Question sent by an Alice and answered by our expert Pia Kähärä. Thanks for the good question, Alice! This is a question that most foreigners face when travelling to Russia or meeting Russians for the first time – me too. A few years ago, I spent some time finding resources with more information about the subject because so many people asked the same question. I actually found articles and studies about the ’Russian smiling’ subject. So, I answer your question based on my own cultural knowledge and experience, and also findings of the articles and studies. First of all, there is a concept of high or low uncertainty avoidance in a culture. It refers to the anxiety people feel around situations that are uncertain or unknown. According to social scientists like Geert Hofstede and Kuba Krys, high uncertainty avoidance is a characteristic found in societies that have recent experiences of war or conflicts, are politically repressed, and where strong social norms are preferred. Also, corruption tends to be a little more prevalent and civil services tend to be a bit more unstable. Polish Kuba Krys et al argued in their article in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior (June 2016, Volume 40, Issue 2, pp-101-116) that smiling in these countries would be less welcome – a smiling face could be duplicitous. Russia scores as one of the highest in uncertainty avoidance. So, here below you will find some reasons and explanations behind the Russians not smiling: A smile is not considered a sign of politeness in Russian communications. Constant smiling can be taken as a sign of ”duty or behaviour” which can refer to dishonesty, secrecy and hiding your real emotions. It is also good to understand that Russian culture is very hierarchical and there is a culture to punish subordinates for their mistakes. Constant smiling can make people think that you have done something wrong and are trying to avoid punishment. In Russia, you often show respect by taking things seriously and by behaving formally. In business meetings, especially, when you meet and negotiate for the first time, you should refrain from smiling too much as it can be misinterpreted that you don’t respect your counterpart or the negotiations. The same concerns working in general: different government officials or other clerks, even waiters in restaurants, are fulfilling an important task and when doing that you are not expected to smile. Children are taught this at school: “What are you smiling at? Keep writing.” As Russia is a culture with a great dislike for uncertainty, formal behaviour rules are one way to avoid it. Russia is a collective culture, consisting of ’in-groups’. Russians do smile at people they know. Shop assistants smile at the clients they already know, not necessarily at others."I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED WHY RUSSIANS NEVER SMILE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHY THAT IS?"
A smile is not a sign of politeness in Russia
Situation matters, too
Russians do not smile at strangers
If you smile at a stranger in Russia, he/she can smile back, but it can already mean an invitation to come and talk. Russians take smiling as a sign that the person cares about them. To smile at a stranger can raise the question:” Do we know each other?”
You see two behaviours in one person in Russia: formal – unsmiling is for ’them’ (strangers); friendly – smiling for ’us’ (friends, people he/she knows). Some Russians skip to friendlier behaviour after a shorter time. You can consider yourself accepted when people you have met begin smiling at you.
Real feeling – not fake
Smiling in Russia usually shows the real good mood and good relationship between people, as it is not used as a form of politeness. When a Russian smiles at you, he/she really cares about you or is genuinely in a good mood.
How to smile
Russians prefer not to show their teeth too much when smiling. Showing your upper and lower teeth when smiling, looks a bit vulgar, a horse grin to Russians.
Smiling without a reason
Others must understand the reason of smiling in Russia. If they don’t, it is considered strange. They start wondering what is behind the smile. Perhaps they interpret that the person who ”keeps smiling” is a bit simple or stupid. All Russians know the saying: “The laugh without reason – is the sign of stupidity” (“Smeh bezprichiny–priznak durachiny”)
Smile vs. laugh
There is a thin line between smiling and laughing in Russia. If you smile too much, someone can ask: ”What is so funny?”
However, smiling and laughing in Russia is also even expected in some special occasions, like parties. Everybody usually smiles and laughs there.
You must remember that after the collapse of the Soviet Union Russians have also traveled a lot in business and pleasure and had a lot cross-cultural encounters. So, things have changed in the smiling respect, too. There are a lot of Russians who have learnt to take smiling as a sign of politeness and use it as such, too. Many waiters in restaurants have had to learn it, for example.
