Have you ever played in association? This is when they say a word to you, and without hesitation you must name the first association that immediately flashed through your head. Psychologists say that this is the most effective way to find out your real attitude towards a particular subject, because the subconscious, which does not know how to lie, is responsible for you.

Based on this fact, diplomat Sergei Koritsky, who worked in Turkey for several years, decided to find out what the Turks think about Russia and Russians. For a month, he photographed the residents of Antalya and asked the same question: “What are the first three words, phrases, associations that come to your mind when you hear about Russia?”

Among those interviewed by Koritsky were waiters, teachers, artists, tourists, police officers, entrepreneurs and others. Many of the answers heard were quite expected and very stereotypical, and some were truly surprising.

— Moscow. Very cold. Tourists.— Do tourists from Russia buy carpets? - Almost none... - If you want, I’ll send you photos via e-mail? — I don't have an email address. (Doğan Tudun, salesman in a carpet store, 19 years old)

As you can see, Russia and Russians evoke very diverse associations! But the most important thing is that almost all of them are positive. And Russian girls and our friendliness, as always, are at the TOP.

Our “client” for the neighbors is just a godsend

“Russian tourist abroad” has long become a household name and a kind of brand. Well, it’s the same, but with the prefix “in Turkey” - doubly branded. Being a people prone to reflection, coupled with self-irony, we ourselves film and write things that no foreigner would ever think of. One word - “Tagil!” - and they say it all. But only for us, and not for the Turks, who have their own view of culturally vacationing Russians.

Having talked with a considerable number of my Turkish acquaintances, I became convinced that this view on average differs in some way from our own, often overly critical, ideas about ourselves. First of all, greater goodwill.

Well, with alcohol it’s clear. “Who doesn’t drink?” - we ask quite reasonably, especially at summer vacation, where “all inclusive” and “ultra all inclusive”. And then we ourselves come up with daring jokes about ordering “two more minibars” for our hotel room and about the fact that “in Antalya, it turns out, there is a sea.”

This folklore, translated into Turkish and retold to the Turks, invariably amuses them. However, having laughed a lot, they will not fail to say that Russians are a very cultured and educated people thanks to a well-established system of primary, secondary and higher education, which is no match for the Turkish one. If they are not interrupted in time in order to slightly lower them from heaven to earth, then even those who have never been to our country will say as a compelling argument: “Everyone in your subway reads books.” And this despite the huge number of beautiful girls in the metro rolling stock. But in Turkish, they say, everyone just stares around, however, without such compelling reasons compared to Russia.

In general, the beauty of Russian girls in the male half of the Turkish population causes constant delight, which can easily and naturally, even during a two-week vacation, be converted into a legal union of two hearts. But it would be very strange if the better half of Turkish society echoed the male one and reacted just as enthusiastically to Russian women, without inserting a pair of stilettos on their own in a purely feminine way.

Along with the recognition of the beauty of our girls (you can’t argue against a fact), from those Turkish women who are younger and more jealous, you can often hear said in a conspiratorial tone, “but Russian girls grow old quickly.” And it is useless to argue that rapid aging is still the prerogative of the southern peoples, including the Turks themselves. They get old, period... And for some reason Russian women, they say, take pictures hugging trees. The argument in competition for the attention of local men is not very good, but what can you do sometimes in the absence of the best ones.

However, from this very shaky ground let's step onto more solid ground: according to the Turks, the Russians good clients, not stingy and at the same time not particularly able or fond of bargaining. Although we would like to note here that in the matter of bargaining with the Turks, few people in the world can compete. And certainly other foreign visitors to Turkey cannot be included in their number - for example, the same Europeans or Americans, who, compared to the Russians, will also be stingier.

So our client is simply a godsend for Turkish sellers. Moreover, a somewhat paradoxical situation has developed: on the one hand, our compatriots travel to Turkey a lot and with pleasure, but on the other hand, the proportion of those who truly understand Turkish products and brands and at the same time still know market prices is not very great. This, I think, is a significant contribution to the thriving Russian-Turkish shuttle trade for many years, the entire business of which is built on buying something cheaper and simpler in Turkey and selling what was later bought in Russia as “genuine Turkey” with a higher markup. At the same time, real Turkey reaches Russia much less often, and its prices in our stores are not comparable to domestic Turkish prices.

