Of course, you have heard this strange phrase more than once: what is good for a Russian is death for a German. But have you ever wondered what it actually means and where it came from? Many believe that it comes from somewhere with the Great Patriotic War - and they are very seriously mistaken. No sir, this joke is much older. She was born in 1794.

I should note that Russia and Germany have a good old tradition: once every hundred years, our countries gather and divide Poland. This is exactly what they did in those troubled times: in 1793, the second partition of Poland took place, as a result of which, in particular, the Russian Empire got hold of a glorious city named Minsk. However, it's not about him at all. At that time, a Russian garrison was stationed in Warsaw under the command of General Igelstrem.

In March 1794, Tadeusz Kosciuszko's uprising began in Poland. Warsaw rises in April. Of the eight thousand people of the Russian garrison, more than two thousand died, the general himself was saved by a miracle - he was taken out by his mistress. The Prussian army, which had set out to suppress the uprising, was defeated. And then the Russian army comes out of Brest in the direction of Warsaw. It is headed by a legend and a living embodiment of the glory of Russian weapons - General-in-Chief Alexander Suvorov.

On October 22, Suvorov, having split several Polish detachments along the way, approaches Prague. Here it is necessary to make a remark. This is not about the capital of the Czech Republic, but about the eponymous suburb of Warsaw, which until 1791 was considered a separate city, and then became one of the districts of the Polish capital. From the "main" Warsaw, Prague is separated by the Vistula, through which a long bridge was thrown.

The Poles built two powerful defensive lines from ditches, earthen ramparts, wolf pits and other tricks. However, there were not enough people to defend such a long defensive line. The Poles write that the city was guarded by only ten thousand people, of which eight thousand were "cosigners" (no other than a word filled with irony - peasants who grabbed their scythes are meant). Russian historical science points to 30 thousand people, European, most likely, is the most objective and estimates the number of defenders of Prague at about 20 thousand soldiers, who were attacked, according to various estimates, from 20 to 25 thousand under the command of Suvorov. The commander of the defense of the city, General Wawrzetsky, decides to leave Prague in view of the impossibility of its full-fledged defense and withdraw troops beyond the Vistula. He is no longer able to do this. On the morning of October 23, 1974, artillery shelling of Prague begins. In the evening of the same day, Suvorov's troops begin an assault. History has preserved the text of the order given by General-General Suvorov:

Walk in silence, don't say a word; approaching the fortification, quickly rush forward, throw the fascinator into the ditch, go down, put ladders against the shaft, and hit the enemy on the heads with arrows. Climb hard, pair by pair, to defend a comrade; if the ladder is short, - bayonet into the shaft, and climb on it another, third. Without need, do not shoot, but beat and drive with a bayonet; work quickly, bravely, in Russian. Keep your own in the middle, keep up with the bosses, the front is everywhere. Do not run into houses, asking for mercy - spare, do not kill unarmed people, do not fight with women, do not touch youngsters. Whom they kill - the kingdom of heaven; alive - glory, glory, glory.

Polish troops fought furiously. Even now, there is no special friendship between our peoples, and in those days, perhaps, the Pole had no more fierce enemy than the Russian. However, desperate resistance did not help. General Wawrzecki, who was trying to establish a defense, soon fled across the bridge to Warsaw. Soon after that, the bridge was captured by Russian troops, the Polish orders were overturned by bayonet attacks of the Russians, who had no equal in this art. Digressing from the topic, I will clarify that at one time I read the impressions of a Frenchman who participated in the siege of Sevastopol. According to him, even an oak is not ashamed to leave the road of the Russian infantry going to the bayonet.

