aiesec krasnodar. russia reception booklet gip

AIESEC KRASNODAR RECEPTION BOOKLET


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Dear intern!

We are proud and happy to have you here in the AIESEC Local Committee (LC)

Krasnodar as a trainee.

You are now looking forward to a good stay here in Krasnodar … with a lot of

questions. Many things will be new and different from the place you came from. As

such, it is our hope that you find this booklet useful, informative and of course, en-

joyable to read. We are eagerly waiting for your arrival.

Here's some information to prepare you for your stay in Russia.

See you soon! :-)


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TABLE OF CONTENTSWelcome to ................................................................................................................................... 3 RUSSIA!!!

RUSSIA: GENERAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................... 4

GEOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................................... 5

HISTORY of RUSSIA ........................................................................................................................... 6

.......................................................................................................... 7 POLITICAL SYSTEM OF RUSSIA

ECONOMY ......................................................................................................................................... 8

............................................................................................................................................. 9 Religion

....................................................................................................................... 10 LIVING STANDARDS

National cuisine ............................................................................................................................. 11

Drink .............................................................................................................................................. 12

Culture ........................................................................................................................................... 13

CULTURE AND SOCIAL LIFE ............................................................................................................ 14

GREETINGS ............................................................................................................................. 14

GIFTS ...................................................................................................................................... 14

........................................................................................................................ 14 GENERAL TIPS

LANGUAGE ..................................................................................................................................... 15

EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................... 15

.............................................................................................................. 16 SE CUR IT Y A ND C R IM E

SUPERSTITIONS .............................................................................................................................. 17

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS ..................................................................................................................... 18

............................................................................................................................................... 20 KRASNODAR

THE CITY – KRASNODAR! ............................................................................................................... 21

MAIN SIGHTS ................................................................................................................................. 22

......................................................................................................................................... 25 CULTURE SHOCK

CULTURE SHOCK ............................................................................................................................ 26

WHAT IS A CULTURE SHOCK? ................................................................................................ 26

CAUSES OF A CULTURE SHOCK .............................................................................................. 27

SYMPTOMS OF A CULTURE SHOCK ........................................................................................ 28

HOW TO COPE WITH A CULTURE SHOCK ............................................................................... 28

REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK ..................................................................................................... 29

................................................................................................................................................ 30 APPENDIXES

RUSSIAN ALPHABET ....................................................................................................................... 31

LEXICAL MINIMUM ........................................................................................................................ 32

CONTACTS ..................................................................................................................................... 33


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Welcome to

RUSSIA!!!


RUSSIA: GENERAL INFORMATION

Country: Russian Federation

Location: Eastern Europe.

Population: 141,927,297 (1 January 2010)

Area: Covering the area of 17.000.000

square kilometers. Our borders washed

by 3 oceans and 12 seas, contacting many

countries. Just check the map!

Location of Russia

Flag: The Russian flag was originally used by the Russian Empire. The

red, white and blue stripes stood for the union of Russia, Belorussia

(Belarus), and Ukraine. When the USSR dissolved the Russian Feder-

ation readopted the imperial Russian flag even though the other two

members have now become independent states.

Capital: Moscow

Russian flag

Telephone area code: 7 for Russia

People: Unique and cure Russian soul…. you will be

surprised how hospitable and open people are. This is

something totally different you can find only in Russia.

Language: Russian is the official language of the country and

the most spoken one. English is the main business language

and widely understood among youth and customer service,

but not by elder generation.

Climate: As you probably guess this is totally different from

one part to another. In some you’ll never see snow in others

you can watch that for 9 month a year (esp. for snowboard

lovers :-)

Time & (is) Money:

National currency - Ruble.

1 USD = 30,5 Rub (for 18.09.10).

There are 10 time-zones in Russia.

Russian Ruble

Saint Basil's Cathedra in Moscowl

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GEOGRAPHY

It is very interesting to tell you about the geography of Russia.

First of all we'd like to empha- size on extensive territory (17.1 mln sq.km.). The large distance from west to east and from north to south brings in large variety of natural conditions and resources. Russia has the whole spectrum of climate zones from subtropical up to arctic on its territory.

For example, the temperature in Novosibirsk varies from less than -30 С in winter to +30-35 С in sum-

Physical map of Russia

mer. Lots of inhabitants of that city are rescued from the heat at the European part of Russia, such cities for example as Chelyabinsk, Ekaterinburg, Samara, St.-Petersburg, Moscow. In summer it is very sunny, but at the expense of greater humidity a climate in general much softer.

If you're a fan of various shows and sharp sensations, we invite you to Russia. Spirit grasps from beauty of Ural and Altay Mountains.

The Ural Mountains by a natural image divide

territory of Russia on western and east part. These mountains have concentrated a huge

reserve of iron ores and precious metals, which are actively used hence XYIII century.

Altay Mountains sometimes called "the Sibe- rian Alpes" are not less known world-wide as that famous mountain region.

Ural

Moreover Russia is extremely rich with water and wood resources. For example, Baikal Lake contains 1/5 stock of whole fresh water in the world and it’s area is more than the territory of Belgium.

