50 Hilarious Pics And Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Growing Up And Living In Eastern Europe
InterviewEvery region on Earth has its own distinct customs and culture. And as time marches on and the world becomes more and more globalized, this way of life changes, and some are left feeling nostalgic for the recent past.
The ‘Scenic Depictions of Slavic Life’ Facebook page is a corner of the internet that shares memes and pics about Slavic day-to-day life, centered around so-called Gopnik culture, the post-Soviet era, and spending time shelling peas with grandma, surrounded by countless wall rugs. Scroll down to check out some of the most amusing and confusing pics that were featured, and don’t forget to upvote your fave ones.
Bored Panda got in touch with Matei Tabacu, the founder of 'Scenic Depiction of Slavic Life,' the offshoot of his original and immensely popular 'Squatting Slavs in Tracksuits' social media project. He was kind enough to tell us all about the history of the entire project, and why Slavic memes are such a big hit on the internet. Read on for the full interview.
More info: Facebook (SDSL) | Facebook (SSIT) | Instagram (SDSL) | Instagram (SSIT) | Instagram (Store) | SquattingSlavs.org
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This, and a lot of other seemingly mundane things, should be.
Matei told Bored Panda that 'Squatting Slavs in Tracksuits' is the first and largest Slavic humor page on Facebook. He started it all the way back in May 2015. He told us that he comes from a Slavic country and couldn't find anything similar on the internet at the time, so he decided to create the first page of its kind.
One year later, he decided to branch out and started a whopping three more Facebook pages: 'Scenic Depiction of Slavic Life,' 'Babushka,' and 'Lada Life.' The 'Lada Life' account, for example, is the largest Lada car page on Facebook, and according to the founder is "even bigger than the official page." And it's true!
However, Matei didn't confine himself just to Facebook. He also created two Instagram accounts, @squattingslavs and @scenic_depictions. All of them have grown organically, through viral content. That and the fact that the memes help "gather people from all over the world" is something that Matei is very proud of.
Snoop Dogg After One Week In Bulgaria
Just two weeks ago, Matei also opened an online store, the 'Squatting Slavs Store.' "I am the only person who has been and is involved in the entire network, including the store. I have been doing this every day for the past eight years without a break," he told Bored Panda.
"The majority of people who appreciate Slavic memes are from Slavic countries, and they can relate to all the memes I post. The other part of my fans is not from Slavic countries, but they find it to be an interesting trend and lifestyle," Matei said, adding that he personally enjoys memes that "depict the pleasant reality of this culture, the fact that we can solve anything even without money."
Gołąbki. Love them. Recently more and more with tomato sauce. But prefer those made with the savoy cabbage.
De Niro From Serbia
According to Matei, this mastery of DIY is where the 'Slavic Science' section comes from. "Even if something breaks, we can fix it with whatever we have at home," he said.
"Other memes depict the fact that even if some of us start making money and drive more expensive cars, we still eat 'burek' and 'cevapi' and other traditional Slavic dishes. I like most of the Slavic memes because we are naturally funny and make jokes about everything that happens to us," he told Bored Panda.
The ‘Scenic Depictions of Slavic Life’ Facebook page is very widely known. At the time of writing it had over 547k likes and more than 567k followers. The curators invite people to “dance in the rain, squat in the rain, live Slavic,” referring to the extremely well-known Squatting Slav meme.
The account “is a satellite of the” 'Squatting Slavs in Tracksuits' network. The original SSIT page has a whopping 1.3 million followers on Facebook.
Slavic Science
The Squatting Slav meme has been a hallmark of internet culture for over a decade. Know Your Meme notes that the question as to why many Eastern European people stereotypically squat while wearing tracksuits first started appearing in the spotlight in late 2012, with the rise of the r/slavs_squatting subreddit and discussions on the notorious 4chan website. The meme only gained more popularity from then on.
The Squatting Slav meme’s roots lie in Gopnik culture. One meme, featured on Know Your Meme, describes a Gopnik (the plural being ‘Gopniki’) as “Russian white trash, commonly found on the outskirts of Moscow and in towns throughout.” They stereotypically wear tracksuits and many wear hoods or hats.