Returning to the battle for Prague, it should be stated: by the morning of the next day, the Polish army was defeated. Russian soldiers burned with a thirst to avenge the Igelstrem soldiers who died during the Warsaw uprising. The Poles resisted fiercely, the locals helped the rebel soldiers as much as they could. The result, of course, is obvious ... Later, one of the participants in the assault with a typically Russian surname von Klugen wrote about those events:

They shot at us from the windows of the houses and from the roofs, and our soldiers, bursting into the houses, killed everyone they came across ... Bitterness and a thirst for revenge reached the highest degree ... the officers were no longer able to stop the bloodshed ... Massacre began again at the bridge. Our soldiers fired into the crowds, not making out anyone, and the piercing cry of women, the cries of children, terrified the soul. It is rightly said that the shed human blood excites a kind of intoxication. Our fierce soldiers saw in every living being the destroyer of ours during the uprising in Warsaw. “No one is sorry!” our soldiers shouted and killed everyone, not distinguishing between age or gender ...

According to some information, it was not regular Russian units that raged, but the Cossacks, from whom the inhabitants of Prague fled just in the Russian military camp on the orders and invitation of Suvorov. However, who will now figure out how it was there.

On October 25, Suvorov dictated the terms of surrender to the inhabitants of Warsaw, which turned out to be quite mild. At the same time, the commander announced that the truce would be respected until October 28. The inhabitants of Warsaw turned out to be understanding - and accepted all the conditions of surrender. The Russian army entered Warsaw. There is a legend according to which General-in-Chief Suvorov sent an extremely concise report to Catherine the Great: "Hurrah! Warsaw is ours!" - to which he received a no less laconic "Hurrah! Field Marshal Suvorov!"

But even before Warsaw was occupied, the victorious Russian army in captured Prague arranged the wildest drinking bout. Russian soldiers smashed a pharmacy that came to hand, and, pulling out bottles of alcohol from there, arranged a feast right on the street. A horseman passing by, who was an ethnic German, wished to join, but, having knocked over the first cup, fell down dead. The incident was reported to Suvorov. His reaction, albeit in a modified form, has survived to this day:

It is free for the German to compete with the Russians! The Russian is great, but the German is dead!

There is an assumption that this saying was born during the storming of Prague in 1794. Having destroyed a pharmacy during street fighting, Russian soldiers took a bottle out into the street and began to drink, praising the contents. A German was walking by. Thinking that the soldiers were drinking water, he drank a cup and fell down dead. It was alcohol!

When this was reported to Suvorov, he said that the Germans had nothing to compete with the Russians: they say that what is healthy for a Russian is death for a German. Since then, this phrase has popped up in various situations as a confirmation: what is good for one is unacceptable for others. And this is no accident!

So what is good for a Russian and, to put it mildly, not so good for a German?

1. Feast

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Every nation has its own habits and traditions of celebrations. The generously laid tables among the Slavs are very different from the festive tables of the Germans. Many have seen how surprised the Germans are when they get to visit the Russians and see a huge amount of food and alcohol on the table. And they are even more surprised - yes, what to hide, they can’t stand it - when you need to keep up with each new toast, while not forgetting to have a snack, and then dance, sing and drink and eat again! And don't argue about which is better. To each his own!

2. Alternative treatments

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Russians love to be treated with folk remedies, tinctures, decoctions and herbs. Bring down the temperature with an alcohol solution, apply a leaf of aloe or plantain to the wound, garlic to the wrist to relieve a toothache, breathe over cabbage or potatoes, put mustard plasters to cure a cough - yes, such remedies used by Russians surprise German doctors.

3. Zelenka

Which of those who grew up far outside of Germany did not have green knees? Many also remember the green-colored dots of chickenpox on the body? Zelenka can still be found in almost every home. And it does not matter that there are much more effective and affordable antiseptics. Zelenka was, is and will be among the Russian people. And try to explain to the Germans that there is no better remedy.

4. Signs

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Every nation has a number of signs and superstitions, but you must admit that the Russians have just a bunch of them. Sitting on the path, knocking on wood, not whistling in the apartment and not returning if you forgot something - this is the minimum that almost everyone observes. It is interesting to watch the Germans when they see how the Russians suddenly sit down together and are silent before a long journey. On the track!

5. Buckwheat and seeds

You can buy buckwheat in Germany, but the Germans don't eat it. Moreover, many of them do not even suspect that it can be eaten, not counting, of course, those who have acquired Russian relatives. And you can talk for a long time about the benefits of this dietary product, but the fact remains.

