A graduate student I knew, having learned about my tricks in writing an article on the topic of patriotism, gave me an interesting excerpt from a monograph.
Damn it, how much can you pester me with patriotic education!
However, I liked the passage.
It describes the psychological portrait of a Russian person extremely clearly, although not without some twists.
And no cynicism. This is understandable; it is serious literature after all.
I will give it here, and in the public domain. Because it is useful for familiarization.
I mastered the material and approved it in principle.
No matter how much atheists bomb, the fact remains that human qualities cannot be developed without faith.
National characteristics of a person’s character to a certain extent influence the construction of value guidelines for education. Therefore, it seems appropriate to us to identify what constitutes a psychological portrait of a Russian person.
In Russia there are no statistical data with the help of which one could judge the psychological type of the average Russian. However, while studying management psychology, psychologists from St. Petersburg University (Nikiforov) conducted a study to study the psychological orientations and behavioral stereotypes of the Russian ethnic group. Respondents were asked to name the ten most characteristic, from their point of view, features of the Russian people. After statistical processing, a generalized psychological portrait of a Russian person was obtained. This portrait is based on five blocks of psychological orientation:
- orientation towards collectivism;- orientation to spiritual values;- orientation towards power;- orientation towards a better future;- focus on quickly solving vital problems. Each of the identified orientations is represented in certain behavioral stereotypes and personality traits. Despite the fact that the orientations were revealed through the prism of the concepts of management psychology, the data obtained make it possible to identify some value orientations of education in their cultural and historical heritage.
So, collectivism orientation forms such behavioral stereotypes and personality traits as mutual assistance, gullibility, tolerance, generosity, hospitality.
Orientation towards spiritual values determines the desire for justice, truthfulness, altruism, conscientiousness, breadth of soul, wisdom, talent, a penchant for a philosophical perception of life, and the search for absolute truth.
Power Orientation leads the Russian person to formal law-abidingness, controllability, respect for rank, loyalty, conformism.
Focus on a better future is associated with such stereotypes of behavior and character traits of a Russian person as optimism, endurance, hope that “everything will work out by itself,” disorganization, optionality, irresponsibility, carelessness, laziness, mismanagement, impracticality.
Focus on quickly solving vital problems gives rise to such behavioral stereotypes and personality traits as hard work, the ability to get together and organize in extreme situations, sacrifice, labor heroism, daring, and the habit of rush jobs.
The data obtained by psychologists indicates that the psychological portrait of a Russian person is largely determined by such traits that are a manifestation of the national characteristics of a person raised in the spiritual and cultural tradition of Christianity. Indeed, one can trace how the character traits of a Russian Orthodox person are connected with the existing deep-seated orientation of his consciousness towards fulfilling the commandments of Christ.
Thus, the value guidelines of education should take into account the already laid down and existing deep-seated attitudes of the consciousness of the Russian person to fulfill the commandments of Christ and ensure their continuity in achieving the goals and objectives of spiritual and moral revival, outlined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the National Doctrine.
____________________________________
Berseneva T.A. Educational potential of the way of life in the Russian cultural tradition. Monograph.St. Petersburg: SPbAPPO, 2007. – 172 pp. (p. 18-20)
The main features of the psychological portrait of a modern Russian.
1. Temperament and character.
Even in ancient times, the East Slavic tribes, who mastered the most harsh spaces on the Eurasian continent, were distinguished by their dynamic and hardworking, hardy and stubborn, brave and violent character.
Modern Russian people have been genetically transmitted the contradictory properties of the Slavic epileptoid type character(as defined by Ksenia Kasyanova). In ordinary situations, the epileptoid is calm, patient, thorough and thrifty, but is capable of breakdown in an irritating situation, if you put pressure on him for a long time - he is explosive. He sets his own pace of life and goal setting, strives to act at his own rhythm and according to his own plan. He is characterized by thoroughness, consistency, and perseverance in achieving goals, which can turn into stubbornness. The epileptoid character is characterized by slow reactions, a certain “viscosity” of thinking and actions (“the Russian man is strong in hindsight”). In calm states, the epileptoid type is prone to mild depression: lethargy, apathy, bad moods and decreased activity tone, which was characterized as Russian laziness.
