Western European culture and customs. And as a result, in the understanding of the "Western" observer, the cultural level of the overwhelming population of Russia was not high. However, it is impossible to overestimate the contribution of leading Russian figures to world culture.
The culture of Russia is the cumulative culture of
countries and nationalities living on the territory of the Soviet Union.
Theatrical art, cinematography, and fine arts developed intensively.
In certain periods, the development of cultures of ethnic minorities and
national cultures was encouraged.
Culture of the peoples of Russia
The modern history of culture in Russia is connected
with the restoration of elements of the culture of the Russian Empire
and its integration into the cultural heritage of the USSR. Russia is
actively restoring churches and religious customs, and the institution
of patronage is being revived. In addition, values characteristic of
Western and Eastern civilizations come into the existing culture of the
USSR, for example, the traditions of the popular culture of the West or
tea ceremonies and cuisine of Eastern countries are introduced. There
are many thematic festivals, exhibitions and events. In 2012, 77% of the
inhabitants of Russian cities fully or basically agreed with the fact
that there are enough cultural institutions (theaters, cinemas,
galleries, libraries) in cities.
As British sociology professor
Hilary Pilkington notes in 2007: “There is a tendency to see Russia as a
unique society that is made up of different cultural traditions, being
not a ‘hybrid’ but a unique entity that has been created from many and
different cultural influences.”
Culture of the peoples of Russia
The Russian Federation is a multinational state. In the Russian
Federation, in addition to Russians, who make up more than 80% of the
population, about 180 other peoples live. The most noticeable influence
was exerted by the culture based on the Russian language, however, the
cultural heritage of other peoples also plays a role in the development
of the all-Russian culture.
The most widely spoken language in Russia is Russian. It is also
the state language of the Russian Federation in accordance with
Article 68 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. However,
the number of speakers of eight more languages in the Russian
Federation exceeds one million people.
The republics within
the Russian Federation have the right to establish their own state
languages and, as a rule, exercise this right: for example, in the
Karachay-Cherkess Republic, in addition to Russian, the Abaza,
Karachay, Nogai and Circassian languages have the status of a state
language. But in the Republic of Karelia, the language of the
titular nation (Karelian), as well as the languages of other
national minorities - Finnish and Vepsian languages are not
recognized as state languages and Russian is the only state language
of the republic. As a result of this, Karelia is the only republic
within the Russian Federation in which none of the indigenous
peoples living on its territory have their own national language
among the state ones.
Despite the efforts made in many
regions to preserve and develop local languages, in Russia the trend
towards a language shift that emerged back in Soviet times persists,
when Russian becomes the native language of non-Russian citizens,
while a superficial knowledge of the mother language (the language
of their ethnic group) becomes nothing more than a marker of
ethnicity.
Cyrillic is a writing system and an alphabet for a
language based on Old Slavonic Cyrillic (they talk about Russian,
Serbian, etc. Cyrillic; it is incorrect to call the “Cyrillic
alphabet” the formal union of several or all national Cyrillic
alphabets). The Old Church Slavonic Cyrillic alphabet (alphabet and
writing system), in turn, is based on the Greek alphabet.
11
out of 28 Slavic languages have Cyrillic-based alphabets, as well as
101 non-Slavic languages that were previously unwritten or had other
writing systems and were converted to Cyrillic in the late 1930s
(see: list of languages with Cyrillic-based alphabets) .
Russian is one of the East Slavic languages. It is one of the
largest languages in the world, including the most widespread of the
Slavic languages. The Russian language originated from Old Russian,
along with the Ukrainian and Belarusian languages.
Russian literature reflected not only aesthetic, moral and spiritual
values and ideas; According to leading Russian thinkers, literature is
also the philosophy of Russia.
