A Chinese Man Explained How To Tell Belarusians Apart From Russians

• 5.10.2026, 15:07

The difference turned out to be too noticeable.

A Belarusian woman nidnvwang shared how her boyfriend, a Chinese citizen, learned to tell our compatriots apart from tourists from Russia. At first, the difference wasn’t very noticeable.

“When my boyfriend, a Chinese man, first arrived in Belarus, he couldn’t understand how I could immediately tell Belarusians apart from visitors from Russia, since to Chinese people, all Slavs look the same,” she writes. “Two years later, he can tell us apart almost as well as I can.
Based on his observations: Belarusians are very calm, mostly polite and patient, and in public places they respect others’ personal space and comfort. Visitors from Russia are very loud, oblivious to everything and everyone except themselves, and arrogant. What do you think?”
Belarusians shared their observations about tourists from Russia. The website Charter97.org features some comments:

— Yes, disrespect is the “Russian world.”

— This only works if visitors from Moscow and people from the Russian provinces are just as slow and calm. The difference lies in their speech and certain everyday habits.
— There are normal Russians, but they blend into the crowd, so you can spot and easily identify those who are “crazy.”
— Since when did Russians become Slavs?

— I’d replace the word “proud” with “arrogant.”

— I’m Belarusian; I’m very loud, impatient, and I can swear. But Russians really stand out—that’s true.