Switching to another type of activity is difficult, and the mobilization of forces for this is slow, because it takes time to build up and get used to new circumstances. But as a result, the Russian people gave an adequate response to the challenges of fate, for the naturally talented people had honed their intelligence and ingenuity for centuries in the most difficult struggle for survival. That is why the Russian “harnesses for a long time, but rides quickly.” Compared to Europeans, Russians are more restrained in their manifestations, but also more constant in their states - both calm and violent.
Only a people with such a character could adapt to the harsh, unstable climatic and geopolitical cycles of northeast Eurasia, but as a result of losses and gains, the aggravation of some character difficulties. Weaknesses and painful qualities were compensated by the way of life: the Russian way of life is a continuation of the Russian character and vice versa. But when traditions and ties with deep national guidelines collapsed, Russian people lost themselves, degraded, and surrendered to false authorities or utopias.
The feeling of the meaninglessness of life for a Russian person is worse than any test. Periods of unrest in Russian life began with the destruction of statehood and the violation of traditional foundations by the ruling classes. That is why Russian people are characterized by certain painful forms: distorted sacrifice, nihilism as a desire for destruction and self-destruction, where secularized apocalypticism displaces Christian eschatology.
3. Capabilities.
The abilities of both the individual and the nation as a whole are formed in the processes of carrying out various activities, in a complex system of interactions, by solving problems of a certain level of difficulty, resolving situations, etc.
Historically, Russian people have developed the following general abilities:
Ø the ability to defend one’s opinions, beliefs and common interests in direct confrontation (Russian directness - adherence to principles, firmness, determination).
Ø ability to higher forms of experience (self-denial, messianism, etc.),
Ø the ability of a Russian person to exert extreme effort, to concentrate for a relatively long period of time, to exert all his physical and spiritual potency. The Russian people are characterized by the ability to overmobilize in extreme situations and demobilize in everyday situations, which was dictated by the need for self-preservation. The mobilization-demobilization pendulum corresponded to the unstable cycles of the harsh Eurasian continent.
Periods of inaction and patience with a long-term difficult situation can be replaced by either violent activity or rebellion. A Russian person is practically unable to mobilize for the sake of selfish material goals, but he makes extreme efforts in the name of high ideals: preserving the Motherland and sacred values for him or fulfilling a global historical mission.
This axiom appears to have eroded somewhat over the past two decades. The influence of Western values and the media on the personality and behavior of modern people (primarily young people) suggests that many people of working age have lost the meaning of life, the prevalence of material values over spiritual values against the backdrop of a general decline in the level of culture and education.
4. Into the structure focus personality includes drives, desires, interests, inclinations, ideals, worldviews, beliefs. The substructure of orientation also includes will - it is this that can give beliefs an active character, contributing to their implementation.
A Russian is capable of long-suffering if the hardships of life are justified by higher goals. He can withstand hardships, but he will not survive the loss of the meaning of life. Russian people are not very responsive to radical reforms: they like to preserve, not destroy. Long-suffering ends when the traditional way of life is violently destroyed and traditional values are violated.
The essence of the leading type of individual motivation in Russian culture can be expressed as follows: in order to achieve the common good (and this is undoubtedly the highest goal), it is necessary to strive to understand others, limit and humble oneself, and this will be good for everyone - both near and far. Those. The harmony and well-being of society and loved ones is built on our good deeds and self-restraint. And this is understood as the highest law of the structure of the world, and this is the acceptance and justification of goodness as the basis of the universe. A world without good is a wrong, unreal world. This is the basis of the Russian worldview and the Russian national character.
5. Intelligence.
From 1994 to 1997 in Moscow, under the auspices of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a semi-secret Russian-American experiment was conducted to estimate the coefficient of the population of the Russian Federation, which was compared with the same coefficient of the “average” US citizen. The result was the following: Russian society turned out to be less intellectual than in the United States.
The study revealed the main thing - the decline in the level of intelligence in post-perestroika Russia (Yeltsin period).
The first reason for the decline in the level of Russian intelligence is that over a hundred years of the 20th century, Russia has largely lost its gene pool as a result of wars, revolutions, civil war, emigration, brain drain, Stalinist repressions, social conflicts and perestroika.
The second reason is the negative role of some environmental factors in the degeneration of society and the nation: alcoholism and drug addiction of the population, low level of medicine, massive family breakdown, unsatisfactory environmental conditions, shortcomings in the education system (the school does not contribute to raising the level of intelligence, grades do not reflect the abilities of students) .