Nature of Russia holds in itself much more than you can imagine, but like it‘s said ―it’s better to see once than to hear hundred times.

And consequently we call you on: “Welcome to Russia!” Baikal Lake

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HISTORY of RUSSIA

Russia is a country of a great history containing achievements as well as different dramatic

times.

The history of Russian State dates back to the eighth century, when several Slav tribes had

been united into "Kievskaya Rus". In 988 Slavic people were converted to Christianity by Tsar

Vladimir. The tenth and eleventhcenturies are the golden age of "Kievskaya Rus".

At the middle of 13th cenptury, the area was conquered by the Mongols who dominated

for 200 years. At the same tune instead of the "Kievskaya Rus" remains new state centred

around Moscow have been springing up.

In 1386, the Russians defeated the Mongols in a battle on the Kulikovo

Pole and regain thesovereignty.

Ivan the Terrible (1533 -1584) was the first

Russian ruler actually crowned as a Tsar of Russia.

He expanded the Russia's territory, as did Peter

the Great (1682 -1725) and Catherine the Great

(1762 - 1796). The empire reached from Warsaw in

the west to Alaska in the east. Ivan the Terrible

Caterine the Great

In 1812, Russian troops defeated France's Napoleon and took its

place as one of the most powerful states in Europe.

After the 1917 revolt led by Bolshevik Party Russia was entered

into the socialism. A civil war between Bolshevik Red Army and the

White Army lasted until 1921, with Bolshevik victory. In 1922, the

Bolsheviks formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

New political system's features were banning all other political

parties, absence basic civil rights such as freedom of speech, free-

USSR flag

dom of religion, etc. In economy there were planning system of producing and distribution.

In 1986 new Soviet leader Gorbachev startled "perestroika", but many his reforms failed. In

the end of 1991 there was disintegration of the Soviet Union. Russia became an independent

country and moved to introduce democratic and free-market reforms. It was the only first step

in the direction of democratic changes made by our country but it ended in failure because of

Russian monarch who didn't want to share his power.

Last and the most important event at the present Russian history is the transition from so-

cialism to democracy in 1991.

The end of communism meant a period of hardship for the Russian people. During the

1990s there was a painful transition to capitalism. However since 2000 the Russian economy

grew strongly (at about 7% a year) and poverty declined. Russia suffered badly during the re-

cession of 2009. However Russia soon recovered. In the future Russia is likely to become a ma-

jor economic power. Today the population of Russia is 138 million.

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POLITICAL SYSTEM OF RUSSIA

The Russian Federation is a Presidential (or a constitutional) republic. The President is the head of the state and is elected directly by the people. In fact he has much power, he controls all the three branches of power. The President can even dissolve the Duma if he doesn't agree with his suggestions three times running. The President has his administration, but it's not part of the Federal Government. The President is involved in the work of the legislative and executive branches.

POLITICAL SYSTEM OF RUSSIA

President Government Federal

Assembly

Local Government

Courts

The Federal Assembly represents the Legislative branch of power. It's made up of the two houses: the Federa- tion Counsil and the State Duma, which make laws. The Federal Assembly is also called the Parlament, but it's not its oficial name. Both chambers are headed by chairmen sometimes called speakers. The Duma consists of 450 deputies (one half is elected personally py the population, and the other half consists of the deputies who are appointed by their parties after voting). The members of the Federation Counsil are elected on a different basis. There are two representatives of each subject of the RF (89 subjects). Every law to be adapted must be approved by the State Duma, the Counsil of Federation and signed by the President. The President can veto laws passed by the Federal Assembly, but it can pass laws over the President's veto a two- thirds majority.

The Federal Government represents the executive branch of power. The President appoints its head, the Chainman of the Government, but the Dums must approve his appointment.

The juridical branch of power consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and lower Courts. The responsibility of the Constitutional Court is to analyse the new laws to make sure they correspond to the laws of the state. The Constitutional Court has tte right to declare actions of the President, the Federal Assembly and the Federal Government unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is the higest instance for civil and criminal cases.

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ECONOMY

Most likely you have already got time to get accustomed to the idea that the territory of Russia is simply tremendous. It is much easier to cross the whole Eu- rope than the only Russia. Such huge extent from west to east and from south to north has imposed print on a national economy. Ural Mountains divide territory of Russia into European and Asian parts. These two regions differ one from another by economic param- eters very much.

Historically the population was populating the territory of the country from west to east therefore 73 % of the population lives in its European part. And it is the main reason for industriaд enterprises to be concentrated here. About 80 % of agricultural production, industry and mechanical engineering, 20-25 % of gas, petroleum, 10 % of coal is producing in the western zone.

At the same time in the east zone - in Siberia and on the Far East these figures following: up to 85 % of petroleum, gas and coal about 20 % of agricultural production and mechanical engineering.

It's not a secret, that fuel and energy are the steadiest and most profitable sec- tors of Russian economy. It has less than others suffered in result of reorganisation of economy. At present more than 2/3 of export from the country is a contri- bution of fuel and energy industrial complex.

The increasing flow of gas, coal and petroleum is received in a European part of Russia from East Siberia as well as in many European countries. Novosibirsk is a native capital of Siberia having a powerful economic potential but also having just short 100 years of history to grow in huge transport and industrial centre. Ural is also a region made by history. It is a centre of metallurgy, production and processing of colour metals, really endless source of useful minerals.

