Polish beauty: all about Polish girls. Cultural contribution: music

To better understand the context - a little personal history. Although I have already partially described some parts of my biography in other posts, I will repeat it especially for those who come to read only this one post.

Before leaving for Poland, I lived in Kharkov, a metropolis in eastern Ukraine. My adolescence fell on the "dashing 90s", and the situations in life were different. The social strata in which I had to communicate were also different. For example, by the end of school, two of my classmates were already in prison. I'm not complaining - quite the contrary. I am sure that everything in life happens for a reason. There is no bad experience. But I want to note that in the formation of a personality, his environment is not a sentence. I am this I know on actual experience. And therefore I don't believe in "bad environment" as an excuse.

Another thing is education. And here the role of parents is difficult to overestimate. I was lucky - since childhood I had great freedom in making decisions, and exactly the same responsibility. I have known since childhood that every action has consequences. In different time frames, scales and combinations. And it so happened that I came to many elementary things myself.

I realized that cheating is bad. Not because someone will "punish". I realized that aggression begets aggression and is destructive in nature. Littering on the street is bad. Violating traffic rules is dangerous. Etc. and so on. Once again I want to note that I myself came to these things. No one has ever brainwashed me (successfully). I am agnostic.

I also loved helping people. Yes, yes, it's for me enjoyed helping. Exclusively due to selfish feelings - awareness of how important my help is to these people. I'm not talking about charity - I never give to beggars. I'm talking about real help. Of a very different nature.

... (there was also a large piece of text telling me how correct I am, white and fluffy. And although this is true, it made me feel sick :))

So, with such a worldview, I increasingly felt like a black sheep in Ukraine ...

Part II - Moving

By the way, I do not want to say that I was unique. On the contrary, in Ukraine there are really a lot of good people. In the end, I can not say anything bad about anyone from my environment. But, unfortunately, life is not only your circle of friends.

Going out into the street ....... here I began to write about what I encountered and how disgusting and unpleasant it all was for me, but, in Once again, decided not to add negativity on his blog. In the end, everyone already knows what and how is happening in Ukraine. The other day, by chance, a channel caught my eye on YouTube ZIK(and more specifically this video clip). I realized how much I have already weaned from such news.

What and when exactly made me decide to emigrate, I don’t remember. But I want to note that it is not at all material goods. By the time of the move, I had my own apartment, a car, a good white salary and a job that I liked. Breaking social ties at the time of moving is a very important problem. I can say that I underestimated her. In general, moving entails a lot of different difficulties. But by that time I already had a very well-established life position- they are afraid of the teeth of wolves - do not go into the forest.

So, despite all the difficulties, we still moved. And already through the prism of 3.5 years I want to say again - We never regretted the move.. I wrote a lot about various comparative pluses and minuses. Actually, b O Most of my blog is devoted to this. But specifically in this post we will talk about ....

Part III - Mentality

Chapter I - Smile

So, first of all, I want to talk about the most common misconception about the mentality of the Poles (Europeans): a smile on the face is just a mask. It is not true. And I have my own version of the origin of this prejudice.

In the post-Soviet space, it is customary to be polite and respectful only with relatives and friends (I just realized the full significance of the question "Petrovich, do you respect me?"). Such social closeness implies a special attitude in solving various issues. And, perhaps, it is precisely the concessions that our compatriots expect when they smile at them. And they get very upset when the interlocutor / partner does not behave "brotherly".

In fact, here it is customary to treat each other with respect and benevolence "by default". Now I feel it myself I have no reason to treat a stranger badly. At the same time, I am not pretending. And I think it's very good.

However, a friendly attitude does not mean a special attitude at all. Smiling won't get you a discount at the store, your partner won't cut their margin, and the tax girl won't cut your percentage. Even the policeman, writing out a ticket to you, will smile. This does not mean that he put on a mask. But he can sincerely hope that you will better follow the rules.

And in general, it turned out so well that smiling at a stranger in Europe is not shameful. And it's great uplifting.