Perfection
Balkan Stonehenge. Picklehenge
Sour cucumbers are way better for me. Plus, they cure everything, from thirst through sweet cravings to a hangover.
It is a pejorative term used in Russia and elsewhere “to refer to aggressive young men of lower-class suburbs coming from families of poor education and income.” Gopniks are quite similar to British Chavs. Urban Dictionary adds that Gopniks drink outdoors and can engage in petty crime. And the only difference between them and Chavs may be that the former speak Russian.
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, Slavs mainly live in eastern and southeastern Europe. However, they also extend across northern Asia, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Slavs are subdivided into three main groups: East Slavs, West Slavs, and South Slavs. Meanwhile, Slavs can also be subdivided into two main groups based on religion: the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
Wolverine After One Week In Bulgaria
Fishing In Poland
omg. what... please... someone... what fish is that... that's... dang, congrats, that is a fine catch!
cooolll!! I wonder if it is going to be a casino, holiday resort, or mall?
East Slavs include Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarussians. West Slavs are comprised of Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Wends. While South Slavs are made up of Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Slovenes, Macedonians, and Montenegrins. Encyclopædia Britannica notes that Bulgarians are often designated as South Slavs, as they speak a Slavic language, even though they’re of mixed origin like the Hungarians.
The Eastern Orthodox Church includes Russians, most Ukrainians, most Belarussians, most Bulgarians, Serbs, and Macedonians. While the Slavs associated with the Roman Catholic Church include Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, Slovenes, some Ukrainians, and some Belarussians.
My Swiss friend. Always wore shorts, even in winter (mind you it was Australia so there wasn’t snow).
drop a beer can off your table, it rolls to the Belgian side... f**k I think we just invaded belgium
Johny Depp After Two Months In Czech
Diggit Magazine notes that the popularity of the Squatting Slav meme has reminded many people of how similar their cultural backgrounds, and childhoods, are. “How they all have ‘babushkas’ (grandmothers) who make ‘kompots’ (a non-alcoholic sweet beverage made from fruit) and how they are all very used to squatting.”
However, the meme’s popularity has grown overseas, too, especially in Canada, the UK, and the US.
One Of Kherson's Liberators 🇺🇦 ❤️
Both the SDSL and SSIT pages sell Slavic meme-related merchandise. Many of the products clearly support Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. However, some of the merch appears to feature the hammer and sickle device used by the Soviet Union. This is something that many people whose families suffered under the regime might find to be in poor taste. However, the founder of the SDSL and SSIT projects primarily seems to focus on humor, lightheartedness, and chuckling at stereotypes.
Chandler Bing After 6 Months In Hungary
Growing Up In A Remote Industrial Town, That Felt Very Relatable 😁
This happens everywhere. " I DON'T WANNA HEAR YA LIFE STORY, MISTER!!!!!"
Slav Soccer Games
Hey now. Don't be mean to fried bologna. It tastes a lot better than you might think.
Big Biznis Here
You Are Not A Real Slav If Your Refrigerator Doesn't Look Like That
Poland, Łódź
Bulgaria
He needs cash to buy coffee and cigarettes in the hospital because often they do not accept cards. Don't worry, medical bill is covered.
The Most Slavic Photo In History
Real Slavic Minimalism
Slovakian Hospital Breakfast At Its Finest
Meanwhile In Ua/Kharkiv
Perspective
Warning, you may feel "slight" tingling due to your room placement. Don't worry you will not die. ( this is a joke please don't downvote)
Аlive Again: Sofia Edition
Bulgarian Aesthetic Morning Ritual
Hint: Yugoslavia
Serbia
Eastern European Police After After End Of Shift
actually those are south african rands, but anyway. same difference. also take bribes.
Messi After One Week In Serbia
i can’t say i’ve been to serbia, i am just here to hide the body shaming beneath me :/
Big Biznis Here
Just a regular dude from Serbia. This outfit can be seen everywhere - streets, coffee shops, restaurants, even churches.
Religion in Poland is used as a tool to win election votes of the hardcore segment of the elderly population, because it's exactly those 5-7% that gives the rightist government the win. The horrifyingly generous social benefits for low-income large families secure the votes of another group of the population, and it has nothing to do with religion. This government is effectiveness of the worst kind.
