Truth be told, there’s something that I really miss from my childhood years, and that’s not being tied to a smartphone or any other device. While they do offer lots of undeniable benefits, I can’t help but think that it’s been a long time since I’ve spent some free time without having to rely on, or being distracted by them. So this time, I’ve decided to give way to nostalgia and focus on some traditional Russian pastimes!
Let’s start with individual activities. In this sense, you can't really say that there are many things to do that are specifically Russian, but if it’s getting to know the Russian culture that we’re talking about, then you’re safe with choosing to read some Russian literature or try cooking some traditional Russian dish.
Group activities are somewhat more interesting. While most Russians do enjoy many of the pastimes that are popular around the world, there are specific activities that have a special place in the country’s tradition. For one, as much as we respect the game of chess, the game that would be considered traditional is dominoes. While it’s most popular with the older generation, playing dominoes is something that’s generally associated with being Russian or living in the post-Soviet space. If dominoes is not to your liking, you should try backgammon, which is also really popular.
Another pastime that you can well call traditional is playing cards. Quite interestingly, in Russia, playing cards isn’t generally associated with gambling, and most games are played just for the sake of fun. In a way, this is reflected in the Russian names for many card games: for one, the game called Battle in English, we call Pyanitsa (drunkard), and the name of Russia’s most popular card game translates as “fool”.
Finally, there’s one pastime that you may call a timeless classic despite its sheer simplicity. Gathering in the kitchen to drink tremendous amounts of tea and endlessly discussing just any topic that is relatively serious is a long-standing tradition. Why? Well, that’s also a topic that you can bring up!