Chapter II - Snitches

I am not a historian, but in my memory there are fragments of the history of the USSR associated with scammers. As I understand it, it was from that time that cooperation with law enforcement agencies was discredited. And in the 90s, when everything was decided "according to the concepts", it became ... let's say ... unethical to contact the police. Therefore, I often hear the opinion that Europeans are actually rats who secretly complain to the police in order to mischief.

Unfortunately, those who hold such an opinion have simply forgotten why law enforcement agencies were actually invented. And often they simply do not represent the normal work of the police, which does not require or take bribes. When you live in a civil society, you must understand that your freedom ends where the freedom of another person begins. For example, if society has decided that after 10 pm everyone has the right to a peaceful sleep, then none of the neighbors is obliged to explain this to you again personally. And if you are not satisfied with the laws by which the society lives, then either seek a change in the laws (and this is possible), or look for another society (this is my personal opinion).

Epilogue

For the May holidays, friends from Kharkov came to us - a couple with a child. The head of the family was in Europe for the first time, and did not stop noticing the differences. We are already used to many things, and I tried to look at these differences in a new way. After all, I'm already used to good roads, the lack of rudeness, automation and assistance in the reception rooms of various departments, the presence of open sports grounds with equipment, a non-corrupt policeman (the list is huge) ......

But do I think that Poles are better than Ukrainians? No. Everything that I have just listed in the previous paragraph - after all, all Ukrainians also want it (it's stupid not to want). The only problem is that not everyone knows how to come to this. But everything is simple, Of course, it's not easy, but you can start small - with yourself. Do not be rude, do not litter, do not violate traffic rules - this is the minimum with which everyone can start ... And just do not talk about the environment - they have already passed (see Part I).

P.S

This distinction has not been included in any chapter, but has recently been recalled and discussed.

Do you know what is the main difference in the culture of alcohol consumption between Russians and Europeans? For "Russians" the process consists of drinking and snacking. Europeans do the opposite. They drink alcohol with their food.

By Russian standards, Poles can't drink. They almost never drink pure vodka, diluted or washed down with juice. But sometimes, by the way, they can drink without food at all. This happens during a lively conversation. Then alcohol is consumed for a very long time, and either these are all sorts of gins and tonics, or beer, in extreme cases - vodka (again, washed down with juice). Not without exceptions, but I'm talking about my circle of friends.

I remember during the second trip to Poland, a German boy rode with us in the carriage. Very sociable, and with a large supply of beer, which he asked for help to destroy to the border. I then asked him if sausages are really the most popular snack for beer in Germany. Then he could not understand for a long time what I was talking about, and said yes - they love sausages ... and in general they like different foods ... washed down with beer.

PPP: I look forward to feedback and comments. The only incentive that makes you continue to write a blog is at least some kind of interactive.

The national mentality of the Poles is as complex and varied as their history. The Poles adopted some of their qualities from their ancestors, whether they are good or bad, it's hard to say.

The Polish history professor Wojciech Roszkowski studied the mentality of his people for several years, the professor foreshadowed each of his character traits in a number of ways. historical events which, according to Roszkowski, greatly influenced the Polish mentality. The history professor believes that the weak bourgeoisie, the decline of the nobility in the 18th century, the long and bloody struggle for the independence of their state and the rapid development of the peasantry played a decisive role in the mentality of the Poles.

Due to their highly developed individuality, Poles love to argue and swear at absolutely all levels of their statehood, from local councils to parliament. Europeans have long noticed this tendency and call quarrelsome and noisy places the “Polish Parliament”.

The long struggle for independence and the tragedy of the Second World War have led the Poles to be prone to excessive martyrdom and a heightened sense of justice.

The life of the Poles under socialism led to the fact that most of them stopped worrying about the state and everyone began to improve their own life which led to an increase in corruption and a large theft of state property. A sociological survey showed that 20% of Poles do not care state system they live, they are more concerned about their personal and family problems. In 1989, however, as in other years, the voter turnout does not exceed 50%, with the exception of the 2007 elections, when young Poles decided to change the ruling circles and went to the polls en masse, which led to a 54% voter turnout.