The largest cities are Chelyabinsk and Ekaterinburg. These cities have a favor- able geographical position due to they are large transport units and industrial centers.

Central Russia is economic, political and administrative core of Russia. A huge technological potential is concentrated here. A staff of highest qualifica- tion is prepared in Central Russia. Science-consuming and labour-consuming manufactures determining the technological progress are mainly located here.

Two Russian capitals -Moscow and St.-Petersburg - are especially allocated, where there are many famous and prestigious institutes. More than 220 edu- cational institutions of Central Russia prepare staff for all branches of a national economy.

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Religion

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow Kremlin

Qolsharif Mosque in Kazan Kremlin

Buddhistic temple in Saint-Petersburg

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism are Rus-

sia’s traditional religions, legally a part of Russia's historical

heritage.

Traced back to the Christianization of Kievan Rus in

the 10th century, Russian Orthodoxy is the dominant reli-

gion in the country; approximately 100 million citizens con-

sider themselves Russian Orthodox Christians. 95% of the

registered Orthodox parishes belong to the Russian Ortho-

dox Church while there are a number of smaller orthodox

Churches.

However, the vast majority of Orthodox believers do

not attend church on a regular basis. Smaller Christian de-

nominations such as Catholics, Armenian, Georgian and

various Protestants exist.

Estimates of the number of Muslims in Russia range

from 7–9 to 15–20 million. Also there are 3 to 4 million Mus-

lim migrants from the post-Soviet states. Most Muslims live

in the Volga-Ural region, as well as in the Caucasus, Mos-

cow, St. Petersburg and Western Siberia.

Buddhism is traditional for three regions of the Russian

Federation: Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.

Some residents of the Siberian and Far Eastern regions,

such as Yakutia and Chukotka, practice shamanist, panthe-

istic and pagan rites, along with the major religions.

Induction into religion takes place primarily along eth-

nic lines. Slavs are overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian,

Turkic speakers are predominantly Muslim, and Mongolic

peoples are Buddhists.

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Almost 80% of Russians are completely or mostly sat-

isfied with their living standards, according to a survey re-

leased on Tuesday by a major Russian insurance compa-

ny.

Average Russian family

Russian mothers and children

The Western Siberian region of Tyumen topped the

rankings with 81% of residents at least mostly happy with

life, just beating the capital, where 80% of Muscovites pro-

fessed satisfaction with their living standards.

Research conducted by the state-owned Rosgoss-

trakh insurance company in 138 Russian cities and towns

showed that most people who are happy with their living

standards reside in Russia's large cities and in cities which

main industries are oil production and refining, such as

Tyumen and Khanty-Mansiysk in Tyumen Region and

Nizhnekamsk and Elabuga in Tatarstan.

Around the capital, 73% of Moscow Region residents

are also satisfied with their lives, while in the second city

of St. Petersburg the figure is 78%.

The research established that even in cities with the

lowest percentage of people satisfied with living standards

the number still exceeds 50% and that overall in Russia it

stays at the same high level of 78%.

In January, Rosgosstrakh's research showed a direct

link between Russians' satisfaction with their living stand-

ards and economic growth, leading researchers to con-

clude that Russians' satisfaction with their own financial

situation was holding back the economic development of

the country as a whole.

In January, the Russian Health and Social Develop-

ment Ministry had reported that 2.1 million people in Rus-

sia out of a total of 142 million had been officially regis-

tered as unemployed. However, in reality the figure may

be much higher as many Russians do not claim state ben-

efits, which are generally extremely low.

Russian people

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National cuisine

Russians eat food cooked by natural products. It.s not easy to find here fast food (excepting supermarkets European styled which are very expensive). Anytime you want you can by a food for shacks at the 'kiosks' located within 10 minutes of walking distance from each other. The assortment: juices, biscuits, cakes and also hot—dogs and hamburgers (for special Russian taste with a lot of meat & less greens). In 'kiosks' you also can buy mineral water and hot drinks. But actually finding food quickly is still more difficult in the Russian Federation than it is in Western Eu- rope. The number of fast food outlets and sandwich delivery firms are growing in Moscow and St Petersburg but it is by no means as developed a sector as it is in western Europe. You will find public cafes or 'stolovayas' offering a simple menu. There are also a large number of restaurants.... The kind of food visitors will eat from day to day depends on which city they are visiting and the time of year. Breakfast is often similar to the Scandinavian, with cold meats, boiled eggs and bread served with Russian tea.

Kasha

Kasha (porridge) is a staple breakfast dish, made with milk and oats, buckwheat or semolina. For the midday and evening meal the food is often more traditional, again depending on the region.

Several dishes which are now often seen as international but find their origin in Russia are beef stroganov (beef stewed in sour cream with fried potatoes), blini (small- pancakes filled with caviar, fish, melted butter or sour cream), aladyi (crumpets with the same filling and jam) and especially ikra or krasnaya ikra (black and red caviar). The local chicken kiev should not be confused with Western imi- tations. Tsipleonok tabaka is another chicken dish: the meat is roasted on a spit. Whole roast suckling pig and roast goose stuffed with buckwheat, roast duck stuffed with apples and shashlik (shish kebab) are served at parties and for special occasions.

