In this turn-of-the-century photo, young Russian peasant women stoically present a visitor with gifts. ยฉ Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection / WikiCommons

Russian MiniLesson: The Russian Soul and Related Russian Vocabulary

Published: March 17, 2019

Many well-known people from various countries have acknowledged that Russia and the Russians have unique features that can be difficult to explain. For example, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said that โ€œะ ะพััะธั โ€“ ัั‚ะพย ะณะพะปะพะฒะพะปะพะผะบะฐ, ะทะฐะฒะตั€ะฝัƒั‚ะฐั ะฒ ั‚ะฐะนะฝัƒะฒะฝัƒั‚ั€ะธย ะทะฐะณะฐะดะบะธโ€ (Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma). A part of this mystery is the โ€œRussian soul,โ€ which Russian poets, writers, philosophers, and scholars have been trying to define for centuries.

The concept is, of course, a mixture of ideals and stereotypes. It is something that is different for each individual but also something that helps bind the Russian nation together โ€“ a common cultural narrative and a common explanation for who the Russians are and why Russia is as it is and why Russians are as they are.

The Russian Soul is idealized for hospitality, beauty, and a connection to nature. It is also known, however, for its extremes, lack of planning, and frequent incomprehensibility.

Perhaps the most powerful belief is that Russia is comprehensible only to those that live there. One of the most successful in his attempts to describe the Russian soul was nineteenth-century author Fedor Tyutchev, who wrote a famous poem about it, often quoted by Russians to describe their country:

ะฃะผะพะผ ะ ะพััะธัŽ ะฝะต ะฟะพะฝัั‚ัŒ,
ะั€ัˆะธะฝะพะผ ะพะฑั‰ะธะผ ะฝะต ะธะทะผะตั€ะธั‚ัŒ:
ะฃ ะฝะตะน ะพัะพะฑะตะฝะฝะฐั ัั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ โ€“
ะ’ ะ ะพััะธัŽ ะผะพะถะฝะพ ั‚ะพะปัŒะบะพ ะฒะตั€ะธั‚ัŒ.

(literally translates as:

Russia cannotย beย understoodย with the mind alone,
No ordinary yardstick can span her greatness:
She stands alone, unique โ€“
Inย Russia, one can only believe.)

The concept of the Russian soul is also heavily permeated in ideals. Many famous Russian writers, such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, describe an ideal of ะฝั€ะฐะฒัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะพะต, ะณะตั€ะพะธั‡ะตัะบะพะตะฟะพะฒะตะดะตะฝะธะต ะปัŽะดะตะน (peopleโ€™s moral, heroic behavior), or ะพัะฒะตั‰ะฐัŽั‚ ะฟั€ะพะฑะปะตะผั‹ะฟั€ะฐะฒะตะดะฝะธะบะพะฒ ะธ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะตะดะฝะพะน ะถะธะทะฝะธ (tell of problems faced by righteous people and righteous lives). At the same time, Dostoevsky, Gogol, and many other writers depict the misery faced by poor people and lifeโ€™s many injustices, expressing a ะฝะตะฟั€ะธัั‚ะธะต ะทะปะฐ ะธะฝะตัะฟั€ะฐะฒะตะดะปะธะฒะพัั‚ะธ (rejection of evil and injustice).

Yet the concept is also rooted in the practical and physical. Many scholars point out that the Russian soul was formed under the influence of Russiaโ€™s seemingly ะฑะตัะบั€ะฐะนะฝะธะต ะฟั€ะพัั‚ะพั€ั‹ (unlimited space) and ััƒั€ะพะฒั‹ะน ะบะปะธะผะฐั‚ (severe climate). In Russian, there are verbs that denote that space โ€œstretches,โ€ almost without any limits: ะฟั€ะพัั‚ะธั€ะฐั‚ัŒัั, ั‚ัะฝัƒั‚ัŒัั. Philosopher Nicolai Berdyaev wrote in his book, Russiaโ€™s Destiny, that, on one hand,ั€ะพััะธะนัะบะพะต ะฟั€ะพัั‚ั€ะฐะฝัั‚ะฒะพ ะพะฟั€ะตะดะตะปัะตั‚ ัˆะธั€ะพั‚ัƒ ั€ัƒััะบะพะณะพ ะผะธั€ะพะพั‰ัƒั‰ะตะฝะธั (Russiaโ€™s space determines the breadth of Russiansโ€™ perception of the world) and, on the other hand, determines the ะฑะตัั„ะพั€ะผะตะฝะฝะพัั‚ัŒ ั€ัƒััะบะพะน ะดัƒัˆะธ (ะฐะฝะฐั€ั…ะธั) (shapelessness of the Russian soul (anarchy)). Because they live in such a vast land, Russians were long used to living with very little interaction with the government and generally living by their own wits or by village/community rules.

