Russian gestures and their meaning. How traditional Russian gestures appeared

Tax Code of the Russian Federation 18.05.2020

Tax Code of the Russian Federation

Why do we tear the shirt on our chest, throw our hat on the ground and show the fig? Deciphering Russian vernacular gestures

1. Scratch your head.
A Russian person scratches his head when he is puzzled by something. The question is - for what? Of course, it is unlikely to stimulate blood circulation in the brain. One version says that this gesture came from folk magic: in this way, our ancestors called for help from the ancestor, the genius of the family.

2. Tearing your shirt on your chest.
It was probably originally an impromptu oath. There is a hypothesis that with such an expressive gesture our ancestors showed their belonging to the Orthodox faith, showing a cross. In addition, it is known that during executions and some corporal punishments, the executors tore the top of the shirt of the punished person. So, the voluntary tearing of clothes as a persuasive argument was intended to show a person’s readiness to climb to the chopping block for the truth.

3. Throw your hat on the ground.
An equally expressive gesture that articulated some desperate decision. For Russian men, a headdress (along with a beard) symbolized dignity and integration in society. Removing one's hat in public was considered a grave disgrace, a kind of civil execution. Usually debtors were subjected to this procedure. Voluntarily throwing a hat on the ground demonstrated a person’s willingness to take the most insane risks, in which the price of failure could be the person’s expulsion from society.

4. Beat yourself in the chest.
This gesture, according to one version, came from the military tradition of nomads and was brought to Rus' by the Tatar-Mongols. This is how the “steppe people” swore an oath to their overlord. Punching the chest as a gesture was meant to show the person's devotion.

5. "Goat".
As a rule, this gesture is mistakenly associated with criminal “fingering” or fans of “metal”.
In fact, the “goat” is already several thousand years old, and it was associated with protection from black magic, from evil spirits. Probably, the older generation still remembers the nursery rhyme “The horned goat is coming for the little guys...”, when an adult is shown how a goat butts, depicting goat horns using the little finger and index finger of the right hand. In fact, this is not just a game with a child - this is how our ancestors removed the evil eye from children.
In addition, ancient Greek speakers accompanied their speeches with a “goat”; this configuration meant “instruction.” This gesture was adopted from ancient rhetoricians by Christian priests, who often accompanied their sermons with a “goat.” It is curious that on some Orthodox icons you can see the Savior and saints with their little finger and index finger extended forward.

6. Kukish.
In general, this gesture is characteristic of many cultures. In Rus', they probably learned about the fig from visiting Germans, who tried to seduce Russian young ladies with such a vulgar gesture. There is even a version that “fig” arose from German expression“fick-fick machen” (this was the traditional German invitation to intimacy). In the Russian tradition, the symbol of this gesture (probably thanks to highly moral Russian women) was transformed into a designation of categorical refusal. Moreover, over time, “fig” began to be used as a protective remedy against evil spirits: apparently, due to their promiscuity, expats from German lands were equated with demons.

7. Neck Snap
This gesture from the Russian drinking tradition articulated the phraseological phrase “pawn for the tie”, widespread in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This expression was born among officers, and it was invented by a certain Colonel Raevsky, “a talker and a buffoon.” By the way, he “invented” another “drinking” phrase - “a little under the patronage” (chauffé). It is interesting that this gesture was adopted by speculators of strong drinks during the “prohibition” law, which Nicholas II established in Russian Empire in 1914.

We don't always express everything in words. Sometimes gestures are enough for us. IN different situations we tear the shirt on our chest, throw our hat on the ground and show the fig.

Kukish

In general, this gesture is characteristic of many cultures. In Rus', they probably learned about the fig from visiting Germans, who tried to seduce Russian young ladies with such a vulgar gesture. There is even a version that “fig” arose from the German expression fick-fick machen (that was the traditional German invitation to intimacy). In the Russian tradition, the symbol of this gesture (probably thanks to highly moral Russian women) was transformed into a designation of categorical refusal. Moreover, over time, “fig” began to be used as a protective remedy against evil spirits: apparently, due to their promiscuity, expats from German lands were equated with demons

Slap on the throat

This gesture from the Russian drinking tradition articulated the phraseological phrase “pawn for the tie”, widespread in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This expression was born among officers, and it was invented by a certain Colonel Raevsky, “a talker and a buffoon.” By the way, he “invented” another “drinking” phrase - a little podshefe (chauff?). Interestingly, this gesture was adopted by speculators of strong drinks during the Prohibition Law, which Nicholas II established in the Russian Empire in 1914.