The third reason is the decrease (compared to the USA) in the level of formal mathematical intelligence in the structure of general intelligence, which is the result of the “humanization” of education, which actually resulted in a decrease in the level of teaching mathematics and natural sciences. General intelligence, according to American psychologists, consists of three components: spatial (images, immediate symbols, mental images, intuition), semantic or verbal (operation with judgments and concepts in combination with metaphorical thinking) and formal-mathematical (abstract symbols without reliance on clarity , abstract thinking). It turned out that the Russian person is less formalist than the American.
In general, the situation in Russia can be characterized as an intellectual crisis, aggravated by “brain emigration.”
The decline in Russian intelligence is obviously environmental in nature and can be quickly corrected by operational measures. Thus, a reform of public education is overdue, which should return to school a full-fledged natural science cycle that develops logical thinking in children.
6. Emotionality.
Belonging to a particular culture predetermines the level of emotionality and its intensity. It is believed that a collectivist culture with a high level of uncertainty avoidance, such as Russian culture, is characterized by greater differentiation of emotional categories than an individualistic (Western) culture, and its representatives show their emotions more vividly. Their attention to the context of messages is manifested in the richness of linguistic means for expressing emotions, in the desire to convey all the shades of feelings that arise between people.
Therefore, in Russian culture, verbal (verbal) expression of emotions is one of the main functions of human speech. The Russian language has an exceptionally rich repertoire of lexical and grammatical expressions for distinguishing emotions and giving a special color to interpersonal relationships. This is related to the peculiarities of Russian word formation, which cannot be translated into other languages: many “sincere” words, words with diminutive suffixes, the presence of a large number of “active” emotional verbs. Another manifestation of emotionality can be the variety of variations of names painted in certain tones (Maria, Masha, Mashenka, Mashunya).
We are talking specifically about the manifestation of emotions, and not about their wealth. Russians are not characterized by higher emotionality than individualistic cultures, but by a more overt manifestation of emotions (while the British, for example, are characterized by deeper and hidden processes).
7. Strong-willed qualities.
Russian people have the ability to survive in the most difficult conditions, the ability to adapt by shaping themselves, and not by destroying the world around them. He is characterized by perseverance and inflexibility in fulfilling his historical mission.
Possessing a freedom-loving character, the Russian people repeatedly defeated invaders and achieved great success in peaceful construction. The Russian people are patient and enduring, stubborn and persistent, not discouraged by failures and believing in their own strength.
8. Ability to communicate.
Russians are characterized by:
Ø sociability, friendliness without intrusiveness, constant willingness to provide support to other people;
Ø a fairly even and friendly attitude towards representatives of other nationalities;
Ø the absence, in normal conditions of everyday life, of the desire to form microgroups isolated from other ethnic groups.
Russian is an extrovert. He is a sociable, easy-to-communicate, frank, open, sincere, cheerful person, with a sense of humor, and an optimist.
The main national features of Russian communicative behavior are high sociability, high communicative activity, uncompromisingness in argument, emotionality and sincerity, the desire to increase one’s speech contribution, to capture communicative attention, and communicative centrism.
The sociability of Russians can be expressed in the outpouring of their souls to strangers and semi-familiar people.
9. Self-esteem.
Modern Russians, like Soviet citizens, are people who are not confident in themselves. In the communist or socialist past, Russian people existed in conditions of a gap between the ideal and the real. Today they do not know what they want, their hopes are fantastic. In real life, a person feels insecure, evaluates his own resources as small, believes that his life is unfairly deprived - and this gap always gives high uncertainty. Therefore, in a crowd and mass of people, in a circle of friends, Russians are ready to demonstrate their readiness to overcome high barriers of difficulties and talk about their independence, that is, to become exalted. But, left alone with themselves, Russians despair and don’t know what to do with their lives, with the future, how they can help themselves and their loved ones.
Therefore, for Russians it is very important who heads the country, that this person is likable (charismatic), that the state demonstrates its power and ambitions: after all, if you yourself cannot achieve great results, then at least let the state with which you identify yourself be capable of a lot and does not stand in the last row.
10. Level of self-control.
Self-control is an effective mechanism for personality development, since it involves subsequent adjustment of its behavior in accordance with the specified norms.
