Every year, not long after New Year’s Day, countless Russians take a leap into freezing waters to kick off the cold season. This tradition, which may seem crazy to us, started over a hundred years ago. The swimmers must cut holes in the ice beforehand in order to be able to actually swim in the freezing water.
You may be shivering just thinking about this, but many Russians believe that cold swimming is good for their body and soul. 76-year-old Jitka Tauferova talks about the benefits – “The last time I had the flu was 25 years ago, and my back pain disappeared. Better blood circulation improves healing broken bones, and my heart is like a hammer. I feel great.”
Russians and Vodka
How much Russians love their vodka has become a worldwide cliché, but in truth, they love almost every type of alcohol. Their relationship with vodka, however, is special, and they prefer to drink it neat. Each year when the holidays arrive, the average Russian spends roughly $400 on alcohol alone.
This may sound like a good time, but unfortunately, all that drinking does catch up to them. Sadly, every year about 23,000 people die of alcohol poisoning in Russia. That is the highest percentage in the world! Alcohol abuse has also been linked to numerous instances of assault, homicide, and suicide.
The Lungs Of Europe
It is a little-known fact that Russia has the world’s largest forest reserves, bigger even than the entire Amazon Rainforest. This enormous forest produces an incredible amount of oxygen and is second only to the Amazon in the amount of carbon dioxide it absorbs.
That is the reason Russia’s forests have earned the nickname ‘The Lungs of Europe.’ These forests must be preserved from industrialization and protected from disease, or the air quality in Europe will suffer greatly.
The Russian Language
Over 260 million people all over the world are fluent in Russian, and it is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is also the largest native spoken language, as well as the 8th most spoken language in the world.
What makes the language unique, however, is that it has no articles. There are no definite or indefinite articles, meaning Russian doesn’t have a “the” or an “an.” It is almost impossible to try and explain the concept of articles to people who only speak Russian.
Helicopter Hector
So, we know that Russia is big, and it seems like they prefer other things to be big as well, including in their outdoor activities. For example, if you use a golf cart to get around on a regular golf course, some Russians believe you can’t even play golf without a helicopter.
In this special type of golf, the player guides a three-feet-tall ball with a helicopter that has a giant mallet attached to it. The player flies around the court in the helicopter until the ball reaches the final hole. Talk about a rich man’s game, don’t see this being played on the playground anytime soon.