Generalized representations are characteristic of our perception of the world around us. During our lives we absorb and disseminate many stereotypes, the essence and origin of which we do not even think about. This applies to a large extent to the perception of people of other nationalities and themselves compared to them. We will talk about what are the main stereotypes about Russia among representatives of other peoples, where they came from and why they are just like that.
The concept of stereotypes
We all constantly fall into typical, similar situations and we behave in them in approximately the same way. On the basis of this, stereotypes are formed, that is, general group ideas about a particular subject, phenomenon, person, ethnos. It seems to many people that they are original in their manifestations, and they are not controlled by stereotypes, but this is absolutely not so. Scientists prove that up to two-thirds of our behavior is due to these generalized ideas.
A stereotype is a simplified, typical model of behavior in a repeating situation. This model is the result of the experience of a group of people. There are national, professional, family stereotypes. We reproduce them completely unconsciously, and it is often very difficult to recognize their leading role in our lives. The peculiarities of stereotypes consist in their stability; these are not beliefs or views that can be changed by gaining new experience. These models contain representations of several generations of people; they are fixed in folklore and the speech of a people or group. However, they are still amenable to correction and management, and we will see who does it and how. Stereotypes cover all areas of our lives: everyday life, relationships between people and various groups, attitude to things, work, and ourselves. Therefore, stereotypes about Russia, the carriers of which are foreign citizens, are a multi-level idea of the conditions of existence, national character, organization of life in our country. But at the same time, stereotypes are always just a diagram, a simplified view of the phenomenon. They are often associated with certain characters, it is easier to remember and reproduce them.
Stereotype Functions
In the human psyche there is nothing accidental or inappropriate. Stereotypes perform a number of functions, and they are absolutely necessary for us. The origin of this phenomenon is associated with the body's desire to save resources. Our thinking is a high-cost process, so the psyche develops ways to save resources. Stereotypes allow you to run behavioral programs in typical situations without connecting analysis and thinking. Every time we do not need to think about which category this or that phenomenon belongs to. We already have a ready answer and an action plan. Therefore, stereotypes about Russia are just a model of the perceptions of people of other nations about us. Moreover, the stereotype, like any model, simplifies and schematizes the phenomenon.
Also, stereotypes perform such functions as socialization and integration into a group. It is necessary to share general ideas, so that the social community takes a person for “their own”. Stereotypes fulfill the social function of intergroup separation, help people recognize their group members and strangers. They are also a kind of ideology of the group, supporting its values. Stereotypes help to select social information and simplify the course of the cognitive process. That is how stereotypes about Russia in the West work, they help a foreigner quickly understand what the difference is between them and us. Since ancient times, stereotypes have been a means of social regulation, they help to unite people, for example, within the state, contrasting their ideas with the values of foreigners.
Stereotyping
Historically, stereotypes are persistent patterns of behavior in repeated situations. They are formed in human practice, fixed in behavior and memory. Efficient models are simplified over time and easily inherited. So, for example, the stereotype that a woman monitors cleanliness in a house has evolved over the centuries in the everyday life of people and today no one is thinking. The quality of a woman as a housewife is judged by the cleanliness in her house, but no one will apply the same criteria to a man. Ethnic ideas about one's own and other peoples are also being formed. Stereotypes about Russians were formed as a result of the centuries-old neighborhood of Europeans with them. And since Europeans often sought to conquer Russia, and the local population resisted this, the people of the country began to be endowed with various qualities, including negative ones, in order to warn their descendants from the danger allegedly emanating from the Russians.
Since the emergence of mass communication, the cause of the formation and maintenance of ethnic stereotypes has been put on stream. First of all, they were supposed to serve the state ideologies of the countries of Europe, and later the USA. You can see that the stereotypes about Russia in foreign media were filled with negative meanings in times of conflict between Russia and other states. The media form an “enemy image” in order to enlist the support of their people in countering the Russians.
