Dasha Astafieva: “I have a Greek mentality”

Sex symbol of Ukraine, soloist Nikita groups shared her impressions about the trip to the island of Crete, where she flew to combine business with pleasure - to relax and shoot a video on new song"Inhale"

Dossier: Dasha Astafyeva - Ukrainian singer, soloist of the NikitA group, actress, model. She graduated from the Dnepropetrovsk Theater and Art College (Director's Department). At the same time, she studied vocals. In 2007, producer Yuri Nikitin invited Dasha to take part in a television musical project"Star Factory". Astafieva reached the final of the "Factory", however Grand Prize she didn't get it. In 2008, the girl became the soloist of the NikitA group. Dasha became wildly popular with the title of Playmate of the Month in the 55th Anniversary Playmate magazine. And she also starred in the films “Lovers in Kyiv”, “What Men Do!”, “Island of Luck”.

"ZagraNitsa": Do you like to travel? What do you enjoy most about traveling?

Dasha Astafyeva: When people ask me: “What do you dream about?”, the first thing I want to answer is: “Travel”! There is nothing better! Traveling is something that never gets bored and helps to find yourself. Travel time is my personal, I spend it exclusively on myself. Even the very beginning of the journey, the flight is already a closed space with a lack of connections and proximity to the sky.

A photo: Facebook

ZagraNitsa: How many times have you been to Greece? What was the purpose of going there in the first place?

YES.: Several times, exclusively on the set and concerts. But absolute love came to this country from the first trip! For a person whose work is connected with constant flights and moving, the opportunity to combine business with pleasure is extremely important. Greece is a perfect example of beauty, gourmet cuisine, hospitable people and unforgettable experiences. In addition, it was here that the shooting for Playboy took place, which became the start of my career and helped me get into the house of Hugh Hefner.

A photo: vk.com A photo: vk.com A photo: vk.com

"ZagraNitsa": What sights and landscapes of island Greece won you over? Did you like the Cretan capital - Heraklion?

YES.: I remembered emotions and sensations more than facts. We spent a lot of time on the territory of the Aldemar Royal Mare hotel - we had our own little country there. And I just fell in love with Heraklion and Rethymnon!

Photo: Provided by the press service

"ZagraNitsa": What surprised the islands of Crete and Mykonos?

YES.: An abundance of scents and unforgettable beauty. I bring home flowers or beautiful twigs from every trip. There was plenty to choose from!

"ZagraNitsa": How comfortable was the climate on the islands?

YES.: I really like heat and humidity, so Greece is ideal for me in terms of climate. Usually, when traveling, I rebuild for several days, I get cold, I start to get sick. But here - no. So Greece is also good because you do not waste time on acclimatization, but spend all your days pleasantly and profitably.

"ZagraNitsa": How do you like island beaches? Have you tried extreme sports?

YES.: I have enough extreme Everyday life so I didn't set it as a goal. The beaches of the island are calm and peaceful. There you experience emotions that help you to truly relax, gain new pure thoughts, look at things from a different angle. For me now it is very important.

A photo: Facebook A photo: Facebook A photo: Facebook

"ZagraNitsa": Are you close to the culture and mentality of the Greeks? What impresses or repels them?

YES.: I really like the sense of humor of the Greeks and the fact that they are very sociable, sometimes they exaggerate reality. They love to fantasize! One of my friends is sure that the myths Ancient Greece appeared solely for this reason. And I myself am like that - I like to joke and exaggerate. You could say I have a Greek mentality.

"ZagraNitsa": Did you go to the market? How do you like the local color?

YES.: The Greeks are very hospitable, and most importantly - generous. They do not seek to cash in on tourists, they want to please you. They treat you, and when you praise olives or fruits, there is sincere happiness in the eyes of the sellers.

ZagraNitsa: You stayed at a hotel. What can you say about the level of Greek service?

YES.: Aldemar Royal Mare staff exceeded all our expectations: attentive attitude to each of our requests, sincere friendliness and responsiveness. The workers helped us in every possible way and did a lot of things that went beyond their scope of duties. Special thanks to the tour operator Mouzenidis Travel Ukraine for organizing our shooting. When minutes count on the set, this is very, very important!

