Customs

Religions

"Religion has always been a primary component of Russian life, even during times of oppression," Warner said.

There are nearly 5,000 registered religious associations in Russia. More than half follow the Russian Orthodox Church, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Islam is the second largest religion; about 10 percent to 15 percent of Russians practice Islam, according to the CIA World Factbook. 

"The third most popular religion in Russia after Christianity and Islam is Tengrism, a form of pagan, animistic and shamanic religion," said Christina de Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London. Tengrism originates from the Turk and Mongol populations of Central Asia and has enjoyed a revival in parts of Russia as it is seen as part of a certain Central Asian ethnic identity by some regional independence movements.  

Arts, literature and architecture

Ballet is a popular notable art form coming out of Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi Ballet is a classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and known throughout the world. The Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg is another famous ballet company in Russia.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a 19th-century Russian composer, is world renowned for "Swan Lake" and the "1812 Overture," among other pieces. There are several museums, including his childhood home, showcasing his personal belongings and musical artifacts.

Russian literature has also had a worldwide impact, with writers such as Leon Tolstoy ("Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace") and Fyodor Dostoevsky ("Crime and Punishment" and "The Brothers Karamazov") still being read around the world.

Russian nesting dolls are well-known symbols of the country. These sets of dolls, known as matrioshka dolls, consist of a wooden figure that can be pulled apart to reveal another smaller version of the same image inside, and so on, often with six or more dolls nested inside one another. The painting of each doll, which can be extremely elaborate, usually symbolizes a Russian peasant girl in traditional costume.

Many Russian customs of the modern era are not terribly old, dating back to the time of Peter the Great, a couple hundred years ago, or to socialism, in the last century. Here, we’ve gather the main customs and traditions of the Russian people in a short but informative way.

Russian New Year’s Traditions

Russians celebrate New Years on January 1st, though it hasn’t been that way forever. For a long time, New Years was celebrated in March, but in 1699, Peter the Great moved the holiday to January 1st. This tradition has persisted to this day, and today, Russians celebrate this main winter holiday on the night of December 31st and January 1st.

Russian customs for New Years involve a lot of similarities with European and American versions of winter holidays: families will decorate a tree, light a fire in the fireplace, and will hang stockings for gifts. A big New Year’s tree is usually placed on the main square of each city, though now often artistic installations in the shape of a tree (made of anything from cactuses to nails) are used. 

Russian Children’s Customs

The Russian characters of Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and Snegurochka (Little Snow Flake) appeared not long ago, just over a century ago. Ded Moroz is similar to Santa Claus, though Ded Moroz comes to children on New Year’s. Snegurochka, his granddaughter, helps him give out presents, organize dances, and entertain children. Today, this Russian children’s custom even appears at corporate events, and now almost every party includes a visit from Ded Moroz and Snegurochka.

For a child’s birthday party, Russian families will invite actors to entertain children. The birthday kid will have a cake with candles, with one candle for every year, to represent experiences gained each year in life, and the child will make a wish when they blow out the candles. These traditions are similar to what children do in a variety of other countries, including European countries.

It’s important to note that Russian women won’t buy anything for their dowry while they are pregnant. It’s thought that this will bring bad luck to the child. This dates back quite a while, to the Russian children’s tradition of starting to collect for the dowry when a girl is a teenager, even if she’s not preparing to get married for years.

Russian Traditions for Graduation

The tradition of holding graduation balls appeared in Russia in the past few centuries. During the time of Peter the Great, aristocrats would grand receptions for any reason, and at the same time, it became stylish to send children to prestigious academic institutions. Girls were sent to finishing schools, while boys were sent to cadet corps. A new Russian tradition was also formed, whereby people started creating libraries at home to show of their status and education. This tradition has been preserved to the present day.

As for graduates, the end of school is usually marked with grand celebrations.

New Russian Holidays

Even newer Russian holidays were created during Soviet times, which soon became new traditions and new Russian customs. For example, Defender of the Fatherland Day is February 23rd. This holiday celebrates all the men (and women) who served in the armed forces. To balance this out, the Soviet Union started celebrating all of the women on International Women’s Day, March 8th. This holiday celebrates all of the girls, women, mothers, and grandmothers. These two holidays are similar to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in the West, but February 23rd and March 8th in Russia have a wider meaning. Russian customs mean congratulating not just close relatives, but also colleagues, partners, service workers, and more.