The years of socialism also left a positive mark on the Polish mentality, because of the constant economic crisis, the local population learned to save money and come up with a way out of almost hopeless situations. European experts note that the Poles have such a character trait as creativity and the ability to find the most rational way out of the current problem. As soon as the collapse of the Polish People's Republic, some enterprising Poles started building capitalism from scratch, starting with street vendors and kiosks.

According to psychology professor Yevhen Bzezitsky, the Poles have a difficult psychological picture, most of the Poles have a skirtothymic personality type. This type of personality is characterized by short-term enthusiasm, creativity and fantasy, and even in places by selflessness and patience in difficult living and working conditions. But as soon as the Pole gets the first success, he becomes reckless, careless and self-confident. Another professor of psychology, Kazemizh Dombrovsky, identifies the following shortcomings: suspicion and distrust, excessive emotionality, a tendency to protest and individualism, poorly developed organizational skills and low self-esteem. The professor refers to dignity the following traits of the Poles: courage and heroism, gentleness and romance, loyalty and responsibility, a deep sense of freedom and independence.

Many researchers of the Polish mentality are struck by great religiosity, but not everything looks so good at first glance. Poles often visit churches and are sometimes fanatically devoted to their religion, but as soon as it comes to the fulfillment of the 10 commandments and moral character, Polish religiosity melts away.

Many Polish women are extremely conservative, their values ​​are family, children and religion. Polish men are more liberal and love money, freedom and power more than women.

According to statistics, Poles want to get higher education, almost every 4 Poles have such an education. Every sixth Pole under the age of 30 is inclined to move to another country in order to get a better paid job. Young Poles are closely intertwined with both conservative and liberal views on life.

The national characteristics of the Poles reflect complex history people, which had a huge and not always positive influence on the attitudes and behavior of the Poles. But the Poles also inherited some of these features from their ancestors.

History professor Wojciech Roszkowski listed the historical factors that influenced national character Poles: the absence of state absolutism in the Commonwealth, the weakness of the bourgeoisie, the decline of noble culture in the 18th century, the loss of statehood, the long unsuccessful struggle for independence in the 19th century, the rapid development of the peasantry, the absurdities and contradictions that existed in the Polish People's Republic.

Difficult Legacy

In the absence of a middle-class spirit with its industriousness and extensive economic activity, Poland is dominated by not always glorious and worthy models of culture - such as a tendency to argue at local, state and parliamentary levels (in Europe the phrase "Polish Parliament" had a very negative connotation), scandals and extreme individualism. Last Feature was reflected in a very popular saying: “A nobleman on his estate is equal to a palatine” (it means that there are no bosses over a nobleman on his estate, and therefore he does not need to respect other people).

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Nobles: grave portrait, 17th century.

The long absence of statehood, the defeat of national uprisings in the 19th century, the tragedies of World War II and the post-war period created a sense of injustice and a propensity for martyrdom among Poles.

Much could be said about the negative impact of the socialist state on the consciousness of the Poles. The socialist state gave them jobs, wages and housing, and looked after – at least according to official propaganda – the basic needs of its citizens. On the other hand, it did not know its citizens very well; the inhabitants of the country were controlled, they were rewarded not for their real merits, but at the discretion of the authorities (people knew that success in life did not depend on work, but on position in society and privileges). Therefore, the Poles did not feel responsible for the country and place of their residence. The attitude to the state as to an alien being, the solution of whose problems an ordinary person could not influence in any way, led to a loss of interest in social problems, as evidenced by the low level of participation in elections at the state and local levels after 1989. Voter turnout in elections in Poland does not exceed 50%, with the exception of the 2007 elections (53.9%), when young Poles rushed to the polls in order to remove the government of Jaroslaw Kaczynski from the Law and Justice party (“Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc”, PiS) . This is confirmed by the results of a recent sociological survey "Public Diagnostics-2011", which showed that the Poles are primarily focused on their own affairs and for their families and for 20% (!) of Poles it does not matter whether they live in a democratic society or not.

