History Main / MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong

* Inverted: In the year 988, Vladimir I of Kiev sent an army to his ally, Byzantine emperor Basil II of Constantinople. He took the chance to get rid of his most unruly warriors (vikings), but Basil liked them so much that he ended forming the Varangian Guard and recruiting them on purpose as his personal bodyguards and elite army units. On the other hand, this is more a testament to the toughness of the Scandinavian warriors than a blow to the Russian reputation. That said, Vladimir I was himself of partially viking ancestry, as what would eventually become the royal family of Russia was founded by the viking chieftain Rurik (Vladmir's great-great-uncle).

[[caption-width-right:350: [[VodkaDrunkenski Vodka]]-sorry, ''[[FrothyMugsOfWater Soda]]'' will make you strong!]]

[[caption-width-right:350: [[VodkaDrunkenski Vod]]-uh, ''[[FrothyMugsOfWater Soda]]'' will make you strong!]]

Most Russian characters in media, at least since the UsefulNotes/ColdWar started, are depicted as hard fightin', [[VodkaDrunkenski heavy-drinkin']], manly, boorish creatures. Even their females border on being TheBaroness or the FemmeFatale (or alternatively as BrawnHilda). The only time when there is a [[SensualSlavs soft, sophisticated Russian]], then he's most definitely TheSociopath.

** Soviet and Russian tanks are historically infamous for their lack of crew comforts. The legendary T-34 was a notoriously uncomfortable vehicle to drive, with both steering and gear changes taking quite a bit of upper body strength. The transmission was particularly unreliable in early models, and a popular urban legend states that gear shifts were so difficult, a smart driver [[PercussiveMaintenance would keep a mallet handy to help change gears.]] Later Russian tanks would add little in the way of crew comforts, favoring tanks with small, short turrets and low profiles, resulting in cramped crew compartments. Of particular note is the T-72, which between its short, small turret and it's signature auto-loading system, [[https://youtu.be/krp2y88nNCo?t=7m35s results in a turret interior that only barely allows for a commander and gunner.]]

* Inverted: In the year 988, Vladimir I of Kiev sent an army to his ally, Byzantine emperor Basil II of Constantinople. He took the chance to get rid of his most unruly warriors (vikings), but Basil liked them so much that he ended forming the Varangian Guard and recruiting them on purpose as his personal bodyguards and elite army units. On the other hand, this is more a testament to the toughness of the Scandinavian warriors than a blow to the Russian reputation.

* Literature/DirkPittAdventures: In ''Raise The Titanic,'' when Dana Seagram unhesitatingly complies with the Soviet sailor's demands to remove her clothes, she promptly demonstrates just how much of a strong-willed woman she is by taunting them, and when the Russians are rendered speechless, she adds: "[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments What's the matter, Ivan?]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Too used to muscle-bound, hod-carrying Russian women?]]"

* In an interview in the February 2012 issue of ''Esquire UK'', Russian [=supermodel=] Irina Shayk, who was born in Yemanzhelinsk, Russia, USSR, said, "You can't break Russian people. We're made in cold snow. We're very resistant."

* ''Fanfic/ScarTissue'': [[OriginalCharacter Dmitri]] is a Russian ChildSoldier that is portrayed like a tough, extremely competent SuperSoldier and a rude smartass. Reinforced trope, since the author chose making him a Russian because he could not think of something more badass-sounding than a [[HumongousMecha giant robot]] Russian pilot.

* A common practice is to take a WebOriginal/{{Creepypasta}} and rewrite it to take place in Soviet Russia (with FunetikAksent to match). The main joke being that whatever horror is supposed to be menacing the protagonists of the pasta is no big deal if they are Soviet Russians, because [[RussianGuySuffersMost they live through worse on a daily basis]].

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* NXT/WWE talent Alexander Rusev ([[FakeNationality who's actually Bulgarian]]).

* In the ''TabletopGame/StreetFighter'' RPG, Bison was given an origin as a Soviet mercenary whose unique style, Ler Drit, was based on Soviet assassination techniques supplemented with enhanced jumping techniques and PsychicPowers, because it seemed the most believable origin for him.

** Omega Red play it straight.

* In Moscow, how do you spot the foreigners in winter? Easy! According to the stereotype, no Russian man, other than a guard or laborer on the job, wears gloves, and nobody ever puts his hands in his pockets except to fish something out. In [[Real Life]], most Russian tend to dress warm in the winter. Popular saying is: "A true Siberian is not the one who endures cold but the one who dresses properly".