Until the 18th century, secular
literature practically did not exist in Russia. There are several
monuments of ancient Russian literature of a religious or annalistic
nature - The Tale of Bygone Years, The Tale of Igor's Campaign, The
Prayer of Daniel the Sharpener, Zadonshchina, The Life of Alexander
Nevsky and other lives. The authors of these works are currently
unknown. The folk art of that period is represented by an original genre
of epic, fairy tales.
Secular literature appeared in Russia only
in the 17th century. The first known work of this kind is “The Life of
Archpriest Avvakum” (despite the name, it cannot be called a religious
work, since it was written by Avvakum himself, the canonical lives were
written only after the death of the saint).
In the 18th century,
a galaxy of secular writers and poets appeared in Russia. Among them are
the poets Vasily Trediakovsky, Antioch Kantemir, Gavriil Derzhavin,
Mikhail Lomonosov; writers Nikolai Karamzin, Alexander Radishchev;
playwrights Alexander Sumarokov and Denis Fonvizin. The dominant
artistic style of literature at that time was classicism.
Poetry
Among the most famous poets of Russia:
Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky
(1783-1852)
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799-1837)
Mikhail
Yurievich Lermontov (1814-1841)
Alexander Alexandrovich Blok
(1880-1921)
Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin (1895-1925)
Anna
Akhmatova (1889-1966)
Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930)
and many
others.
Prose
Among the most famous writers of Russia:
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852)
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev
(1818-1883)
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828-1910)
Fyodor
Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821-1881)
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
(1860-1904)
Ivan Alekseevich Bunin (1870-1953)
Vladimir
Vladimirovich Nabokov (1899-1977)
Crafts
Art
icon painting
Russian icon painting inherited
the traditions of Byzantine masters. At the same time, their own
traditions were born in Rus'. The most comprehensive collection of icons
is in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Russian icons were not mere
imitations, but had their own style, and masters such as Andrei Rublev
raised the level of icon painting to new heights.
Painting
The
first realistic portraits appeared in Russia in the 17th century, in the
middle - the end of the 18th century such major painters as Levitsky and
Borovikovsky appeared in Russia. Russian painting since that time has
followed global trends. Outstanding artists of the first half of the
19th century: Kiprensky, Bryullov, Ivanov (“The Appearance of Christ to
the People”).
In the second half of the 19th century, realist
painting flourished. The creative association of Russian artists
"Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions" ("Wanderers") was founded,
which included such great artists as Vasnetsov, Kramskoy, Shishkin,
Kuindzhi, Surikov, Repin, Savrasov.
At the turn of the 19th-20th
centuries, the World of Art association operated. Its members or artists
close to the movement were Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel, Kuzma
Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin, Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich, Isaac Ilyich
Levitan.
Russian sculpture
Russian avant-garde
In the
late 19th and early 20th centuries, Russia became one of the centers of
avant-garde art. Outstanding representatives of the avant-garde: Wassily
Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Marc Chagall, Pavel Filonov. Common to the
Russian avant-garde was the rejection of old forms of art in favor of a
new one, more in line with the current moment of reality. A similar
direction in the development of the thought of artists also existed in
all other countries of Europe, while the art of America lagged behind in
its development. In those years, for the first time since the time of
Peter I, there was a definite connection between the fine arts of Russia
and the fine arts of European countries. In the 1930s, with the growing
influence of the style of socialist realism, this connection was broken.
Many researchers associate the origins of the Russian avant-garde not so
much with the revolution as with the industrial leap of that time.
Soviet art
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is the main
artistic method used in the art of the Soviet Union since the 1930s; it
was allowed, recommended or imposed (in different periods of the
country's development) by state censorship, and therefore was closely
associated with ideology and propaganda. It has been officially approved
since 1932 by the party organs in literature and art. In parallel,
unofficial art of the USSR existed.