And, of course, seeds. Despite the fact that the sunflower began to be bred in France and Holland in the 17th century, eating its seeds took root among the Russians. And no one can understand these gourmets!

What is good for a Russian is death for a German

The expression "Balzac's age" arose after the release of Balzac's novel "The Thirty-Year-Old Woman" and is acceptable in relation to women not older 40 years.

Tyutelka is a diminutive of the dialectal tyutya (“hit, hit”), the name of an exact hit with an ax in the same place during carpentry work. Today, to denote high accuracy, the expression "tutelka in tyutelka" is used.

The most experienced and strong hauler, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has evolved into the expression "big shot" to refer to an important person.

Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a market day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give back the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to refer to people who do not keep their promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays in the week."

In French, “asiet” is both a plate and a mood, a state. Presumably, the erroneous translation of the French expression caused the appearance of the phraseological unit "not at ease".

Once a young doctor, invited to a hopelessly ill Russian boy, allowed him to eat whatever he wanted. The boy ate pork with cabbage and, to the surprise of others, began to recover. After this incident, the doctor prescribed pork with cabbage to a sick German boy, but he, having eaten, died the next day. According to one version, it is this story that underlies the appearance of the expression "what is good for a Russian, then death for a German."

When the son of the Roman emperor Vespasian reproached him for imposing a tax on public toilets, the emperor showed him the money that came from this tax and asked if they smelled. Having received a negative answer, Vespasian said: "But they are from urine." This is where the expression "money doesn't smell" comes from.

The opening of the Eiffel Tower, which looked like a nail, was timed to coincide with the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "highlight of the program" has entered the language.

The expression "the game is not worth the candle" came from the speech of gamblers who spoke in this way about a very small gain that does not pay off the cost of the candles that burned out during the game.

In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the laundry with the help of a special rolling pin. Well-rolled linen turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the washing was not of very high quality. Today, to indicate the achievement of the goal in any way, the expression "not by washing, so by rolling" is used.

In the 17th century, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the distances between Moscow and the summer royal residence in the village of Kolomenskoye were re-measured and very high milestones were installed. Since then, tall and thin people have been called the "Kolomenskaya verst."

“One scientist, having bought 20 ducks, immediately ordered to cut one of them into small pieces, with which he fed the rest of the birds. A few minutes later, he did the same with the other duck, and so on, until there was one left, which, in this way, devoured 19 of her friends. This note was published in the newspaper by the Belgian humorist Cornelissen to mock the gullibility of the public. Since then, according to one version, false news is called "newspaper ducks."

There are many interesting expressions, proverbs and phraseological units in the Russian language. One of these sayings is the well-known phrase "What is good for a Russian is death for a German." Where did the expression come from, what does it mean and how can it be interpreted?

The difference between Europe and Russia

It is known that the physical constitution of a person largely depends on the natural and climatic conditions in which society is forced to live. The European climate, like the Russian one, gives rise to a corresponding character.

The climate in Europe is mild and moderate. The life of the peoples inhabiting these lands has always been the same. The time needed to work was distributed evenly throughout the year. While the Russians were forced to either rest or work beyond their strength.

The natural conditions of Russia cannot be called mild. A short summer and a long cold winter have contributed to what is commonly called the Russian soul. Forced to constantly struggle with cold winters, the Russian person has a special temperament that cannot but be called a little aggressive. In addition, the climate has a significant impact on the formation of the physiology of the nation. This must be borne in mind when explaining the meaning of the saying "What is good for a Russian is death for a German." And of course, every nation has its own history, which affects the mentality of people, their way of life. The difference between Western European countries and Russia in this case is very significant.