That is why the Russian Internet is replete with brand names unknown to anyone in Turkey with Russians asking where they could be purchased. Correct answer: “My address is not a house or a street, my address is Laleli/Istanbul.” From this “small Arnautskaya”, in fact, all the products. And at the same time, from the Istanbul Covered Market, famous for its counterfeits of famous world brands, “Kapali Çarshi”, which, by the way, is now being rebuilt with the hope of growing clientele. And from there, having spent very modest sums, especially by the standards of the originals, every Russian man or woman who wants can come out “all in Dolce Gabbana.”

However, the Turks themselves do not see anything reprehensible in wearing a counterfeit world label or wearing counterfeit perfume. That is why the market for both in the country is blooming and smelling, and in the literal sense of the word. For the Turks are very practical and reason simply and in a worldly way: why pay more if you can get almost the same thing much cheaper? And in this sense, Russians are treated with “understanding”.

By the way, in a curious way, the purely Turkish idea of ​​an all-inclusive holiday, which has become one of the symbols of tourist Turkey, is based on how to make something that was initially expensive cheaper.

The simple idea that a person cannot drink and eat more than he is physiologically capable of turned out to be so productive, and Turkish hotel management so effective, that the country’s tourism industry has risen to unprecedented heights in just a couple of decades.

The only disadvantage of this system is that it only works when there is a full or almost full load. This is what the industry experienced during the crisis in Russian-Turkish relations, when in 2016 the number of Russian vacationers fell sharply and barn locks on the gates of many hotels became the best alternative to the holiday season. Well, the worst thing is to directly put them up for sale.

Today, the entire tourist Turkey is literally living in anticipation of the coming summer season and the return of Russians, after reconciliation between Presidents Putin and Erdogan, to local resorts. Moreover, the Turks secretly expect that the Russians will rest not only for themselves, but also for “that guy.” By “guy” I mean those many Europeans and Americans who seem to be ignoring Turkey this year. “The West is taking revenge on Erdogan,” Turkish hoteliers say sadly.

However, the truth is that for a number of years the Turks have been selling to the Russians a Turkey that was sold easily and without any fuss. In one phrase, then five-star “all-inclusive” Turkey on the Mediterranean coast with its main resorts - Marmaris, Fethiye, Antalya and Alanya.

As a result, Turkey, favored by American and European tourists who are more mobile than Russians, with its coastal villages, boutique hotels and guesthouses, turned out to be simply “terra incognita” for Russians. And this applies to almost the entire north-west and west of the country. Just as most Russians do not associate Turkey with alternative recreation - active, medical, gastronomic, etc. Well, during the fat tourist years, Turkey did not invest in their marketing on the Russian market - and now, after a series of political crises, it is reaping the fruits of its strategic miscalculation. In fact, there is simply no one to quickly replace a Western tourist.

It is necessary to take into account the habit of our citizens for an all-inclusive vacation, which, when packaged in a tour package, turns out to be a more budget option than a boarding house, as well as the habit and understandable desire of Russians to relax in the south with that “five-star” comfort that is often so not enough in everyday life Russian life. In general, their desire for a two-week period is to “become a lake and reflect the clouds,” without demonstrating excessive physical activity outside the walls of the hotel, limiting themselves to forays to the sea, the dining room, the bar - and back “to their rooms.”

And remember the fact that ecotourism, where the priority is not comfort, but communication with nature as such, is designed for an individual client - a kind of connoisseur of beauty with an active life position, which in Russia, as it happens, are still somewhat smaller than in the West. So for now, the “other Türkiye” is still waiting to be discovered by guests from Russia.

: “Türkiye is putting all its air and military forces on alert for preventive purposes.” Moderate left writes: “A Russian military aircraft was shot down during the second incursion into Turkish space.” And the pro-government publication Sabah reports: “Russia depends on Turkey for energy, according to economic experts in Turkey.”