Representatives of social
realism - V. I. Mukhina, A. A. Deineka, I. I. Brodsky, E. P. Antipova,
B. E. Efimov. Works in the genre of socialist realism are characterized
by the presentation of the events of the era, "dynamically changing in
their revolutionary development." The ideological content of the method
was laid down by dialectical materialist philosophy and the communist
ideas of Marxism (Marxist aesthetics) in the second half of the
19th-20th centuries. The method covered all areas of artistic activity
(literature, drama, cinema, painting, sculpture, music and
architecture).
Classical music, opera and ballet
Russian classical music contains
the creative legacy of such great composers as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov, the Mighty
Handful of Composers, Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov, Igor Fedorovich
Stravinsky. Among the Soviet composers, some of the most significant
are: Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev, Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich, Aram
Ilyich Khachaturian, Alfred Schnittke.
There are many
world-famous classical works in Russian music, including famous
symphonies, concertos, ballets (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Rite of
Spring), operas (Boris Godunov, Eugene Onegin, Ivan Susanin) ), suites
("Pictures at an Exhibition")
Soviet jazz
The first jazz
concert in the USSR took place in Moscow on October 1, 1922 at one
o'clock in the afternoon on the stage of the Central College of Theater
Arts (later - GITIS) in Maly Kislovsky Lane. It was a concert of
"Valentin Parnakh's First Eccentric Jazz Band Orchestra in the RSFSR".
Popular music
In the first half of the 20th century, such
performers as Alexander Vertinsky and Leonid Utyosov were popular. In
Soviet times, the so-called. "variety" popular music (Muslim Magomaev,
Lev Leshchenko, Alla Pugacheva, Valery Leontiev, Iosif Kobzon).
Pop music has been developing in the USSR and Russia since the second
half of the 20th century according to the Western prototype. It is
popular primarily among the Russian-speaking population of the world. In
Western countries, Russian pop musicians rarely achieve great commercial
success (this was done, for example, by the Tatu group).
Russian
rock
Russian rock is a collective term for Russian-language rock
music, created first in the USSR, then in Russia and the CIS countries
by various musicians and groups. The most famous groups: "Aria" "King
and Jester" "Time Machine", "Aquarium", "Nautilus Pompilius", "Kino",
"Alice", "Sounds of Mu", "DDT", "Chayf", "Splin" , "Bi-2", "Agatha
Christie", "Auktyon", "December", etc.
Russian rock groups were
greatly influenced by Western rock music, as well as Russian author's
song (Vladimir Vysotsky, Bulat Okudzhava), usually performed with an
acoustic guitar.
Architecture
Old Russian architecture
followed a tradition whose roots were established in Byzantium. After
the fall of Kyiv, Russian architectural history continued in the
Vladimir-Suzdal principality, the Novgorod and Pskov republics, and the
Russian kingdom. In the future, Russian architecture was greatly
influenced by Western European architecture, as exemplified, for
example, by the development of St. Petersburg and its environs. Since
the middle of the 19th century, with the development of historicism in
different countries, they began to turn to the architectural heritage of
past eras, in particular, with the growth of national
self-consciousness, to folk architecture. Artists and architects of the
Russian Empire turned their attention to ancient Russian architecture,
creating Russian and neo-Russian styles. Slavist and historian of
Russian architecture W. K. Brumfield singled out Russian wooden
architecture and constructivism as the most significant achievements of
Russian architecture.
The ancient buildings of the peoples of the
Caucasus (Ossetian, Rutulian architecture) have been preserved.
religious buildings
From Byzantium, Russian churches inherited a
vestibule or refectory located along the west-east axis, a naos and an
altar. Characteristic features of Russian churches: onion domes and many
domes.
Kremlins
civil architecture
The traditional
Russian dwelling of the peasants was a log cabin with a two- or
four-pitched roof. Wealthy citizens built mansion complexes. In the
XVIII-XIX centuries, the appearance of civil architecture changed under
the influence of baroque, classicism, eclecticism.
Avant-garde
projects of garden cities, communal houses, housing complexes, socialist
cities became a bright page in the history of architecture of the USSR.