Slavspresso!
Slav Carpet In Bulgarian Train Circa 2003
Room Rental In Slovakia. Absolute Slavic Minimalism
It can be hard at times, but the friendships are much more genuine, and we all laugh and smile together at the pub where it really matters anyways.
Slavic Science
Lunch With A View
Dj Khaled After One Week In Slovakia
Reminded of my Serbian-Australian friend from uni: "The word "please" exists in our language, but it's not pronounced." "In Serbia you just walk into a store and say "I want that". In Australia you have to be like "Please it not too much trouble, could I have..." or everybody looks at you like you're an arsehole."
Hungary, Budapest Downtown
8 Am Czechia
Jack Sparrow After 2 Weeks In Bulgaria
When Slav Wants To Have A Better View.. He Cuts The Hole On His Balcony! Split, Croatia
Turning The TV On In Hungary
Hungaria is not Slavic, but nevermind, respect to Hide the pain Harold
Salt Bae After A Week In Serbia
That's a hungarian guy, a gipsy from the town of Gyöngyös. YouTube has it if you search "Mi folyik itt Gyöngyösön"
Teaching Maths In Hungary
If Sweden Was In Eastern Europe
Vin Diesel After A Month In Bulgaria
Thor After A Week In Bulgaria
Slavic Bride’s Father At 2pm
Silvester Stallone 1 Year In Bulgaria
Once Upon A Time
Slavic Clothing Booth
Real Slav In Stress Situation
This looks more "going across the border and can bring max 10 cigarette boxes but if I open every one of them maybe I can bring more" than a stress situation. (Don't ask how I know).
Bulgaria
🥺 Yugonostalgia
Just want to clarify that YU is a movie about the experiences and adventures of three "thirty-something" buddies who involuntarily find themselves caught up in civil unrest.
Vegeta After 3 Weeks In Serbia
Guess The Country!
Big Biznis Here!
i read this while eating buterbrod and listening to hardbass to get the full experience, did not disappoint
If you're not wearing ADIDAS tracksuit, are you even alive?
Load More Replies...I was on the train in Slovakia, returning to Bratislava from Kosice, and some local hockey fans came into my train cabin, saw that I was Canadian, started asking me things about Canada and hockey in their not-bad English, and then insisted that I take a drink from their bottle of vodka. Sometimes I forget this was real because it was so chaotic.
A pan-Slavic thread just hits wrong when one Slavic nation is brutally destroying another, insisting on the right to do so based on their common Slavic "identity."
Absolutely! All Slavic countries should not giggle and share a moment based on their similarities and differences. It's much better in times of war to solely focus on that one terrifying reality and grow in their shared depression and hatred for an entire country that's under the control of a psychopath. (My gift for sarcasm helps to keep me from screaming and crying simultaneously.)
Load More Replies...You coulda added more anti-US sentiments in the comments, if that's the spark that makes you smile? Too much focus on the quarkiness of Slavs without that dash of US hatred makes for less fun times. ☹️🤣
Load More Replies...i read this while eating buterbrod and listening to hardbass to get the full experience, did not disappoint
If you're not wearing ADIDAS tracksuit, are you even alive?
Load More Replies...I was on the train in Slovakia, returning to Bratislava from Kosice, and some local hockey fans came into my train cabin, saw that I was Canadian, started asking me things about Canada and hockey in their not-bad English, and then insisted that I take a drink from their bottle of vodka. Sometimes I forget this was real because it was so chaotic.
A pan-Slavic thread just hits wrong when one Slavic nation is brutally destroying another, insisting on the right to do so based on their common Slavic "identity."
Absolutely! All Slavic countries should not giggle and share a moment based on their similarities and differences. It's much better in times of war to solely focus on that one terrifying reality and grow in their shared depression and hatred for an entire country that's under the control of a psychopath. (My gift for sarcasm helps to keep me from screaming and crying simultaneously.)
Load More Replies...You coulda added more anti-US sentiments in the comments, if that's the spark that makes you smile? Too much focus on the quarkiness of Slavs without that dash of US hatred makes for less fun times. ☹️🤣
Load More Replies...