A positive legacy of the socialist period is that, living in a state of constant economic crisis, Poles have learned resourcefulness, and abroad many of them are perceived as employees who can do a good job under any circumstances. When more favorable conditions for this began to appear at the end of the existence of the Polish People's Republic, people began to actively build capitalism from scratch - literally, from street vendors.

Satirical portrayal of Poles in the television program Olga Lipinskaya's Cabaret.

Psychological portrait of the Poles

The psychological portrait of the Poles is rich in colors and shades, including dark ones. According to Professor of Psychiatry Eugene Brzezitsky, Poles have a skirtothymic personality type, characterized by short-lived enthusiasm, pretentiousness and fantasy, courage, selflessness, perseverance and patience in difficult situations but also carelessness and recklessness in times of success. Another psychologist, Professor Kazimierz Dąbrowski, compiled his own catalog of the strengths and weaknesses of the typical Pole. The disadvantages include excessive emotional excitability, suspicion and distrust, frivolity, superficiality, susceptibility to external impressions (gestures, smiles, lifestyle), a tendency to extreme individualism and protest, low organizational skills, lack of sufficient self-respect, a tendency to express opinions based on emotions rather than rationally considered facts. Virtues include: romanticism and spirituality, courage, heroism, gentleness, lack of cruelty, loyalty, fulfillment of obligations, a deep sense of freedom, self-reliance, independence and individuality, as well as great potential in various fields.

IN Everyday life these advantages and disadvantages are combined with each other, which does not always lead to best results. Examples:

• the desire for freedom is strong during its absence, but the freedom gained is not always used properly (struggle for independence during the Polish People's Republic and non-participation in public affairs after 1989);
• mobilization of forces when necessary, but further lack of cooperation, disputes and splits (for example, the division of the former Solidarity and the hostile attitude of some of its activists towards its former leader Lech Walesa);
• desire for legality, but at the same time such anti-legal behavior.

Religiosity

For the average foreigner, especially hallmark religiosity seems to be of Polish nature. But it turns out that even here not everything is so safe. As sociologist Edmund Lewandowski has noted, Polish religiosity is “intellectually shallow, selective, fanatical and morally ineffective. (…) Church morality (participation in church services) is most respected, strictly religious morality (gospel ideals) is poorly realized, and natural morality (associated with the Ten Commandments) is accepted in different ways.

Pilgrimage to Czestochowa, 2010;-th year; pilgrims dressed in folk costumes the city of Łowicz

Two Poland

Despite these universal character traits, it is easy to see that Poles differ profoundly in their way of thinking, which is perfectly illustrated by political election maps. And again dramatic story this country - partitions and post-war migrations - plays a huge role in this. As can be seen from these maps, the division of Poland into conservative (Eastern and Southern Poland) and liberal (Western and Northern Poland) often coincides exactly with the boundaries of the old partitions.

Parliamentary elections

2007 year:

Presidential elections of 2010:

Poland A

Poles from the northwestern regions - the so-called Poland A, which includes economically developed lands that previously belonged to Germany (Lower Silesia, Pomerania) - are immigrants: mostly repatriates from the eastern territories lost by Poland after World War II, as well as forced workers from Germany, soldiers from the West, people who moved here from overcrowded central Poland - now this territory is inhabited, apparently, by their descendants. The mobility of the inhabitants of these areas contributes to the development of liberal views, since it implies openness to the world, susceptibility to any new information and the adoption of more civilized cultural patterns. Consequently, Western and Northern Poles are less dependent on the opinions of the local environment, and, despite their traditionally Polish (but less pronounced) religiosity, the Catholic Church has a much weaker influence on them. Important for the worldview and mentality of the population, originally living in Poland A (Wielkopolska - Greater Poland) was a long contact with the culture of Protestant Prussia and the approach of its inhabitants to life. As a result, the population of this territory of Poland is more openly and economically active, rather than passively waiting for any favors from the state (formerly from the king) or God, which is typical for Poland B.