State television channels are filled with propaganda, but there are no stories on them telling whether Turkey will be able to withstand if it does come to a military conflict with Russia. “All forums are now in full swing with discussions,” a Turk, who requested anonymity, told Gazeta.Ru. — Those who stand on Erdogan’s side are mostly people without higher education. Those who have an education understand that all this will not lead to anything good. If economic sanctions are introduced - on tourism, fruits and vegetables or gas, then well... our country was already poor, now it will become even poorer.” However, they are in no hurry to express their views openly on social networks. Gazeta.Ru asked Turks living in the capital Ankara to tell us what they really think about the conflict between the two countries.

Engineer Gokhan Demir:

“We live in the country of our great leader Ataturk, who said: “Peace in the home means peace in the world.” So our priority is world peace, no matter what the government's plans are. The majority of the Turkish people are against war, we are tired of terrorism and violence, we want order in the economy and all the best for all countries.

But now the whole world is prejudiced against Turkey, regarding it as a “terrorist” because we are Muslims. And it hurts us...

If I could bring back yesterday's unfortunate incident... I don't know, but our government says that "we warned Russia not to cross our border five times personally and many times in other ways." And yesterday, the Turkish pilot warned the Russian ten times before the Russian plane was shot down. It fell in Bayırbucak territory, home to Syrian Turkmen fighting Assad's rule. And in this territory there are neither (the organization is banned in the Russian Federation), nor America, nor our state interests. Therefore, I think this crashed plane caused an unnecessarily harsh reaction. I think we should use diplomacy to warn Russia. I would like Türkiye to have strong relations with all neighboring countries. We don't want war or bad relations with Russia. I am a civil engineer, now getting a new education, and I wanted and still want to work in a Turkish company that operates in Russia. For me, nothing has changed. I also apologize for all the innocent deaths in Russia, including the death of the Russian pilot.

Okan Chakar:

“I just think war is always a bad thing.” But we can't control this whole world in which we play out big games. We love Russians. But for the Turkish nation three things are important: mother, family and country. We are not afraid of those who are going to attack our country. We are a race of warriors. Our cultures are different. Look at the history of Turkey and you will understand me.

Civil engineer Akin Arslan:

— I always told my Russian friends that they should stand for Putin, since he is a patriotic leader for Russia and reads the world well. We know that Russia has always wanted access to the Mediterranean to control the Middle East. This is Russia's historical goal. And when Assad asked for help, Putin saw that this was a big chance to achieve this goal. And he made the same excuses that the US did 10 years ago: he will bring democracy to Syrian soil using bombs. But Putin took Iran as his assistant. As you know, we had a good relationship with Russia. And this attack is a big mistake of the Russians, because the United States really wants Russia to get stuck in this dusty country. The United States has been there for 10 years, and we see what is happening with their army. Russia is now in a big crisis, and this crisis can only deepen. Another mistake is to trust Iran. The other problem is that Putin says he is bombing ISIS, but we are getting news from those lands. They are bombing our Turkish people who live in Syria next to the Turkish border! Because they live in a very important area - next to the Mediterranean Sea. Putin is a fox, but he must be careful on our southern border. So this is a difficult problem because we have good relations with Russia. Our army said it warned Russian planes 10 times - in Russian and English languages. Therefore, by all rights, the plane was shot down.

And we have the right to ask the question: why are Russian planes flying near our borders and bombing our villages?

We remember that when Russia entered Crimea, Putin said: “Russia will protect the Russians who live on this land.” Now the Turks intend to protect the Turks who live 30-40 km from Turkey!

Ahmet Akan:

— Turkish society does not want war. It was reported that there was a cover-up of corruption by Erdogan and his family. I have respect for Putin. Russia adheres to the right direction in the battle against terrorists. I apologize for the dead Russian soldiers. Many people think like me that Erdogan’s empire and minorities must be destroyed. But we are afraid of the Turkish police.

Gurguch Gulay:

— Who wants a war in Syria? Russia is showing its strength in the Middle East. America doesn't do anything directly - it uses our government, which goes along with it because we depend on them economically. Our entire economy is in their hands. I don't know how true it is that our government says Russian planes entered our airspace. Personally, I would not want a war with Russia.

