The Russian smile comes at a high price...

The Russian smile comes at a high price...


I often hear from my English-speaking friends: “Why don’t Russians smile?”

A renowned linguist has unraveled the mysteries of the famous Russian “seriousness.” Foreigners often comment on the surprising lack of smiles among Russians, writing about it in blogs and guides, asking about it in person, and sharing their impressions with friends. Indeed, Russians tend to smile less often than people of other nationalities, but, as it turns out, there are cultural reasons behind this.

Noted scholar in communicative linguistics, Associate Professor Elena Talybina, identifies a unique Russian characteristic—casual “non-smiling.” She explains it through several factors:

In Russian social interactions, a smile is not necessarily a gesture of politeness, while Western smiles generally signal courtesy. The more someone smiles, the more “friendliness” they seem to be projecting. However, in Russian culture, a constant, “polite” smile is considered suspicious, even insincere, suggesting hidden intentions. A Russian smile generally indicates personal warmth rather than mere courtesy.

Russians seldom smile at strangers. In Russian communication, smiles are generally reserved for people one knows. Even today, don’t be surprised if people don’t smile at you in a shop or even a restaurant if they don’t know you. But if a customer is familiar to the vendor, they will almost certainly be greeted with a smile!

Russians don’t usually smile back. If a Russian sees a stranger smiling at them, they’re likely to wonder why. Is there something amusing about their appearance or attire?

For a Russian to smile, they need a good reason—one obvious to others. There’s even a unique saying in Russian: “Laughter without reason is a sign of foolishness.” For instance, Russians watching the well-known American journalist Tucker Carlson, who often laughs in his interviews, might think, “This person probably isn’t very wise!”

The Russian tendency to be “non-smiling” (distinct from being gloomy—Russians are often cheerful and witty) is reflected in folk sayings. In Vladimir Dal’s collection Proverbs of the Russian People, one finds: “A joke leads to no good,” “Some laughter ends in tears,” and “There’s no truth in jokes.”

You’ll rarely encounter a Russian smiling when performing serious tasks. A worker at a construction site or a customs officer at the airport won’t smile while engaged in their duties, as they’re focused on the task at hand.

This unique Russian smile is intended to be purely genuine, seen as a true reflection of good spirits or affection for the person they’re with. If a foreigner smiles at you, it might mean little, as they’re taught to smile at everyone from childhood; however, if a Russian smiles at you, it’s because they truly want to.

This is the Russian soul—a smile that comes at a high price!



By Vladmir Angelblazer, Victoria, B.C., 07 November, 2010