In the early 1930s, with a change in the political situation, the
architecture of the avant-garde was banned, and with it the projects of
residential buildings and complexes with a socialized way of life
declared "leftist bends", the period of Stalinist architecture began.
The transition to mass standard construction under N. S. Khrushchev gave
rise to the so-called "Khrushchev".
Theater
Russian theatrical
art is one of the most promising in the world. World famous theaters
operate in Russia, such as the Mariinsky Theatre, the Bolshoi and the
Maly Theatres.
Circus
Circus art is developed and popular in
Russia. Among the famous circus performers: clowns Yuri Nikulin, Pencil,
Oleg Popov; magicians (illusionists) Emil Kio and Igor Kio, trainers
Vladimir Durov, brothers Edgard and Askold Zapashny.
Already in April 1896, 4 months after the first Paris cinema
screenings, the first cinematographic apparatus appeared in Russia. On
May 4 (16), 1896, the first in Russia demonstration of the “Lumière
Cinematograph” took place in the theater of the St. Petersburg garden
“Aquarium” - several films were shown to the public during the
intermission between the second and third acts of the vaudeville “Alfred
Pasha in Paris”. In May, Camille Cerf makes the first in Russia
documentary filming of the celebrations in honor of the coronation of
Nicholas II. Film screenings quickly became fashionable entertainment,
and permanent cinemas began to appear in many large Russian cities. The
first permanent cinema opened in St. Petersburg in May 1896 at 46 Nevsky
Prospekt.
The first Russian feature films were adaptations of
fragments of classical works of Russian literature (“The Song about the
Merchant Kalashnikov”, “The Idiot”, “The Fountain of Bakhchisaray”),
folk songs (“Ukhar the Merchant”) or illustrated episodes from Russian
history (“The Death of Ivan the Terrible”). ", "Peter the Great"). In
1911, the first full-length film in Russia, The Defense of Sevastopol,
was released, jointly directed by Alexander Khanzhonkov and Vasily
Goncharov.
In 1913, in the wake of the general upsurge of the
Russian economy, the rapid growth of the cinema industry begins, new
firms are formed - including the largest film company I. N. Ermoliev,
among which more than 120 films were made such significant films as The
Queen of Spades (1916) and Father Sergius (published in 1918) by Yakov
Protazanov. The heyday of artistic Russian cinema falls on the time of
the First World War. During this period, the outstanding film stylist
Evgeny Bauer makes his main films, Vladimir Gardin and Vyacheslav
Viskovskiy are actively working.
After the collapse of the USSR,
cinema in Russia is in crisis: many film studios are experiencing
financial difficulties. Film production in Russia is strongly influenced
by American films. In the 1990s, the number of big-budget films is not
large (there are such films as The Barber of Siberia and the Russian
Riot). In the era of the 2000s, against the backdrop of economic growth,
there is a qualitative and quantitative growth in the film industry.
Films produced in Russia and its predecessor countries are winners
of major international film festivals such as Berlin, Cannes, Venice,
Moscow.
Every year dozens of film festivals are held in Russia,
among which the largest are the Moscow Film Festival (accredited by the
International Federation of Film Producers Associations) and Kinotavr.
Soviet animation is known all over the world, it is distinguished by
the use of pastel colors, spirituality, kindness of content, and the
presence of a strong educational component. Thousands of cartoons were
shot at the most famous studios in the USSR and Russia (Soyuzmultfilm,
Tsentrnauchfilm, Kievnauchfilm).
Film critics date the first
Russian cartoon Pierrot the Artists to 1906, shot by Alexander Shiryaev,
choreographer of the Mariinsky Theatre.
The cartoon "Hedgehog in
the Fog" by Yuri Norstein in 2003 in Tokyo was recognized as the best
cartoon of all time according to a survey of 140 film critics and
animators from different countries.
