4. Russians are racist
Russian people are actually very open-minded. They may not be aware of the polite way to talk about people from other cultures, but that does not mean that they have any malicious intent. In fact, they are usually curious about and happy to talk with visitors from other countries.
3. Russians are gloomy
If you take a look at Russian people on the streets, in the metro, or in the stores, you may well think that they never smile, like I once did. The truth is, however, that Russians are warm, friendly, and extremely funny – just not in public. It is a norm in Russia to have one’s “serious face” on while in public places, and being too loud or showing too much emotion is considered strange
2. Russians are spies
This one doesn’t really need elaboration, because obviously, all Russians are not spies. There are probably as many Russian secret service workers as there are American, French, or Canadian “spies”. This myth comes from the Cold War and from Hollywood movies, and bringing it up to Russian people is NOT funny – it only irritates them, because it is so pervasive.
1. All Russians are Communists
This is another Cold War-era myth that is best not mentioned to Russian people. There are some Russian people that still think Communism was a good idea, but they are few and far between. For most Russian people, Communism meant scarcity of food and other resources and being afraid of both one’s government and one’s neighbors. Not only are most Russians not Communists, but I would even say that Russians are especially unlikely to endorse a Communist regime.
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