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I don't really understand why The West seems to have this view of the Eastern European/Slavic/Russian beauty being this blonde, blue-eyed woman.
In reality, at least in my educated opinion, that really was never the historical beauty standard portrayals in Russian folklore etc.
In reality, at least in my educated opinion, that really was never the historical beauty standard portrayals in Russian folklore etc.
For example, most ancient Russian folktales that I've ever been exposed to describe the beautiful maiden's hair as "русые" (rusyye), which is apparently translated into English as "fair-haired", but is actually much closer to a lighter shade of mousy brown.
This mistranslation is quite interesting to me, and yes I *am* counting it as a mistranslation because I've personally never come across anyone who has ever equated the русый colour to "blonde". Dafaq?
And in all honesty, whenever I think back to depictions of what were considered to be beautiful eyes, my mind immediately comes to "карие" (kariye), which means "brown" or "hazel"; no blue in sight [puns].
I've heard so many Russian songs and poems about brown eyes.
I've heard so many Russian songs and poems about brown eyes.
When I was first exposed to Western media, and learned of this blonde, blue-eyed portrayal of Russian, Slavic, and Eastern European women, I was caught quite off guard.
That wasn't quite what I felt was perpetuated in Russia but that could just be my experience.
That wasn't quite what I felt was perpetuated in Russia but that could just be my experience.
But I do think I'm onto something here, and I think I have my justifications decently solid.
There just seems to be a whole lot of blatant white-washing in Western media, as well as a paradoxical fetishisation (& subsequent disrespect) of non-Western/Northern European features.
There just seems to be a whole lot of blatant white-washing in Western media, as well as a paradoxical fetishisation (& subsequent disrespect) of non-Western/Northern European features.