The Russian character is characterized by the dominance of the emotional sphere. This is fraught with the fact that in an affective state his mental protective mechanisms fail and moral barriers collapse. Once upon a time, Orthodox ceremonies, traditional rituals, as well as the demanding state structure compensated for the lack of internal energy in calm near-depressive states or extinguished excess energy in situations of emotional overload and breakdowns, aligned emotional cycles, mobilized in time or switched energy to the current sphere of activity.
But today Orthodox education does not play the role that was assigned to it before. Therefore, when the traditional way of life is destroyed, the Russian people either fall into turmoil, drunkenness and revelry, or demonstrate the so-called. nihilism - a worldview position expressed in the denial of the non-immediate meaningfulness of human existence, the significance of generally accepted moral and cultural values; non-recognition of any authorities. Indifference is expressed by the general social and political passivity of the modern Russian person, in the individual’s focus exclusively on satisfying primary material interests and vital needs.
11. Ability for group interaction.
The relationship between individualism and collectivism in Russian society is quite unique today. According to modern sociological surveys, the majority of Russians are inclined to favor the collective rather than the individual. The team is relatives, work colleagues, neighbors; People tend to trust their group; its opinion must be taken into account.
Russians behave more freely towards members of an out-group and often simply ignore them. A manifestation of this is, for example, the shocking contrast among Europeans between the sensitivity of Russians towards their acquaintances and their unceremonious rudeness in public transport. In the collectivist consciousness of the Russian person, the first place is occupied by the interests of his family, respect for parents, happiness and well-being of children, while professional success, independence, creativity, self-improvement and a pleasant pastime are relegated to the background.
Still, despite the Westernization of recent decades, the vast majority believe that parents should help adult children (70%), children are obliged to agree with their parents on how to spend the money they earn (60%) and get their approval before getting married (63%) . But, at the same time, modern Russian people are not one hundred percent collectivists, because more than half believe that personal interests are the main thing for a person, and only 40% agree to limit their interests in favor of the state and society.
Based on the results of the analysis, we will draw the following conclusions about the features of the psychological portrait of the personality of a modern Russian person (Table 1).
Table 1. main features of the psychological portrait of a modern Russian person
|
Components of a psychological portrait |
Their manifestations in the character of a Russian person |
|
Choleric/controversial "epileptoid" type (stuck) |
|
Contradictory: dynamic and hardworking, resilient and persistent, brave and violent. In a calm state, he is prone to apathy and depression. |
|
Ø the ability to defend one’s opinions, beliefs and common interests in direct confrontation (Russian directness - adherence to principles, firmness, determination), Ø capacity for higher forms of experience, Ø the Russian person’s ability to exert extreme force, super-mobilize, |
|
On yourself and through yourself on the task and on communication. Russians believe that as a nation they can make a major contribution to world history, but this opinion is passive (does not lead to action). Most often, this position is explained either by abstract considerations or by conviction in the unique mission of the Russian people. Very few modern Russians do not emphasize that really do things that are useful for the country. |
|
A decrease in the general level of intelligence associated with social factors, “brain drain” and changes in the content of secondary education. |
|
High external emotionality (expression of emotions). E emotionality and sincerity. |
|
Survival in the most difficult conditions, patience and a tendency to suffer, failures are always experienced, “blind” faith in one’s own strength. |
|
High sociability, high communicative activity, uncompromisingness in disputes, the desire to increase one’s speech contribution, to capture communicative attention, communicative centrism. |
|
Self-doubt (gap between ideal and real was replaced by a lack of understanding of the direction of one’s movement, a feeling of being unfairly deprived of life). |
|
Locus of control is external. In an affective state, protective mental mechanisms fail and moral barriers collapse. |
|
The majority of Russians are inclined to favor the collective rather than the individual. The team is relatives, work colleagues, neighbors; People tend to trust their reference group and take its opinion into account. |
Thus, as a result of combining the indicated components of the psychological portrait of the average modern Russian, a psychological portrait of the nation is obtained, or national character is what connects an individual with his culture. “Society within us,” which exists in the form of reactions to familiar situations in the form of feelings and states that are the same for people of the same culture, is national character—a psychological portrait of the modern Russian nation. As a person grows up, he consciously (and unconsciously) assimilates the values of his culture, psychological and behavioral characteristics that are typical and most characteristic of people belonging to this culture.