The first version of the origin of the proverb "What is good for a Russian is death for a German"

This expression is used in everyday speech all the time. Saying a proverb, people do not think about its origin. "What is good for a Russian is death for a German" - no one will remember who said this for the first time and where this phrase came from. Meanwhile, according to one of the versions, its origins should be looked for in the history of Ancient Russia. On one of the holidays in Russia, they laid a table rich in various delicious dishes. In addition to them, they also brought traditional sauces, horseradish, and homemade mustard. The Russian hero tried it and continued the feast with pleasure. And when the German knight tasted the mustard, he fell dead under the table.

Another version of the origin of the proverb

"What is good for a Russian is death for a German" - whose expression it used to be, it is difficult to say. There is an interesting story explaining the origin of the catchphrase. A doctor was called to the ailing artisan boy. He, after examining, concluded that he did not have long to live. The mother wanted to fulfill any last wish of the child, to which the young doctor allowed him to enjoy any food. After the child ate cabbage with pork, which was prepared by the hostess, he began to recover.

Then a German child who suffered from the same disease was invited to dinner. When the doctor told him to eat cabbage with pork, the unexpected happened: the boy died the next day. The doctor made an entry in his notebook: "What is good for a Russian is death for a German."

Russia will save the world

What else is different, and so much so that it allows many great minds to call Mother Russia the savior of the world, in particular Europe? Some differences appear even in private life. An illustrative example is the banal habit of washing. Many Western historians have notes that testify in favor of the fact that the Slavs have a steady habit of constantly pouring water on themselves. In other words, Russians are used to bathing in running water.

What is good for a Russian is death for a German, or everyday habits of different peoples

To compare the historically established European and Russian customs, it is necessary to make a short digression into the past. In the days of the Roman Empire, cleanliness has always been the key not only to health, but also to a fulfilling life. But when the Roman Empire collapsed, everything changed. The famous Roman baths remained only in Italy itself, while the rest of Europe was striking in its uncleanliness. Some sources say that until the 12th century, Europeans did not wash at all!

The case with Princess Anna

"What is good for a Russian is death for a German" - this saying expresses the essence of the differences between representatives of different cultures and nations. An interesting incident happened to Anna, the Kievan princess, who was to marry the King of France, Henry I. After arriving in France, her first order was to take her to bathe. Despite their surprise, the courtiers, of course, complied with the order. However, this did not become a guarantee of getting rid of the wrath of the princess. She informed her father in a letter that he sent her to a completely uncultured country. The girl noted that its inhabitants have terrible characters, as well as disgusting household habits.

The price of uncleanliness

Surprise, similar to that experienced by Princess Anna, was also expressed by the Arabs and Byzantines during the Crusades. They were amazed not by the strength of the Christian spirit that the Europeans had, but by a completely different fact: the smell that reeked a mile away from the crusaders. What happened afterwards, every student knows. A terrible plague broke out in Europe, which claimed half the population. Thus, we can safely say that the main reason that helped the Slavs to become one of the largest ethnic groups, to resist wars, genocide and famine, was precisely cleanliness.

An interesting fact is that after Galicia fell under the rule of Poland, Russian baths completely disappeared in it. Even the art of perfumery originated in Europe with the aim of combating unpleasant odors. And this is displayed in the writer's novel "Perfumer: the story of a murderer." In the book, the author vividly describes what happened on the streets of Europe. All biological waste was poured from the windows directly onto the heads of passers-by.

pharmacy legend

When Russian troops captured Prague on November 4, 1794, the soldiers began to drink alcohol in one of the pharmacies. Sharing this alcohol with a German veterinarian, they accidentally took his life. After drinking the glass, he expired. After this incident, Suvorov uttered the catch phrase: "What is good for a Russian is shmertz for a German," which means "pain, suffering."

An interesting fact should also be noted. The proverb "What is good for a Russian is death for a German" does not exist in German. It is offensive, so it is better not to pronounce it in the presence of representatives of this people. For us, it means the following: what may be useful to one person may be harmful to another. In this sense, the well-known proverb "Another's soul - darkness" or "To each his own" can serve as its analogue.