Hat on the ground

An expressive gesture that articulated some desperate decision. For Russian men, a headdress (along with a beard) symbolized dignity and integration in society. Removing one's hat in public was considered a grave disgrace, a kind of civil execution. Usually debtors were subjected to this procedure. Voluntarily throwing a hat on the ground demonstrated a person’s willingness to take the most insane risks, in which the price of failure could be the person’s expulsion from society.

Head scratching

A Russian person scratches his head when he is puzzled by something. The question is - for what? Of course, it is unlikely to stimulate blood circulation in the brain. One version says that this gesture came from folk magic: in this way, our ancestors called for help from their ancestor, the genius of the family.

Tearing the shirt on the chest

It was probably originally an impromptu oath. There is a hypothesis that with such an expressive gesture our ancestors showed their belonging to the Orthodox faith, showing a cross. In addition, it is known that during executions and some corporal punishments, the executors tore the top of the shirt of the punished person. So, the voluntary tearing of clothes as a persuasive argument was intended to show a person’s readiness to climb to the chopping block for the truth.

Beat yourself in the chest

This gesture, according to one version, came from the military tradition of nomads and was brought to Rus' by the Tatar-Mongols. This is how the “steppe people” swore an oath to their overlord. Punching the chest as a gesture was meant to show the person's devotion.

Goat

As a rule, this gesture is mistakenly associated with criminal “fingering” or fans of “metal”. In fact, the “goat” is already several thousand years old, and it was associated with protection from black magic, from evil spirits. Probably, the older generation still remembers the nursery rhyme “The horned goat is coming for the little guys...”, when an adult is shown how a goat butts, depicting goat horns using the little finger and index finger of the right hand. In fact, this is not just a game with a child - this is how our ancestors removed the evil eye from children. In addition, ancient Greek speakers accompanied their speeches with a “goat” - this configuration meant “instruction.” This gesture was adopted from ancient rhetoricians by Christian priests, who often accompanied their sermons with a “goat.” It is curious that on some Orthodox icons you can see the Savior and saints with their little finger and index finger extended forward.

Bend your fingers when counting

Unlike the French, who straighten their fingers when counting, starting with the thumb, Russians bend them, starting with the little finger. This must somehow help us concentrate, take control of the situation, and pull ourselves together.

Wave your hand

A gesture similar to throwing a hat to the ground. In its meaning, it is also similar to this emotional manifestation of the Russian fatalistic principle, but if after throwing the hat on the ground, as a rule, decisive and often reckless actions follow, then after waving one’s hand, the Russian person begins to experience humility and acceptance.

Finger to temple

A finger to the temple is an international gesture. Among the Germans and Austrians it means “crazy!”, and in a number of African cultures it means that a person is deep in thought. In France, a finger to the temple means that a person is a fool, and in Holland, on the contrary, that he is smart. In Russia they twist it at the temple when they want to show that the interlocutor is “a little bit of that”, that he has “balls for rollers.”

Russian bow

In Rus' it was customary to bow when meeting. But the bows were also different. The Slavs greeted a person respected in the community with a low bow to the ground, sometimes even touching or kissing it. Such a bow was called the “great custom.”
Acquaintances and friends were greeted with a “small custom” - a bow from the waist, and strangers with almost no custom: putting a hand to the heart and then lowering it down. It is interesting that the gesture “from the heart to the earth” is originally Slavic, but “from the heart to the sun” is not.
Any bow metaphorically (and physically too) means humility before your interlocutor. There is also a moment of defenselessness in it, because a person bows his head and does not see the person in front of him, exposing him to the most defenseless place of his body - his neck.

Hand on heart

Putting a hand to the heart used to often accompany any bow - it expressed cordiality and purity of intentions. Today, bowing has become a thing of the past from everyday etiquette, but people still put their hand to their heart. The meaning of this gesture remains the same.

A little

This gesture is an antonym to the favorite gesture of fishermen, showing what kind of fish they caught today. It is used when you need to show that you no longer need to pour a lot, and also when you are asked what salary increase you have had over the past six months.