Poland B

The regions of eastern and southern Poland, the so-called Poland B, are poorer, less economically developed (the invaders did not develop industry here) and previously belonged to Russian Empire. It is here that the conservative right-wing party (PiS) gains more votes in the elections, which appeals to the romantic model of patriotism based on the sanctity of symbols and feelings. Due to the lack of mobility (80% of the population has lived here for generations), people here are in favor of preserving the traditional way of life, they are disgusted with any changes, they have a deep distrust of outside world(which does not seem very interesting) and respect for the opinions of neighbors and the priest, who is often a consultant on social and political issues. Religion in this part of Poland is very important part life, it affects Political Views and behavior of people.

Poles of Our Time (2011)

Most last portrait Poles is contained in the sociological study "Public Diagnostics-2011" (conducted every two years), which is conducted by Professor Janusz Czapiński from the University of Warsaw. Most surprising in the context of the current crisis, although reflecting a steady trend in society, the result of this study is a very high (up to 80%) level of satisfaction with living conditions. This calls into question the traditional Polish fondness for complaining: when asked “How are you?” the Pole replies: "Still poor." However, the typical tendency of the Poles to focus on purely personal matters was also confirmed.

The conditions for happiness for the average Pole are good health(63.7%), successful marriage (53.2%) and children (47.2%). Values ​​of a higher order are valued less: only 3% of Poles called it a condition successful life freedom, 4.5% education, 4% friendship.

• The image of a modern Polish woman is very conservative. For the average Polish woman, the most important values ​​are family, children and religion. Work, friends and money are valued less by women than by men. (Read also:,).
• Poles want to get an education - the percentage of people with higher education is 24%.
• Poland also ranks second in the world in terms of the number of 19-year-old students (80%).
• Another trend is a decrease in interest in religion - only 42.7% of Poles confirmed that they attend Mass four or more times a month (in 1992, there were 55.7% of such people).
• Every sixth student wants to emigrate from Poland.

Among young Poles, liberal views are mixed with conservative ones.

pupils

Despite the fact that they are open to the world and have no prejudice towards the West (unlike their parents), they know foreign languages, they also support the old-fashioned hierarchical structures of society.

Poles 2016

I think it is wrong to characterize an entire nation or citizens of an entire state as people with the same characters and habits. I don't like to read generalized articles like "about Russian women" or "Russian character". In turn, I can tell about the Poles only on the basis of my impressions of interaction with some of them. All the same, something is felt acutely if you yourself are of a different nation and have lived for 25 years with people of a different mentality.

For me, the Poles are such a mixture of Germans and Slavs. They say that in Poland there are shades in the behavior and traditions of Western and Eastern Poles, and the capital is its own special people. Gdansk is special because this city is very liberal and the people here are the same. There is also a history of the city as a free city, passing from one state to another. Plus the proximity of Gdansk to the borders and tourist attraction. Locals are not aggressive towards visitors and are not surprised by onlookers in popular places. In Gdansk, you don't feel like a stranger, you don't feel hostility and problems from the fact that you're not a Pole.

The Poles are quite sympathetic and helpful. Such nice and patient people on the outside. You will be regularly wished good day, nice day, good night. Everyone greets everyone and constantly says “prepraszam” - something between an appeal and an apology. With the Poles, you should not be the first to “bull”, download rights, swear in raised tones and generally go beyond your borders. It would seem that the rules of a decent society, but is the majority of conflicts in Russia resolved in this way?
The guys said that they were sitting at a table in a club and a huge Pole kingpin somehow stumbled over someone's leg. The guys thought now there would be a disassembly from the category of “cho sit down ???”, but the guy himself apologized for disturbing¯ \ _ (ツ) _ / ¯

The main problem of the Poles is slowness!
Everything is sooo slow and no one is embarrassed. It takes a long time to draw up important documents, contracts, certificates and other bureaucracy (this is another problem :). It takes six months to obtain a work permit. Wait a week to connect to the Internet. To order a certificate to the clinic a week. And the problem is not only with documents. Even if you want to pay for the service with good money, you can easily encounter non-compliance with deadlines or their unreasonable prolongation. It remains only to say "Well Russia Poland!