It is also necessary to remember that earlier in Russia, not only immigrants from Germany were called Germans. This name was worn by all foreigners. Those who did not know local traditions, Russian customs and did not know how to speak Russian were called dumb, or Germans. Because of this, they could get into various comic and sometimes unpleasant situations. Perhaps this proverb was born as a result of such cases.

This phrase has a deep practical meaning. Very often people are incapable of empathy. No wonder the ethical sense among children is considered giftedness. But for adults, the ability to enter into the situation of another person and "try on his skin" is very important for successful interaction in society. A similar meaning is also carried by which says that it is not worth doing about a person and somehow judging him until the moment when the one who wants to make a judgment has spent a day in his shoes.

What is beneficial for one person is highly undesirable for another. Or maybe even fatal. Take, for example, the widespread statements that you should not recommend medicines that have helped you to your relatives, friends and acquaintances - they can not heal, but aggravate the disease. And this will also help to fully understand the true meaning of the well-known proverb, in which in fact there is not a drop of nationalist views.

It was a long time ago - when there were two Germanys, and the USSR was in the rank of a great power. A group of tourists from the Kalinin region, through the Bureau of International Youth Tourism "Sputnik" of the Central Committee of the Komsomol, went to West Germany, to the city of Osnabrück - the German sister city of the Soviet city of Kalinin.
Acquaintance with Germany began with the international airport Frankfurt am Main. Having landed softly, our graceful Tu-154 made its way for a long time to the place of disembarkation of passengers among the herd of fat-bellied Boeings and Airbuses. Already at first glance, it became clear that everything here is arranged according to other standards - different from those we are used to. The guests were received by one of the largest air transport hubs in Europe – so huge that, according to the first sensations, it is just right to get lost in it. However, as we got even a cursory acquaintance with this rationally organized space with its numerous scoreboards, signs and escalators, we were convinced that it was impossible to get lost here, even if you wanted to.
The further road to Osnabrück ran through one small, almost toy-like German town, which politely gave us shelter for the first night. Midnight was approaching, but the young envoys of the Upper Volga were eager to feel the German soil under their feet, to breathe its air. Having settled in the hotel, we went out for a walk before going to bed.
The deserted streets and squares froze in anticipation of the imminent night. In the center of the town, at a lonely traffic light, looking respectfully at the red light, stood an elderly German with a dog. Having caught up with him and without hesitating for a second, the Kalinin residents confidently went “on red” and crossed the roadway with jokes.
And why stand on ceremony: the cars stuck around the narrow streets are immobilized until the morning, respectable burghers are sleeping, so a traffic light in the night is not a decree for a Russian person! The only witness - the old man - also does not count, because from amazement he seems to have fallen into a state of suspended animation for a long time. I still remember the open mouth, the bulging eyes, and the German checkered hat pulled down to the back of the head. Perhaps his ancient Gothic ears, sensitive to historical memory, once (under other circumstances) had already heard Russian speech? But most likely, the very possibility of violating any instruction, especially the sacred Rules of the Road, did not fit in the ordered consciousness of the German.
It was at that moment that I remembered the catchphrase: "What is great for a Russian is death for a German." It accurately notices the presence of significant differences in certain features of the Russian and German national characters. Then, in the course of our journey, at every step we received convincing evidence that in fact the concepts of the rules of life among our peoples often differ diametrically.
The program of the stay in Osnabrück included many activities, among which the most exciting was visiting German families. Tourists were divided into pairs, and the Germans themselves chose which of them to invite to visit. My friend and I were chosen by the architect's family.
The architect, a stout man in his forties, led us to an elderly mouse-colored Mercedes with big-eyed, acorn-like headlights, and, patting the bonnet affectionately, said enthusiastically:
- Diesel!
The rattling ancestor of passenger diesels slowly brought us to the outskirts of Osnabrück. On the way, the owner demonstrated the enviable smoothness of the German autobahn in every way, right up to displaying a glass of soda that stood motionless on the dashboard, which, as apparently intended, made an indelible impression on us. But even more delighted was the architect's dwelling, which looked like a glazed bookcase, organically inscribed at the foot of a small hill overgrown with tall pines. However, the main novelty was not even in this, but in the fact that inside the living quarters there was a complete absence of industrially made furniture. The architect proudly displayed handcrafted cabinets, sofas and shelves that were practically built into the walls. Of course, in the interior of the rooms there was impeccable order and cleanliness.
The stingy aesthetics of the house cooled the soul and held back the spill of friendly feelings. However, we did not lose hope of establishing closer contact and tried to explain ourselves using a mixture of Russian and English words that could not be translated into German. And how else to communicate: we did not understand German, and the German - Russian, he basically did not know English because of his undisguised disgust for the Britons, Angles and various Saxons. Soon the limited resource of gestures and exclamations was completely exhausted. It was necessary to find some kind of life-tested way to consolidate the emerging sympathy, and I decided to resort to a tried and tested national remedy - a bottle of vodka, which I fished out of a case filled with gifts to the host, and which I immediately, looking eye to eye, solemnly handed over to the owner. So to speak, according to Russian custom, as a present, but still in the undisguised hope for a little drink - for an acquaintance!