Typical stereotypes of foreigners about Russia
You can see that it was in the 20th century that ideas about Russians in Western ideology were formed as a rude, drunken, unfriendly nation. In order for these stereotypes to be believable, the images are supported by the original pictures of Russia as a country with snow, bears, etc. For a long time travelers who come to Russia have formed ideas about this country with their compatriots. Since they were very impressed by the cold, danger, Russian character, then, having returned to their homeland, they talked about it in embellished form. The main stereotypes about Russians are very readily circulated by the Western media and popular culture. In them, our country appears as a land full of bears, snow, vodka and people with nesting dolls and balalaikas. Also, Westerners are accustomed to consider Russians an unpredictable nation that does not have smiles and friendliness. Thanks to Russian literature, they speak of a “mysterious Russian soul” that “cannot be understood with the mind”. Since most of the Europeans, and especially the Americans, have never been to Russia, they easily trust simplified ideas, especially since some of them are eagerly supported by the Russian people themselves.
Bear
The image of Russia as a country where bears walk in the streets was formed a very long time ago. Even 19th-century historians conducted research on its origins and came to the conclusion that this image has a real background. A cult of the bear has long existed on the territory of our country; it really was an embodiment of the spirit for Russians. This animal was totemic for the inhabitants of our country, the bear has always been the subject of folklore. With the advent of Orthodoxy, the church maintained this stereotype of national identity. At one time, almost every fair had a tradition of showing men fighting bears as a way to demonstrate their boldness. Also, these animals performed to the amusement of the public. So a bear with a balalaika appeared, as an image of Russian fun.
For foreigners who came to our country, a meeting with a bear was a real shock, so when they returned, they spoke with horror about the ventures of these "strange Russians." It should be noted that the Russians are happy to support this stereotype, they joke a lot on this topic.
Drunkenness
Many stereotypes about Russia are associated with vodka. Russians really accompanied any meal with foreign guests with the use of this drink. In addition, visitors could watch noisy fights, songs and dances of drunken men in taverns, and, as is usually the case with stereotypes, they spread these impressions to the whole nation. This image was actively supported by the Western media during the periods of formation of negative attitudes towards our country. To strengthen the stereotype, the fact that the Russians traveling abroad often allowed themselves to drink too much and their behavior was not controlled.
For Western ideology, the present was the behavior of President B. Yeltsin, who loved to drink. Propaganda on his example strengthened the existing concept of Russians as drunkards.
Cold
Russian winter for foreigners, especially those living in warm countries, is an extremely vivid impression. Since stereotypes tend to capture and intensify emotions, the experience of a sensation of frost becomes a kind of symbol of Russia. It is easier for residents of warm Europe to imagine our country as snow-boundless land where cold always reigns. Snow is becoming a key symbol of the state. And the people who can live in such conditions are endowed with special characteristics. It simply cannot be the same as, for example, Italians or Greeks. This stereotype takes shape even in ancient times, when the first contacts of the inhabitants of Southern Europe with Russia began.
Matryoshka
Despite the fact that Russian nesting doll is a symbol that is recognizable all over the world, this toy was not invented in our country, it came to us from China. But this figure is very organic to the Russian character with its collegiality and collectivism. In addition, it turned out to be an ideal souvenir, and in times of mass tourism, nested dolls became the most common gift from Russia. This was greatly facilitated by the Russians themselves, who brought such figures abroad and gave them visitors. Brightness and a unique form carry an expressive, emotional image that is easy to remember and therefore simply stereotyped.
Balalaika
The inhabitants of Russia had few of their own musical instruments, and one of them is the balalaika. It arose on the basis of a modification of the Asian good and gained wide distribution in the 17th century. The instrument is organic to the Russian character: it is easy to master, it provides great opportunities for improvisation. In the 18th century, at every fair there was a bear with a balalaika as a way of entertainment for people coming for shopping. Since many of the first foreigners who came to Russia were traders, they drew conclusions about the country from fairs. From here many stereotypes arise: drunkenness, unbridled fun, balalaika and a bear. This stereotype, like the matryoshka, does not have a negative color, it is a typical symbol of the country in the eyes of foreigners.
