HOSPITALITY

Should you be lucky enough to be invited to a Russian home for dinner be assured that you will get the best of what's on hand and plenty of it. Russians are famed for their hospitality and love to invite people over in order to thoroughly stuff them. It is expected that a guest will accept all that is offered and your host may be offended should you decline. Be prepared for staunch arguments on the part of your host as to why you should eat the lump of raw pork fat or drink the glass of home-made sweet elderberry wine stuck in front of you.

When invited to a Russian's apartment for a dinner party it is considered de rigueur to bring something along, usually alcohol and perhaps flowers for the hostess. People often dress up as if they were going out to a fancy restaurant, and women take nice shoes with them in a bag in order to avoid the ridiculous situation of being in their finest evening dress and sliding around in tapochki.

Drinks are usually preceeed by toasts (sometimes taking the form of long speeches) and much glass clinking. Often the revelry lasts well into the night and can include singing and dancing until people pass- out or go home. These parties can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of a visit to St. Petersburg as they provide insight into the Russian people and their way of life, especially after the third bottle of vodka.