She noted the day before that the speech did not contain a call for a military escalation of the conflict. The publication's experts came to the conclusion that there is no talk of war yet. But it seems that economic sanctions are still awaiting Turkey. On Tuesday, Russian customs stopped allowing cargo from Turkey. They are sent for full inspection, and customs officers do not give any explanation. Products, including meat, clothing and building materials, have already come under strict control. And on Wednesday, the Russian Prime Minister instructed to develop a set of economic and humanitarian measures within two days as a response to Turkey.

I love these videos and lists on forums listing why the Turks love us.

We are beautiful, and well-groomed, and we go to museums and galleries, but we don’t leave theaters. And we love until we lose our pulse, and we are also smart, each of us has two higher and three languages. And we cook and raise children, and work and have time to take care of ourselves, but in bed there is generally fire, unselfish, obedient, not picky. In a word, where are the Turkish women with their seeds in front of the TV?
In short, according to the statistics of foreign brides among Turks (2017), Syrians, Azerbaijanis and Germans are in the lead. The number of German women exceeds the number of brides from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus combined. At the same time, less than four percent of Turkish citizens marry foreigners. The rest marry Turkish women.

There is no Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian language in the Turkish marriage certificate, although there are several foreign languages ​​there

A foreign wife is not a gift at all. She does not know the language, she cannot work officially for the first 3-4 years, she has a different mentality, religion, and interests. She may not get along with her relatives and may not accept something else that is very important for her foreign husband.

I brush that if a relationship with a foreigner has developed, then this is rather an exception. And I really like Kipling's ballad about East and West

Oh, West is West, East is East, they will never meet,
As long as Heaven and Earth remain as God created them.
But there is no West and there is no East, there are no nations, clans and barriers,
When two strong and brave men look into each other's eyes.

The West and the East will never “budge”, but despite this, two people from different worlds can get closer and find mutual language, English for example

And live together, trying to accept differences: borscht from merejmek chorba and lard from lula kebab

And I want to believe that Ashkym and I are somewhat similar to the robber Kamal and the son of the Colonel from Kipling’s ballad. When I start to turn off the music during adhan, and on Sunday he is waiting for me in the church yard. When they don't add red pepper to food because I can't eat spicy food. And when I sit visiting endless Turkish aunties, discussing the weather.

But this does not mean that the East loves the West and the Turks love the Russians.

Although if, as some do, we call what happens in resort towns every season love, then yes. Some Turks manage to out-love everyone who comes to them during the season, they are very hospitable

By the way, I had a commentator who said that in Turkey it is impossible to go outside, everyone immediately starts honking at her, shouting and whistling. I can’t understand, at what point do these screams become something flirtatious for our ladies?
Everyone wants to sell something. Selling anything other than car rims is of course easier for a woman. Men will go wild if they have to do shopping while on vacation.

Try going to any Turkish bazaar. This is what we sell in Russia: "Hello, my name is Natalya, I am an Oriflame consultant". And here they are all shouting, this is the Turkish style of trading. But listen to what they shout to their women. Abla! Sister, they are screaming. Because they respect their women. Older women are addressed as "Auntie" and others as "Sister"

And a merchant will never shout “hey, girl” to a Turkish woman, because her husband, brothers and uncles will come for him and he won’t be able to shout anything else. And they will honk at a Turkish woman only if she is driving and does not start on time at the traffic light, delaying her lane.

And then there are so many stereotypes about Russians that we are far from the love of the Turks. Beliefs about vodka, bears, wolves and rocket fuel are still alive
Many people have a very vague idea of ​​what Russia is and where it is. For example, almost no one knows that we have the most big country. And that Russia is Siberia too, and not just Moscow. About the Republics, too, almost everyone believes that they are separate, and Russia is separate. And for many, it makes no difference whether it is Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus. Just like for our people, it is a shock that Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey. Probably by now less people they think so, after so many hot news releases

So I am still far from elevating myself, a Russian virgin, above Turkish women and praising myself on forums written in Cyrillic. At least in my environment I would like to get rid of stupid stereotypes about Russia. Well, in my blog - about Turkey. Because people very easily draw conclusions about a country based on one representative.