* In Moscow, how do you spot the foreigners in winter? Easy! No Russian man, other than a guard or laborer on the job, wears gloves, and nobody ever puts his hands in his pockets except to fish something out.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2cW-aAvACU&feature=player_embedded This video]] depicts a group of Russian guys casually ''driving through a forest fire''. What's even more mind-bendingly insane is that they encounter other vehicles during their death-defying commute. Yes, that's right, only in Russia can you ''get stuck in traffic in the middle of a damned forest fire''. What's even better is that not only do they not seem at all scared, they seem bored or even mildly annoyed. In fact, they are really scared, but [[DullSurprise Russians apparently emote less.]]

* A female example is Zarya from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', who was a champion Russian weightlifter before becoming a soldier. Her record for the Snatch and Clean & Jerk is 512kg, which is higher than even the Men's current real-world record. She's so strong that she uses a Particle Cannon, which is normally vehicle-mounted, as a [[HandCannon hand-held weapon]]. Notably has cross-universe dialogue in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' when teamed up with Stukov above.

And before the Cold War it was a Wild Communist, and even before, in the [[TsaristRussia XIX century]], it was a hard-fighting, heavy drinkin', boorish guy in furs, with a wild beard and a pet bear. So this trope [[OlderThanTelevision predates the television by some 150 years]] (it goes all the way back to 1813, in fact). And it would be probably even older if people outside the country itself before 1813 had registered Russia's existence.

And before the Cold War it was a Wild Communist, and even before, in XIX century, it was a hard-fighting, heavy drinkin', boorish guy in furs, with a wild beard and a pet bear. So this trope [[OlderThanTelevision predates the television by some 150 years]] (it goes all the way back to 1813, in fact). And it would be probably even older if people outside the country itself before 1813 had registered Russia's existence.

* A female example is Zarya from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', who was a champion Russian weightlifter before becoming a soldier. Her record for the Snatch and Clean & Jerk is 512kg, which is higher than even the Men's current real-world record. She's so strong that she uses a Particle Cannon, which is normally vehicle-mounted, as a hand-held weapon. Notably has cross-universe dialogue in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' when teamed up with Stukov above.

Most Russian characters in media, at least since the UsefulNotes/ColdWar started, are depicted as hard fightin', [[VodkaDrunkenski heavy-drinkin']], manly, boorish creatures. Even their females border on being TheBaroness or the FemmeFatale (or alternatively as BrawnHilda). So what's a troper to do? Even those times when you do see a [[SensualSlavs soft, sophisticated Russian]], they're evil. So much, in fact, that a non-evil, cultured Russian character is a rarity. And before the Cold War it was a Wild Communist, and even before, in XIX century, it was a hard-fighting, heavy drinkin', boorish guy in furs, with a wild beard and a pet bear. So this trope [[OlderThanTelevision predates the television by some 150 years]] (it goes all the way back to 1813, in fact). And it would be probably even older if people outside the country itself before 1813 had registered Russia's existence.

SubTrope of HadToBeSharp. Often overlaps with, if not providing an outright {{Justifi|edtrope}}cation for, HuskyRusskie. Somewhat related, also, with RussianGuySuffersMost.

%%* ZerothLawOfTropeExamples: Invoked in ''Theatre/LovesLaboursLost''.

* ''ComicBook/AssassinsCreedTheFall'' reveals the Russian tsars run on AuthorityEqualsAsskicking, as shown when Alexander III takes down an Assassin unarmed, after walking off his train crashing, and giving his piece of Eden to said Assassin just so the fight would be fair.

* A common practice is to take a WebOriginal/{{Creepypasta}} and rewrite it to take place in Soviet Russia (with FunetikAksent to match). The main joke being that whatever horror is supposed to be menacing the protagonists of the pasta is no big deal if said protagonists are Soviet Russians, because [[RussianGuySuffersMost they live through worse on a daily basis]].

** His signature move was the "Karelin Lift". Said move was a reverse suplex involved hauling up his opponent--including those weighing in at nearly three hundred pounds of muscle--by the waist and slamming them down on the mat. It routinely got Karelin the maximum five points per-throw and likely left his opponents questioning their course in life.

*** [[JustifiedTrope On that note]], Suvorov himself [[FourStarBadass (one of the only undefeated generals in history)]] supposedly gave us the quote "Train hard, fight easy." Whether or not he actually said it, he seems to have believed it, [[AFatherToHisMen making the same demands of himself that he did of his troops.]]