Paganism
Before the baptism of Rus' (988), pagan cults dominated
the Russian Plain, which were characterized by polytheism, animism, the
cult of ancestors, spirits and forces of nature. Many relics of paganism
are preserved in the folk religion of Russians up to the present day,
especially in rural areas (first of all, elements of funeral and
memorial rites). Many non-Slavic peoples of Russia retained their ethnic
religions, in particular shamanism, until the 19th-20th centuries.
Christianity
Orthodoxy
Orthodox Christianity is the most
widespread religion in modern Russia. Came to Rus' from Byzantium. The
official date of the Baptism of Rus' under Prince Vladimir is 988.
Catholicism
Traditionally, Catholicism (not including Greek
Catholics in western Ukraine and Belarus) in Russia (Russian Empire) was
practiced by Russian subjects of Polish, German, Lithuanian and Latvian
origin.
Since the late 1980s, there has been some growth in the
number of adherents among people who do not have historical and family
ties to Catholicism.
Protestantism
Protestantism was brought
in by merchants, soldiers, and other visiting professionals from Germany
shortly after the Reformation. The first Lutheran church appeared in
Moscow already in 1576. Protestant immigration from Europe continued in
the future. In addition, Protestantism was historically widespread in
the north-west of the country among the local population in the
territories conquered from Sweden as a result of the Northern and
Russian-Swedish wars. Restrictions (“golden cage”) on the part of the
authorities, in particular, a strict ban on preaching in Russian, led to
the closure of traditional Protestant communities along ethnic lines and
persecution of the spreaders of new teachings, such as Stunda, and then
Baptism.
With the revival of churches after the collapse of the
USSR, traditional Protestant communities that were previously ethnic
(German, Estonian, Swedish, Finnish, etc.) are often replenished with
people with completely different roots, in particular, Russians, which
is caused, on the one hand, by a strong the decline of ethnic Germans
and Finns due to repressions and mass emigration, on the other hand, the
attractiveness of the doctrine and the favorable climate in the
parishes. Noticeable activity and new trends, in particular, American,
such as the Pentecostals.
The number of Protestants in Russia
cannot be accurately determined. According to various sources, from 2%
to 4% of the population consider themselves to be Protestants, while
from 0.6% to 1.5% actively participate in religious life. This means
that, by a rough estimate, every hundredth inhabitant of the country is
a conscious Protestant. Baptists are the most common, with an estimated
congregation of at least 100,000.
The contribution of Protestants
to the culture of Russia is the custom of putting up a New Year tree.
Islam
According to experts during the last census, the question
of religious affiliation was not asked) in Russia there are up to 14.5
million Muslims, if we consider the total number of peoples historically
associated with Islam. According to the Spiritual Administration of
Muslims, about 20 million Muslims live in the European part of the
Russian Federation. However, sociologist Roman Silantiev considers these
data to be overestimated and estimates the real number of Muslims at
11-12 million people, but some people criticize his data, pointing out
that 16.2 million people live in Russia alone from the Caucasus.
Most Muslims live in the Volga-Ural region, as well as in the North
Caucasus, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Western Siberia. There are more
than 6,000 mosques in Russia (in 1991 there were about a hundred).
Buddhism
Buddhism is traditional for three regions of Russia:
Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia. According to the Buddhist Association of
Russia, the number of people practicing Buddhism is 1.5-2 million
people.
At present, many Buddhist schools are represented in
Russia: Theravada, Japanese and Korean Zen, several directions of the
Mahayana, and practically all schools of Tibetan Buddhism that exist in
the world.
The northernmost Buddhist Datsan in the world, built
before the Revolution in Petrograd (Datsan Gunzechoinei), now serves as
a tourist and cult center of Russian Buddhist culture. Preparations are
underway for the construction of a Buddhist temple in Moscow, which
could unite Russian Buddhists around itself in joint practice for the
benefit of all sentient beings in Russia and the world.