Russian national character in its basic principles has changed little over the twentieth century. This is the same social passivity, thirst for miracles and passionate readiness to serve the idea of the common good, although in reality this need for a great, messianic idea became a real spiritual feat either for individuals or during periods of terrible upheaval for the country.
Modern Russians are still in a state of “ferment” in the sphere of values and self-identification, finding it difficult to set their priorities and choose the goal of movement and development.
Until now, conservative values (social order, respect for traditions, family security, self-discipline, politeness, national security, mutual helpfulness, wisdom, moderation, respect for elders, maintaining one’s public image, commitment, piety, forgiveness, cleanliness) exceed similar indicators in developed countries West and East (Switzerland and China). Therefore, we can talk about the influence of traditional cultural stereotypes on the formation of the psychological portrait of a modern Russian.
As the researchers note, “...the main Russian disadvantage is the sometimes sharp gap between consciousness and practice. The hierarchy of values that has developed in the Russian consciousness, the priority in it of spiritual ideals, their height and holiness contributed to the development of such properties of the national character as maximalism and the associated keen sense of justice. The national spirit of the Russian people, including religious, spiritual, ethical, cultural and social values, is amazingly beautiful, but life is often terribly ugly. Therefore, a Russian person, encountering his own duality between ideals and life and not being able to withstand such duality, often runs away from the meager and boring realities of life, going into drunkenness, TV, etc... But even so, in his cloudy head, ideals often remain unshakable "
The Russian national character, as well as other peoples who have not yet severed their connection with nature, is characterized by: high survival rate, the ability to be surprised by the world around them, sharpness and spontaneity of reactions, vital activity, spontaneity, a tendency to take risks, disregard for rules and abstract religious and philosophical categories .
Modern research shows that the cultural specificity of Russia (the so-called “national character”) influences the personality of each individual and the overall development of the country. In order for Russia to have a serious chance of developing an innovative economy, which, in fact, has been proclaimed as the main goal of today, significant changes must occur in the basic values of Russians, namely:
Ø decrease in the importance of conservative-hierarchical values,
Ø growth of values of equality and intellectual autonomy.
Progress in this direction has been taking place in recent decades, but in order for this movement not to become back-and-forth, the Russian national character must “grow up”, moving from the infantile period of hope for a “strong hand”, external authority into the phase personal maturity and responsibility . Although the severe crisis of identity, up to the unprecedented activation of the “negative image” of the nation, which took place in the early 2000s, began to be overcome during the presidency of V. Putin, this process, again, followed the “beaten path” through the activation of cultural symbols, associated in the Russian tradition with the idea of a strong state. That is why the traditional, classical features of the psychological portrait of a Russian person as a whole do not change at the beginning of the 21st century.
Sternin I.A. Russian communicative ideal (experimental research)//
Russian and Finnish communicative behavior. Issue 2. - St. Petersburg. Publishing house RGPU im. A. I. Herzen, 2001.
Fenko A.B. “Earth” and “fire” - archetypes of Russian consciousness // Socis. - 1996. - No. 10.– p. 110-117.
What do psychologists seek to understand when studying groups? In other words, what is the main subject of socio-psychological reflection when analyzing groups? Studies of the psychology of peoples - communities so complex and multifaceted that, it would seem, there can be no talk of any integral psychological phenomena here - make it possible to formulate at least five main problems in the psychological study of diverse groups.
