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The Art of Soviet Kissing
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The Art of Soviet Kissing

Is it gay to kiss your homies on the lips as a way of greeting?

This section explores the question of whether it is considered gay to kiss your friends on the lips as a form of greeting. It discusses the tradition of triple kisses in Russian culture and provides historical context.

The Tradition of Triple Kisses

  • In ancient Rome, even boxers and wrestlers would briefly touch lips before starting fights.
  • Slavic traditions also involved kissing on the lips between men, dating back to pagan rituals.
  • Kissing served as an oath in Christian times, such as when officials kissed a cross or merchants sealed deals with a kiss.
  • Russian Tsars and Emperors would kiss their nobility during Easter celebrations.
  • In 1840, Nicholas I introduced triple kissing as a replacement for his signature during negotiations with foreign ambassadors.
  • Nicholas II set a record by kissing nearly 500 soldiers three times each on Easter day in 1896.

Kissing in Soviet Society

  • Kissing between men was not frowned upon or forbidden in Soviet society, especially during joyful events.
  • Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was known for his frequent and passionate kisses with men.
  • Brezhnev's victims included Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, chess player Anatoly Karpov, and members of the Soviet ice hockey team.
  • Kissing became a special political gesture during this time.

Notable Cases

  • Margaret Thatcher politely declined Brezhnev's kiss, but American teacher Annie Holman did not resist.
  • Yasser Arafat's visit to the Soviet Union led to his first international threefold kiss from Brezhnev.
  • Joseph Tito, leader of Yugoslavia, received an enthusiastic kiss from Brezhnev that resulted in a busted lip and bleeding.

Conclusion

Kissing between men, including on the lips, was not uncommon in Russian and Soviet culture. Leonid Brezhnev's frequent and passionate kisses with men were seen as a sign of respect and joyous encounters. The tradition of triple kisses has historical roots and continues to be practiced in various contexts.

New Section

This section discusses the tradition of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev kissing athletes and other leaders, as well as those who managed to avoid being kissed.

The Tradition of Kissing

  • Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet leader, was known for his habit of kissing athletes and other leaders.
  • He often attended tournaments in person, especially hockey tournaments, and would personally talk to sportsmen.
  • Ludhislav Trichiak described a moment in 1981 when Brezhnev kissed him during a match.
  • French kisses were favored by Brezhnev.
  • Only three individuals managed to avoid being kissed by Brezhnev.

Those Who Avoided Being Kissed

  • Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady, dodged Brezhnev's lips.
  • Nicolae Ceaușescu, the Romanian leader, directly refused to embrace and kiss Brezhnev.
  • Fidel Castro arrived in the USSR with a cigar in his mouth and did not let it out until the end of the meeting to avoid kissing.

Others' Reactions

  • Miguel Grabashov decided to recreate a photo from 1979 in 1986 and also kissed Eric Hanukkah.
  • Yuri Andropov had a negative attitude towards this tradition but witnessed it with a smile and even applauded at times.
  • British Prime Minister James Callaghan couldn't hold back his reaction when he saw another socialist leader kissing someone while having a cold.

The Significance of Kissing

  • Kissing was an important part of Soviet international etiquette for at least a decade and a half but never became a permanent tradition.
  • It was mostly seen as a reflection of Brezhnev's personality - cheerful, friendly, and hospitable.
  • The act of kissing demonstrated hospitality in a memorable way for Soviet people.

New Section

This section discusses the continuation of the kissing tradition after Brezhnev's death and its significance.

After Brezhnev's Death

  • The tradition of kissing continued for some time after Brezhnev's death.
  • Mikhail Gorbachev decided to recreate a photo from 1979 in 1986 and also kissed Eric Hanukkah.
  • Yuri Andropov, who was Brezhnev's closest associate and chairman of the KGB, witnessed the kissing sessions with amusement.
  • However, there was a negative attitude towards this tradition from some individuals.

The Significance of Kissing

  • Kissing was an important part of Soviet international etiquette but never became a permanent tradition.
  • It reflected Brezhnev's personality and his desire to demonstrate hospitality in a memorable way.
  • A popular joke circulated after Brezhnev's death about being "kissed to death" by his ghost near the Kremlin.

The transcript is already in English.

Video description

Leonid Brezhnev was in power in the Soviet Union for almost 20 years, and during that time people remembered him above all for his enormous desire to kiss the leaders of other countries. One on the left cheek, one on the right cheek and a final one - on the lips. A socialist fraternal kiss or "Triple Brezhnev" as Soviet people called it quickly became his signature move. Where did this strange tradition come from? And why did Leonid Ilyich mostly kiss only men? Special thanks to my Patrons: Giovanni Zayas; Kirill Klimuk; Simon Böse; Steak221; Steven; Yelizaveta Zakharova; Adam Stakhanov; Bálint Hegyi; Devon Hodgson; Joseph; Max; Michael Cottow; Mike Pearce; Niels Dowgwillo; Osas; Ravenghast; Sarah McMaster; Triskelia; Petar Kerelov; Yuval Carmon; Peter Lassen. If you'd like to support the channel: 💵 Patreon (early access to videos) - https://www.patreon.com/setarko 🪙 BTC - bc1qh8szz62crxu9ylg2jx9dz3t6vzzjdw2rheft2m 🪙 ETH - 0x19F11A86adf1ec4DDebEC0f27982805B1d1aba67 🪙 USDT (TRC20) - TYG76yndvrDD8WM9TtkBGauT7682esKZfu 🪙 Other crypto - https://nowpayments.io/donation/setarko Links: Discord - https://discord.gg/R3j9rKczRm Twitter - https://twitter.com/SetarkoYT Hey there. Somehow you found my video and decided to watch it. So let me introduce myself. I'm Sergei and I'm from Russia. My channel is about my native country. I want to tell English-speaking viewers about the real Russia, about its past and present. Unfortunately, you can find a lot of propaganda about Russia on the Internet, both from the Russian media and from the Western ones. I want to tell you about Russia, as it really is, the country in which I was born, grew up, and lived all my life. Free Stock Footage provided by Videvo.net and Videezy.com.