The German's face lit up with an inner light. He started, tenaciously grabbed the neck of Stolichnaya with his meaty fingers and carefully placed the bottle in a cupboard of his own making.
- Oh, gut, gut - rusishe votka! he sincerely rejoiced, rhythmically waving his tousled eyebrows and patting his capacious belly.
The joy, however, was short-lived, as it was not shared, and an agonizing silence again hung in the room. After conferring, we wholeheartedly, without hiding the innermost desires written on our faces, presented a second bottle of vodka, which immediately suffered the fate of the first. Then a third. But she also inevitably took pride of place in the neatly lined up line of the world famous brand. The result of the alcohol intervention was disappointing: a) the collective reserves of the “second currency” brought from snowy Russia were mediocrely spent by three quarters (each tourist could bring no more than a liter of vodka across the border); b) the desired result is not achieved.
Time writhed in a pause that carried our thoughts with a friend somewhere far, far away, to where the bottle, purely physically, could not remain in the closet for a long time. Traces of memories, apparently, were so vividly reflected on our mournful faces that the German, fussily moving his feet along the shiny parquet floor, hurried to the kitchen and brought out a wicker basket with two bottles of beer at 0.33:
- Bitte.
We quickly uncorked them, for decency offered them to the owner, and after the expected refusal, with a feeling of deep satisfaction, emptied the insignificant containers. The silence became oppressive. The owner, sighing heavily, again went to the kitchen and put out two more small-caliber bottles. Yes, he had a clear lack of imagination! Drowning the nerve in beer, we stared blankly at the empty container. With a look of doom, breathing noisily, the architect went for the next portions of beer, which poured into our stomachs without delay. It seems that the German nevertheless understood that beer is not vodka and the conversation will not stick together. He looked sadly at the cabinet with vodka and thought hard about something.
The situation was defused by a pretty hostess, who invited guests and family members to the table. It was covered with a brand new scarlet tablecloth, which, as soon as everyone was seated, was soiled by the son of the owners, pouring juice. The head of the family pointed at the stain and severely scolded the boy.
I felt sorry for all the Germans: well, what is German swearing compared to the widest range and high damaging ability of Russian profanity ?! According to our classification, German swearing is a meaningless verbal form that does not have a well-deserved international recognition and, most importantly, does not evoke reciprocal feelings. Here they are far from us, of course. However, the notation still worked: everyone calmed down in a disciplined manner.
The smiling Frau offered to start with a salad. The comrade was embarrassed, and in order to maintain the pace gained over beer, I boldly scooped it up with a beautiful silver spoon right from the bottom of a huge porcelain salad bowl, which towered exactly in the center of the table. A pile of green vegetation interspersed with mayonnaise turned out to be so large and unstable that those sitting at the table froze. I also tensed up, but this was only internally, and outwardly - easily and confidently, observing, as it should be, the necessary balance, in a straight line led the mop to my plate. And such an international embarrassment must happen that in the very middle of the path, a green-white lump treacherously slipped onto the scarlet firmament of the table.
Seconds began to stretch into minutes. While those sitting at the table silently hypnotized the mop, fervently enlivening the parade of plates and cutlery, the landlady's daughter, a girl of about eighteen, scooped up the unfortunate mountain with two (!) Spoons and, smiling at me affably, resolutely moved it to my plate. There was a huge stain left on the tablecloth, at which the owner looked doomed, while everyone else stared at me and was silent. I … ate a salad. No problems! So to speak, in order to mitigate the international tension that has arisen.
The next day, the Osnabrück host, led by the burgomaster, arranged a grand celebration in honor of the Soviet delegation, where Kalinin residents were given plenty of beer from aluminum barrels, treated to various German delicacies such as pork legs with sauerkraut and delicious sausages. They drank just enough to communicate without the help of translators, dance German dances and sing Russian songs. Members of the German families who invited the tourists generously presented the guests with gifts. Unfortunately, no one came from the architect's family...
For another week we traveled by bus through the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, a country of strict geometric lines, lined with a giant compass. Outside the window flashed, as if in an animated film, like painted pictures: like a field, but unusually well-groomed; like forests, but translucent through; toy towns, villages and boringly smooth roads. This realm of form had everything, and yet something was sorely lacking.
There was not enough space, air, and therefore - the breadth and scope of the soul. Tightness in everything! We yearned for the free wind in the wild field, for Russian uncertainty and disorder - for our unreasonable. In the end, we even missed the mud - ordinary Russian mud, which covered domestic roads, directions, car wheels and shoes in abundance. The same dirt that more than once saved the Fatherland from various misfortunes.
Truly, whatever is good for a Russian is death for a German. And vice versa.