A photo: by da_astafieva A photo: by da_astafieva A photo: by da_astafieva

"ZagraNitsa": What kind of Greek island cuisine did you like?

YES.: Seafood and sweets. Everything is so delicious and beautiful that it is impossible to stop! Forget about diets and rules! It's good that we had an active holiday and managed not to score overweight. I really like adding spices to any dish, even sweet ones. Unforgettable taste!

"ZagraNitsa": Have Greek wines been rated?

YES.: I don't big fan wine, but the last trip has changed my attitude to this drink. It turns out that the place is important for him - not even the company.

"ZagraNitsa": How much cheaper or more expensive is a vacation in Greece compared to other European resorts?

YES.: It all depends on how you rest. But in Greece it is so good to just walk along the seashore alone with your thoughts or sit for hours in a tavern and look around the surroundings, that if you wish, you can relax there, fitting into a very modest budget.

Photo: Provided by the press service

"ZagraNitsa": How do you spend money during your vacation: do you save on anything or do you still think about spending?

YES.: I buy what close friends recommend, as well as something new that I have not tried before. Greece is ideal in terms of gastronomic discoveries. I returned from my last trip with a six-month supply of delicious gifts for the whole family.

"ZagraNitsa": What did you bring from souvenirs?

YES.: I'm fine with souvenirs. This time I was pleasantly surprised by the cosmetics that I purchased. Products with natural essential oils, sprays, lotions are all very high quality and smell incredibly. I recommend them to all my colleagues and friends!

Photo: nikita.fm

"ZagraNitsa": Which of the islands would you like to return to?

YES.: To Mykonos. He remembered beautiful people and an atmosphere of unbridled fun!

Greece - beautiful country. But the first impressions of Greece do not come from its amazing sights and natural beauties, but from the local people and their traditions.

This is not surprising! People, from employees at the airport to traders in the bazaars, do their best to show their sincere sunny hospitality, paying attention to each guest of this beautiful country. Such local mentality. The benevolent and loyal attitude of the Greek people towards fellow citizens of other nationalities is explained common traditions and traditional Christian upbringing.

Greek mentality

The Greeks stand out for their philosophically serene attitude to life. The Greek people look at themselves and everything that happens around them simply and with pleasure. Men are loving and also recognized as longevity champions in Europe. In Greece, very low level crime, which in turn contributes to a healthy attitude to life. Despite the fact that a huge number of monasteries and churches are located on Greek territory, the Greeks are moderately religious people. Most attend churches only on Easter and Christmas. The main religion honored in the country is the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ, ruled by the Synod.

Local residents never curse their past, do not demolish monuments. They feel everywhere and in everything the descendants of the ancient Hellenes, proud of everything that connects them with centuries of history. By virtue of their mentality, the people of Greece adore the holidays, for which they prepare creatively, and not formally. In total, there are 23 holidays honored by the Greeks. Women's holiday in this fertile country, it is celebrated not on March 8, but on January 8, but the holiday of workers on May 1 is also called the Festival of Flowers. The most striking and colorful event is the Greek carnival "Apokries", which lasts 3 weeks. The Greeks love and can have fun, they are convinced that the main thing in life is pleasure, they like to be in public. And that is why there are no such number of holidays, weekends and festivals anywhere in Europe. The Greek people cannot deny themselves another pleasure - a siesta - a rest in the middle of the day. In the interval from 14.00 to 17.00 the city completely dies out, even shops are closed.

The national character of the people of Greece is expressed by various and numerous folk dances, such as: “kochari”, “sirtaki”, “kalamatianos”, etc. There is no such Greek who could not dance, and they dance every time with sincere pleasure. It is very rare to meet a drunk local resident. A good relationship it is quite easy to maintain relations with the Greek people, the main thing is to adhere to the generally accepted rules of behavior of the Greeks. When visiting temples and monasteries, it is also necessary to respect the religious rules of behavior by wearing modest clothes with covered shoulders. In some monasteries, tourists are given special clothes for the duration of the visit.

