Это должен знать каждый, или Что делать, если… Стереотипы речевого поведения в типичных и нетипичных ситуациях жизни
.pdfWHAT ONE SHOULD KNOW WHILE TALKING
TO A STRANGER IN RUSSIA
How to address another person?
In the Russian language there are two common forms to address strangers: by using the ты forms of the pronoun “you” (у тебя, с тобой, к тебе…) with the singular forms of the verb (Как ты поживаешь? [Ты]Пойдешь завтра в театр?); or by using the вы forms of the pronoun “you” (у вас, с вами, для вас, к вам…), with the plural forms of the verb (Не могли бы вы мне помочь? [Вы] Дайте мне,
пожалуйста, эту книгу).The correct choice of the pronoun forms and the form of the verb that follows it will immediately establish the level of your relationship. Consideration should be also (be) given to the tone of your voice and your body language when making the contact official, neutral, and business-like in one case; easy and friendly in another; or even rude and impolite in yet another case. What do you need to know about addressing others in Russia?
You should use the pronoun ты in easy and friendly exchanges, such as in the following cases:
•when speaking to a well known person or an acquaintance;
•in non-official situations, such as while talking to a younger person or a person of the same age who is a close friend of yours.
You should use the singular pronoun Вы – formal and polite - in the following cases:
•when speaking to a stranger or to an acquaintance who is not that close;
•in formal social or interpersonal situations;
•when addressing a person who is older than you, and/or who has acquired some degree of status at work.
In the modern Russian language one can use such forms to address others as:
“Господин” and “Госпожа.” These forms carry the significant weight of “Mr.” and
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“Ms.” – polite forms that are usually followed by a family name or the rank of the person you are addressing. “Товарищ” – is the formal form with which to address a man or a woman by professional position and should be followed by profession title (товарищ водитель, товарищ продавец, товарищ милиционер). At school and at the university, students are expected to call their teachers by first and patronymic name: Марина Николаевна, Николай Геннадиевич. Likewise, you should call all other adults and university officials by their first name and patronymic.
Unfortunately, the Russian language has no general mode for people to address a stranger which compares with Frau or Herr, Mister or Miss, Madame or Monsieur in other languages. The forms of address: “девушка” (young lady), “молодой чело-
век” (young man), that you may hear sometimes are only appropriate in very few situations. For instance, you can use them to attract the attention of young people or younger personnel. The forms of address: “мужчина” (man) and “женщина”
(woman) are not considered polite. You can avoid using those words by replacing them with universal pleasantries such as: “Извините, …” (Excuse me…), “Будьте добры…” (Would you mind…), “Скажите, пожалуйста…” ( Tell me, please…),
“Простите, не могли бы вы…”(Excuse me, would you please…).
Each of us needs to communicate with other people. It is even more important to know how to communicate with people in a foreign country. Language etiquette implies that the speaker does not dictate their taste, customs, or traditions to another person, but tries to understand the person they are communicating with, honoring their national origin, religious convictions, and any other deeply-held feelings and traditions. When in a foreign country you must obey the laws of the country you are visiting, honor the rights of the people, and also know your own rights and obligations. The rights of every person are freedom, property rights, and security. Behave in a way, which will unite your freedom of action with the freedom of others, and within the general laws.
Traveling in a foreign country, you can find yourself in some situations out of the ordinary. For example, do you know what to do in the following cases?
•You are stopped by a policeman or highway patrol officer.
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• You need emergency medical care. You, or your friend, feel ill and you have to talk to a doctor and need to urgently explain the current situation or the patient’s condition.
•You are in trouble. Where should you seek help, what phone numbers should you use?
•You are a victim of a crime. What do you do next?
•You are a victim of a theft. How do you behave, and how do you protect yourself in the future?
Every person must know what they can and must do to provide security for themselves in a foreign country. How can you avoid becoming a victim of crime? How can you avoid being pick-pocketed? What should you do in case it occurs? Who can one rely on and how can you protect yourself?
IF YOU ARE STOPPED BY POLICEMEN IN THE SUBWAY
OR IN THE STREET
Usually policemen will stop citizens or others who they suspect have violated the law. The suspected violator is requested to come to the police station, and is released after the policeman draws up a report.