Introduction
1. Geographical location
2. Early descriptions of Russians
3. Genetics
4. National composition of Russia
5.1 Statements
6. Psychology of the Russian nation
Conclusion
9. References
The work contains 1 file
Federal Agency for Education
State educational institution
higher professional education "Novosibirsk
State Pedagogical University"
Institute of Philology, Mass Information and Psychology
Department of Special Psychology
Course work
“Psychological portrait of Russians”
Completed by: 3rd year student
Oboreva Tatyana Sergeevna
Specialty/direction
Special psychology
Full-time form of education
Scientific adviser:
Chukhrova Marina Genadyevna
Novosibirsk-2011
Introduction
1. Geographical location
2. Early descriptions of Russians
2.1 Generalized anthropological portrait
3. Genetics
4. National composition of Russia
5. Psychological portrait of the Russian people
5.1 Statements
6. Psychology of the Russian nation
7. Russians as representatives of the Slavic ethnic group
8. Features of the psychology of the Russian people as a factor in Russian history
Conclusion
9. References
Introduction
What do psychologists seek to understand when studying groups? In other words, what is the main subject of socio-psychological reflection when analyzing groups? Studies of the psychology of peoples - communities so complex and multifaceted that, it would seem, there can be no talk of any integral psychological phenomena here - make it possible to formulate at least five main problems in the psychological study of diverse groups. First. How does an initially nominal community of once strangers turn into a real psychological community? What causes and what are the phenomena and processes that mark the birth of a group as an integral psychological entity? How does group cohesion emerge and manifest itself? Second. What is the life cycle of a group from its inception to its dissolution? What are the prerequisites and mechanisms for its transition from one qualitative state to another? What factors determine the duration of a group's existence? Third. What processes ensure the stability and efficiency of the group’s functioning as a collective subject of common activities? What are the ways to stimulate her productivity? How does the guiding principle of group activity arise and be realized? How does functional-role differentiation of group members or its subgroups occur? Does the structure of interaction between people in a group affect the nature of their interpersonal relationships? Fourth. How does the psychological dynamics of a group depend on its position in society? To what extent does a group's social status determine its life trajectory? How are intragroup processes and phenomena related to the characteristics of intergroup relations of a given group? Fifth. Does anything happen to a person when he becomes a member of a group? Are his views, values, habits, passions changing? If so, what are the mechanisms of influence of the group on the individual and how deep are its consequences? Can an individual act as a factor in group dynamics and under what conditions? How do the individual psychological characteristics of its participants affect the fate of the group?
The diversity of social associations that have been the objects of psychological analysis for a century and a half, as well as the serious transformations that they have undergone during this period, exclude unambiguous answers to the questions posed in the literature. However, the direction of their solution is visible quite clearly: it is dictated by the prevailing understanding, including under the influence of ethnopsychological research, of the essence of a social group as a relatively stable collection of people historically connected by common values, goals, means or conditions of social life. Of course, this definition itself, like any other of the many dozens existing in social psychology, does not allow us to fully and comprehensively characterize the psychological uniqueness of such a multifaceted phenomenon as a human group. It has long been known that every phenomenon is always richer than its own essence. The diversity, dynamism and variability of real social groups cannot be reduced to the remaining unchanged essential properties of stability, historicity, and commonality of life of the group. However, we have no other way, because to define an object means to formulate criteria for its difference from other objects, and a criterion can only be a stable, therefore, essential distinctive feature. What qualities must a certain set of people have in order to be classified as a social group?
Geographical position
The Russian Federation is the largest country on the globe by area. The territory of Russia covers an area of about 17.1 million square kilometers. Russia is located on the Eurasian continent. It occupies both the eastern and western parts of the continent. Mostly the territory of our country is located in the northern and northeastern regions of the mainland. About 30% of the territory of the Russian Federation is located in Europe, and about 70% is in Asia.
The territory of Russia has a large extent from west to east. As a result, there is a large time difference. The borders of the Russian Federation extend over 60 thousand km, of which 40 thousand belong to maritime borders. The water boundary is located at a distance of 22.7 km from land. In sea waters extending 370 km from the coast, there is a maritime economic zone of Russia. The Russian Federation belongs to a number of world maritime powers. The maritime borders of our country run along the water basins of three oceans. Along with long maritime borders, Russia has a fairly large land border. The land border separates Russia from 14 countries and extends for 1605 km.
Russians are an East Slavic people united by a common history, culture, language and ethnic origin.
Most Russians live in Russia. Russians also make up a significant proportion of the population of Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, Lithuania, Moldova, Transnistria, and Turkmenistan.
The number of Russians in the world currently amounts to about 150 million, of which in Russia - 116 million (2002) (about 79.8% of the country's population). The most widespread religion among Russian believers is Orthodox Christianity. They speak Russian as an eastern subgroup of the Slavic group of the Indo-European language family.
Early descriptions of Russians
A number of descriptions of the appearance of the Rus, compiled by travelers, have reached our times. The Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan, who visited Volga Bulgaria in 922 and met Russian merchants there, left a unique description of the appearance and customs of the Rus:
I saw the Rus when they arrived on their trading business and settled down near the Atyl [Volga] River. I have not seen [people] with more perfect bodies than them. They are like palm trees, blond, red in face, white in body.
