What separates the United States and Russia isn’t just a vast ocean or even differences in politics—it’s also the small cultural nuances that make up people’s daily lives. Things that you get so used to seeing, it’s only when you go abroad that you realize not everyone behaves the same way.
From forgetting to bring a small gift when visiting guests to dressing up as best as you can for someone’s birthday and much, much more, Los Angeles-based TV writer Alyssa addressed these American and Russian cultural differences in a series of fun and educational TikTok videos that you’ll find below.
Alyssa, whose family is half from Russia and half from Ukraine, told Bored Panda all about herself as a video creator, how to celebrate cultural differences, and what the biggest culture shocks are for Americans and Russians alike. According to Alyssa, laughter, food, and embracing the fact that there’s no single one ‘right’ way to live helps connect different cultures together. You can read our full interview with her below.
A small heads-up before we begin, dear Pandas. This article is meant to show just how vast, deep, and different the world really is. What this post is not meant to be is a criticism of any single culture. Each country has its own pros and cons—we can all enjoy learning about these differences without making it feel like it’s an attack on someone’s traditions and behavior. So kick back and relax with a large cup of tea.
More info: TikTok | Instagram | YouTube
Here’s one of Alyssa’s most popular videos showing the cultural differences between America and Russia. You’ll find the various other differences below
@alyssuhlyssaChange into home clothes or bust😤 #tiktokrussia #russianvsamerican #russiantiktok♬ original sound – Аlyssa Lyssa🦊
“In my experience, Americans who visit Russia are surprised at how directly Russians communicate. Russians say what they mean and don’t go out of their way to cushion your feelings the way that Americans are trained to do. Russians tend to value ‘honesty’ over ‘niceness,'” Alyssa told Bored Panda.
On the flip side, Alyssa noted that Russians visiting the US “often find people ‘fake’ and ‘disingenuous'” when compared to the open and even blunt communication back home.
According to the video creator, laughter is the best way to celebrate cultural differences without being overly judgmental of them. “When I create my videos, I never intend to poke fun at one culture or another. The funny part to me is that millions of people can hold completely different values and each party considers themselves ‘normal,’ she said.
“I hope the takeaway is that there is no one ‘right’ way to live. Everything is relative. Everything goes! Oh, and of course, the other best way for people to connect is food. Lots and lots of food. Burgers and borsch,” Alyssa told me and I couldn’t agree with her more.
Bored Panda also went into detail with Alyssa about what inspires and motivates her to create her videos. She revealed that it’s all rooted in her half-Russian, half-Ukrainian heritage. “I think most children of immigrants feel split between two worlds. Growing up, there would be one set of values in school or with friends and then I would come home, and the norms would be flipped upside down. Since there wasn’t a large Russian/Ukrainian community where I grew up, I didn’t have a way to fully process these experiences.”
She continued: “Then I visited Ukraine for the first time and I had a giant wakeup call. Suddenly, I was bombarded with personality carbon copies of my entire family! I was like, ‘Woah! I guess my family isn’t that weird after all.’ As I got older, I started to notice that there are many cultures and immigrant families that are actually more similar to Russian and Ukrainian than the stereotypical American culture. All I hope for is that my videos make people from all different backgrounds feel connected, seen, and a little bit happier.”
Lying in bed with ‘outside clothes’
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Alyssa, living in LA, has over 524k followers on the video content platform, along with a total of 18.5 million likes across all of her posts which is just downright spectacular.
It’s not a surprise that Alyssa is so popular, though. Her videos are lighthearted, engaging, and also end up teaching her friendly fans a bit more about the world. Infotainment at its best? We like to think so!
In some videos, the creator also addresses what Russians think is normal but is strange or even rude in the US, so it’s not just a one-way street.
Sending your parents to the retirement home
America:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Russia:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Dressing up for someone’s birthday
America:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Russia:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Sending your kids to sleepovers
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Calling your friend’s mom by their first name
America:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Russia:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Ending parties early
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Smiling at strangers
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Friend’s moms are supposed to feed you
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
You must bring a gift when going over to someone’s house
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Paying the bill
America:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Russia:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Asking if the food is fresh in a restaurant
America:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Russia:
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Image credits: Аlyssa Lyssa
Coming over empty-handed really is a big deal in Russia and in other culturally similar countries. It’s a way to show respect. What’s more, it’s also considered rude to say ‘no’ to the host when you’re being offered food or something to drink.
Of course, you can refuse if there’s a really good reason like you having special dietary needs or needing to drive home later on, but generally, it’s best to embrace their generosity. Hosts enjoy acting like hosts. So let them.
Russians are also very big on tea. In fact, you could even argue that they have a culture that emphasizes tea as much as the British, albeit in a different way. You can bet that you’ll probably be offered a whole host of snacks—from biscuits to other sweets—alongside your cuppa. Remember, if in doubt, just smile and say ‘yes, please.’
The importance of family is also an integral part of Russian culture. Having close relationships with your grandparents and even your distant relations is somewhat of a given (though with exceptions, of course). That means that you always have a support structure in place to help you in your time of need. On the flip side, though, you’re also expected to help your loved ones. There’s a certain sense of obligation there that is hard to say ‘no’ to.
What’s more, Russians tend to forge closer relationships with their neighbors than some Western countries do. In short, your local community plays a much more important role in your everyday life than in some other places.
We’d love to hear what you think of Alyssa’s videos, dear Pandas. Did you enjoy her playful TikToks? Did you end up learning something new? For those of you who have visited both Russian and the US, what were the biggest culture shocks for you personally? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
A bit confusing as to which was the American and which was the Russian.
