Russian friendships

[Richard Robin]

"Would anyone like to contribute some concrete examples? The ones I've
provided don't seem to have gotten through. I should think sociologists
have studied the question.

Thanks! Emily Tall"


Here's my contribution, and I've always considered that this could only
happen in Russia. In order to keep track of the characters, I'm going to
assign pseudonyms. Mark and Jane are Americans who often travel to
Russia. They have a close friend Luba, whom they have known for over 25
years, since she was a university student. Mark and Jane are (or were)
also good friends with Luba's husband Seva. Luba, Zhenya, and the
Americans were all friends with Oksana.


Oksana started an affair with Luba's hisband Seva. She hid the affair
poorly, and Mark and Jane suspected that something was going on. But they
followed the general Anglo-Saxon ethic in such relationships and chose
not to get into the middle of all this. They kept their mouths shut -- to
all the people involved. Eventually, Seva admitted the affair to his wife
Luba. They patched things up very quickly. Then Oksana told Luba that
Mark and Jane must have known about the affair weeks before.


Luba's reaction to Mark and Jane: "You are both some of my closest
friends. And you didn't tell me what you clearly suspected?! What kind of
friendship is that?"


Seva's reaction to Mark and Jane: "You are both some of Luba's closest
friends. And you didn't tell <underline>her</underline> what you clearly
suspected of <underline>my</underline> affair with Oksana?! What kind of
friendship is that?!"



Richard Robin - http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~rrobin

German and Slavic Dept.

The George Washington University

WASHINGTON, DC 20052