In general, the mentality of the Greek people is very close to the Russian people, so Greece is one of the countries where Russian citizens treated like brothers and friends.

Politics and Economics

The industrial-agrarian country, Greece, after the events of the Second World War, quickly restored its social structure and economy through shipping and booming tourism. However, due to the current unstable economic and political situation in Greece, there is a possibility of a social crisis.

Since ancient times, due to disputes over the division of the territorial waters of the Aegean Sea and the forced annexation of the island of Crete, there has been a certain tension between Turkey and Greece. Relations slightly improved after the earthquake in the territories of both states. However, many disputes remain unresolved.

Greece takes part in various international organizations, actively supports EU enlargement, is a member of the UN. In Thessaloniki, the Black Sea Development and Trade Bank began selecting and financing regional investment projects.

Discontent is growing among society, because people's incomes have noticeably decreased, taxes have increased, the economy is "losing weight." The Greeks believe that all this is the result of a tough government austerity program. According to the Greek trade unions, strikes and demonstrations await the country, which are already gaining momentum. So already in 2010, there were 6 nationwide strikes against government measures to reduce the budget deficit. Due to the past strikes, the work of airports was stopped, the movement of ferries was stopped, which ultimately led to a decrease in the tourist flow.

But the current economic and political situation should not affect the desire of tourists to visit this wonderful, amazing and friendly country.

The behavior and mentality of the native Greeks are fundamentally different from generally accepted European norms. This is observed literally in everything: in gestures, in the manner of speaking, in behavior in a public place.

In order to exclude the possibility of getting into unpleasant situations, before you go to this country, you should find out its traditions and rules. Many of them can be read by clicking on , but you should also take into account others. important facts when visiting the sights of this country. Knowing the culture and common history Greece, it will be easier for a tourist to navigate.

Greek norms of behavior and concepts

The Greeks actively gesticulate during a conversation, thereby complementing the spoken words. For example, an open palm directed at the opponent's face shows the indignation of the interlocutor, but when the Greek has his head thrown back and his eyes closed, this expresses his denial or disagreement with what he is being told. If the Greek nods his head positively in response to your question, this does not mean his agreement, but, on the contrary, denial.

It should be remembered that in Greece it is not customary to give up a seat in public transport elderly people. Such a display of politeness can offend an elderly person. Due to the hot climate, the Greeks tend to rest between 14 and 18 hours, so during this period of time it is better for them not to make phone calls. Talking with local residents should be at a certain distance, since according to tradition, too close distance for interlocutors is not allowed.

Visiting a native Greek

In the case of a trip to visit a resident of Greece, you should know the following rules of conduct:

• In this country, they do not take off their shoes at the entrance to the premises.
• If you were invited to visit, this does not mean that you will be fed or treated with something.
• In order not to insult the Greek, you should address him by his last name only if he did not allow himself to be called by his first name.

Greeks, like everyone else southern peoples, distinguishes energy and stormy temperament. Therefore, when calm and reasonable Europeans are already tired of Greek communication, a representative of the indigenous population will continue to emotionally express their feelings. In Greek folk dances all the contradictory nature of the Greeks is beautifully expressed. Unlike people around the world who prefer to dance only in moments of joy, the Greeks dance even in moments of sorrow and sadness.

Conclusion

And the most important rule: you should never speak unflatteringly about Greece and its people in a conversation with local residents, because the Greeks are convinced that they are the most intelligent, cheerful and cheerful people on earth. Therefore, even if indigenous people and can speak negatively about his state, then if a foreigner allows himself, it can be fraught with the most unpredictable consequences.

5.1 The mentality of the ancient Greeks. Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) wrote that the northern European peoples are energetic, but do not have sufficient mental alertness; the population of Asia, living in hot countries, on the contrary, with a lively mind, lacks energy. The Greeks, thanks to their moderate mu climate, Aristotle saw a combination of energy of character with mental subtlety.

In the uniform development of various abilities, Aristotle saw the reason for a happy peace of mind and harmony, manifested in the great works of literature and art of the Greeks. He noted that the Hellenic imagination was always combined with elements of rationality, a sense- with the mind, passion - with reflection. He never indulged in any one-sided hobby, being the owner of numerous abilities, one for each case. By combining these abilities, he gave the creations of his work their true character.