In terms of the severe climate, due to the short summer, Russians are used to ั‡ั€ะตะทะผะตั€ะฝะพะต ะบั€ะฐั‚ะบะพะฒั€ะตะผะตะฝะฝะพะต ะฝะฐะฟั€ัะถะตะฝะธะต ัะฒะพะธั… ัะธะป (working excessively hard for a short time) followed by a ะดะพะปะณะพะต ะฒั€ะตะผั ะพั‚ะดั‹ั…ะฐั‚ัŒ (long period of relaxation). Although often that โ€œrelaxationโ€ can be in close quarters, with few resources, and mandated by extreme weather. Likewise, in their behavior, Russians can demonstrate a lot of ะบั€ะฐะนะฝะพัั‚ะธ (extremes), because the ั€ัƒััะบะฐั ะดัƒัˆะฐ is a combination of pronouced, sometimes ะฝะตัะพะฒะผะตัั‚ะธะผั‹ะต (incompatible) character traits: ะดะพะฑั€ะพั‚ะฐ (kindness) and ะณั€ัƒะฑะพัั‚ัŒ (rudeness) or even ะถะตัั‚ะพะบะพัั‚ัŒ (cruelty), and because it combines ั€ะฐั†ะธะพะฝะฐะปะธะทะผ (rationalism) and ั„ะฐั‚ะฐะปะธะทะผ (fatalism), and ะฟะพะฒะตั€ัŒะต (superstition/popular belief) with both ะฟั€ะฐะบั‚ะธั‡ะฝะพัั‚ัŒ (practicality) and ั€ะตะปะธะณะธะพะทะฝะพัั‚ัŒ (spirituality).

Perhaps also due to the extreme weather and lack of regulation, another peculiar feature of the Russian soul is ะฝะตะฟั€ะตะดัะบะฐะทัƒะตะผะพัั‚ัŒ (unpredictability). The famous French writer Maurice Druon said that ยซั€ัƒััะบะฐั ะดัƒัˆะฐ ะฟั€ะธะฝะธะผะฐะตั‚ ะฒัะต, ั‡ั‚ะพ ั ะฝะตะน ะฟั€ะพะธัั…ะพะดะธั‚, ะธ ัะฟะพัะพะฑะฝะฐ ั‚ะตั€ะฟะตั‚ัŒ ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ะผะฝะพะณะพ ะธ ะดะพะปะณะพ. ะะพ ะฒ ะพะดะธะฝ ะฟั€ะตะบั€ะฐัะฝั‹ะน ะผะพะผะตะฝั‚ ะพะฝะฐ ะฒะทั€ั‹ะฒะฐะตั‚ัั, ะฟั€ะพะธัั…ะพะดะธั‚ ั€ะตะฒะพะปัŽั†ะธั, ะฐ ะฟะพั‚ะพะผ ะดัƒัˆะฐ ัะฝะพะฒะฐ ะฟะพะฟะฐะดะฐะตั‚ ะฒ ัะฒะพะต ั€ัƒัะปะพ ะธ ะฟั€ะพะดะพะปะถะฐะตั‚ัั ะพะฑั‹ั‡ะฝะพะต ั‚ะตั‡ะตะฝะธะต ะถะธะทะฝะธยป (โ€œThe Russian soul accepts everything that happens to it, and it is capable of enduring a lot for a long time. But at some point, it explodes, a revolution occurs, and then the soul gets back on track, and the usual routine of life continuesโ€).

This also manifests itself positively in a unique Russian phenomenon that is very difficult to translate into English: ะทะฝะฐะผะตะฝะธั‚ั‹ะน ั€ัƒััะบะธะน ยซะฐะฒะพััŒยป (Russiansโ€™ notorious blind trust in sheer luck). ะšะพะณะดะฐ ะฟะพะปะพะถะตะฝะธะต ัั‚ะฐะฝะพะฒะธั‚ััะฟั€ะฐะบั‚ะธั‡ะตัะบะธ ะฑะตะทะฒั‹ั…ะพะดะฝั‹ะผ, ะบะพะณะดะฐ ะธัั‡ะตั€ะฟะฐะฝั‹ ะฒัะตั€ะฐะทัƒะผะฝั‹ะต ัะฟะพัะพะฑั‹ ั€ะตัˆะตะฝะธั ะฟั€ะพะฑะปะตะผั‹, ั€ัƒััะบะธะนะดะตะนัั‚ะฒัƒะตั‚ ะฝะฐ ะฐะฒะพััŒ ะธ ั‡ะฐัั‚ะพ ะดะพะฑะธะฒะฐะตั‚ัั ัƒัะฟะตั…ะฐย (When one ends up in a deadlock, when all reasonable ways to solve a problem are exhausted, a Russian puts his faith in sheer luck and often succeeds). Because of the dominance of both unpredictablity and luck in the Russian psyche, Russians are also prone to ะพั‚ััƒั‚ัั‚ะฒะธะต ะฟะปะฐะฝะธั€ะพะฒะฐะฝะธั (a lack of planning) and simply acting based on instinct.

