We are receiving a lot of letters from men who are planning their first visit in Russia and who are worried about cultural differences and some traditions in this country. So we decided to tell you a bit about a few simple rules of etiquette, which may help you in your visit to a new country.

• You should not shake hands or kiss across the threshold of the door step - Russian people believe it brings a bad luck.

• If you are going to buy flowers for somebody, make sure the number is uneven, even numbers are for funeral.

• You will have to take your shoes off upon entering somebody’s house and you will be given a pair of slippers to help keeping an apartment clean.

• If you have been invited to somebody’s house for dinner - bring a bottle of wine, or maybe a cake or flowers - it’s a tradition and if there is a small child in the house it will be appropriate to take a small gift or candy (a visitor without a gift is a disappointment).

• On public transportation, such as buss or subway, men should give a seat to mothers with children and to old people.

• Whistling in someone’s apartment or house is a catastrophe. It brings bad luck.

• Never collect bread crumbs with your hand. You will be without money for a long time.

• In Russia it is common that the man always pay the restaurant bill. It simply not appropriate to leave a woman with her own bill.

• Help her with the chair at the table, and also help her on with the coat.