I talk about Russia - only good things or keep quiet. I don’t know, why do some foreign women come here and this starts: “You have hard-working men here who help with the housework, but ours are lazy. You don’t drink, but here they drink. You love your children so much, but our men abandon their families and don’t pay child support. It’s so beautiful here, but here The city is full of dirt." So that they would feel sorry for you and take you in your arms? It seems to me that this does not cause anything in the Turks, except perhaps disgust. But they can conclude that everything is bad there! And this is her homeland. And what is the Motherland, so is the person.

And there are others who come and start the other way around. “You don’t have this, you don’t have that, but we have everything and everything is arranged according to our minds.” Why is this? Turks love their country, it is neither hot nor cold for them here, but just right. And if an overseas bride tells him this, he can also conclude that she will go home and take the children with her. And this is fear for any father, regardless of country.

And of course they ask where is better, in Russia or Turkey. It’s like when you were a child, everyone was asked who you love more, mom or dad.
I answer that these are now my two homes, and I feel good everywhere. Even if I am allergic to the sun and the water pressure in the shower is not comparable to ours, and I want smoked fish

Of course, it happened several times, my husband’s friends asked to introduce me to Russians. But he, for example, saw my friend on Instagram, a concrete girl, and not an abstract Russian one, he liked her and wanted to get to know her.

And Turkish women ask if I have an older brother. I say that there is, but not about your honor, but for this you will have to go to Siberia.
Of course they like our guys. Tall, with fair skin, and with beautiful eyes (they call any eyes except brown ones beautiful). But this still does not mean that Turkish women love Russians.

Diplomat Sergei Koritsky, who worked in Turkey for more than six years, wondered: what do Turks know and think about Russia and Russians?

For a month, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also happens to be an amateur photographer, photographed the residents of Antalya and asked them the same question:

“What are the first three words, phrases, associations that come to your mind when you hear about Russia?”

Among Koritsky's interlocutors are entrepreneurs and waiters, taxi drivers and police officers, artists, students and many others. The answers he heard were both familiar and unexpected and interesting.

Dogan Tudun, salesman in a carpet store, 19 years old:

Moscow. Very cold. Tourists. - Do tourists from Russia buy carpets? - Almost none... - Would you like me to send you photos by email? - I don't have an email address.

Mustafa Tumer, student, 26 years old:

Vodka. Beautiful girls. Visa-free regime for Turks. -Have you ever been to Russia? - No, but I really want to go. - Are you a musician? - Music is my hobby; in the evenings I play in a bar. And so I am a student, studying at the Faculty of Management of the Mediterranean University.

Umit Gokdas, tennis coach, 41 years old:

Moscow roads have five or six lanes. Pavel Bure. Maria Sharapova. - The roads in Moscow are really wide, but traffic jams remain... - Unfortunately, this is true, but it’s still impressive.

Bulent Isik, manager of a coffee shop on wheels, 28 years old:

Literature. Rich story. Bargain. - Why bargaining? - Russians love to bargain. - Do you know anything from Russian literature? - I read Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground four times.

Eda Su Sezer, waitress at the bar:

Snow (I came to Antalya from Germany three years ago, I haven’t seen snow since then, I miss it). Majestic historical buildings (I’ve never been to Russia, but I know). I also know that Russian is a very difficult language. - Why did you come from Germany to Antalya? - Fate, probably. - Are you satisfied? - Very.

Atilla Bakhchivan, owner of a small shop, 60 years old:

Friendly people. Democracy. Decency. - Do Russians buy anything from you? - Yes, I have many buyers from Russia.

Yusuf Durmush:

Vodka. Beautiful girls... - More? - (in Russian) Board immediately. - ??? - I worked at the local airport for a long time, I will never forget these words.

Onder Felek, restaurant manager, 29 years old:

Lenin. Stalingrad. Gorbachev. - What comes to mind when you remember Gorbachev? - For some reason, his birthmark on his head always reminded me of a map of the island of Cyprus.

Can Emiji, member of the dance group “Fire of Anatolia”, 40 years old:

Nazim Hikmet*. Saint Petersburg. Dostoevsky. - Have you ever been to St. Petersburg? - Yes, this city made a great impression on me. And in general: three words about Russia are very little. *Nazim Hikmet - famous Turkish poet, last years lived his life and was buried in Moscow.

