Russia - Cross-cultural Nursing Database

Language

Russian (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)

nation

More than 80% of the population are Russians of East Slavic ethnicity (ethnic name)
The major non-Russian ethnic groups include Ukrainians, Chechens, Ingushis, Ossetans, Kalmyks, Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvashis, Tuvas, Sakha, Evenki, Taimyr, Mali, Moldovin, Karelian, Inuit, German, Jewish, Koryo and many more than 100 non-Slavic ethnic groups

(in Japanese history)Wikipedia Russia)

religion

Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)

Food culture taboos, etc.

• Few dishes are strictly Russian, and many are said to be the cuisine of other ethnic groups such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
• Typical dishes include shchy (cabbage soup), borscht (red stew, a Ukrainian dish), uha (fish soup), beef stroganoff (rice with beef stew), and piroshki (pie).
• Because of the cold climate in Russia, the dishes were served one after the other to prevent them from getting cold. It is said that this style was imported back to France, and the present course meal format was established. The appetizer is called "zakouska," and is famous for its caviar, pickled herring, smoked eel, and so on.

(in Japanese history)Wikipedia Russia)

Other customs and culture

• Because of a Russian superstition/jinx that says "staring at and cursing", some Russians do not like their children to be photographed or to be looked at all the time just because they are cute. Therefore, if you keep praising your child because he or she is cute, they will think you are casting a strange curse on them and will not have a very good impression of you.
• When a person forgets something, he or she is told not to go back to retrieve it because it is believed that accidents or other bad things will happen if he or she goes to retrieve it.
• Odd numbers are considered to represent good things (as cited in the number of flowers given at a wedding, for example), while even numbers are considered to be unfortunate (as cited in the number of flowers given at a funeral, for example).
• In Russia, the new school year begins in September. The age for starting school can be either 6 or 7 years old. It is decided by parental preference and a meeting with the teacher prior to enrollment. Today, there are private elementary schools for wealthy families, but most children attend a nearby municipal elementary school, where tuition and textbooks are free. In addition, the Russian school system is an 11-year school system, similar to a combination of elementary, junior high, and high schools in Japan. Unless there is a move, students do not change classes, so they stay with the same classmates for 11 years until graduation. Summer vacation is 3 months, fall vacation is 1 week, winter vacation is 2 weeks, and spring vacation is 1 week.
• An event exists where the bride is kidnapped at a wedding. It is a kind of hide-and-seek where the bride's relatives and friends kidnap the bride and hide her in a room somewhere. If they cannot find her, they must pay a ransom. It is said that this represents how much the groom loves the bride, and no amount is specified. After the ransom is paid, the bride is released and the ransom is returned to the groom. The relatives and friends who are holding the bride back at this time pour champagne into the bride's new pumps, which were bought for the occasion, and the groom drinks them down.

Customs, habits, health, etc.

1. There are few special endemic diseases in urban areas, but in winter, the temperature fluctuates widely, which can easily damage the nasopharynx and throat, and the cold air can cause headaches if people do not wear hats when going outside.
   The spread of AIDS is a growing concern in Russia. Whereas in the past, most cases of AIDS infection occurred through the use of needles associated with drug use, the number of cases of infection through sexual intercourse has recently been increasing.
2. In case of illness or injury, Western clinics are available, but if hospitalization or surgery becomes necessary, one cannot expect the medical care and treatment one would receive in Japan.
3. Medical supplies
   Medications are difficult to obtain without a doctor's prescription and are not always available as prescribed due to shortages.
4. immunization
   Adults must be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis A and B. Vaccination against tick encephalitis is required in the Far East region.
5. drinking water
   Tap water is made from water from continental rivers, so the color and total hardness are slightly higher, but coliforms and other bacteria have not been detected. However, the water is often cloudy and is not suitable for drinking in its raw state.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas Safety Web Site)

