As mentioned in the reading, there are many components that tie in culture and genetics together. Biology and genetics have been proven to have an effect on one’s personality. This, in turn, affects an overall population’s culture, since people that share a common space tend to have similarities in their genetic makeup. This remains the case with Russia and other eastern European nations, who have a shared genetic history.
According to social psychology research, these similarities make people more likely to help others that remind them of themselves. This has become a huge part of Russian culture and relationships between Russian people, and how they view outsiders.
The shared experiences between Russians (such as experiencing hardships in their tumultuous political past), “have left individuals highly dependent on family support” (Live Science). There’s also an importance placed on their land and home, and a big emphasis on pride in their country.
While Russia is a country with a large population, 77.7 percent of its people are of Russian descent, with similar genetic makeup. This helps explain why many Russian individuals have such a strong sense of identity that is easily recognizable. Furthermore, since the USSR didn’t split until 1991, the neighboring territories that later became independent, also share genetic similarities that further tie them together.
Overall, the shared historical experiences and the personality traits make up for a population that is very focused on helping each other and their family, as well as having an emphasis on protecting their own homeland.
Reference:
Pennsylvania State University. (2018). Leadership in a Global Context–OLEAD 410. Lesson 13: Eastern Europe and Russian Population. Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com.
Russian Culture: Facts, Customs & Traditions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://www.livescience.com/44154-russian-culture.html
Natalia,
Looking at examples of cultural influences from other countries that have influenced Russia, there are many cultural influences from USSR days.
“Recent changes in Russian politics often get dubbed a “return of the Soviet Union”. This can’t be taken literally: the current system has neither the features of Soviet socialism nor a doctrine of internationalism or anything of that sort. But the Soviet period is clearly a point of reference for both government and society in Russia today. Their approaches differ somewhat: the authorities tend to play on the idea that “we used to have a great country” (we were feared and respected by other countries, we influenced world politics, and so on), while society leans more toward the idea that “we had a golden age” (everything was cheap, there was no social stratification, life was much easier to plan). These two ways of perceiving the Soviet past get expressed and interpreted — with varying degrees and angles — in state-sponsored cultural projects, in the works of individual artists and in mass culture. Some explorations of the Soviet era amount to its total rejection, although such cases are increasingly rare and unpopular.”(calvertjournal, n.d.)
This journal article shows just 10 things that Russia has been influenced by USSR. The one that stuck out to me the most is about “Marketing memory: Soviet brands” which discuss brands that are still populate today in Russia from back during World War II.
Reference
USSR redux: From art to food and film, how Russia fell back in love with the Soviet past. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2018, from https://www.calvertjournal.com/articles/show/3374/back-to-the-ussr-revisiting-soviet-culture-in-russia-today