And another problem - optional ..
You may be promised to call/make/come, but very often agreements go to hell. These are my observations regarding business and work situations. My recommendation is this: if you were promised something within a strictly established time frame or contract and did not fulfill it, start hard “poking a wand” at gouging. We Russians are accustomed to the fact that if they said “we'll call you back”, then we must meekly wait. And here it doesn’t work like that, you have to call yourself 5 times after. Nobody canceled the rules of decency and reasonable behavior, but you will have to get your way, if possible at all. When there was a period of searching for rental housing, it often happened that, for example, a realtor promised to call back and set a time for the show. You wait, you wait, you can’t stand it after a couple of days, and during this time the apartment is rented out. Can be assigned business meeting and wait 15 minutes. Or they will write the parcel that they have delivered it to their hands, and then you look for it at the office reception.
Once in a Polish class, I asked: how to politely apologize for being late? Of course, the teacher had an answer, but as we understood, these are not the most common phrases that you can hear :)

On the other hand, if you start making a claim, they will definitely apologize to you for your jamb and tell the story of why it happened and how much misfortune happened on the way to you. The Poles, although they are considered a very uncouth nation, in fact, the majority are very well-mannered and polite.

Well, in spite of all your razzvizdyaystvo, it seems that consciousness and mentality do not allow the Poles to otsupat from the instructions. For example, it is very difficult to explain to Polish employees that they need to stay late and finish the work. In a company where the majority of Russian guys misunderstanding arises exactly the Poles. That is, how does it work after 17??
Or what about the inflexibility of services and services. There was once a hard trip from Wroclaw to Gdansk during the Christmas holidays. As I wrote before, no one or almost no one works on such days. And here we are on the train for the sixth hour in winter, and the buffet or peddlers of drinks and snacks are not working. We didn't know about it and didn't buy anything in advance. The train does not stop at the stations for more than 5 minutes, there are no automatic machines on the platforms! In short, I wanted to drink well, it's simply unbearable. We tried to call the pizza delivery service and ask for an extra 100 zlotys to arrange delivery to the platform. The operators of all the 100,500 deliveries that we called had their brains torn from such a request .. As a result, nothing could be ordered :(

And why does no one want to work on holidays or extra hours on weekdays? Because the family is waiting at home. These are such lovely, family and home Poles. They have a tradition of maintaining close relationships with the family, spending a lot of time with relatives. Christmas / New Year / Easter / Any other holiday - everyone gathers at the table and sits at home with the family. It is also surprisingly difficult to find a table in a normal cafe on Sunday. Everything will be occupied even during the day and for sure by families, including those with children.

Due to the special tolerance for children, families can be seen in various seemingly inappropriate institutions. They come with children to restaurants, cafe-bars, even if there is quite loud music or an indicatively elegant atmosphere. Everywhere they can offer a table for a baby (so high for feeding), there is often a children's menu and a changing table in the toilets is a must. This is good and very convenient, but it can be annoying that the comfort of visitors with children is above all.
Once we went to a restaurant on the seashore with an expensive menu and quiet pleasant music. We took a table by the window, with a pleasant view of the coast and the embankment. The restaurant was almost empty. Half an hour later, a couple with a child came, sat down and turned on the cartoons on the phone for the child at full volume. I understand everything, but somehow inappropriate in my opinion .. The staff did not mind at all, as did other visitors, and the sounds of funny cartoons spoiled my romantic mood. *Give birth, then you will understand!!!*

@gdansk_official

What else is interesting about the people and the city:

Poles smoke a lot compared to Russian girls. And often on the go, which seems to be completely unacceptable among women.

