Russian culture has been deeply impacted by RussiaÕs extensive history. Everything from the long rule of the tsars to the collapse of communism has influenced the culture. As Westerners visit Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the various other cities in Russia, they should be careful not to judge behaviors of people they encounter. Westerners will usually experience culture shock when they first arrive and are jostled on the bus, crammed onto the metro, and leaned into when overlooking store counters. On the streets, cars weave side to side with no noticeable lanes or respect for pedestrians. Vehicles are often driven on to sidewalks, still with little caution for people. Russians appear to be in a hurry and seem rather aggressive, but if careful attention is paid, then it is clear that the hurry is unlike that of the crowds in New York City, and the ÒaggressiveÓ actions are a result not of anger, but of the emphatic tone with which Russians express themselves.

The perceived difference that Westerners feel stems from a disparity in personal space. When two people are talking to each other, they tend to stand a specific distance apart. Each person has an invisible boundary around their body into which other people may not come. If someone pierces this boundary, they will feel uncomfortable and move away to increase the space between them. This personal space is not due to body odor or bad breath, but rather to behaviors accepted by a given society that directly affect the amounts and dimensions of personal space. Americans have a personal space of at least three feet, while Russians only need one to two inches. A good comparison can be made with the distance between people in lines. Americans will form a line with one person standing behind another with an armÕs distance of separation. A Russian encountering such a situation would assume that the American is waiting for someone or has another purpose, and will slide in to the right of the first person. When getting onto the metro or onto the escalators, Russian society does not dictate that a straight line should form nor that a person must not come in contact with another.

The difference in personal space is also evident in the outward displays of affection. Russian couples are very affectionate towards one another, regardless of where they are. This affection and close proximity is not only between men and women, but also between two people of the same gender. Girls can be seen walking arm in arm with each other and men often stand much closer than what a Westerner would consider normal. This space also leads to a difference in facial expressions. Russians appear to be unfriendly with a blank, unsmiling face to those they do not know. They believe that Americans are guilty of portraying a false acquaintance by smiling at strangers. Eye contact also differs between cultures, where Russians seem to be blatantly staring, Americans tend to stare at the ground rather than at another person.

Russians also act differently in public and private settings. Sales clerks are not very receptive to customers, and often do not go out of their way to understand what a person a signaling. Because starring does not draw attention, sales clerks do not respond to a customer who is just standing, waiting to be asked what they want. From watching interactions of sales clerks with other Russians, it seems that their interactions are not much better. But, this is with the preconceived notion that help is offered with a smile. When taking account that smiling is not a necessary formality, then sales clerks may be doing their jobs adequately and quickly respond to Russian inquires for help. On the other hand, in a private setting, Russians are incredibly hospitable and extremely courteous. Russians tend to use please and thank you frequently and are very considerate when it comes to offering food or other amenities. For the most part, the people in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Novgorod react similarly to Westerners. If they do not speak English, they do not go out of their way to use hand signals, but if you are a guest, they see to it that you are as content as possible. One difference, not necessarily due to location, is how guides act towards foreigners. Some guides have no patience for those that do not understand them and act especially rash towards children, no matter how old they are. There are a large number of guides that seem to have so much to share that they use any language, whether it be French, Spanish, or the little English they know, in order to communicate to others, especially students.

Although the pushing and shoving may lead a person to believe that RussianÕs are in a hurry, further observation will manifest a different conclusion. RussianÕs place great emphasis on their children. Adults often feel that the only fruit of their hardship is their children, who are full of promise and hope. Parents take great care to allow children to cultivate their talents. Russian culture places great emphasis on the arts, whether it is literature or ballet. Often authors have more influence than political figures, as in the example of Alexander Pushkin. Authors are revered for their works not only during their lifetimes, but after as well. In important cemeteries, the graves of astronauts, artists, and politicians can all be found lying together.

There seems to be a different mentality as far as work is concerned. Where Americans are raised to believe self-sufficiency and corporate work is the highest goal, Russian are taught that dependence and self-expression is the means to the end. Russians have survived many tsars and dictators by coming together and helping each other, because no person alone could survive. During communism, when living space was regulated, people lived together with parents and extended family. Even now, the family unit is much bigger than in the West. It is not uncommon for a married couple to live with their parent all their lives. Through this close nit family, traditions, and custom are kept and children are taught not only by their parents, but also by the entire community. So, when Russians look to be in a rush, it is only their natural manners, and is not driven by the impulse to climb the corporate later that is seen in Western cities. On pleasant days, public parks in Russia are full of people just enjoying the day, whereas in the US, those parks are only occupied by children playing.

