response to the comments in the last post

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

How many non-Russians out there (specifically Americans, since that's what I am) heard the stereotype of bears wandering the streets of Russia, before actually getting to Russia? Here's a conversation I routinely have with Siberians:

Russian: What did you think about Siberia before you got here?
inoctiluci: Well, I don't really remember, but I'd say the usual stereotypes: that it would be very cold, that there were almost no people except those who were sent to the labor camps here, and that people drink lots of vodka.
R: And bears, right? I bet you expected bears to be walking the streets, maybe even playing the balalaika!
i: Um, no. Actually, I heard that for the first time in Siberia. To me, it seems like you think that we think that about you, but it's just your stereotype about us. I never heard it in America.
R: Really? But they even think that about us in Moscow and European Russia!

I'll post a Russian version for language critique:

русский: Что ты думала о Сибири до того, что приехала?
inoctiluci: Ну, я уже не очень хорошо помню, но наверно все типические стереотипы: здесь очень холодно, здесь почти нет людей, кроме таких, которых сюда послали работать в заключенных лагерах, и что люди пьют много водки.
р: и медведи, да? Ты наверно ожидала, что медведи тут ходят по улицам, может быть даже играющие на балалайке!
i: ааа, нет. На самом деле, я это первый раз в жизни слышала здесь, в Сибири. Мне кажется, что вы думаете, что мы так думаем о вас, но это просто ваш стереотип о нас. Я это никогда не слышала в америке.
р: Правда? Но они точно так думают о нас в Москве и европейской части России!


of course, then they often relate the story of when, a few years ago, a bear actually did walk the streets of this city.


So, fellow foreigners-in-Russia, did you hear the "bear wandering the streets" stereotype before coming to Russia? And what country (or state if from the USA) are you from?

Comments

[nursedianaklim.livejournal.com]

So, wait, no bears? But, but. *emo sadface*

[fiachasorcha.livejournal.com]

ok, so the emo thing made me laugh

mostly because while I was in russia there was a discusson on TV - "What is Emo?"

[aurora-dark.livejournal.com]

Never been to Siberia or Russia, but had never ever heard a mention of "bears in Russia" until I found this community, and heard people mention it here ;)

[aurora-dark.livejournal.com]

oh, forgot to mention (in case it wasn't apparent). Me = American!

[giantantattack.livejournal.com]

The first time I had ever heard that stereotype was last year when I lived in Nizhny Novgorod. The local students wanted to know if that's what I had thought Russia would be like before I arrived. But honestly, in 23 years living in the northwestern US, I had never once heard anyone say anything about bears wandering the streets of Russian cities, and the idea seemed completely ludicrous to me. When I told them this, they seemed confused, and even a little dismayed, that such a novel stereotype was not as widespread as they had been told.

I'd love to know where this tall tale is coming from.

[melsmarsh.livejournal.com]

What's funny is that I didn't even think about it when I asked my advisor how to say "Help! A bear ate my advisor in Siberia, where is the American embassy?" He laughed and said the bear was most likely to wander the park so he gave me the "corrected" translation and then told me it would be a tiger in Siberia. ;)

Of course, I've never been to Russia.

I'm originally from Florida, but now live in Georgia. My advisor is originally from Siberia and now lives in North Dakota.

[angstzeit.livejournal.com]

I have heard much of the medved in Russia but only relating to a painting originating in America. :)

I've never heard of them wandering the streets.

[miconazole.livejournal.com]

I think the foreign stereotype of Russia is vodka, ushankas and communism, not bears in the street ;) Like some of the other posters I first heard that from Russians.

[miconazole.livejournal.com]

PS - I'm pretty sure a lot of people think Siberia is totally uninhabited, so there'd be no streets for the bears to wander anyway :))

[aurora-dark.livejournal.com]

You know, that is very true. Many Americans think Siberia is a frozen wasteland...

[vivalasvacas.livejournal.com]

I live in Alaska, and it is a frozen wasteland, so I could only assume that some parts of Siberia have bears and wild animals walking around like here. :D

Then I have my fair of stereotypes where I live. No, I don't live in an igloo! Arghh!

[la-dy-ashley.livejournal.com]

Well that ushanka thing does exist. I remeber my host parents saying, ¨But we thought you´d be wearing hats!¨ as they met me in the airport... ;)

[viteksafronov.livejournal.com]

"Basement Jaxx - Take Me Back To Your House" video is answer for this question :))

[nastya-23.livejournal.com]

:)

[cassandraclue.livejournal.com]

Hahaha!

[sibir-muzhyk.livejournal.com]

+1

[devinshire.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's definintely a Russian stereotype about Americans. I got that ALL THE TIME when I was there. It was annoying at first, but after being asked about the bears so many times, it actually became rather funny. The Russians are the only ones who are hung up on the bear thing.

[alon_68]

More precisely, it's Russian stereotype about American stereotypes :)

[nastya-23.livejournal.com]

Korean people asked me about this stuff: bears, vodka, frost.

