Mind your manners

As mentioned in my last post there are many unspoken rules as to how to act in social situations, i.e. bring a present when visiting a friend, finishing a bottle of vodka.

That's only the tip of the iceberg. Now I will tell you of a few other rules to follow!

The handshake: In a business setting, only men shake hands. For a woman to do so is seen as unfeminine and undesirable. When shaking hands with a friend on the street, you must first remove your gloves. It is too impersonal to touch with the layer of cloth in-between.
When female friends meet they kiss each other on the cheek, alternating sides.

Flowers: You must always give flowers in odd numbers for luck. It is only acceptable to gift someone yellow flowers at a funeral.

Brudershaft: A drink to brotherhood! This is a custom I had to search on youtube before I fully understood it. It is when two people intertwine arms and drink from the other person's hand then, when the booze is gone, they kiss. My (inaccurate) phrasebook told me this is common in business practice - my friend in Russian laughed and told me that it is only used with males and females who feel strongly for each other. To use it in business would probably dissolve some partnerships.

Here we see two men performing Brudershaft. As stated above, it is uncommon for men to practice this custom together, but that does not mean it does not happen! (Photo/CC)