Pelmeni

Borshch

Pelmeni (пельмени, in Russian, singular pelmen, пельмень) are a traditional Eastern European (mainly Russian) dish usually made with minced meat filling, wrapped in thin dough (made out of flour and eggs, sometimes with milk or water added). For filling, pork, lamb, beef, or any other kind of meat can be used; mix- ing several kinds is popular. The traditional Ural recipe requires the filling be made with 45% of beef, 35% of lamb, and 20% ofpork.

One of the more famous Russian dishes is borshch, 11 a beetroot soup served hot with sour cream, and the sister dish of okroshka, a kvas soup served cold.


Drink

Chai Coffee

Kvas

One of the most popular drinks is chai (tea served without milk). Coffee is generally available with

meals and in cafes, although standards vary. Kvass or kvas , sometimes called a bread drink in English,

is a fermented beverage made from black or regular rye bread. The colour of the bread used contributes

to the colour of the resulting drink. It is classified as a non-alcoholic drink by Russian standards, as the

alcohol content from fermentation is typically less than 1.2%. It is often flavoured with fruits or herms

such asstrawberries or mint. Kvass is also used for preparing a cold summertime soup called okroshka.

Vodka

Soft drinks, fruit juices and mineral waters are widely

available. Vodka is often flavoured and coloured with

herbs and spices such as zubrovka (a kind of grass),

ryabinovka (steeped with rowan-tree berries), starka

(dark, smooth, aged vodka) and pertsovka (with hot

pepper). Posolskaya, Stolichnaya and Rossiskaya are

popular brands. Krushon is a highly-recommended cold

'punch'; champagne, brandy and summer fruit are

poured into a hollowed watermelon and chilled for sev-

eral hours. This delicious cocktail is traditionally served

from a crystal bowl. White wine and cucumber are used

to make a drier variant. Nastoika is a fortified wine

made of herbs, leaves, flowers, fruit and roots of plants with medicinal properties. Nalivka is a sweet

liqueur made with fruit or berries. The cherry and strawberry flavours are highly recommended. Ryabin

Cognac ('Ryabina na Konyakye') is made from rowan-tree berries.

Russian champagne is surprisingly good and reasonably priced. Imported

wines from Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, and Armenian Cognac are

excellent (for further information, see the separate sections on these

countries). Kvas is a refreshing and unusual drink, made from a

fermented mixture of rye bread, jam, yeast and water, and should be tried

on a hot day. Drinks are ordered by grams or by the bottle. City-centre

bars close around midnight.

Champagne

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Culture

Everywhere in Russia you can see impressive Orthodox cathedrals and churches, perfect frescos and icons. Until present days the Russian church holidays save charm of ancient national traditions.

The roots of nationality have large importance for all Russian

famous writers, poets, artists living in XIX - XX centuries (such as composers Chaikovski, Glinka, Stravinskiy and Borodin; artists Vasnetcov, Brullov and Repin; poets Pushkin and Lermontov; writers Gogol and Dostoevskiy). That period was an unprecedented golden age of Russian culture. Thus there was the division into high society and mass culture.

Cultural Revolution after October

1917 has delivered by the purpose to unit these two directions. In these conditions the development was received by entertainment kinds of art: cinema, theatre, ballet.

Simultaneously with it the main place in do-

mestic culture borrows a direction of "socialistic realism ", which in the realistic form presented social ide- als, propagandised by communist ideology. In time the difference of ideologies did not leave a place for a cultural exchange, therefore western culture was not known for wide layers of the population.

In 60-70-e years after Stalin's death in connection with attempt of democracy revival, there was the sharp burst of creative activity,

which was displayed especially brightly in development of poetry, new styles of music and painting. After reorganisation the ideology has ceased to render rather strong influence to art and modern culture differs by variety of styles and directions. The part of youth is now oriented to modem American culture, at the same time on former traditions and socialistic realism, and of originally Russian creativity are strong.

Theatre and the Arts are well catered for, ex-

tremely accessible and provide a popular leisure activity. Until recently the Arts were heavily funded by the State. However, cost cutting measures have forced a radical reduction in state funding, and private sponsoring has started to materialise in the larger, better known theatres, such as the Bolshoi.

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CULTURE AND SOCIAL LIFE

GREETINGS

When meeting. Russians shake hands firmly and might say Zdravstvuyte (it means Hello), Dobry dien (Good day), or Privet (Hi).

Some women prefer not to shake hands. Friends and family may kiss on the cheek (here it.s one time). The question "How are you?" (Kak dela?) is taken literally; Russians answer in detail and at length.

Asking the question without waiting for a full response is rude. Kak dela? is not used as a formal greeting.

Titles such as Mr. (Gospodin) and Mrs. (Gospozha) were under the Communists, we don‘t use it now.

Now in addressing an older or respected person, one uses the given name and a patronymic (possessive of father's first name), but surnames are not used in greetings.

