Saint Petersburg Local Custom Tips by bobs12

Whistling indoors is said to bring bad luck. The phrase 'ne svisti a deneg ne budet' means 'don't whistle or there'll be no money'.

Russians are pretty superstitious people. Their 'narodnie primety' , or 'folk omens' still have a very powerful influence on the collective psyche. While foreigners would scoff at someone getting nervous about breaking these traditions, Russians can sometimes take it very seriously and may be offended.

In Russia you are unlikely to hear anyone whistling anywhere, even outdoors. Since Soviet times, whistling has been frowned upon. Whistling to someone to attract their attention may cause offence.

Whistling a tune while walking down the street is a sure way to attract attention from pickpockets and thieves - they'll know instantly that you're a foreigner.

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If you're learning Russian, or happen to know some Russian phrases, be sure to watch what you say.

If you don't have full command of the language, never swear at anyone for any reason, ever. Even 'milder' expletives such as 'kozel' (goat) may have hidden cultural meanings.

Calling someone a goat may not seem hugely offensive, and in most cases it isn't. But it has a second meaning- in Russian prisons, 'kozel' is the guy who always gets abused in the showers by the other inmates. Enough said.

Call anyone who has been to prison a 'kozel', and you may be lucky to get away with fractures and concussion.

Never use the contraction 'devka' to refer to a 'devushka'. 'Devka' is generally used to refer to sluts and prostitutes.

Russians are singularly unforgiving to foriegners' linguistic mistakes, and are easily offended by such unintended 'insults'.

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If you're giving flowers to a Russian for whatever reason, be it a romantic gesture, a birthday or a thank-you gift, be sure to count them first.

Don't give an even number of flowers - even numbers are reserved for funerals and gravesides. It's another 'bad omen', and believe me, you will be held accountable if someone so much as sneezes after you give the wrong number of flowers...

If you want to send flowers to St. Petersburg, Edward Thompson runs an excellent mail-order flower delivery service! (And he lives just down the road from me :)

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