From Nyet to Da: Understanding the New Russia

If Americans do have an ideology, it is pragmatism—if it works, do it.

Things seldom go as planned with Russians.

Russia is predictable in the sense that it will continue to be unpredictable.
—Marshall Goldman

Don’t expect short responses to simple questions. The question-andanswer approach simply will not do. Rather than respond with a brief yes or no, Russians are more likely to give a lengthy explanation that will leave the listener wondering whether the answer is indeed yes or no.

There are two ways you can tell when a man is lying. One is when he says he can drink champagne all night and not get drunk. The other is when he says he understands Russians.
—Charles E. Bohlen, former U.S. ambassador to Moscow

Russians have a deep and abiding suspicion of government.

Human feelings count for much in Russia, and those who do not share the depth of those feelings will be considered cold and distant. When Russians open their souls to someone, it is a sign of acceptance and sharing. Westerners will have to learn to drop their stiff upper lips and also open their souls.

Russians... have a well-deserved reputation for extremes. When emotions are displayed, they are spontaneous and strong. Russian hospitality can be overwhelming, friendship all encompassing, compassion deep, loyalty long lasting, drinking heavy, celebrations boisterous, obsession with security paranoid, and violence vicious. With Russians, it is often all or nothing. Halfway measures simply do not suffice.

Russians have a tendency to embrace a philosophical system that is not theirs to begin with and, after time, to proclaim themselves the sole custodians of its true interpretation.