Cultural Iceberg

Hello! Russia is a majestic and amazing country! Russian culture is rich and diverse, it is known all over the world. But people, who come to the country, see only the surface of the deep lifestyle and the heritage of this civilization, while most of the elements of the culture remain hidden for them. So what is hidden behind the visible elements? For example, behind the great and powerful Russian language, behind Russian literature?

Russian literature, as well as classical works, and folk tales, can tell you a lot. At first, they can tell you about customs and habits of Russians. From fairy tales we learn Russian beliefs. So, the fairy tale “Morozko” shows the old Russian custom with dowry, which in many regions of Russia preserves even now. Russian proverb “Patience and hard work will grind everything” can also be caught in the plot, the Russian people believe in it.

Also, Russian literature is inseparably linked with Russian history. Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Sholokhov’s The Quiet Don, and Karamzin’s The History of the Russian State are only a small part of the works that will help you better understand Russian culture, its origin and development.

Moreover, literature can tell about the beliefs and values of the people. In The Master and Margarita, Bulgakov repeatedly raises the problem of faith. The author perceives faith as the greatest moral value, ideal, meaning of life. This is exactly how most Orthodox Russian people relate to the faith.

Reading the literature, you will learn more about the culture with each page. This is a way to learn something that we do not see initially, to learn more about the people of the country. Use it!