10 things that Russians find oddly satisfying (PHOTOS)

1. Fried potatoes (even better with mushrooms) and a fresh salad with lots of dill, sour cream or mayo

“If someone tells me there is nothing perfect in this world, I’ll show them this”:

2. Russian perfectionist heaven - herring and vodka

Bread, herring and green onion, serve it nicely and add a shot of vodochka (as we tenderly call it)

3. Boiled pelmeni (for additional hedonism, add sour cream… or mayo, if you’d like to eat yourself into an early grave)

Yeah, we forgot to mention: a lot of these are going to be about food -   a single man’s private heaven...

4. Field, river and a birch tree

There is a common sarcastic trope in Russian narrative on patriotism: to hug a birch tree and cry. Even better if there is a small cozy church nearby. Why do we cry, you may ask? We don’t know - maybe you can tell us in the comments?

5. A bonfire and guitar

Just a perfect weekend night. Imagine the smell and sound of crackling wood as it burns - it calms you down, while the music plays on your heart strings

6. Crisp bed linen just like your granny had in the village

Our grannies used to make the beds this way when guests would  come. They also placed the best tea set on the table - probably the first time after being presented by your grandmother to your parents on their wedding day.

7. A basket full of mushrooms (or forrest berries!) 

When you go to the forest to collect mushrooms - and Russians just love it - It’s usually a lottery. Will you find just one or two tiny mushrooms, or will there be so many of them you will need to take off your jacket and use it as an extra bag?

8. A kitten drinking milk

Here’s a secret: the deadliest Spetznas (special forces) captain will have a soft spot for kittens. Russians are massive cat lovers.

9. Drinking tea out in the cold

Nothing can be better than drinking tea from a thermos when you’re frozen after a long winter walk.

10. Sun setting over a winter sky

Scientists recently theorized a unique Russian quality of ruminating as a strategy to protect yourself from actual depression. We love the sadness of wintery expanses, because they allow us to be deeply absorbed in thought and deal with our problems without burying them. This is evidenced in the hundreds of paintings exploring this theme - such as ‘Winter Landscape (Thaw)’ by Alexei Savrasov, pictured here.