Men do not give up their seats to women in transport. There are special places for the elderly and the disabled, everything is strict here. But if you're just a girl, then it's your own fault, wait :)

And here the girls are standing, walking, running. Poles almost never wear heels on the street, very rarely seen in stilettos or something unstable.

In Gdansk and in general in Poland there are many confectioneries, bakeries, coffee shops. It's easy to get fat :) Poles love German donuts (there is one near the house, because there is always a queue) and corrugations - waffles with cream and toppings. They also sell Belgian chocolate, which is impossible to resist.

From alcohol, Poles mainly choose beer, although experts say that it is so-so here. And I really don’t like Polish national cuisine, it’s fatty, the meat is often breaded, cabbage and beets are stuffed everywhere and there are a lot of potatoes.But after midnight, a rare institution with a kitchen is open. The streets are almost empty in the evenings, especially on weekdays. Walking in the evening is safe (at least in popular areas).

The city is friendly to graffiti. Not just to the inscriptions on the fences, but straight to such works of art on the walls. There is even a whole district of Zaspa, where the ends of multi-storey buildings are decorated with 30-meter drawings or abstractions for the entire facade of the house.

There are no homeless animals in Poland. Or they are quickly stripped of their “homeless” status. There are three shelters in the Tricity and there are almost no cats in them, they are sorting it out. There are large dogs, it is more difficult with them. Nevertheless, I have never seen a homeless dog in my year of living in Gdansk!

Many people think that Ukraine, Russia and Poland are similar to each other, that the way of life and traditions do not have cardinal differences, relying on the proximity of these countries. But the situation is different, the differences are very serious in traditions, rules of conduct, and if you do not pay attention to this, then the likelihood of being misunderstood in Poland increases.

Religion comes first

The Poles are a deeply religious nation, therefore Catholicism plays a huge role. Most people in this country visit the church fairly regularly, while some not only on holidays, but daily. The Virgin Mary is considered to be the most holy here.

It is worth noting that church holidays celebrated on a grand scale. IN holidays not only cafes, but also other establishments, such as large shops, hypermarkets and supermarkets, may not work. Since it is customary for Poles to celebrate holidays in a quiet family circle, and not at work. On such days Polish streets are empty. Sunday is also a must-have. On this day, the Poles do not even do laundry and cleaning.

Polish mentality

Poles are sensitive, they don't mind hearing heartbreaking stories. Therefore, they treat with great respect everyone who has been offended by life.

It is customary to greet each person with a smile, and to shake hands with a friend. Residents of Poland at meetings slightly touch their cheeks. The ladies are kissed on the hand. Women have special respect. No man will allow himself to sit in public transport when a representative of the fair sex is standing nearby.

Family always comes first and there are no values ​​greater than family. Many are surprised when they find out that a marriage proposal is rare in Poland, because marriage is a big responsibility. But there are also few divorces. Among other things, Poles love pets. In this country, you can often meet them after the robots on walks with their dogs.

What tourists need to remember

Poles are not averse to chatting with tourists. But not many speak Russian, but if the guest speaks English, then everyone will understand everything. The tourist's knowledge of at least a few sentences in Polish is appreciated. To memorize some is already a guarantee of good communication. It is important not to forget about the appeal, here it is customary to call the interlocutor by position and last name, using in addition the word "pani" or "pan". Addressing "you" in Poland is natural if a person feels affection for another person.

If a tourist is invited as a guest, in no case should he go to a restaurant or cafe before coming to visit. You need to come to the Poles hungry, even if you are going to dinner, which is usually light here. For guests, the situation is different. Tourists should expect a dinner with many delicious snacks, hot dishes, as well as drinks. It is necessary to monitor your own behavior, because mocking glances are inevitable if a man refuses another glass of vodka, but ladies will be indulgent if they intend to savor a glass of wine all evening.

There are many more interesting features that are worthy of attention. They must be taken into account if you wish to visit Poland and become closer to the people, because knowledge will in no way harm, but will only contribute to cultural development.