You've probably heard about Russian hospitality. Do not get surprised if your new friend invites you to visit his family and to have dinner with them. It would be very nice of you to prepare dinner for your friends in reply to their invitations. They will really appreciate it.

Russians like to visit & take guests. Sitting around the kitchen table and talking for hours is a nice time-spending for russians. We do remove shoes after entering a home.

GIFTS

Giving gifts is a strong tradition in Russia, and almost every

event (birthdays, weddings, holidays, etc.) is accompanied by

present. For casual visits, it is common (but not required) for guests

to bring a simple gift (flowers, food) to their hosts, what is given is

less important than the friendship expressed by the act. Interna-

tional visitors are honoured guests and Russians will share whatev-

er they have with them. Favourite gifts from international include

food, books, and other scarce items.

GENERAL TIPS

Russians are critical of their own country but do not join them even if you think they are right. Do not be fooled, we might be very patriotic. Avoid the "West is

best syndrome", respect the culture. Russians do not have same concept of personal space as West-

erners, so expect more physical contact with people. You will be expected to hand in your coat and any large bags you

are carrying when entering theaters, restaurants, museums, stores, etc. Never leave money or documents in your pockets.

When you enter a Russian home, it would be expected that you would remove your shoes. There is a very practical reason for this as for many months of the year your footwear will be covered in snow or mud.

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LANGUAGE

Russian is the official language in the country, and it was also the main language of the Soviet Union.

Russian is the only official state language, but the Constitution gives the individual republics the right to make their native language co-official next to Russian.

Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which consists of 33 letters, many of them unlike any letter in the Roman (Latin) alphabet. The country is made up of 81 percent Russians, but the majority of other citizens also speak Russian the most widely spoken foreign languages are English and German, followed to a lesser extent by French and Spanish.

Do not assume that local people will be able to understand English

or your own native language. Knowledge of foreign languages can be restricted and you will certainly need the help of interpreters if you are not a Russian speaker.

Practically all signs and street names are in Russian.

You are therefore advised to learn the Russian alphabet and some basic phrases to help you with everyday life. If you speak Russian, even a little, it will make a significant difference to your life and work in the country. In the end of this booklet you.ll find Cyrillic alphabet and little lexical minimum in Russian.

EDUCATION

Russia has a free education system guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution, however an entry to higher education is highly competitive. As a result of great emphasis on science and technol- ogy in education, Russian medical, mathematical, scientific, and aerospace research is generally of a high order.

Russian schools practice the 11-year school training. Education in state-owned secondary schools is free; first tertiary (university lev-

el) education is free with reservations: a substantial share of students is enrolled for full pay (many state institutions started to open commercial positions in the last years).

The Government allocates funding to pay the tuition fees within an established quota or number of students for each state institution. In the higher education institutions, students are paid a small stipend and provided with free housing in dorms.

15


16

SECURITY AND CRIME

Russian crime is not that dangerous as you

might heard and mafia don.t wait for you on

the streets . These security tips are based

on a bulletin published recently by the Min-

istry of Internal Affairs to remind foreign vis-

itors to the Russian Federation of some

'common sense' precautions, which useful

in every big city of the world.

Be cautious when making chance acquaint-

ances with Russians. Never accept an invi-

tation from people you hardly know, either to visit their home, or to meet

them somewhere. Do not agree to join someone for a drink on a train, for ex-

ample, until you are absolutely sure of their good intentions. Many foreign

visitors run into problems because they are too trusting.

Be careful with your handbag or briefcase, especially in crowded places.

Remember that about 90 per cent of pickpockets' victims are women. If you

are in a crowd and you feel that someone is trying to steal something from

you, only defend yourself if the pickpocket is alone and unarmed. Local pick-

pockets do not tend to be violent and usually try to escape once discovered.

Do not carry a large amount of money. Keep your wallet in an inner pocket

and carry with you only what you know you will need. Try not to attract at-

tention to your cash and credit cards in public places; do not make it obvious

that you have money with you.

Avoid very quiet areas late at night.


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SUPERSTITIONS

After this sobering section on security, you might enjoy reading about Russian superstitions. Although we usually laugh at them, Russians have many deep-

rooted superstitions, which we often take seriously.

Here are some of the more common ones that you might find it useful to be aware of. But it doesn‘t mean that everyone believes in them.

If you are invited to a Russian's home take flowers, wine or some chocolate with you. Always bring an odd number of flowers - one, three or five is

normal - even numbers are only given at funerals. (it‘s more a rule than a superstition!)

Never turn a wine bottle over and pour the wine backwards: it is considered insulting to the person whose glass you are filling.

Never shake hands over the threshold; it may lead to a quarrel. Invite someone into your office or flat before you shake hands.

Never twist your forefinger by your temple, this means that the person you are talking to is mad

A black cat crossing your path is a very bad sign, which is taken seriously.

If you leave a place and have to return immediately because you have forgotten something, you should look at yourself in the mirror and make an

adjustment to your hair or your tie, for example, or you will have bad luck.

Do not whistle indoors it will blow your money away.

If somebody you know calls you and you do not recognise their voice, or vice versa, they will become rich

If you are going on a long journey, sit down for a few moments just before you leave, and your trip will be successful.