Customs related to pregnancy and childbirth

• Some hospitals have a ward called a home-like maternity ward. In a nutshell, the purpose of these wards is to "allow recovery in an environment that is as similar to that of home as possible. For this reason, all rooms in these wards are private rooms, and in order to provide conditions similar to those at home, cots are provided so that fathers can stay with their children. In addition, the ward is equipped with toilets, showers, and other amenities that make it as comfortable as home.
• Often a system is adopted where mother and baby are in the same room 24 hours a day, and the baby does not leave the parents for even a second. Therefore, care for the baby awaits immediately after birth. Therefore, a chaperone becomes indispensable.
• There are contractual conditions regarding hospitalization. Some of these conditions are unimaginable in Japan, such as the availability of toilet paper and imported soap. In some cases, folded rags are given instead of dew pads.

(Care the world World Births in Russia)

Customs related to childcare

• In winter, the hours of daylight are short, it is dark by 9:00 in the morning, and it is already dark by 4:00 in the evening, so children are not exposed to the sun during the winter.
• Although winter lasts for more than half of the year, there is a custom of taking children out for a walk in warm clothes, no matter how cold it is.
• Started toilet training in the summer. He wears a diaper in the house, but when he goes outside, he wears only a pair of pants and asks, "Do you have to pee?" He asks, "Do you have to pee? In Russia, it is even difficult to find a toilet, much less a toilet in a park, so going to the bathroom on the go is a challenge.
• Strollers are heavy in winter because of the need for large, sturdy tires to propel the stroller through snow-covered roads. They also need to be chained because they are invariably stolen when left outside.

(Care the world World Parenting Russia)

Customs related to end-of-life and funerals

• Russians have a fear of death, and most of them do not even like to talk about it, compared to the Japanese, who build their own graves before they die and decide on their inheritance after death even before they die.
• When a family member passes away and the date of the funeral is set, we must first arrange the grave, casket, band, bus that serves as a hearse, shuttle bus to the cemetery, and a venue for the "memorial service" to be held after the burial. A soundman must also be found, and for some reason, a photographer is also indispensable.
• Notification of deaths is mainly by word of mouth, and senior officials in corporations and government offices also use newspaper advertisements. Upon receiving the news, colleagues at work are expected to collect money, and relatives and friends are expected to provide financial support.

<Funeral arrangements

• On the day of the funeral, the casket is placed under the front door of the apartment where the deceased lived and the lid is not closed. The family stands next to it and receives condolences from relatives and friends. Mourners offer flowers to the coffin, but the number of flowers must be an even number (odd numbers are for celebrations). （The number of flowers is always even (odd numbers are for celebratory occasions).
• There are no rules on what to wear. When someone close to you dies, black or navy blue is preferred, but for company colleagues or relatives, you can wear normal clothes.
• After 30 minutes to an hour of mourning, the group is transferred to a bus with a band playing sad music. The group moves as a group to the cemetery where they will be buried, but it is necessary to provide a bus for those who do not have a car. The front lights of the cars are turned on so that the procession is not disrupted.
• At the cemetery, a grave pit has already been dug and a gravedigger is waiting. The coffin is placed in the grave pit, and after the sounding board and guests of honor (company bosses and close friends) give their farewell speeches, all mourners cover the grave with sand, and the gravedigger fills in the rest at once. The soil left on the ground is piled in a heap, shaped, and staked until the grave marker is erected and flowers are placed. After watching over them, vodka and blinis (Russian-style creeps) are served to the mourners.

<How to hold a memorial service for the deceased.

• It can be held at home or in a restaurant. Liquor and food are served, and words are said in memory of the deceased. A seat for the deceased is also prepared at this table.
• A glass of vodka is poured on a plate, a slice of black bread is placed on top, and salt is placed on top. The vodka with the bread on top is left at home for 40 days.
• There is also a custom of hanging a cloth over a large mirror at home.

