Perspectives - Differences between Russia & Serbia

This post is part of the Perspectives series. Find other posts in this series here

A large number of Russians have moved to Serbia in recent years. While Serbia has many similarities to Russia, such as language and religion, there are differences as well. This list of cultural differences in Serbia from a Russian perspective was collected from posts in a Telegram chat. The text below is translated using Google Translate, so expect some irregularities. The original text in Russian can be seen here and here.

Strangers often speak “you”. In a phone shop, in a café, or at a market, people may address you first name, and even add “soul” or “dragi.” According to my observations, this does not depend on age or situation. Do not be scared or offended - this is a manifestation of goodwill and friendliness, not familiarity. It was a little hard to adjust and of course it still feels more appropriate to say “you” to elders, but I like this informal style of conversations!
Swearing in the Serbian language is not as taboo as in Russian. It is used more freely, by parents in front of their children, younger people in front of older ones) You can hear “jebote” or “pička materina” in more or less any situation. I haven’t decided yet whether I want to learn and use such words more actively in Serbian, but it’s definitely worth understanding the context. Here are a couple of posts with examples of such words: https://t.me/nastya_kachu/1004, https://t.me/serafimaschool/302
It is customary to shake hands with both men and women. This is a super-important point - Serbs will not understand if a man, according to Russian tradition, ignores women in a dating situation. I notice that this tradition is gradually being adopted in the Russian-speaking community, which is very cool.
It’s customary to make eye contact when you clink glasses, say hello, and in general 👀 We wrote about this above
You can go with dogs to almost any stores and shopping centers, except pharmacies. They even allow medium-large dogs. As a dog lover, I really respect you!
There are many cafes that will not have any food at all - only drinks. In such places people gather to chat, drink espresso, and take a break between tasks. It seems that this format of establishments does not exist in Russia?
You can also bring food to such a place from another establishment if you are hungry. It’s better to ask the employee for permission first, but most likely he won’t mind!
You can order tea with lemon in a cafe or ask at a party, but most likely they will bring you not a lemon circle, but a whole slice the size of a quarter of a lemon - to squeeze. Or lemon juice in a separate bowl - without pulp
And they will always bring a portioned bag of honey to the cafe for tea. I wonder if this has something to do with the fact that for Serbs tea is something you drink when you are sick? But it’s definitely a nice little thing!
A piece of pizza is the main street food. Maybe this is only the case in Belgrade, but there are a lot of micro-pizza spots where you can get a piece of hot pizza for 150-250 dinars and eat it on the go. I really loved this way to snack
Documents for you (for example, in a clinic) will often be folded three times and placed in an envelope, not a file. “Multifor” in general seems to be not loved as much in Serbia as in Russia)
Some pills and other medications can often be bought individually. If suddenly the medicine is expensive or you don’t need the volume of the entire box, ask about the opportunity to buy a specific quantity!
Euros are in great use: you can pay for a parcel to a courier or postman in euros, even if the default payment is in dinars. I’ve used this a couple of times when I don’t have enough cash - it helps a lot! According to my observations, the Serbs calculate the exchange rate at 117 dinars per euro, and do not bother to take into account the minimal fluctuations in the exchange rate that occur from day to day.
By the way, about currency: in some exchanges you can agree to make the exchange rate more profitable for you. For example, say that the rate is better elsewhere, or warn that you are exchanging a large amount of a thousand euros
For film distribution and television, dubbing is done only for children's films, and all other films and TV series are shown with subtitles. If you know English, this is a great opportunity to watch many films on the big screen. But if suddenly the film is in other languages (real or fictional), it will be a little difficult
In a restaurant, Serbs usually do not split the bill: one person pays for everyone and says that “you will pay for me next time.” This is an important part of the culture of hospitality - there is no point in arguing 😏 If you are not with the Serbs and want to split the bill, then it is best to pay it in cash, as not all establishments will be willing to split the bill for you when paying by card
Nicknames are an important part of culture and are actively used. Sometimes even more often than the official name. A nickname can be derived from a surname or given name, but is often associated with some kind of history, character trait, or appearance. Here is an article in Serbian with such examples of nicknames: (https://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/1412503-koji-vi-nadimak-imate-zasto-je-svaki-nikola-dzoni-a-aleksandar-sasa) Smoki, Moka, Hydra
And the names themselves do not have fixed short and full names: all these are individual names or nicknames, and people choose them arbitrarily. Not every Aleksandar is Sasha, and Katarina is Kaћa, and vice versa :) If in doubt, it’s better to ask
Serbs do not say “at the university”, but “at the faculty” - because in Belgrade there is no diversity of universities, and different directions are faculties of the same university. If we mean a university in another city, then, of course, add the name of the city
Central heating is turned off at night 🥶 And there is no heating season as such, when during one period of the year the heating works without interruptions. In Belgrade, heating is turned on if the average daytime temperature drops below +12. (https://beoelektrane.co.rs/cesto-postavljana-pitanja-2/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0VJhl9NNu6UDMRPh311cvJA3rzP-9s0gctYVMDA4kjUuW8koqwHo7hwso_aem_AZ4LpgMF2_93F17NCpjgim kPnjE6pHXmIpNBFxoaIFofFFVVu4EZe9SWuPlA-zn0VAhp4voVWBtNwB8eXnu9k9ai) That is, if the day is cold, then the heating works, but the next day it may not work anymore if it gets warmer
You have to pay separately for the use of a wardrobe in bars, theaters and other places - usually 100-200 dinars per person. Sometimes you can hang your own things, but often if there is no employee, the wardrobe will be closed. This payment apparently covers the work of this very employee
You also have to pay to enter the platform at the bus station - this special ticket is called “peronska karta”. (https://www.polazak.rs/sr/blog/Peronska-karta-Sta-zapravo-placamo-i-zasto-je-ne-volimo/) For example, if you bought a ticket for an intercity bus, then the ticket for passage for the platform you still need to buy separately. In Belgrade, such a ticket costs 220 dinars. This is very unusual, but in this way the services of the bus station itself are excluded from the ticket price and it is not the carriers who pay for them, but the visitors themselves
Names are more often written on doors and intercoms in houses than apartment numbers. In my opinion, this is a very good tradition, which shows respect for both residents and visitors - it sets a certain “transparency”. And, of course, it shows that Serbia has a more thorough attitude towards private property, in which people can own real estate for a long time and live in one place. Of course, everything changes in big cities, but the tradition is still alive
Water in a large package comes in 6 liters, not 5. It’s a mystery to me how the extra liter fits there, but apparently the packaging is still a little larger than in Russia
A double bed is usually 180 centimeters wide, not 200. It’s a mystery to me why this is, but even if there is space in the bedroom, you will often find a narrower bed there. I’m very sad about the missing 20 centimeters of personal space
Popcorn is eaten not only in the movies, but also on the street just like a snack! Absolutely people of all ages love it - and you can find a kiosk with the word “kokice” on every corner in the center of Belgrade. The smell of fresh popcorn is my main aromatic association with the city