Smiling in public is frowned upon in Russian culture. Excessive smiling is seen as a sign of dishonesty, insincerity, or even stupidity. Russians also tend to not smile in photographs for this reason.
10 reasons why Russians don’t smile much In the Russian communicative consciousness, there is a rule: the smile must be a genuine reflection of a good mood and a good relationship. For many centuries, everyday existence in Russia was a strenuous battle for survival; the life of the common Russian was grueling, and worry became […]