Judaism
The number of Jews is about 1.5 million. Of these, according to the
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FEOR), about 500 thousand
live in Moscow, and about 170 thousand in St. Petersburg. There are
about 70 synagogues in Russia.
Slavic neo-paganism
Since the
late 1980s, a new religious movement has been actively developing among
modern Slavic peoples, based on the revival of pre-Christian beliefs and
rituals with the veneration of patron gods (Perun, Rod, Mokosh, Veles
and others).
The Slavic neo-pagan movement is not a single one,
there are different currents in it, often not recognizing and rejecting
each other, these are Rodnovery reenactors, who set the goal of reviving
ancient beliefs in the most accurate form, as well as syncretic
movements, like the "Ringing Cedars of Russia" constructing a new
mythology. However, the only thing neo-paganism has in common is
anti-Semitism.
The cuisine of Russia, like the culture of Russia, is a two-part
entity. The first, and most significant, part of it is Russian cuisine,
based on the Slavic traditions of Rus' with borrowings from other
peoples, which eventually became part of the unified Russian state. In
addition, the nobility, the intelligentsia and other people who have the
opportunity to visit abroad, as well as foreigners, have brought many
elements of foreign cuisine into modern Russian mass cuisine.
The
second direction of Russian cuisine refers to the national traditions of
the peoples and nationalities living in Russia. The cuisine of each
nation has its own unique dishes and methods of their preparation, based
on products cultivated and collected from ancient times in this
territory, made using original kitchen utensils. Combined with local
customs, religious rites and the opportunity to interact with modern
civilization, the cuisines of the peoples of Russia make an invaluable
contribution to its cultural heritage.
Among the most famous
dishes of Russian cuisine are borscht, vinaigrettes, pies, pancakes,
cheesecakes, cabbage soup, kvass, fruit drinks and others.
Drinking culture
In Russia, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is
an acute social problem, the consumption of strong, and not only,
alcohol in large quantities began after the opening of drinking
establishments during the reign of Peter I. Before that, alcohol
consumption was extremely insignificant.
The consumption of
alcoholic beverages has given Russia serious social problems associated
with alcoholism and drunkenness.
Nevertheless, in terms of
alcohol consumption per capita, Russia is in 18th place, behind such
countries as Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Germany. At the
same time, the diet is significantly different - for example, in Europe
dry red wines prevail, and in Russia - vodka and beer.
In Russia, there are a lot of holidays associated with many areas of
a Russian's life.
Life:
One of the main holidays in the life
of an ordinary Russian person is the New Year, Birthday, Weddings,
Knowledge Day, professional holidays.
Religion:
Since most of
the population are either Orthodox or atheists, the majority annually
celebrate such holidays as Christmas, Easter, Ivan Kupala. However,
followers of other faiths celebrate their holidays freely.
Policy:
Due to the fact that Russia has managed to change many
political systems on its territory and the regime in the country, there
are many political holidays. These include International Women's Day
(March 8), Day of Russia, Day of National Unity, Day of the Great
October Socialist Revolution.
War:
It just so happened that
Russia, being on two continents, fought very often. Very many of the
warriors were bloody to the point of madness. Accordingly, holidays
associated with the war appeared in Russia. These include Victory Day,
Defender of the Fatherland Day, the already named Day of National Unity,
Days of Military Glory.
Traditionally, in Russian culture, there are two areas for the
development of sports: the sport of great achievements and physical
education.
Both areas are actively developing in Russia. Many
sports schools are leading in the world, which proves high achievements
in the most prestigious sports competitions such as the Olympic Games,
World and European Championships. Physical education and a healthy
lifestyle are promoted in the country. So, for example, mass sports
competitions are held, such as the Cross of Nations and the Russian Ski
Track.
Also in Russia, traditions of empathy for participants in
sports competitions have been developed. The most popular among the fans
are team summer and winter sports such as football, basketball, hockey
and others. Individual summer and winter sports such as biathlon,
tennis, boxing and others are also popular.