Sedat Gundogdu, hairdresser:

A country that is friendly to us. Sochi. Red Army. - Have you been to Sochi? - No, but I watched the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympics. It was great. - Why the Red Army? - I would like to see the Red Army Choir perform in Antalya. I also want to ask a question: do they shave with a straight razor in hairdressers in Russia?

Agah Gargun, coordinator of Antalya Harley-Davidson Club, 47 years old:

Kazan. Grey colour. Train. - Have you ever been to Kazan? - No. - Why gray? - I feel so. - Why the train? - About 30 years ago I watched a documentary about the Trans-Siberian Railway on Turkish television. I still remember.

Baki Kefes, taxi driver, 49 years old:

Hospitality. Mafia. Russian tourists - without them our hotels and pockets would remain empty. - Have you traveled to Russia? - Twice, I lived in Moscow with friends, I really liked it. - Did you see the mafia there? - No.

Selcuk Sodim, 72 years old:

Samara. Putin. Leningrad. - Why Samara? - My son is an engineer, he worked in Samara for some time.

Atilla Turkyilmaz, former physical education teacher, pensioner:

- “Dynamo Moscow”. Volleyball player Ekaterina Gamova. Happy men. - Why do you think Russian men are happy? - Because Russian women are beautiful.

Osman Bashtug, policeman, 43 years old:

Kars*. Natural gas. Kremlin Palace. - Why Kars? - I served there. They say that Kars is very similar to ancient Russian cities. Even today there is a lot that reminds us of Russia. - Do you want to wish something for yours? Russian colleagues? - To the police in Russia, and in other countries, I would like to wish patience. *Kars is a city in northeastern Turkey; in 1878–1917 it was part of the Russian Empire.

Muharrem and Sibel Iyioz, owners of the Beydagi restaurant:

Friendly people. Hospitality. Red Square, which we really want to see. - Do Russians come to your restaurant? - Yes, often, Russians are very fond of Turkish cuisine.

Buse Gundogan, member of the dance group “Fire of Anatolia”:

Moscow. St. Petersburg... - Third word? - (in Russian) “Come on!”

Savash Altai, artist, 59 years old:

Great country. Art. Freedom. - In your opinion, in Russia people of art are free in their creativity? - I have many friends in Russia - artists, sculptors. I know that in their creativity they feel free. I’ll add separately: Russian sculptors are the best in the world. - Is that your portrait in the back? - Self-portrait.

Aziz Dincher, hotel director:

Aralov. Yesenin. Mamaev kurgan. - Why Aralov? - This is the first ambassador of Soviet Russia in Ankara. Along with Frunze and Voroshilov, he played an important role in the history of the Turkish Republic.

- Do you know Yesenin’s poems? - “Goodbye, my friend, without a hand, without a word...” When I was in Konstantinovo, I saw an autograph of this poem in the museum. I was very impressed. - Have you been to Volgograd? - Certainly. I was also on Mamayev Kurgan. This is the place where the history of the world was made. We must not forget the cruelty of Hitler's fascism and the heroism of Russian soldiers. - It’s a little unusual to see your UAZ on the streets of Antalya with the “Guard” sign on the door. - I really love this car. I also have a white Volga, hello from the 1970s, but it doesn’t drive, it’s parked in the hotel courtyard under the palm trees.

Ali Shahinkaya, cafe manager, 37 years old: Russians are our friends. Snow. Nuclear power. - Why did you call nuclear energy

? - The Russians are building the first nuclear power plant in Turkey. - Where are you from? - From Trabzon.

Ramazan Zerdali, restaurant worker, 25 years old:

Rich culture. Saint Petersburg. Along with the USA and Great Britain, the leading power in the world.

Erkan Ashci, 31 years old, Erdem Arici, 32 years old, cooks:

Siberia. Borsch. The Kiev's cutlets. - Of the dishes mentioned above, what do you cook most often in Turkey? - Sometimes we arrange a “Russian evening” in a restaurant, then we make sure to cook chicken Kiev.

Talat Aktash, sea taxi captain, 44 years old:

Our good neighbor. Great civilization. A country I would like to visit.