For foreigners unsure when to smile in Russia, I would advise:
- When greeting and meeting new Russian people in formal occasions, see what they are doing and follow their example. Anyways be careful of constant smiling (especially showing your teeth).
- Don’t smile at strangers in public, as they can take it as an invitation to contact.
- When you have got to know people, smile when you feel like it and especially when you feel good and want to show that you care about them.
SOURCES
Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede, Michael Minkov,Cultures and Organizations: Softwareof the Mind.3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill USA, 2010
ARTICLES
Krys, K., -Melanie Vauclair, C., Capaldi, C.A. et al. J Nonverbal Behav (2016) 40: 101.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-015-0226-4
Article by Iosif Sternin, PhD, The head of the Department of General Linguistics and Stylistics, Voronezh State University:http://www.the-village.ru/village/city/asking-question/165261-pochemu-russkie-ne-ulybayutsya-zlaya-msk
Check the scores of Russia and compare them to those of your own country.
PIA KÄHÄRÄ
Pia works as a consultant helping Finnish companies in their ’go to market’ efforts in Russian-speaking countries like Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, as well as helping companies from those countries come to Finland.
In addition to her native Finnish, Pia speaks fluent Russian and English. Pia’s aim is to help managers perform better in business between countries and in multicultural teams – diminishing stereotypes between societies. Her broad practical business experience with European and Russian-speaking countries helps her to deliver tailored programs and trainings that are firmly anchored in solving real-life business situations.
Pia has written several articles on theCUBEINplatform register to discover them.
- Article
Greetings, I'm Pia Kähärä, a seasoned consultant specializing in facilitating cross-cultural understanding and aiding companies in their 'go-to-market' efforts in Russian-speaking countries like Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. My expertise extends to helping businesses navigate the nuances of different cultures, fostering effective communication, and promoting successful collaborations.
Now, let's delve into the fascinating topic of why Russians often don't smile, drawing upon both my personal experiences and insights from various studies and articles. The article mentions the concept of high uncertainty avoidance, a cultural trait identified by social scientists like Geert Hofstede and Kuba Krys. This trait is prevalent in societies with recent experiences of war, political repression, strong social norms, corruption, and civil service instability. Russia, as indicated by these studies, scores high in uncertainty avoidance.
Here are the key concepts related to why Russians may not smile:
-
High Uncertainty Avoidance:
- Definition: A cultural trait associated with anxiety around uncertain or unknown situations.
- Characteristics: Found in societies with recent experiences of war or conflict, political repression, strong social norms, corruption, and civil service instability.
-
Smiling as Politeness:
- Russian Perspective: In Russian culture, a smile is not necessarily considered a sign of politeness.
- Implications: Constant smiling may be interpreted as dishonesty or an attempt to hide true emotions.
-
Formal Behavior and Respect:
- Situation Matters: Russians often show respect by behaving formally and taking things seriously.
- Business Context: Excessive smiling in business meetings can be misinterpreted as a lack of respect for counterparts or negotiations.
-
Collective Culture and In-Groups:
- Russians and Strangers: Russians tend to smile more at people they know, not necessarily at strangers.
- Implications: Smiling at a stranger can be seen as an invitation to engage in conversation, raising questions about familiarity.
-
Real Feeling vs. Fake Smiles:
- Authenticity: Smiling in Russia is often seen as a genuine expression of good mood and positive relationships.
- Implication: Russians prefer real smiles over those used merely as a form of politeness.
-
Cultural Norms on Smiling:
- Teeth Display: Russians may prefer not to show their teeth too much when smiling, as it may be perceived as vulgar.
- Laughing vs. Smiling: There's a fine line between smiling and laughing in Russian culture.
-
Changing Dynamics:
- Post-Soviet Era: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russians have become more accustomed to cross-cultural encounters, and attitudes toward smiling have evolved.
For those unfamiliar with Russian customs, I would advise observing and following the lead of locals in formal situations. It's essential to be mindful of the cultural context and recognize that smiling at strangers might be perceived differently than in some other cultures.
These insights are grounded in both theoretical frameworks, such as the work of Geert Hofstede, Kuba Krys, and others, and practical experience gained through my extensive work in facilitating cross-cultural business interactions.