Sometimes the suspect is placed in a special room at the police station, and their belongings - such as money, documents, and cell phones - are taken away. In these cases the list of all belongings, including any amount of money confiscated, must be added to the police report, and returned to the person after they are released.
A police officer has the right to check your documents (your national passport and visa). According to the Russian law, the main ID document in the Russian Federation is the national passport (or military service ID for soldiers). In case your national passport is taken away for registration purposes, you must have and must present a foreign citizen ID certificate (the document that is temporarily issued in exchange for your passport and migratory card during the processing of your registration.)
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If you do not have a passport or foreign citizen ID certificate, the police have the legal right to detain you at the police station for up to 3 hours in order to identify you. It is a good idea to make a notary certified copy of your passport and always carry it with you, and to keep the original passport at home to avoid the loss of this important document.
As a valid ID, one can also use a document that will clearly identify you. This document must have your picture, first, middle (if you have any) and family names, the period of the document’s validity, and the name of the institution that issued it. Also, such document must have a signature of the official who issued it along with the institution’s official seal. This document, in case of need, allows you to verify your identity. A student can use his/her student card (student ID) as a valid identification document. A police officer has the right to check your documents but must return them. The officer does not have the legal right to keep your passport. If your passport is requested by a police officer, ask the officer to issue you with a certificate of the passport’s requisition.
Small violations of the law that one can be fined for include:
•travel without a ticket (travel fare dodging)
•littering from train windows
•smoking where it is not permitted
•violation of photography/video filming rules (for example in subways, theaters or museums)
•use of communication devices (cell phones) while flying in an airplane. Violations of the law, that one can be detained for:
•small hooliganism (for example: presence in public places while intoxicated)
•insulting and disobedience to police officers
•bearing of knives or fire-arms
•purchasing, storing, and usage of drugs
•failure to register officially
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When detained, you have a right to know the reason why you were detained. Long term detention and imprisonment are legal only by court order. Before a court order is issued, the person who violated the law cannot be detained for longer than 48 hours.
ABOUT MANDATORY REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN CITIZENS
Citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to live in a new place of residence without registration for no longer than 90 days.
Foreign citizens must register if they plan to stay in the Russian Federation for more than 3 days. All these regulations are listed in the Federal Law of Russian Federation About Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russian Federation:
Article 20. Registration of foreign citizens
A foreign citizen, who enters the Russian Federation, must register within three working days on arrival in the Russian Federation in accordance with this Federal law, and other federal laws.
Article 21. Registration procedure of foreign citizens
Registration of foreign citizens who had traveled to the Russian Federation is to be made at the place of their stay in the Russian Federation.
Article 23. Documents required for registration of foreign nationals
Registration is executed if a foreign citizen presents: his/her migration card with a border control authority stamp on the entry to the Russian Federation, and his/her identity document.
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Article 33. Responsibility of foreign citizens
A foreign national, convicted of violating the laws of the Russian Federation shall be punished in accordance with the Russian law. The recording, photographing, and fingerprinting of a foreign citizen who is illegally found to be in the Russian Federation is mandatory, with the further entering of the received information into a central data bank that is established under article 26 of this Federal Law.
In case of the loss of a national passport or other national ID documents, a foreign citizen must immediately declare the loss of their document(s) to the nearest police station (nearest to the place of loss or place where the loss was disclosed).
HOW TO BEHAVE WHILE FACING POLICE OFFICERS
Remember: a policeman has a right to address you with any request or demand for verification or checkup only if he/she is currently on duty in this particular district of the city at this particular time.
When addressing you, a patrolling officer must greet you and introduce him/herself by naming their police title and name, and then explain the reason why they are addressing you. The policemen must carry their certificate of employment and their itinerary or guard-post card. You have the right to ask a police officer to show you all the above named documents and to write down the officer’s title and family name. In any case, the policeman, whose personal data you know, understands that any illegal acts toward you will be prosecuted.