The famous Venetian traveler Marco Polo (13th century) describes the inhabitants of Rus' as follows:
...The people are simple-minded and very beautiful; men and women are white and blond...
In 1654-1656, the traveler Archdeacon Pavel of Aleppo visited Russia. He left behind detailed descriptions of Russia and Ukraine, the life of local residents.
...in each person's house there are ten or more children with white hair on their heads; for their great whiteness we called them elders... ...Know that women in the country of the Muscovites are beautiful in face and very pretty; their children are like the children of the Franks, but more ruddy...
Generalized anthropological portrait
The Russian population is quite homogeneous in anthropological terms.
According to three anthropological characteristics (head width, nose width, lip thickness), Russian populations are significantly different from Western European ones. In other dimensions of the head and face, they are close to the central European variant, characterized by medium size. The average values of the group either coincide with the central Western European values or deviate from them, remaining, however, within the fluctuations of the Western groups.
The presence of epicanthus is not typical for the Russian population. Of more than 8.5 thousand Russian males examined, epicanthus was detected in 12 people, and only in its infancy. It should be noted that in 9 out of 12 cases, rudimentary epicanthus was identified among Russians of the northeastern zone (the Vyatka and Kama basins). Epicanthus is also rare among the population of Central Europe.
The incidence of a straight nose profile among Russians is 75%, which is higher than the European average (70%). The occurrence of a concave nose profile in Russians is 9%, which is close to the average values for Western and Central Europe (10%). The combination of features characteristic of Russian populations (in comparison with the Western European central variant):
Relatively light pigmentation. The proportion of light and medium shades of hair (about 30%) and eyes (45-49%) is increased, the proportion of dark shades is reduced;
Reduced growth of eyebrows and beard;
Moderate facial width;
The predominance of an average horizontal profile and an average high nose bridge;
Less forehead slope and less brow development.
The results of craniological studies also demonstrate exceptionally high morphological similarity. All local variants appear within the main single and homogeneous craniological type of Russians.
Genetics
The gene pool of the Russian people is typically European. The percentage of East Eurasian genetic markers in the Russian gene pool does not exceed the European average. The results of the study of the Russian gene pool showed its closeness to the population of almost all of Europe, while significant differences from the population of the Urals and the Caucasus were identified.
The degree of heterogeneity of the Russian gene pool is higher than that of most other European peoples. This may be due to the large number of Russians and the large settlement area. It should be noted that the population of Eastern Europe is generally more heterogeneous than the population of Western Europe. At the same time, the population of Western Siberia, on the contrary, is more heterogeneous than the Russians and other peoples of Eastern Europe. Thus, the gene pools of Eastern Europe, including the Russian gene pool, in terms of the level of heterogeneity, occupy an intermediate position between Western Europe and the gene pools of the peoples of Western Siberia. Within the Russian gene pool itself, significant differences can be noted between the northern populations of Russians, and significantly smaller ones between the southern and central ones, that is, the population of the Russian North is more heterogeneous.
For the Russian gene pool, latitudinal variability was revealed (changes in characteristics along the north-south axis). This distinguishes the Russian gene pool from the general gene pool of Eastern Europe, which is characterized by longitudinal variability. Thus, the nature of the variability of the Russian gene pool cannot be reduced to the initial variability of the substrates on the basis of which it was formed. It is assumed that the latitudinal variability of the Russian gene pool arose or intensified in the course of the Russian people’s own history.
National composition of Russia
Russia is a multinational country, more than a hundred people live in it. Most of them are indigenous peoples and nationalities for whom Russia is the main or even the only habitat. In addition, there are representatives of more than sixty nations whose main place of residence is outside the Russian Federation.
According to the 2002 population census, representatives of more than 180 nationalities (ethnic groups) live in Russia. The importance of this fact is reflected in the preamble to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. About 80% of the population of Russia are Russians. Russians are distributed unevenly throughout the country. According to the 2002 All-Russian Population Census, among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the largest percentage of the Russian population is noted in the Vologda region (96.56%).
National composition (2002):
Russians 79.8%
Tatars 3.8%
Ukrainians 2.0%
Bashkirs 1.2%
Chuvash 1.1%
Chechens 0.9%
Armenians 0.8%
Belarusians 0.6%
Other 9.8%
Based on the results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census, the full national composition of Russia will be tentatively determined no earlier than the end of 2011.