When I was traveling in Russia and the "do not smile at strangers" cultural thing was explained to me Russia suddenly made more sense and seemed much more friendly. Also when I attempted to speak Russian at the till in a shop, the cashier and queue all broke out in smiles. I choose to believe they were impressed...although more likely they had never heard broken Russian with an Irish accent spoken in Nizny Novograd before
I was there a while back, and everyone was super nice to me for trying to use my terrible Russian. I agree that people seemed reserved, but the very milisecond I became 'not a stranger', it was like I was family instead.
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The entire post, I was wondering if the eyeliner was applied like that as a joke or if she actually wears her makeup like that.
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I'm roughly split in the middle between the Russian and American behaviours here. I've never felt so Polish in my life!
The paying thing... What if it is a man and a woman? Because my Russian friends insist that a man must always pay for the woman, no matter what the relationship is. Man should pay for his date, but also brother for his sister, male friend for female friend... I absolutely do not expect or accept this :D. In my country (Finland) we women pay for ourselves! How is it in America?
Mid 30s American woman here. Whoever asks for the date should be expected to pay or at least split it. Seems weird that if a woman asked a man out to dinner that she is also expecting him to pay for the meal simply because of "norms"...(and that's also vice-versa)
Load More Replies...
wearing shoes on bed/inside home is offensive in most Asian countries.
Most of these are NOT "normal" in the US. Also, this article didn't need stills from a TikTok. In fact, they made the article relatively incoherent as regards which was the US and which was Russia.
No... America is extremely diverse , as is Russia. These tiki toks are just no
A large part of the family comes from Russia on my Mum's side. I can relate to most of this quite well considering I grew up in Canada.
Every bit of it was similar to us Indian expect for that Paying the bill thing. We'd love to have anything for free lol
“I smile when I am happy. You do not make me happy”. I love this!
I absolutely hate the format of this and other social media glorifying pieces. Why not just imbed the video? Or quote the content? Scroll, scroll, scroll to see her face again and again, for how much info? What a waste of bandwidth and time.
I would much rather look at a few photos than watch an entire video.
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LOL the one calling a friends mother by her first name or nick name!!! Dont come close to me.
Why do you take your clothes off when you come inside? Or want presents all the time?
Can't say much about presents - I like to bring that one thing the friend really wanted or her favorite cookies when I visit, but it's not an obligation - but taking clothes off is hygiene, it does really make a difference. I want my bed to be clean, and if someone lies on it in the clothes they had on when they were sitting on a bench or leaning on the wall... That's the same reason you wash your hands after coming home.
Load More Replies...
Heh...according to tradition, if you get invited for a meal, expect to be fed until you are dead.
How in the party one she if I had a party limit then whatever time it is then they gotta leave. And I don’t get it when someone says something good about something but then when they don’t get what they want they just say it wasn’t good at all even tho before they said it was good.
WHEW!!! It had been a few days since your last post about how horrible and crazy Americans are! I feel better now.
A bit confusing as to which was the American and which was the Russian.
When I was traveling in Russia and the "do not smile at strangers" cultural thing was explained to me Russia suddenly made more sense and seemed much more friendly. Also when I attempted to speak Russian at the till in a shop, the cashier and queue all broke out in smiles. I choose to believe they were impressed...although more likely they had never heard broken Russian with an Irish accent spoken in Nizny Novograd before
I was there a while back, and everyone was super nice to me for trying to use my terrible Russian. I agree that people seemed reserved, but the very milisecond I became 'not a stranger', it was like I was family instead.
Load More Replies... The entire post, I was wondering if the eyeliner was applied like that as a joke or if she actually wears her makeup like that.
Load More Replies... I'm roughly split in the middle between the Russian and American behaviours here. I've never felt so Polish in my life!
The paying thing... What if it is a man and a woman? Because my Russian friends insist that a man must always pay for the woman, no matter what the relationship is. Man should pay for his date, but also brother for his sister, male friend for female friend... I absolutely do not expect or accept this :D. In my country (Finland) we women pay for ourselves! How is it in America?
Mid 30s American woman here. Whoever asks for the date should be expected to pay or at least split it. Seems weird that if a woman asked a man out to dinner that she is also expecting him to pay for the meal simply because of "norms"...(and that's also vice-versa)
Load More Replies... wearing shoes on bed/inside home is offensive in most Asian countries.
Most of these are NOT "normal" in the US. Also, this article didn't need stills from a TikTok. In fact, they made the article relatively incoherent as regards which was the US and which was Russia.
No... America is extremely diverse , as is Russia. These tiki toks are just no
A large part of the family comes from Russia on my Mum's side. I can relate to most of this quite well considering I grew up in Canada.
Every bit of it was similar to us Indian expect for that Paying the bill thing. We'd love to have anything for free lol
“I smile when I am happy. You do not make me happy”. I love this!
I absolutely hate the format of this and other social media glorifying pieces. Why not just imbed the video? Or quote the content? Scroll, scroll, scroll to see her face again and again, for how much info? What a waste of bandwidth and time.
I would much rather look at a few photos than watch an entire video.
Load More Replies... LOL the one calling a friends mother by her first name or nick name!!! Dont come close to me.
Why do you take your clothes off when you come inside? Or want presents all the time?
Can't say much about presents - I like to bring that one thing the friend really wanted or her favorite cookies when I visit, but it's not an obligation - but taking clothes off is hygiene, it does really make a difference. I want my bed to be clean, and if someone lies on it in the clothes they had on when they were sitting on a bench or leaning on the wall... That's the same reason you wash your hands after coming home.
Load More Replies... Heh...according to tradition, if you get invited for a meal, expect to be fed until you are dead.
How in the party one she if I had a party limit then whatever time it is then they gotta leave. And I don’t get it when someone says something good about something but then when they don’t get what they want they just say it wasn’t good at all even tho before they said it was good.
WHEW!!! It had been a few days since your last post about how horrible and crazy Americans are! I feel better now.
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