In observing people from a park bench, it becomes apparent that the vast majority wear black. This goes for both sexes, young and old. Women tend not to show cleavage, but show plenty of leg in high heels no matter where they are walking. Men are clad in tight black pants, leather jackets, and stay away from the khakiÕs and tennis shoes that are so common in America. Another aspect of appearance that stands out is the color of peopleÕs hair. Women can be seen sporting colors ranging from purple, to pink, to my favoriteÑbeetroot. Stores carry a much broader spectrum of coloring products and as far as clothes and shoes; you would be lucky to find anything brown. The malls carry a variety of clothing, everything from designer to hand made, with prices varying equally.

Food is readily available in food stands on the corner, cafŽs, and stores. The stands offer a variety of breads and beverages. The breads can be salty or sweet. The cafes range in price from two dollars for a meal to twenty. Whatever the price range, you can be assured that there would be an extensive list of alcoholic beverages. For the most part, there was a much greater variety of food in the stores than say a food store in Nashville, Tennessee and the prices were reasonable in comparison to the daily wage of a Russian. The exceptions were the fruits that cost more than they do in America, and the meat that was not readily available. Food was not sold in large quantities and there seemed to be little canned food. The explanation for this may be that Russians most likely can only afford to buy what they are eating in the next couple days, therefore pantries are not necessary, and large quantities are not in demand. Fresh pastries can be found on any corner, and because of the their availability and inexpensive cost, you would think that Russian would on the heavy side. This is certainly not true. Russians are much skinner than the average American. This is probably a result of the amount of walking they do, as well as their nutrition. The typical meal served in a home is often very healthy in terms of fat and other American evils such as cholesterol. Apart from McDonaldÕs, the Òfast-foodÓ restaurants are very healthy. Many serve vegetables and fish as well as pelmeni (a type of ravioli). Overall, Russians serve more salads and soups. The salads usually do not have lettuce and can come with meat, and the soups are served with sour cream, a condiment that is very readily used.

Russia has evidently come a long way in the past decade. Food, clothing, and transportation are available to the public and the prices seem reasonable. The dollar goes a long way for must commodities and Russians have capitalized on touristÕs love for music by selling CDÕs for two dollars. The public transportation is exceptionally good. The subway is easy to follow and the trolleys and buses take you wherever the metro does not. An interesting aspect of the metro is how far underground in is and how fast the escalators are that take you to and from it. When the lady at the bottom of the escalator says please hold on the rail, she means it because if not you will discover a sudden stop will send you flying. Taxis are not the safest because they do not have to be registered and the rates can vary drastically. Getting a ticket to the airport can cost a Russian 100 rubles, while the same trip can cost an American 500 rubles. This change in price for foreigners is also noticeable in entrance fees for museums and cathedrals. For example, upon entering St. IsaacÕs in St. Petersburg, there are two signsÑone in says entrance to the left in Russian and the other says entrance to the right in English. The price for being able to read the Russian sign and either looking Russian or presenting a student ID is four rubles, if not, then you pay 100 rubles. The difference in price is understandable. The government wants students to have access to their historical places and realizes Russians do not have extraordinary amounts of money to pay for entrance fees, furthermore, 100 rubles ($4) is hardly too much to ask for an American. They need to keep these cathedrals and museums maintained and have taken advantage of not only the value of a dollar, but also the obsession of tourists to record what they see. If the places allow photography and video, then it usually comes with a hefty charge of 50 and 250 rubles respectively. When considering that 50 rubles can buy five very pasty pastries, the price of pictures is quite high.

RussiaÕs history is well told in its various museums and cathedrals. St. Petersburg is a large cosmopolitan city of 5.5 million people. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as RussiaÕs window to the West. It is situated on the Neva and is comprised of 42 islands. The public transportation is good and it can boast of having more than its fill of site seeing places that are easily accessible. By Peter's death, St. Petersburg was a thriving city. His successors, commissioned a great series of palaces, government buildings, and cathedrals. War and revolution brought to a sudden end the Romanov dynasty. Now Petrograd, the city was renamed Leningrad and during the Second World War, it became a target of Nazi fury.Ê The Germans laid siege to the city from September 1941 until January 1944. Communism then took over and Lenin and Stalin made their place in history. Now the city is well on its way to updating its technology and capitalizing on its natural resources.