If you feel that something bad may happen, knock three times on a piece of wood to prevent it occurring.


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NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

January, 1-New Year Day; Many Russians celebrate this holiday in the traditional Soviet style by going out a few days before New Year's Eve to buy a real or artificial "Yolochka" or Christmas tree. A large dinner is prepared on New Year's Eve and presents are exchanged with help from "Ded Moroz" or Father Frost and his grand- daughter "Snegurochka". Afterwards the New Year is celebrated at 12 midnight, and the partying lasts until morning.

January, 7- Orthodox Christmas; Because the Russian Orthodox Church does not follow the Gregorian Calendar, some holidays are fourteen days after Western holidays.

January,25- Student’s Day!!! Hope this don’t need any comments...

February, 14- Valentine's Day it's not so wide celebrated us in Europe, but it.s very popular among youth.

February, 23 –Day of Protector of Fatherland (Men’s Day); In the USSR it was the Day of Soviet Army. Men (especially old) are given presents in this day.

“Maslenitsa” week – very old holiday symbolising coming of spring Dur- ing Maslenitsa the most common dishes are pancakes.

March, 8 - International Women Day; Across Russia this day is celebrated by inviting family or friends over for dinner. Women are given presents of flowers and/or gifts. This holiday is Russia's answer to Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Secretary's Day all rolled into one. Tip to male expats – Do not forget this holiday!

Easter: The dates of this holiday vary as they do in the West. Many Rus- sians, go to church to take part in Easter services whether they are Ortho- dox or not.

May, 1 and 2- May Holidays; This day is no longer marked with tanks rolling onto Red Square., But there's more live music, dancing, eating, drinking and general partying. Many expatriates use this holiday time to take a few days off from the office.

May, 9 – Victory Day; A day marking the Soviet Union's victory over Germany in World War II or the Great Patriot War as it is referred to in Russia. Parades take place all over the country.

June, 12- Independence Day; Every year the question "Independence from what?" or "What does 'independence' mean?" is debated publicly. Some take a more practical view of the holiday and consider it to be more of a "Self-identification Day" in the hopes of determining what exact- ly it means to be Russian in this day and age.

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December, 12- Constitution Day; To commemorate the im- plementation of the Russian Constitution on December 12, 1993.


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KRASNODAR


THE CITY – KRASNODAR!

THE MAIN POINTS:

Administrative status Country

Russia

Federal subject Krasnodar Krai

Statistics Area

841.36 km2 (324.85 sq mi)

Population Density Time zone Founded Previous names Postal code(s) Dialing code(s)

744,900 inhabitants (2010) 885 /km2 (2,290 /sq mi) MSD (UTC+04:00) January 12, 1794 Yekaterinodar (until 1920)

350000–350090 +7 861

Krasnodar is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River, located around 148 kilometers (92 mi) northeast of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai (also known as Kuban). Population: 744,900 (2010 Census preliminary results); 646,175 (2002 Census); 620,516 (1989 Census).

The city was founded on January 12, 1794 (Gregorian calendar) as Yekaterinodar. The original name meant "Catherine's Gift" simultaneously in recognition of Catherine the Great's grant of land in the Kuban region to the Black Sea Cossacks (later the Kuban Cossacks) and in recognition of Saint Catherine, the Martyr, who is considered to be the patron of the city. After the October Revolution, Yekaterinodar was renamed Krasnodar (December 1920). There are two potential meanings for the new name of the city: Krasno- meaning either 'beautiful' (an older root) or 'red' (especially relevant considering the political atmosphere of the time); and -dar , meaning 'gift'. Thus, the city's name means either beautiful gift or red gift (i.e. 'gift of the reds').

HISTORY The origin of the city starts with a fortress built by the Cossacks in

order to defend imperial borders and claim Russian ownership over Circassia, which was contested by Ottoman Turkey. In the first half of the 19th century Yekaterinodar grew into a busy center of the Kuban Cossacks. It was granted town status in 1867. By 1888 about 45,000 people lived in the city and it became a vital trade center of southern Russia. In 1897, an obelisk commemorating 200 year old history of Kuban Cossack Host was built in Yekaterinodar.

TRANSPORTATION

The main airline is Kuban Airlines (at Krasnodar International Airport), and the largest hotels in the city include the Intourist, Hotel Moskva, and Hotel Platan. Krasnodar uses a 220 V/50 Hz power supply with two round-pin outlets, like most European countries. Public transportation within Krasnodar consists of city buses, trolleybuses, trams, and marshrutkas. Trolleybuses and trams, both powered by overhead electric wires, are the main form of transportation in Krasnodar. Unlike Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar does not have a metro system.

CLIMATE Krasnodar is located in the temperate climate zone. Summer is hot, the maximum temperature in July and August can reach 40-41 degrees Celsius (1996, 2006). Winters are mild, with unstable snow cover. In Janu- ary and February, probably the invasion of the Arctic anticyclone, under the influence of which has been a

sharp drop in air temperature. So, at night on Jan. 23, 2006 was recorded extremely low temperatures - 21 minus 33.7 degrees Celsius. The average annual humidity - 71%.