Although the Russians value their vast lands and know that they number in the millions, Russians generally prefer to keep their close social circles small. They like deep affection in friendship; in friendship, a Russian person will ะฒั‹ะฒะพั€ะฐั‡ะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ะดั€ัƒะณ ะดั€ัƒะณัƒ ะดัƒัˆัƒ ะฝะฐะธะทะฝะฐะฝะบัƒ (lay bare his soul before another person). This explains the roots of ะฝะพัั‚ะฐะปัŒะณะธั (nostalgia) experienced by Russians in other countries: they suffer because of a ะฟะพั‚ั€ะตะฑะฝะพัั‚ัŒ ะฒะพะฑั‰ะตะฝะธะธ, ั€ะพะดัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะพะน ะดัƒัˆะต (need for communication, for a kindred spirit). At the same time, there is a spiritual and almost physical connection to the land of the ั€ะพะดะธะฝะฐ (homeland). Many Russian abroad will remark that ะฝะฐ ั€ะพะดะธะฝัƒ ั‚ัะฝะตั‚ ะฒัะตะณะดะฐ (they feel perpetually โ€œpulledโ€ towards the homeland).

Emotion, then, is seen as something to give only to special people. Thus, Russians do not appear like they are kind or happy to strangers on the street or in public places because they donโ€™t smile. ะฃะปั‹ะฑะบะฐ ะฝะต ัะฒะปัะตั‚ัั ะฟั€ะธะทะฝะฐะบะพะผ ะฒะตะถะปะธะฒะพัั‚ะธ (a smile is not a sign of politeness) in Russian culture; rather, a smile should reflect genuine happiness and a relaxed face is the default. Russian culture has a proverb that expresses a negative attitude towards laughing, which does not exist in most other cultures: ะกะผะตั… ะฑะตะท ะฟั€ะธั‡ะธะฝั‹ โ€“ ะฟั€ะธะทะฝะฐะบะดัƒั€ะฐั‡ะธะฝั‹ (Laughing without any reason is the sign of an idiot).

Another major component of the Russian national identity is that they are able to ะฒั‹ะถะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒะฒ ััƒั€ะพะฒั‹ั… ัƒัะปะพะฒะธัั… (survive in severe conditions) without much food. Russians are known for their ัะฐะผะพะฟะพะถะตั€ั‚ะฒะพะฒะฐะฝะธะต (self-sacrifice), they are able to ะฟะพะถะตั€ั‚ะฒะพะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ัะฒะพะตะนะถะธะทะฝัŒัŽ ะฒะพ ะธะผั ะดั€ัƒะณะธั… (sacrifice their lives for others), which has allowed Russia to be victorious in wars against powerful enemies. Especially strong is the Russian concept of โ€œะฝะฐัˆ.โ€ Although the Russian language often avoids assuming ownership, which one can argue also reduces personal responsibility, when a Russian refers to a group of people as โ€œะฝะฐัˆโ€ (ours), that means that anything must be done for those people. Many times, this will be oneโ€™s immediate family and close friends, but often, especially during times of war, โ€œะฝะฐัˆโ€ comes to encompass all oneโ€™s countrymen.

Much of this boils down a sense of individualism within the Russian identity. An interesting and often difficult to understand aspect of Russians is their ะฝะตะฟั€ะธัั‚ะธะต ะบะฐะบะธั…-ะปะธะฑะพ ั€ะฐะผะพะบ ะธะพะณั€ะฐะฝะธั‡ะตะฝะธะน (rejection of any limits and restrictions). The only limit they accept is ัะพะฑัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะฐั ัะพะฒะตัั‚ัŒ (their own conscience).

About the author

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov leads SRAS' Research Services, performing remote archive research and consultations for researchers around the globe. Andrei graduated from Ural State University (journalism) and Irkutsk State Linguistic University (English). He also studied public policy and journalism at Duke University on a Muskie Fellowship and taught Russian at West Virginia University. As a journalist, he has reported in both Russian and English language outlets and has years of archival research experience. He has travelled Russia extensively and penned many stories on the โ€œreal Russiaโ€ which lies beyond the capital and major cities. Andrei also contributes news, feature stories, and language resources to the SRAS Family of Sites.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

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