Of the many attractions of the city there are a couple that stand out for me. The Hermitage is breathtakingly large. A person could spend week inside and not see all its rooms. The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin. The main building of the Hermitage Museum is the Winter Palace, which was once the main residence of the Russian Tsars. The Baroque Winter Palace was built in 1754-62 and Catherine the Great was the first monarch to live there. Many of the impressive interiors have been remodeled after the huge fire of 1837. Some of the best Russian and foreign architects worked hard to make this residence of the Russian tsars one of the most luxurious palaces.

St. IsaacÕs Cathedral has a spectacular view of the city from its cupola. It was built in 1818-58 by a French-born architect Auguste Montferrand. The facades are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns, while the interiors containing mosaic icons, paintings and columns made of malachite and lapis lazuli. An impressive monument to Peter the Great stands on Ploschad Dekabristov, facing the Neva River and surrounded by the Admiralty. It was created by the French sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet. The Bronze Horseman was meant to be a tribute by Catherine the Great to her famous predecessor on the Russian throne. An inscription on the monument reads in Latin and Russian: Petro Primo Catarina Secunda - To Peter the First from Catherine the Second.

The Church on Spilled Blood was built in 1883-1907. The church was designed in the spirit of sixteenth- and seventeenth century Russian architecture, inspired particularly by St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. The interior of the church, a memorial to Alexander II, was decorated with different marbles and mosaics.

Moscow is the current capitol of Russia, claiming over 10 million people. It is located where the rivers Moskva and Yauza cross the Central Russian Plateau. The city itself is much larger than St. Petersburg and the metro system is ten times more complex. The highways are more intricate and the roads are wider. I was fortunate enough to stay in a hotel located across the street from Red Square, giving easy access to MoscowÕs most interesting sites. The Red Square is beaming with history and surrounded with such great sites such as LeninÕs Tomb, the Kremlin, and St. BasilÕs. Inside the Kremlin, architecture of the tsars can be found along side modern day buildings. The Kremlin Arsenal was commissioned by Peter the Great to serve as a weapons depot and manufactory. It is now the headquarters of the Kremlin Guard. The State Kremlin Palace is a modern glass and concrete structure, completed in 1961. It was built during the Khrushchev administration to host Communist Party congresses. The tallest structure is the Belltower of Ivan the Great. Its construction begun in the early 16th century and was completed in 1600, during the reign of Boris Godunov.

St. Basil's rises from Red Square in a profusion of colors and shapes. It has an array of domes, cupolas, arches, towers, and spires, each bearing a distinctive pattern and color. It was constructed in the 1550s. Although St. Basil's was built to commemorate Ivan the Terrible's capture of the Mongol stronghold of Kazan and is properly named Cathedral of the Intercession, its popular name has long associated it with a ragged prophet who foretold the Moscow fire of 1547.

Novgorod is especially different than either St. Petersburg or Moscow. It is one of the most ancient cities of Russia located in its northwest, about 190 km from St.-Petersburg and has a population of about 240,000. Novgorod emerged as a political center of Slavic and Fino-Ugric tribes in the mid-9th century, while as a town it was formed in the middle of the 10th century. There are plenty of roads that are made of gravel and the people seem to have a much calmer demean. The buildings are not on top of each other and plenty of trees and grass surround each building. Novgorod was never under Tatar domination, so that ancient Russian traditions continued in Novgorod. Some of the most beautiful monasteries include the Yuriev monastery, which was founded in 1030. It was erected under the command of prince Yaroslav the Wise. Another fascinating part of Novgorod is the open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture that was constructed in 1960.

Overall, Russia offers an incredible amount of history and culture. In my four-week stay, I gathered a two-sided picture of Russia. I was taken aback by seeing the blatant poverty of the people. It took a while to get use to the fact that most Russians do not act friendly towards Americans unless they want to sell them something. The pushing and shoving in the metro was difficult to deal with especially since often I could not reach the bars. While I enjoyed the phenomenon of the white nights, it was very difficult to sleep with the light pouring in the windows. Although, I cannot imagine how much worse it is when instead of 20 hours of daylight, there is 20 hours of darkness. Also, the fact that hot water was not yet a constant commodity; showers were sometimes a bit painful. I did thoroughly enjoy the food. My host mother was a good cook, who prepared classics such as borshch and blennies as well as her own special pastas. The easy and inexpensiveness of travel by metro and by train was fascinating. The dacha that our professor took us to showed the hospitality of Russian people. Seeing the incredible palaces of the tsars was inexplicable and lastly, I enjoyed learning the history that makes Russia what it is today.