Another essential feature of the Greek people, Aristotle considered his inexhaustible curiosity. In the field of natural and moral sciences, in history, geography, philosophy, mathematics, the Greeks showed curiosity in best value of this word and therefore were the first to formulate almost all the great scientific problems and invented almost all scientific methods. They were always tempted by everything mysterious, no matter how it manifested itself, but they were especially attracted by the mystery of the universe. They wanted to see everything and know everything. This need to ask questions of everything where an answer can be obtained is manifested both in the first Ionian philosophers and in the writings of the great Greek historian Herodotus (485- 425 BC. e.). Herodotus wrote about the subtlety of the mind of the Hellenes: "Since ancient times, the Hellenes differed from the barbarian in their ingenuity and lack of foolish gullibility. These are the characteristics of all Greeks, despite the fact that the inhabitants of different Greek policies had St. oh features. Boeotia, for example, was famous for its literary and political figures, the wit of the Spartans was known throughout Greece. And although their witticisms are less graceful and less imbued with subtle irony than Athenian ones, they have more conciseness and force. Many wise men, famous for their sayings, came from the Dorian part of Greece; but when the Roman Cicero wanted to show how to use witty words as a tool of eloquence, since he himself was an outstanding orator, he turned to all Greeks for models without distinction.

Traditions had in Greece great power but never suppressed freedom individual. Thanks to the courage of judgments, the fantastic power of imagination, the sincerity of feelings, the Hellenes avoided constraints in the development of their culture.

All the poetry of the Greeks is ultimately the poetry of life. Ideal

Greeks - the ideal of youth and beauty, which they constantly strived to realize and on which they willingly concentrated your thought. The Greek nation loved life more than any other , enjoying her thoughts and feelings, and by nature was prone to constantly active optimism.

Thanks to the listed reasons of general and particular order, the small Greek people in their cultural development He rose to such a height that is difficult to imagine, to which neither before nor after him any nation has been able to rise. That is why everything that concerned the ancient Greeks, including minute details their way of life, has always been and remains the subject of keen interest.

- You are a Greek, you have the sea in your blood ...

It is not for nothing that this line was chosen as an epigraph for my story, it in the most typical way reflects the character and mentality of the Greek man: a romantic man, a conquering man with a drop of blood of the Spartan kings and Odysseus.

About good...

The mentality of the Greeks is very close to the Russian people. Sunny hospitality, cordiality, openness, responsiveness and goodwill are in their blood. For myself and for the world locals watching simply and with pleasure, from ministers and financiers to flea market traders. It is strange, but even in the current crisis period there is no atmosphere of despondency in the country.

If you need help, the Greek will do his best to solve your problem, you don’t even have to ask. And it's not just the tourist areas. I observe the situation: small car accident at the crossroads - every witness tries with all his might to help, who knows how - they provide urgent medical care, others - call the doctors, others - the police, fourth - enclose the site. Crowds of onlookers, as in some places in Russia, are uncharacteristic for them.

The Greeks masterfully abstract away from pressing problems. Will a European who was laid off from work today go to have fun or go for a walk? Hardly. Lack of money or work is no reason for a Greek to turn down a big holiday. He will rest to the fullest and have fun with everyone.

But the rest of the time, most Greeks are very hard-working, they work very hard, and the “working day” can begin at 4 or 5 in the morning, they prefer to support their families on their own, refraining from employing a wife and helping relatives. And if we talk about those Greeks who occupy high position in society, then all the more “status is required” for them to have a non-working wife, her destiny is a house and children. The recent crises, of course, have slightly changed this feature, and those who aggressively perceived the desire of wives to work have revised their priorities, now wives often make a contribution to the family budget.

So the widespread opinion about the pathological laziness of the Greeks, which exists in Russia and Europe, is nothing more than a myth. If we talk about Greek officials, of course, they are not used to overwork at work, but it seems to me that this statement applies to the public sector in many countries of the world. Self-employed Greeks (hotel, catering business, the service sector) often work “until you drop” - the working day for many lasts 10-12 hours, and hotel owners allocate only a few hours a day for vacation during the season. But they have a goal - they need to live the rest of the year on what they earn during the season.

