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Know your Spanish football, don’t make offensive jokes or laugh at Finnish surnames - etiquette advice for Russians abroad

Advice refers specifically to countries where gay marriage has been legalised for some time - Credit: fuat akyuz / Alamy Stock Photo
Advice refers specifically to countries where gay marriage has been legalised for some time - Credit: fuat akyuz / Alamy Stock Photo

What does frowning in Mexico, mentioning apricots in Iran, or sitting next to someone on a Swedish bus have in common? They are all things that Russians now know not to do, thanks to governmental advice. 

General Elements of Behaviour is a list of advice published by the Russian Foreign Ministry “for the prevention of undesirable incidents” when travelling abroad - and includes, amongst others, refraining from questionable acquaintances, and being wary not to use offensive gestures “common in Hollywood films”. 

Nevertheless, for those eager to travel the world and learn their can-can from their cossack, this handshake-by-handshake guide to exploring the globe might prove helpful reading.

Travel etiquette: how to avoid offending the locals

Brits abroad

Noting Canada’s “serious "fixation" on gender equality”, Russians are warned not to make distasteful jokes on the matter - elaborating that in France “it is desirable not to react to representatives of the LGBT community, or address them with offensive words or gestures”.

In order to avoid embarrassing oneself around Spaniards, Russians are advised to “bear in mind their sympathy or antipathy towards this or that local football club” - for hell hath no fury like a Spanish football fan scorned.

Those prone to tardiness should avoid Holland, where “it is not accepted to be late, this can offend”.

In Mexico, Russians are warned that a “frown is not welcome, a smile and courtesy are normal and common”, whist when with the Danes however, it is “recommended that you keep distance, avoiding personal matters, income level, work and religion”.

Rude hand gestures of the world

Those with a delicate disposition might be tempted to avoid Greece, where “Greeks and Greek women in all walks of life abundantly cover their speech with curses” - but are assured not to take offence, as this is “not only in anger or irritation, but also as a joke”.

The more puerile sense of humour might struggle with the fact that the Russian words for "apricot", "space", "brick", etc., contain sounds that translate as words for genitalia in Iranian, and that “in Finnish there are surnames that sound almost indecent in Russian” - but nevertheless “the reaction to such names should be calm”.

Brits, meanwhile, can be characterised by certain “features of non-verbal communication” - a gesture of note being: “the middle and index fingers folded together and raised upwards (meaning “wait!”)”. You may raise your eyebrows at such an interpretation - and thanks to General Elements of Behaviour, Russians will know what you’re getting at.