Sign of satiety

This gesture is usually used half an hour after a Russian person comes to visit his grandmother and sits down at the table. The “fed up” gesture is shown by placing the hand to the neck, palm down.

Ax-head

A similar gesture to the “fed up” gesture, but unlike it, it is, as a rule, not very peaceful in nature. When performing the “sekri-bashka” gesture (which came into Russian culture from the Caucasus), you need to run your thumb along the neck, imitating the movement of a dagger. As a rule, this gesture signifies an ultimatum request.

Hands on hips

This gesture, which is especially loved by women in Russian villages, shows a person’s confidence in a given situation, his readiness to take decisive action (stop a horse, enter a burning hut). When a person akimbo, he expands the boundaries of his body, showing his dominance.

Hands cross on chest

The tradition of crossing arms over the chest took root in Russia from the Old Believers. During services in the Old Believer church, it is customary to fold your arms with a cross on your chest. Psychologically, this gesture is protective.

Show your nose

The gesture of the thumb at the nose - “show nose” - is one of the most widely known, but relatively not often used. He is known not only in Russia. In Italy it is called “palm tree on the nose”, in France - “fool’s nose”, in the UK there are several at once - the five-finger greeting, the Shanghai gesture, the Queen Anne fan, the Japanese fan, the Spanish fan, coffee grinding. Associations of this sign with coffee grinding arose, in particular, from Charles Dickens. There is an assumption that the “show nose” gesture originally represented a grotesque portrait of a long-nosed man. Nowadays it is considered a teasing sign in children, and the expression “to show your nose” is synonymous with the verb “to hold” in the sense of “to deceive”.

According to one version, this gesture comes all the way from the Polynesians. Allegedly, colonialists on the islands of Polynesia punished local surfers by cutting off their fingers: for the first case - the index finger, for the second - the middle one, for the third - the ring finger, leaving only the thumb and little finger - in order to be able to pick up luggage or an instrument. Therefore, those who greet in this way are hardcore surfers, waving to each other with an open palm.

Many of the gestures that we use every day came to us from ancient times and had ritual meaning. Today, we do not hesitate to use them when there are not enough words to express something.

Faktrum I have collected for the reader ten original Russian gestures, whose origin and meaning are especially interesting.

Throwing a hat on the ground

For men in Rus', a hat along with a beard symbolized dignity and weight in society. It was believed that by removing a person’s hat, they covered him with shame and committed a kind of civil public execution. If a person voluntarily took off his hat and threw it on the ground, then by this gesture he showed that he was ready to take a huge risk in some business, even if the price for it could be public censure.

Often, when thinking, we scratch our heads, and the thought that had escaped returns. But why do we do this? After all, this gesture is unlikely to somehow stimulate brain activity. And in Ancient Rus' people scratched their heads, calling on their ancestors to help them give advice or a hint.

Slap on the throat

Today we slap ourselves in the throat to silently invite someone to have a drink with us. And this gesture originates from the times of Peter the Great. For special merits, the tsar awarded a simple peasant a certificate that gave him the right to drink in any tavern, but he lost it time after time. Then Peter I ordered a brand to be burned on his neck, allowing him to drink alcohol anywhere and everywhere. So after that, when entering a drinking establishment, a man raised his beard and clicked his brand, and they immediately poured him a drink. Over time, this gesture took root among the people and began to mean an offer to drink.

After the baptism of Rus', tearing their shirt on their chests, our ancestors demonstrated their belonging to Orthodoxy, showing everyone the cross on their chests. There is also a version that in this way the Slavs swore to fulfill this promise. In addition, before execution, executioners used to tear off the convict’s shirt, roughly and harshly. If he tore it off himself voluntarily, then with this gesture he showed that he was ready to lose his life for the truth.

Waving hand from top to bottom

Waving our hand, we often say in our hearts: “Well, to hell with it!” - showing that some incident can simply be forgotten and not paid attention to. And many years ago, this gesture was similar in meaning to throwing a hat to the ground, that is, to committing an action that carried risk.

Unlike many nations, Russians, when counting something on their fingers, first bend the little finger, and then all the others, until the palm clenches into a fist. Thus, our ancestors concentrated on the task, taking their will into their fists and themselves into their hands.

