 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No and yes - In my experience most of the ones I have come across are surly,never smile,arrrogant and rude and thatt is being kind. One of the bar owners in Zermatt has told me that the Zermatt hoteliers have a black list of Russian family names that are banned from their hotels due to bad behaviour usually brought on by the excessive consumption of Vodka. A lot of them are shady gangster types usually dressed in very bling Spyder outfits. No my advice would be avoid them at all costs and party with the Austrians themselves and Bavarian's much more fun. A pity that the wall came down all those years ago. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowbandit,
Yes, in my experience, a lot of post-Soviet Russians treat smiling, or just passing the time of day in a friendly fashion, as a waste of time, perhaps because of the terrible quality of life in the Soviet years. This doesn't mean that they're all unpleasant and rude, though, and of course it's wonderful (IMV) that there is no longer an iron curtain. But the Russians with money to splash about in places like Zermatt and Courchevel...not too nice on the whole, though there are exceptions: in Verbier a couple of years ago, I had one charming Russian couple apologizing to me for the behaviour of some of their compatriots.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Noticed a lot more last year in Lech than I did the previous year. Tend to keep themselves to themselves but the thing I like about ski hols is chatting to folks from various countries. Tend to hog the bars too. They do come accross as arrogant and IO have heard stories of them in Ischgl paying off bar staff to clear the pub and leave it to the Russian mafia types. Put it this way, I would not miss them if they went to Kitz instead.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hmm. The chalet my son is working in is let to Russians for 2 weeks sometime soon. Not sure of the dates. In Meribel. It's super-expensive, and very new and cool, and the owner is going to be very upset if the Russians damage it and behave badly. Let's hope they are nice Russians, and appreciate his food. He sent a text this morning, very pleased, because the Parisian owners, who were there over Christmas/New Year, had loved his cooking. They are apparently a super family, with fun and well-behaved children. So there are nice Parisians, and no doubt a few nice Russians here and there (and not only the detribalised ones like Hurtle )
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The Russians I've met abroad are certainly not the most gregarious people you'll meet, and enjoy a drink, certainly. With other tourists they are, on the whole, fine, if a bit serious and unsmiling. They're often no more rowdy than us Brits, as we still have a bit of a "reputation" in this respect.
The one thing that I struggle with is the way most treat the staff, be it a hotel or bar or wherever. Plain rude.
The main reason the staff don't like them them is not mainly because of this but because they rarely, if ever, tip. I know alot of Brits who can equally as rude, but because they tip well are not only tolerated, but welcomed.
The only other thing worth avoiding is if a bar has karaoke, and has managed to acquire some Russian stuff, avoid it like the plague. Most songs start mournful, get more dour and end up suicidal...........................
John.
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Most songs start mournful, get more dour and end up suicidal..............
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I was in Kitz last March. It wasn't busy at all, and there were more Brits than any other tourist nationality. Did encounter a couple of Latvians on the bubble lift but they were very pleasant and courteous. Don't believe everything the media tells you...
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Latvians aren't Russians. In fact......Latvians know more than most of us about Russians. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just saying that I didn't encounter any Russians, that's all. The newspaper article seemed to suggest that Kitzbühel was swarming with Russians in Feb 2007. But I certainly didn't find this in March 2008...
The Latvians were very pleasant and spoke enthusiastically of their home country. I bet it would be a great place to visit...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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BCjohnny,
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Most songs start mournful, get more dour and end up suicidal...........................
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Ah, that's the Russian soul. You don't want to knock that, it's what makes Russians tick!  (Annoys the hell out of me, though, and has caused me to make the policy decision never to go and see another production of Three Sisters. I mean to say, why don't they just bloody go to Moscow and stop whingeing about it?!)
queen bodecia, Latvia is OK, but far too flat for my taste and with too many pine forests! Riga, though, is a beautiful city (both my parents knew it well and used to say it was a bit like Paris, which is still true, I think) but full to bursting with Russians, which must be difficult for the Latvians. There's a huge market - really vast - that I visited one day and I didn't hear a single person there speaking anything but Russian.
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the policy decision never to go and see another production of Three Sisters.
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I remember going through a phase of reading loads of Russian novels (in English, needless to say) in my late teens. Those books where you have to keep referring back to see who is son of whom is son of whom. Lots of mournful stuff, cabbage soup, kulaks and gulags. I was reminded of it watching Dr Zhivago the other night. One of my OH's close relatives was of Russian emigré stock (an Arendt) but all mine came from Wales, where despite the odd mournful Celtic streak, we're probably a bit more cheerful on the whole. If the Russians who go to my son's chalet are too rude they might just get the borscht down the back of the neck.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We've got loads of Russians this week - so far they have all been perfectly normal. Complete lack of bling, guns and bad manners. It's not Russians per se who behave offensively, it's rich people. Something about having piles of dosh makes people think they can get away with being arrogant.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| It's not Russians per se who behave offensively, it's rich people. Something about having piles of dosh makes people think they can get away with being arrogant. |
Our next door neighbours in Les Arcs are pretty wealthy, and you couldn't meet a more down-to-earth, 'normal' couple. So I think it's probably better to say it's not Russians or wealthy people per se who behave arrogantly, but arrogant people who behave arrogantly. It's something about arrogant people who think they can get away with being arrogant.
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FAQ
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