Essential in dealing with unusual situations in interactions with policemen, are your politeness and calmness. If you are detained by a policeman, try to phone your relatives, friends, acquaintances, university or department officials, or any university representative whose phone number you know. Naturally, you should always have those phone numbers with you. Inform your phone counterpart where you are and then hand over the phone to the police officer so that they explain the reason of your detention. Know your rights and obligations:
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Article 48 of the Russian Federation Constitution
Any person detained, taken into custody and accused of a crime has the right to legal counsel, respectively, since his arrest, detention or imprisonment.
HOW TO BEHAVE WHILE FACING HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICERS
Example: On the road you see a policeman, highway patrol officer, or guard officer. You are driving toward the officer and they make a gesture for you to stop. Should you stop or not? Any police officer while on duty has a right to stop your car and politely ask you to show your personal ID, documents for the vehicle (driving license and vehicle registration document) and documents for cargo (if you are carrying any). Your obligation is to stop your vehicle and to show the officer the necessary documents.
When addressing you, an officer must greet you and introduce them self by giving their title, rank, and family name, then explain the reason why they are addressing you.
You must speak politely and be calm and, most likely, this encounter will conclude without incident.
The policeman has the right:
•To prohibit the usage of a defective vehicle and to prevent a driver from driving if the driver is under the influence.
•Seize any documents that have signs of falsification
•Use arms and other special tools in order to prevent a crime or to detain a vio-
lator.
HOW NOT TO BECOME A CRIME VICTIM
Where and when could you most likely be attacked? In the woods or in the city?
What time of the day?
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The crowded big city streets are rather dangerous in the morning, day, and evening. When coming home very late in the evening, after dark, avoid lit crowded places. During the night time there are not enough people to scare away criminals. When you walk alone in well-lit streets you are more easily seen from far away, at the same time you might not notice approaching criminals.
Our advice: do not walk late in the evening alone. It is better to have two or three companions with you. Avoid noisy or drunken groups of people. And try not to attract attention to yourself.
Should you be a victim, remember, you have the right to legally defend yourself, however you cannot exceed legal levels of necessary self-defense.
HOW NOT TO BECOME A PICKPOCKET VICTIM
In most big metropolitan cities all over the world, one may become a pickpocket victim. Russia is no different. Pickpocket thieves may act at campus events and in areas next to university dormitories and students' hostels. Common locations of thieves are: stores, market-places, public transportation, bus stations, and parks – any place where there is a crowd of people in which to hide. It is not easy to catch a pickpocket and to prove their guilt. For your own safety you should be alert and remember the following rules:
•Do not keep your documents and money in your trousers’ back pocket.
•Do not carry a satchel or bag on your shoulder, especially on your back.
•Keep your money and documents in an inside pocket of a jacket or coat, or in special purses or pouches on your chest. Do not carry money and documents in bags or plastic bags.
•Be very alert in the market places on weekends, on working days in the evening while returning home, and most importantly, when you are in overcrowded public transport.
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• If you feel a thief’s hand in your pocket, do not turn to anyone. Instead, first try to catch the thief’s hand. Remember, the best defense is to attack; the thief will try to run away at the nearest stop.
•Be careful with cell phones: it is common for thieves to tear off the cell phones from the chest of the owner and run away. It is better to carry a cell phone in the inner pocket of your jacket or coat.
•Do not let strangers use your cell phone as you are risking not getting it back
•Be extremely careful with strangers who invite you to play different kinds of lotto games, or offer you any kind of promotional product on the street – that might be a way of parting you and your money.
•Be very alert in underground pedestrian crossings!
HOW TO RECEIVE QUALIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
All foreign citizens staying in Russian Federation, if they are not employed in Russia, can count only on emergency medical care. You can visit any insurance company and buy an additional medical insurance policy. Integrated voluntary health insurance consists of the following programs:
•Full-service hospital
•Emergency medical service
•Emergency medical care
•Dentistry
•Hospital
•Maintenance of pregnancy and childbirth.
You can select from this list those that you wish to be insured for.
If you fall ill or are injured and think that you need medical attention, call your insurance company dispatcher by the telephone number listed in your medical insurance policy, or call emergency for an ambulance at 03 (available round the clock.)
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Буре Наталья Анатольевна Вольская Лариса Алексеевна
Обложка Я.А. Кирсанов, С.С. Сизиумова
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