Interview Extraction:
Informant: “Ah well, one of I think, you know international superstitious things is defiantly with the cats. But if it is here it is just bad luck. But in Russia it actually means bad luck or even maybe very horrible disease. If the black cat crosses the street you must spit over your right shoulder three times, and then the left. So it kind of cuts the curse. Also, I know that it means a disease or death in like, your closest circle of relatives or friends if you look at the broken mirror. So actually, even if the mirror just cracked it means that you have to pick it up and through it outside of your house without looking at that. Because for example, in Germany broken mirror means seven years of bad luck, but in Russia it means that everything is going to extreme. It’s like disease? No! Dead people.”
Interviewer: “Why do you think people in Russia are so superstitious?”
Informant: “Well of course, all those superstitious ideas come from pagan times, you know? And Russia was influenced by so many countries because at one point we had Vikings, we had Mongols ruling the country for almost… 12 and 13th century for more than 100 years. So all those influences I would say, they created… I don’t know. Maybe people were scared? And of course in Russia the weather conditions are pretty tough too. You know, living situations was always tough. So maybe people wanted to feel more protected or find reason of like why something bad happen to them.”
Analysis:
I agree with my informant’s analysis of Russian culture and superstition. Life in Russia has historically been very difficult, due to both political and environmental reasons. I believe that it is a basic human desire to try to make sense of your world, especially when things seem to beyond your control. As my informant mentioned during the interview, people want to feel safe and find the reason behind why good things and bad things happen. Therefore people turn to superstitious beliefs to set up a system of rules to follow, which gives them the illusion that they have more control over their lives than they actually do. I do not know why the superstition of black cats and broken mirrors appear in other cultures besides Russia. The notion that a broken mirror is unlucky sounds logical, because broken objects have lost their use. There is another related superstition in Russian culture that says giving someone a gift that is broken is unlucky as well. Superstitions are a major aspect to Russian culture, and these beliefs are still present in the way people live today.
My informant was born in 1977, Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia). On completing her undergraduate education in Moscow, she moved to California to earn her graduate degree in theatrical design from Cal State Long Beach. She now works as a faculty member for the USC School for Dramatic Arts. She became a US citizen in 2012.