MAIN SIGHTS

Krasnodar is home to the steel lattice hyperboloid tower built by the Russian engineer and scientist Vladi- mir Grigorievich Shukhov in 1928; it is located near

St. Catherine's Cathedral - the biggest one in Krasnodar. Situated in the downtown.

A "Triumphal Arch" is situated in the middle of Krasnaya Street – the main and moat beautiful street (which translates as "Red, Beautiful Street").

The main square of Krasnodar named Theatre Square. Unfortunately now it is on reconstruction.

Avrora cinemacenter – the biggest cinemacenter in Krasnodar and also one of the most wonderful with great history, which is situated on Krasnaya street.

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Drama theatre – one of the main theatre in Russia with own talented corpse. It is situated on the main square of the city.

Kuban stadium. It is home for FC “Kuban” (Krasnodar). Its’ capacity is about 22 000 people.

Krasnodar Regional Art Museum named Kovalenko. Krasnodar Regional Art Museum, the oldest in the North Caucasus, was opened in 1904.

The Monument of Ekaterina the Se- cond on the Pushkina square.

Historical and Archaeological Museum named Felitsyna. Currently, the Krasnodar Museum is the largest museum association of the North Caucasus region included in the list of objects of

national importance. Each year the museum attracts over 600,000 people, the museum has 23 about 400 thousand monuments of material and spiritual culture.


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ALL THIS IS OUR CITY!!!!


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CULTURE SHOCK

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CULTURE SHOCK

WHAT IS A CULTURE SHOCK?

The term „shock” is misleading, because the real culture shock

comes gradually and is not perceived as a shock. But typically, there

is a feeling at the beginning of your stay that might be described as a

„shock”.

Many things around you are completely different than in your own

culture, including people, buildings, traffic, shops, food, hygiene,

health care, money, language, etc.

On top of that, you have to cope with a new appartement, your job, new friends, a long distance to your

family and your friends at home, etc.

Your selective perception, which usually provide a „safe” environment to you, fails in this new situa-

tion: You receive too many signals which your mind cannot work out fast enough, even to the extent

that you will feel like in a discoteque blinded by a stroboscope.

You feel stressed with all the new impressions and try to escape it.

The more „exotic” Russian culture is compared to your own culture, the more likely and the more in-

tense this form of shock is going to happen to you. It also depends on your attitude towards changes in

environment, whether you are constantly „hunting” for new experiences or whether you usually like

things to stay as they are. After a short time and with the necessary positive attitude, you will get used

to the new environment.

There is another form of culture shock,

which is related to „Deep Culture”. Only

few people who have made many experi-

ences with other cultures are able to avoid

this „real” culture shock. But with the con-

fidence, that this psychological feeling is

nothing abnormal and can be overcome

like a flu, you will soon be able to accept

your new environment thus have made a

big step forward towards learning about

that culture.

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CAUSES OF A CULTURE SHOCK

The following are the most common and most relevant causes:

Torn between cultures

Even after a few months in another culture, you still perceive the new

environment from your home culture’s point of view. You tend to judge

over behaviour negatively, just because it is different from the behaviour

and norms in your own culture (and thus your own). This is causing a con-

flict in yourself about whether to do things „this way” or „that way”. You

are lacking orientation, you are torn between the two frameworks of your

own and the new culture.

Foreigner bonus & Level of attention

At the beginning of your visit, you usually have a „for-

eigner bonus” meaning that you are allowed to break

most of the culture’s rules without facing any conse-

quences. Also, people are paying you a lot of attention

because you are new. By the time and with increasing

contact e.g. to AIESECers or to your colleages at work,

you lose both. People unconsciously expect from you a

total integration to their culture within a few months,

even though that is impossible. You feel that your behav-

ior is judged by rules that you don’t even know.

Network of friends

Because you have left your best friends at home, there are (at

best) only a few people with whom you can share your

thoughts about what is happening to you: all the new impres-

sions, the changes in yourself, your problems in getting along

with the new environment. In the situations where you usually

need a good friend, there is no really good friend around. You

tend to deal with problems and questions just inside yourself

and thus prevent your problems from being solved and your

questions from being answered.

The variety of your first impressions in the new culture can be covered with a high level of enthusiasm

and open-mindedness. But as soon as other problems come up like in the three paragraphs above,

things start reinforcing themselves. A symptom like culture shock cannot be traced back to one single

event, it is more a cumulating of feelings, perceptions, changes in yourself and then the famous „single

water drop that was too much for the barrel to hold…

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SYMPTOMS OF A CULTURE SHOCK

The sum of all the little causes results in a psychological „down” with the following symptoms:

being homesick

increased desire for sleep

increased attention to hygiene

increased consumption of food and drinks

not knowing how to cope with your environment

extreme reactions to little causes, especially anger

general fear and mistrust

retreat from other people

hostility towards the host culture and its people

By critically observing yourself you can notice when you are struck by a culture shock. Usually this hap-

pens two to four months after arriving, depending on the situation. Even if the new environment is at

first experienced with enthusiastic and euphoric feelings: The culture shock comes creeping and unrec-

ognised until it strikes.