Psychological portrait of the Russian people
When characterizing Russians, you should not give in to first impressions. The appearance of Russians, their way of life should be attributed to the systematic proletarianization of the masses, which was typical of Soviet Russia.
It is impossible to deny the talent of the Russian people... A characteristic feature of Russians is the richness of feelings and affects, in other words, the intensity of inner life. The richness of inner life explains the amazing combination of opposing traits of the Russian character. Honesty, truthfulness, kindness and loyalty are combined with isolation, lies, cunning, violence, cruelty and fantastic hatred.
A Russian lives not by his mind, but by feeling; he follows his heart. This explains his great religiosity. Russians believe, they want to believe in something or someone: this must be understood not only in a religious sense.
If we fail to get the Russians to believe in us, then reasonable arguments are unlikely to work. Therefore, the main thing is to win the unlimited trust of Russians with your behavior. At the same time, they distinguish the natural from the false very well.
Further, one of the characteristic features of the Russians is endurance, which is incomprehensible to the Germans. Russians are accustomed to enduring suffering and resentment. This does not mean that his sense of resentment has atrophied: the injustice caused causes deep moral feelings, although outwardly this is not noticeable. While the European tries to avenge an insult, the Russians have learned to endure suffering with fanatical patience. If the cup is overflowing, the Russian man rebels and his long patience breaks out with furious, insane force.
It is also characteristic that Russians need strong leadership (a strong personality). They joyfully follow a leader who is daring, energetic and recognized by them, who will be able to win their trust through personal example and warm feelings. They are ready to make sacrifices and are brave fighters. Russians are especially grateful for the trust and warmth of their leaders.
If a Russian believes and feels fair treatment, he is ready to endure severity, even cruelty. He has a sense of justice characteristic of native peoples. Good and fair treatment is more important to him than favorable living conditions. Russians value most of all, as they put it, “human relations.” This expression is popular among them and plays a big role in characterizing people. It should be understood not as a soft attitude, but as recognition of the individual. Even an ordinary Russian person is very sensitive in this regard and has a sense of personal and national honor. Disparagement, especially from culturally superior nations, deeply offends their sense of national honor and arouses hostility. The particular sensitivity of the Russians in this regard leads one to assume that they are inferior to the Europeans. The worst insult to a Russian is to look at him as a lower class person - half a man. Therefore, Russians do not tolerate corporal punishment, especially from the Germans, since they see this as an insult to their national dignity.
The Russian is enthusiastic. They are always looking for ideas in their actions. Patriotic ideas are especially popular, since Russians are patriots. The common man in most cases is subconsciously patriotic, so the Bolsheviks appealed to the national feeling of the Russian people with obvious success.
Every Russian is characterized by a deep love for the Motherland and “Mother Russia.” This love for the Motherland is least of all nationalistic in nature; it relates mainly to the vast expanses and natural riches of the country. Russians are proud of the breadth of their territory and character. And in fact they differ in this in every way. From a European point of view this breadth is limitless.
Russians are not chauvinists by nature; hatred on ethnic grounds is unpopular among Russians. Their gigantic state consists of many peoples and races, and communication with people of other customs and cultures is familiar to them. Russians are also unfamiliar with anti-Semitism and racial perspectives, although they draw certain boundaries between themselves and Jews. They see in the Jews, first of all, the support and accomplices of Bolshevism and therefore their enemies...
Every unauthorized seizure of property from Russians is considered by them simply as theft. Our belief that Russians have become accustomed to such thefts during the period of Bolshevism is completely unfair. Russians have nothing against war taxes if they are orderly and provide them with a living wage. The excess of their power by individual German soldiers puts the Russians in a powerless position.
It is also necessary to take into account the personal and national habits of Russians, so as not to offend the latter. You should be tactful and polite in dealing with them. In the eyes of Russians, politeness is a sign of culture.
A German soldier must behave towards a Russian politely, but with proper dignity. Only then will he achieve the trust and attention of the Russian. A rude and impudent tone can only provide temporary success and creates a feeling of fear in the Russian. It is seen by Russians as a disregard for their personal and national habits and customs. State power in Russia is very authoritative.
You should constantly monitor the mood of Russians, which often changes depending on the attitude towards them. The same Russian, from whom trust, honesty and devotion can be achieved through a good attitude, when treated too cruelly and unfairly, turns into a closed, distrustful and fanatically hating enemy."