Bow when meeting

Nowadays, modern Russians almost never use this gesture, but it is still applicable to express deepest respect. In the old days, there were several types of bow, and the most often used to greet important guests was the bow to the floor. They also used another gesture: they put their hand to their heart and then lowered it to the ground. Both the first and second were used to express humility before the interlocutor. By bowing his head, the man opened his neck, not seeing the one standing in front of him, and thus expressing his defenselessness.

This gesture in Rus' came from the Old Believers. During their services, they prayed with their hands folded in this way. Today, when we fold our arms in a cross on our chest, we subconsciously want to protect ourselves from something, for example, from unpleasant words.

Pounding your fist on your chest

This gesture appeared during the Tatar-Mongol yoke and quickly took root. The nomadic warriors swore an oath to their commander in this way, showing him their devotion.

Although this gesture is not entirely truly Russian, it has been used since ancient times. Today, when showing a “goat,” many mothers read a nursery rhyme about a horned goat to their children, but earlier the meaning of this gesture was different. It was used to drive away evil spirits and remove the evil eye from children.

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SPECIFICITY OF RUSSIAN GESTURES

There are now enough a large number of literature on the development of national cultures of nonverbal communication, in particular American. However, there has been a certain shortage of literature on the national and cultural specifics of nonverbal communication in Russia.

Everyone needs to know their nationally specific system of gestures. cultured person not only to expand cultural horizons, but also for the competent use of it in a complex non-verbal means communications. Knowledge of gestures used in certain situations independently of language, as an independent means of communication, is especially important.

Almost all Russian gestures (with the exception of rhythmic and emphatic ones) have three options for connection with speech:

Gestures are included in the context of speech;

Gestures and speech go in parallel (and gestures carry information not related to speech);

Autonomous use of gestures when no speech is used at all.

It also happens that gestures act as a means of meaning, and speech accompanies them. Knowledge of all situations in which Russian gestures are used is especially important for foreigners learning Russian.

When comparing different national systems of gestures, three types of gestures can be distinguished:

Gestures-realities that exist only in the communication of one nation;

Areal gestures that coincide in both form and content in different cultures (for example, negative shaking of the head among Russians and Germans);

Equivalent gestures that are similar in form, but different in content (for example, the Russian farewell gesture - waving the hand from top to bottom - Arabs or Japanese can understand as an invitation to approach).

The use of equivalent gestures often leads to an erroneous understanding of them and the transfer of this erroneous meaning to the word accompanied by the gesture. And a “familiar” gesture can misinform and make it difficult to assimilate foreign language or lead to various (funny and dangerous) misunderstandings when communicating with foreigners.

Take, for example, the well-known Russian gesture of approval and positive evaluation - the raised thumb. If this gesture is used in communication on the street, then an Englishman will understand it as a traffic stop sign. Another Russian gesture - imitating the movement with the right hand when starting a car, used to stop the boring speech of the interlocutor, the same Englishman will regard as a characteristic of a boring subject who talks too much and is tired of everyone, and the Egyptian will interpret such a gesture as encouragement to talk.

Constantly looking down during a conversation can give Russians the impression that the message is false, secretive or shy of the interlocutor. The Japanese, on the contrary, do not make eye contact with their interlocutor. nonverbal communication gesture

For the Russians, “sticking out your tongue” is a gesture of teasing, in India - of anger, in China - of threat, and among the Mayans - of wisdom.

The Russian quantitative gesture denoting the number “two” - showing two fingers - will be perceived by an Englishman or an American as a sign of victory if the palm is turned towards the interlocutor, or as an offer of intimacy if the hand is turned back to front. And there are many similar examples.

It is believed that descriptive gestures (like drawings) are understandable to all people. When foreigners do not understand a foreign language, they switch to a descriptive gesture. However, this is only true when there is a habit of paying attention to gestures and when the gesture is unambiguous. But due to the difference in living conditions of different peoples, their gestures, as a rule, are ambiguous.

For example, the Russian “eat” gesture (the hand holds an imaginary spoon and brings it to the lips) does not correspond to the Chinese (two fingers are extended, imitating chopsticks, and is brought to the lips).

That is, we can say with confidence that the gesture is national. There is even gesture etiquette. For Russians, for example, it is very impolite to point at anything, especially a person, with your finger. If you need to show, point with your whole hand. By the Russian handshake (by the way a person greets, how he folds his hand, what is the strength of the grip, how the body is tilted) you can not only learn a person’s attitude towards you, but a lot about his character.