It cannot be said about all Greeks that they are greedy and prudent, however, the mentioned crises significantly strengthened such a character trait as economy [For information on how to save money while living in Europe, read our article at the link. Note.. There is no specific stereotype here, personally my husband is very generous and one might even say wasteful.

The Greeks are Orthodox Christians, in Greece the state and religious National holidays: Christmas, Easter, Ginaikratia - Greek Women's Day, Independence Day and Ohi Day, also birthdays of the members of your favorite Greek football team

And now for the disadvantages

Also in general positive picture I want to add and not really good facts that take place:

# Optional - for a Greek not to fulfill a promise - "just spit."

# The Greeks are a careless people who live for today and do not think about the problems of the future. The attitude to life can be classified as serene-philosophical.

# A typical situation for a Greek is to spend a month's income in one evening. He can feed all his friends in the tavern with wine and snacks at his own expense, and let there be "shish in your pocket" tomorrow, but the glorious and generous Panagiotis, for example, will be remembered for a long time. It is this carelessness that has caused today's economic crisis. The Greeks lived beyond their means for years, and, knowing about a possible default, did not take the necessary steps to stabilize the situation. But on the other hand, they really appreciate every moment they live and enjoy it 100%.

# Poor Greeks are extremely fond of buying some expensive thing to seduce stupid foreign women who are led by "sparkles" and illusion successful life. If a Greek begins to talk very intrusively about meeting eminent people and in large numbers money on foreign accounts, wears a Rollex watch in a conspicuous place with a short shirt, then most likely this is a bad candidate for husbands, but an excellent candidate for requests to borrow a “hundred” of bucks until tomorrow;

# Also already in Russia, cases are not uncommon when the Greeks deceive Russian women, having families in their homeland. The Greeks are excellent port workers and builders and often come to work on specialized contracts. When meeting a girl, they like to show sincerity and “persuade” an unfortunate person into active mutual assistance and services of a “different” nature. Wherein best case when such a representative of the Spartan nation simply goes home to his family, and it can be even worse. about scammers and swindlers.

# The Greeks can be quite cunning, but malicious intent is very rare.

Relations outside

Greeks just love their Greece! Every third believes that the Greek language gave birth to all the words on earth (“logos” - a word, knowledge, hence Philology, etymology, biology, etc.), “hyneka” - a woman, hence GYNECOLOGY, “bacteria” - a stick, “ morph "- an image, hence - MORPHOLOGY, etc.).

Every second considers himself a direct great-great-grandson of Zeus (I'm exaggerating a little, but still ....), and every first one is sure that the Greeks are the best nation in the world. At the expense of the ancient nation - there is certainly, but the "best" is a moot point. For more than 400 years, the Greeks lived under Ottoman rule, there are very few pure Greeks (incest was strong), but the Greeks hate the Turks to this day.

Families here are patriarchal, and respect for parents is undeniable. Parents, wife, children are in the main place in the life of any Greek.

In matters of marriage, many Greeks show an enviable share of nationalism, they strive to marry a Greek woman. An important argument for such a decision is most often that the family here is the material support of life. If a Greek marries a local girl, then, accordingly, his family grows, along with new “brothers” a business opens, projects are implemented, etc. A foreign wife is just a wife. Therefore, for the most part, Greeks prefer compatriots.

But, as they say, every rule has an exception, as happened with us. In any case, almost all Greeks hold on to their marriage, among the Greeks even walks funny saying about the fact that any Greek is ready to rather kill his wife, but never get a divorce (in a humorous context, of course).

The Greeks are very fond of children, as I wrote, the family comes first for them. If a Greek man for some reason divorces the mother of his children, he in any case continues to take care of the children - both materially and spiritually, taking part in their upbringing. Such a concept as "dad left the family", for example, compare Russia, the Greeks do not know.

In conclusion, I want to say that there are no stereotypes of character, there are people - evil and kind. I wish all girls to meet their piece of happiness in the face of another person.

June 19, 2014