[belacane.livejournal.com]

I spent most of my childhood in chicago, Illinois, USA, and had heard nothing about bears. In fact, I did very little thinking about Russia at all before I started studying the language on whim 5 years ago at Uni.

Many of my relatives are from/have lived in russia though, so i guess they wouldn't have made those stereotypes about their own place when they did talk about it =)

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

Same. I don't know why the Russians think we think that. I've never thought of the bear as the national mascot, except maybe when I found out about Misha and him being the mascot for 80's Olympics.

I'm American, btw.

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry - I wasn't trying to make fun of your post. The comments to it simply made me wonder if I'm the only American who hadn't heard of the bear stereotype before coming to Russia, or if I'm right that it's a Russian stereotype about American stereotypes.

I loved living in Moscow - it's really a global city, and I didn't feel unsafe there very often. If you treat it like any big city and don't be too trusting of complete strangers, you'll be fine.

[icedink.livejournal.com]

I think I may have heard the bear comment before I went to Russia (been here 2 years now) but on a Russian website: "No, you won't find bears..."

That being said, I have Russian heritage, and my mom collects Russian toys and antiques and such, and she does have a few carved wooden bear. I think I had an idea of "Russian bears" because of that, but certainly did not think they roamed free.

GA

[ex-forest-l.livejournal.com]

I think there was a cartoon about bears wandering down a Moscow street playing balalayka in the mid 70-s, and it impressed us here so much that we still remember it. I might be wrong, though. And honestly, you'd prefer to be asked 'Oh, do you have bears on the streets?' than 'Oh, are you from the chilly madhouse full of fanatic communists who think about nuclear missles and nothing else?', wouldn't you?
And I'm Russian, so, sadly, you can't count me. :)

[francomanca.livejournal.com]

+1 :)))

[fiachasorcha.livejournal.com]

I had never heard any sort of stereotype like that...I mean you hear jokes, but hokes are quite a different subject. The only things that vaguely even compare to that would be the stereotype about drinking (which is only half true, and not in the ways you think it will be), and that if you go to Moscow you'll see at least one dead body (which my friend who lived there confirmed - but honestly as someone who lives in NYC I could say the same about here, we just don't want to know/admit that they're dead).

I'm fairly sure that they were just pulling your leg, so to speak.

[fiachasorcha.livejournal.com]

oh and the moscow thing was actually if you're there in the winter


don't worry so much about going there. You'll be surprised about how like other countries it is more than you'll be surprised about the differences. Russia isn't the Russia of 10 years ago, almost anywhere you go (unless you're going to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere) will have malls and supermarkets and nike stores (and maybe even a coca cola factory like the city I lived in).

And honestly, being from upstate NY, roaming bears wouldn't scare me anyway (we not only have bears, but also moose). I will admit to being a little nervous about the roaming bands of drunk sailors/paratroopers on military holidays. But again, we get those in NYC too during fleet week.

[shariperkins.livejournal.com]

I never heard of it before I arrived in Russia. I am from Virginia.

[crimeanelf.livejournal.com]

Heh. My mom once sent me a picture: a bear-cub in the entrance of her telescope. She lives in New Mexico, USA. So yes, I know for sure, that bears are walking free on the streets in USA. ;)

We (Russians) have an image of americans as of a bit slow and not too bright people. I can easily foresee a fairytale of the kind: "and then I told them about bears on the streets and they believed".

P.S. All my time in USA disproofs this image.

[onekatietwo.livejournal.com]

I heard about the bears and balalaika thing only when i started getting seriously interested in the Russian language and Russian culture. It was referenced in a couple books i got from the library and i've now seen it referenced pretty frequently on the internet.

But prior to diving into Russian language and culture, i knew nothing of the wandering bears stereotypes. Depressed, frowning people in big fur hats and coats, all drinking vodka, yes. But bears, no.

I'm from the united states. Montana, to be exact.

[vargtimmen.livejournal.com]

This confuses me a lot too! I've never heard any stereotypes about bears in Russia, but I always read Russians accusing Americans of thinking Russia is nothing but snow and bears. Where the hell did they get this idea from? It's so strange to have a stereotype about someone else having a made-up stereotype about you...

[msmiss.livejournal.com]

Definitely! I was asked this many times there! So funny cuz it is definitely not what first comes to mind when i think about russia... :P I'm from the states--- East Coast somewhere...

[opposto.livejournal.com]

If anybody is interested in a short poll on this theme here it is (http://community.livejournal.com/trip_to_moscow/1862.html) :)

[rustmanspb.livejournal.com]

It's funny read this about our stereotypes. But if you want to see a meved ) you need travel to a forest in the south of RF or Syberia. You will never see a bear in a big town, but in a syberian village they appears sometimes. I saw one there N 48°49.829` and E 131°15.216` when worked in geological expedition(on the Far East). I apologize for my bad english )

[rustmanspb.livejournal.com]

Is there anyone who can help me to learn english or just wannt to have a chat? Drop me a line to the e-mail: Rustman@spmi.ru