For example, giving two fingers is an arrogant greeting; extending your hand with a boat is a greeting for an embarrassed person; shaking hands for a long time without letting go is a manifestation of friendly or familiar interest in a person, etc.

Observations by psychologists show that Russians are relatively reserved and use approximately forty gestures per hour. During the same conversation time, a Mexican makes 180 gestures, a Frenchman makes 120, an Italian makes 80, and a Finn makes one gesture. For peoples who gesture little, Russian communication seems heavily saturated with gestures. When portraying a Russian hero, actors in oriental theaters wave their arms widely and widely, not understanding that the scope of a gesture in the Russian language is regulated by temperament, norms of behavior, gender, etc. It should be noted that when gesticulating, Russians do not throw their arms forward much and do not throw them away. they are far from the body, but at the same time they are not pressed by the elbows.

Unlike the gestures of Europeans, Russian gestures are practically not synchronous - gesticulation is carried out with one hand (right). Quite often, hand movements are replaced by the head and shoulders. For example, when indicating a direction, Russians usually make sideways movements with their heads, saying: “You need to go this way,” and instead of saying “I don’t know,” they shrug their shoulders.

Foreigners do not always correctly understand the style of the Russian gesture, that is, when and with whom one can use the gesture, and when not to use it at all. Russian gestures, facial expressions and posture are determined by the situation, relationships talking friend to the friend and to the situation, the social affiliation of the speakers. The more polite and well-mannered a person is, the more restrained his gesture is. The greater intensity of the gesture indicates the agitation and emotionality of the interlocutor.

If we talk about the distance of communication, then among Russians it is less than among most eastern peoples (that’s why it seems to them that Russians “want to move on to a friendly footing too quickly”), and more compared, for example, with the Spaniards. The official communication zone of Russians is usually determined by a distance equal to the length of two arms extended for a handshake, and the friendly zone is determined by the length of two arms bent at the elbow. While among peoples who do not use a handshake, this distance is much longer, since it is determined by bows. Russians perceive such a distance as cold.

Nowadays, even if eastern peoples use a handshake when communicating with Europeans, they still try to maintain their distance; as a result, they stand further and, in order to reach the interlocutor with their hand, are forced to lean forward (which looks too servile to Europeans) or move their upper body back (which looks arrogant).

Among Russians, when a woman and a man meet, the man should greet the woman first, but it is the woman who decides to establish the communication distance and whether to extend her hand first. You can also greet with a bow. However, in our time, bows are almost never used by Russians - they have been replaced by a handshake.

Quite often there is a greeting accompanied by a slight tilt of the body forward or a tilt of the head when the eyes are directed at the interlocutor (tilting the head with eyes down is “read” by the interlocutor as a pose of a person guilty of something or as embarrassment). In ancient times, bowing was widespread in Russia. There were many different bows, the most polite was the “earthly” bow - with the hand pressed to the heart, and then lowering this hand to the floor. The most respected people were greeted and seen off with a bow to the ground; the lower the bow, the greater the respect.

The Russians great importance has a look in communication. Modern ethnographers conventionally divide all civilizations based on the direction of their gaze. Russian custom involves looking directly into the eyes, this determines the degree of warmth and frankness in the contact. The gaze of Russians directed directly into the eyes is perceived by many Eastern peoples as impoliteness, insolence, and the gaze of these peoples to the side is perceived by Russians as shyness or unwillingness to be sincere. Americans look into the eyes only when they want to make sure that their interlocutor has understood them correctly; the British look at each other during a conversation, but specifically blink to show that they are listening. It is indecent to look closely, as in Russia, in England.

Compared to Eastern and many European peoples, Russians have a much more developed means of establishing contact, such as touch. Russian mothers lead their children by the hand, lovers and spouses walk holding each other’s hands, women walk arm in arm with each other, male friends sometimes kiss, which greatly surprises foreigners. Although, compared to the Spaniards and Italians, Russians kiss little, but compared to the peoples of India, China, and Indochina, they kiss a lot. In the old days, Russian kisses had different purposes. A kiss is one of the forms of affection when communicating with a child, this is understandable. But what do the expressions “sweet kiss”, “sugar lips” mean? Here a connection is found between the digestive and genital organs, between touch and taste (this has been proven by modern sexologists). Posted on Allbest.ru