<Other customs

• The 40th day is considered the day when the soul of the deceased leaves this world, and on this day, people close to the deceased gather again to hold a memorial service called paminki. Mirrors are uncovered, vodka glasses are put away, and all windows in the home are opened to release the soul. By this time, the mounds of earth from the graves are almost completely leveled and grave markers can be erected, but the price of grave markers has recently increased and it is not always possible to erect them immediately. The grave marker may be inlaid with a picture of the deceased painted on glass or carved into the stone.
• Every year after this, on the anniversary of his death, we visit his grave, offer flowers, and have a Paminki with vodka and blinis.

(in Japanese history)Sakhalin Three-Page Article Russian Funeral)

education

• Compulsory education lasts for 11 years, from age 6 to 17.
• All education was free, but some institutions of higher education began charging tuition.
• In 1991, there were 27 college graduates per 10,000 population.
• Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, all schooling was conducted in Russian, but since the collapse of the Soviet Union, more and more schools have begun to offer classes in ethnic languages.
• During the Soviet era, all educational institutions were state-run, but since the 1990s many private institutions have emerged
• The adult literacy rate was 99% in 1996.

("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

National Health and Medical

• The former Soviet Union's health care system, like its political system, operated in a centralized manner. All advanced medical care was concentrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and local hospitals provided medical care in facilities no larger than small clinics in Japan. The current medical system is basically inherited from the former Soviet Union, but due to rapid liberalization, private hospitals, mainly foreign-owned, are being opened. However, the common people do not have access to medical care.
• The typical medical system from the former Soviet Union was an all-state-run, state-run "polyclinic" for primary care by medical professionals with a focus on ancillary care, which supported end medical care, and on top of that were several central hospitals in cities, states, districts, etc., and on top of that were the highly specialized On top of these, there were highly specialized medical institutions that existed in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other large cities.

("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

cause of death

As of 1994, the following were ranked first: cardiovascular diseases, second: malignant tumors, third: respiratory diseases, fourth: pregnancy and postpartum complications, fifth: gastrointestinal diseases, and sixth: suicide.
("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

immunization

Hepatitis B, polio, mumps, measles, rubella, BCG, Td, and DTwP are prescribed at various times.
(in Japanese history)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Information on Medical Officers at Embassies and Consulates abroad)
BCG: 95
DTP1: 97
DTP3: 97
Hepatitis B: 97
Measles: 98
Polio: 97
(2011) (WHO)

medical facilities

• Although private hospitals have opened since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the wealthy can go to private hospitals to receive highly advanced medical care, while the less affluent have to be examined in old-fashioned hospitals with poor facilities.
• Public medical facilities include polyclinics (outpatient hospitals) and ballinizas (inpatient hospitals) in each district, where registered citizens can receive free or low-cost medical care. The public health care system has collapsed, with ordinary citizens routinely giving cash to doctors and staff in order to get better care or to shorten waiting times. The wealthy tend to avoid such public hospitals and use privately funded medical facilities with a high standard of care (such as public hospitals for the privileged in the former Soviet Union). Some of the public hospitals that provide privately funded medical care have renewed their facilities and equipment with ample financial resources, and are now on par with the medical standards of developed countries. However, foreigners are not able to freely receive medical care because of restrictions such as "no membership contract or payment guarantee" and "almost no English is spoken.

(in Japanese history)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Information on Medical Officers at Embassies and Consulates abroad)

Medical Occupations

In the former Soviet system, doctors and nurses were trained in large numbers as a national policy to ensure easy and fair access to medical care, and because of their low social status and low salaries, many doctors were trained without sufficient medical education itself. (*Doctors trained in a state where medical education itself was not sufficient: for example, a doctor could qualify as an "assistant doctor" with only three years of education after graduating from junior high school.)
("Public Health Systems of the World," 1999, Japan Public Health Association)

total fertility rate

1.5 (2010) (WHO)

Infant mortality rate (thousands of births vs.)

9 (2010) (WHO)

life expectancy

Male: 62 (2009) (WHO)
Female: 74 (2009) (WHO)