Greece

Ноя 14

by Brit Muscovite

We find it very important to know what do other people think about us. Do you agree? With this purpose I’d like to start today a new theme in this blog - attitude of russian people to different countries and nations. Before you go to Moscow, let you inform about.

Article by Giryaeva J. www.fom.ru

Greece

According to a poll, 65% answered the open-ended question "What comes into your mind first when you hear the word 'Greece'"?" In general, the interviewees have a clear notion of this country, evidenced by the large number of responses to the question, as well as the fact that about half of those surveyed (47%) could correctly name the capital of Greece – Athens.

All responses can be grouped into several categories, containing «geographic,» «cultural,» and «economic» associations. Quite remarkably, Greece, despite its tremendous contribution to world history and civilization, appears more interesting for the respondents in terms of consuming. For the majority of interviewees, Greece is more of a resort and a place where one can buy an inexpensive fur coat than a country famous for its historical sights. The interviewees were more likely to speak about good climate, beaches and Greek-made products.

So, let's begin from the «geographic» associations (16%).
• "A state in the south of Europe ";
• "The Mediterranean ";
• "The Aegean Sea";
• "A peninsula surrounded by islands ";
• "In the south, next to Turkey."
It should be noted that respondents have a good knowledge of Greece's geographical situation, unlike some other European countries – for example, Portugal was assigned by them to different world areas. The interviewees describe Greece as a fairyland of everlasting summer:
• "Warm sea and hot sun";
• "Paradise, beauty ";
• "No winter ";
• "Warm country, plenty of fruits";
• "It's warm there, four harvests a year ".
The image of «overseas» as a sunny and warm paradise is fairly widespread, and similar responses are regularly found even in polls on such countries as Norway and Finland.

Sea, beaches, sun – all these attract many tourists. Second most commonly mentioned are perceptions of Greece as a luxury resort (12%).
• "A country where it's great to relax ";
• "A resort ";
• "Travel tours to Greece.»
The respondents feel favorable towards the country itself («Greece is a country of my dreams,» «I love this country,» «a sweet country,») and its people («beautiful women,» «friendly people»); many voiced a desire to visit Greece.
• "I want to go there ";
• "I'm dreaming of travelling there.";
However, the interviewees often stressed the impossibility of realizing this desire («the resort we can't afford,» «the resort we can't visit»), and said that it was affordable only for rich and powerful people.
• "Our rich people go there ";
• "Berezovsky has a villa there ";
• "Our new Russians relax there, spending stolen money ";
• "Bosses go there."
Greece attracts people not only by its beautiful landscapes and good climate: respondents also voiced a desire to see antiquities and to travel where «world culture was born» (9%). They spoke of Greece as a «cultural treasure» that «gave the world the basics of culture.» Leading in this regard are associations with ancient Greek mythology.
• "Myths";
• "A country of myths ";
• "Greek mythology ";
• "Zeus, Prometheus, Aphrodite."
The country turned out to be so «mythical» for respondents that when asked to name prominent Greek figures, 1% named Hercules, while some responses mentioned Zeus and other Olympian gods. But most encountered in responses were Aristotle, Pythagoras, Socrates, and Archimedes (11% of 20% who answered the question on the prominent Greeks.)

Many spoke of historical monuments:
• "Historical monuments";
• "The Acropolis, columns";
• "Ancient ruins ";
• "Cathedrals";
• "Sculptures."
Sometimes, speaking of historical monuments, the respondents confused Greece with Egypt:
• "Much antiquity there, the pyramids ";
• "A country of pyramids ";
• "Mummies".
The respondents didn't forget that Greece is the native land of the Olympic games (4%):
• "The first Olympiad";
• "The Olympic torch";
• "The Olympic games came from there".
Some respondents described Greece as «the source of the Orthodox faith» (1%):
• "Christianity was born there";
• "We took our faith from them."
Speaking of the Greek economy, one can't help recalling a famous quotation from Chekhov's «Wedding», often mentioned by respondents (7%): «Greece has everything»:
• "Plenty of everything, Greece has it all ";
• "A country where everything is available, a developed country";
• "Greece has it all, a rich country ";
• "Greece has everything except us."
So, Greece in the eyes of respondents is a wealthy country with high living standards (4%).
• "An excellent life ";
• "An economically developed country ";
• "People live well out there, high living standards ";
Importantly, in responses to other Geoproject polls on European states such as the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, these kind of associations were likely to be encountered. That only 4% described Greece as a prosperous country apparently stems from the fact that Russians are fairly well-informed about the real state of affairs in Greece, which in this regard is lagging behind the more wealthy European countries.

Comparisons of Russian living standards with Greece's are made less often than with other European countries, yet this comparison is always made in Greece's favor.
• "The elderly people live much better";
• "Living standards are higher there than in Russia ";
• "A better-off state, compared with Russia ";
• "People live better there."
The interviewees often spoke about Greek consumer products (5%), with fur and leather clothing in the lead:
• "Fur and leather coats ";
• "A fur coat my wife wants";
• "Leather jackets."
The respondents pointed to the quality and low prices of Greek products («a country of good products»), which attracts shuttle-visits to Greece:
• "Our people go to buy goods there ";
• "Our shuttle-traders buy products there."
Among food imported from Greece, the respondents named Metaxa brandy, Greek wines, olives and citric fruits.

WHAT IS THE CAPITAL OF GREECE?