HOW TO COPE WITH A CULTURE SHOCK

Most people are able to overcome a culture shock, especially

when being „prepared” as it happens. Being prepared in this

context means knowing where the culture shock originates and

what are some successful strategies to get out of the „down”

feeling. Some of these strategies are outlined in the following

paragraphs:

Culture shock is just a specific form of stress. Try to remember

prior situations where you were subject to stress: Which mecha-

nisms did you develop to reduce stress? Maybe listening to mu-

sic, taking short vacations, jogging or sports in general, talks with

friends? Some of these established „cures” can be applied here

as well, some other might be difficult to do. How can you pre-

pare yourself to be able to perform your stress reducing activi-

ties abroad? (e.g. buying your favourite music CD or thinking

about favourite teddy bear)

Allow yourself to withdraw yourself or to show aggressiveness, because these are natural valves and a

protection against psychological overload. Try to deal with the overload consciously: A sudden retreat in

the wrong situation and especially uncontrolled aggressiveness can destroy important relations to peo-

ple in your environment. You will be better able to control yourself if you will not overcharge yourself,

i.e. don’t „eat the cake in one piece”.

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The short-term relief you will gain by retreat or aggressive-

ness (in psychological terms: „flight” or „fight” reaction), can

become like a drug to you and you are tempted to stick to

these mechanisms. By doing this, you prevent yourself from

making the necessary experiences that will help building up a

new orientation system that eventually allows you to live in

the new culture without the negative feelings of a culture

shock. Observe yourself critically: „Is my current strategy of

retreat still necessary protection or did it already become an

easy and comfortable habit? Don’t build a golden cage

around yourself.

Avoid saying or doing things that you might regret the day

after, like accusing other people for your situation, or start

packing your bags as soon as the first symptoms of culture

shock strike you. As a general rule: Talk it over with a friend

or, if you feel that there is nobody who would understand

your situation and feelings, write a letter to yourself or in

your diary and then sleep it over. The next day is a new day...

Reflecting feelings and impressions is important when cultural frustrations and disappointments can

lead to exaggerated negative responses: Usually you can come to the point where you understand it.s

neither yours or sombody else.s fault, but that the problems originates in cultural differences and that

there is usually a way to deal with it positively. Writing a diary where you can deal with your feelings is

one good way to deal with these emotions.

Alternatives to a diary can be talking to a friend of same or similar cultural background who also lives

here, or to somebody from Russia who you have developed a close relationship with and who is willing

to open up and reflect on our own culture as well. In the age of electronic communication, also use

email to stay in touch with friends at home. But avoid telephone calls about your experiences in any

case: It.s too spontaneous and gives too much room for you to express unreflected negative feelings.

REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK

Many people having stayed abroad a longer period of time, state that returning to the home country

was more difficult than going abroad in the first place. This depends on a lot of aspects, like for instance

not being up to date with what has happened in the country during the time being abroad, having lost

the close contact with your friends and family, difficulty adapting back to "normal" life etc. This is im-

portant to be aware of already before going abroad and to plan for during your traineeship. This also

makes communication with your home country important as well as letting your close ones know about

this difficulty for them to support you.


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APPENDIXES

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LEXICAL MINIMUM

General Hello Privet How do you do Zdravstvuyte Goodbye Do svidaniya Yes, No

da, net

Please Pozhaluista Thank you Spasibo Excuse me Izvinite My name is ... Menya zovut ... Where, when,

who What, how Why

Gde,

kogda, khto Chto,

kak ? Pochemu, zachem Good evening Dobryj vecher Good morning Dobroe utro

Good night Dobroj nochi

A lot Mnogo A little Malo Why?/Because Pochemu?/Potomu chto

I am thirsty Ya hochu pit’ I am hungry Ya hochu est’ I don't understand Ya ne ponimau I love you Ya lyublyu tebya Help Pomogite I don’t understand Russia Ya ne ponimau Russkij

On a street Water closet Tualet Where is 45-th quarter (complex) Gdeh sorok pyatyi komplex What time is it? Kotory chas

How can I get to … Suyumbike street Kak projty …na prospekt suyumbike ? Post office Pochtah Phone-card / a coin (phone) Telephonnaya karta / zheton Store / Supermarket Magazin / Supermarket

In a shop How much does it cost? Skol’ko stoit ? Give me, please… Daiteh mnye pozha*luista How much do i owe you Skol’ko s menya ?

Water Voda Vodka Vodka Beer Peevo Noodles Lupsha Bread Khleb Cheese Seer Very Expensive Ochen’ dorogo

In a bus the bus

the station Avto*bus Avto*busnaya Ostano*vka…

Give me one tiket please Odin bilet pozhaluista

Do you go out ? Vee veeho*deeteh?


CONTACTS

Alice Kasyanenko Local Committee President AIESEC Krasnodar

Mobile: +7 902 406 11 69 Email: [email protected]

Svetlana Talalay Vice President Global Internship Program

Mobile: +7 961 50 96 745 Email: [email protected]

Victoria Sytnikova

Project Manager “Go Teach Russia’ Autumn Realization

Mobile: +7 918 15 08 815

Email: [email protected]

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aiesec krasnodar. russia reception booklet gip

Documents

booklet useful

history of russia

general information

good stay

general tipslanguage

nd c r im

dear intern

se cur