Mari sorcerer, St. Residents of St. Petersburg are snobby: how and where did the stereotypes about residents of different regions of Russia come from?

Russia can be called a country in which there are many countries, like an intertwined doll. And almost no one will wonder why. Our territory stretches for thousands of kilometers from West to East, its shores are washed by 15 seas, forests cover 46.6% of the country’s territory (which is 20% of all forests in the world!), climate and ecology also contribute to the development of forests. preservation of various resources, unique flora and fauna.

Unlike other multinational countries, indigenous peoples still live peacefully on our lands. So when you find yourself in another region, you may find yourself on another planet.

Many people traveling around Russia are surprised at how different we are despite our common mentality. Due to striking cultural features, funny stories and stereotypes arose about the inhabitants of different regions of Russia. Let’s talk about some of these.

By the way, we have previously written about Russians, what habits surprise foreigners.

Muscovites are “giggling” rich people

Do you remember the series where country girls were crushed under an expensive car and married its oligarch owner? The script for Cinderella, who finds her happiness in the capital, was apparently born from the idea that “all the money is in Moscow.” Many Russian residents openly dislike Muscovites, calling them “giggling rich people.” Taxes from all regions actually flow to Moscow and are then distributed according to their intended purposes. And to many people, this is unfair. They believe that they could achieve prosperity in the region on their own if it were not for the tax burden. Be that as it may, in practice, few people understand all the intricacies of legislation and economics, so it is easiest for people to blame Muscovites for everything, although not all residents of the capital live richly. By the way, we have previously written about the signs by which Muscovites guess provincial women.

Petersburgers are snobs

St. Petersburg has long been the capital of Russia and is still associated with its imperial past. Indeed, it is impossible to get enough of pleasure while looking at the magnificent palace and park ensembles. St. Residents of St. Petersburg are rightfully proud of their city, believing that Moscow cannot rival them. Their arrogance and snobbery is the first thing that catches the guests’ attention. Also St. Petersburgers, unlike Muscovites, loved to organize attacks against the authorities, and this rebellious spirit is still felt. This is where most of the art house and underground music fans, hipster cafes and subculture representatives are located.

Mari and Udmurts are wizards

Yoshkar-Ola, or Red City, the capital of the Republic of Mari El, is famous for its kitsch architecture. It is enough to recall the main decoration of the city (after the inhabitants, of course) Tsarevokokshay Kremlin. Finno-Ugric peoples live here – Mari and Udmurts, among whom there is the highest percentage of red-haired people in the world (almost the same as in Ireland and Great Britain). Ancient traditions such as praying in sacred groves (kyusoto) are still observed here. For example, Mari people come there with pots and cook porridge, goose or duck in them. All this is accompanied by traditional songs and dances in national costumes, so the action really resembles real witchcraft.

Chelyabinsk residents are tough guys

Almost everyone who lives beyond the Urals is considered strong and tough people. There are stories about the composure of Chelyabinsk residents. When a meteorite crashed into Chelyabinsk on February 15, 2013, one of the city’s residents filmed it and posted it on the Internet. The video instantly went viral, especially in Western media. What surprised the audience the most was the calm reaction of the Chelyabinsk residents, who did not run away or scream, but watched silently, as if such an event happened every day. This episode only strengthened the stereotype about the stern calm of Chelyabinsk residents.

Yakuts are programmers

Russian authorities have long been concerned about creating a sovereign Internet and the IT sector as a whole. Servers work best at low temperatures and Yakutia is ideal for this. Therefore, the government is actively attracting businessmen to invest in the development of the region. This is already bearing fruit. Yakuts have been mastering technology since childhood and are achieving great success. It is not surprising that they were given the title of programmer.

Omsk residents are evil

Surprise: Actually, Omsk residents are not bad at all. This stereotype arose due to the meme about despair “Do not try to leave Omsk”. It was created in 2014, when a hurricane wind (known as “Hurricane Lenya”) raged in the city due to the “Power” memorial ball rolling from Buchholz Square. Later, the monument was returned to its place, and jokes were made on the Internet that even the monument tried to leave Omsk, but could not let go of people. That’s why they’re walking around so angry.

Residents of Novosibirsk are scientists

Since Soviet times, Novosibirsk has been considered the capital of scientists. The best minds from all over the country flocked to Academy Town to implement the most ambitious projects. There are more than 100 different scientific institutions in the city and it has not yet lost its reputation. That is why Novosibirsk residents are considered the elite of the scientific world.

Khanty and Mansi – do not eat mushrooms

This is not a story. Khanty and Mansi do not actually eat mushrooms, considering them “unclean” due to their resemblance to male genitalia. According to the legend of the Yenisei Ostyaks (Khanty), previously men did not have genitals, and women were “copied” by mushrooms in the forest. But of course, not all residents of Ugra refuse to eat mushrooms. Rather, we are talking about indigenous peoples whose bodies do not have enzymes that allow them to digest mushrooms, threatening them with poisoning.

Other Siberian peoples, especially the Yakuts and Yukaghirs, have a similar antipathy towards mushrooms. For example, the Chukchi recognize only fly agarics, which they consider sacred. Anthropologist Vladimir Bogoraz wrote that on the Chukotka Peninsula, a rock painting about fly agaric people was even found, which allegedly takes a person to the next world.

Sochians are not hospitable

Sochi residents honestly admit that they cannot stand tourists. They are jealous of the environment, so they are annoyed when their paradise is filled with garbage due to the influx of guests with the start of the beach season. Many Sochi residents even refuse to swim, claiming that the Black Sea is polluted. After the 2014 Olympics, active construction began in the city and even more people began to visit the facility, which annoyed local residents.