Reviews

I read it with my wife and was painfully offended by the usual Russian laxity, dirt, and lack of grooming in everything. But we can, if we want to do no worse, and there is no need to refer to the vast expanses, vast distances, and so on. Everyone just needs to start from their own house, yard, the same fence, and the authorities from the road and discipline in everything. And there will be no boredom. We had a chance to visit more than once in the Baltic States, Paris and see something like that in your story. And it was so embarrassing and painful for ours ... My wife and I try not to imitate them, but simply to settle down as our conscience and upbringing allows. Even though we are in our 70s. Smart story! Everyone would like to have it as an instruction on the bedside table. Woke up and looked, looked and did...

Victor, thank you for the quality review on the merits. I agree with you. Nevertheless, I want to clarify the following (since the story failed to focus the attention of the reader on this).
First. Honestly, in Germany I could not live even a month: I would become bored, cramped and sick of the order that paralyzes my will and imagination, although I love order. But the order is different - within the framework of a different ratio of time and space. Now I will try to throw a bridge from the particular to the general.
Second. Why are we - Russians and Germans - so different, what is the essence of the differences?
In Germany, with its compact territory and favorable climate, time seems to flow more evenly, evenly, than in Russia, where in the short summer it was always compressed to the limit, so that at the cost of much greater effort than in the same Germany, to prepare for a stretch of time. harsh winter and survive it. I remind you that until today the agenda in Russia is relevant: "On measures to prepare for the adventure of the heating season." The Germans quickly put things in order in their small living space, based on absolute respect for the law and total regulation, and it turned out to be easier for them to do this again because of the good climatic conditions. But from crowding, the consciousness of every German turned into itself, acquired an individualistic character and does not allow intrusion into personal space. Russians from space have a collectivist consciousness, with a spirit of conciliarity, solidarity, ease in contacts, the ability to open up to everyone they meet. Instructions in our large spaces do not work so effectively, they get stuck in time zones, we have more important ethical norms, traditions and rules of conduct that have been tested for centuries, which form the atmosphere of society. For example: now a lot of laws have been adopted, but the desired result has not been achieved, because the appropriate atmosphere in society has not been created.
Third. There is an opinion that the vector of all the changes that have shaken our country in recent decades has a starting point in climate change - it has become warmer, they say. I wish it was colder...