1. Cultural metaphors in Greece
and Russia
M.Sc. International Marketing & Communication, AUEB
International Marketing
Professor: Dr. Skarmeas
Boula Alexandra, Gkionai Irena, Karamoutsou Katerina, Saxionis Konstantinos

2. The Olive Tree
“With an olive tree, a vineyard and a boat, you can rebuild Greece” Odysseas Elytis

3. The Olive Tree
History
Neolithic
era (7.000
years ago)
Mediterra
nean –
Crete
Athena’s
Tree on
the
Acropolis
Cretan
diet -
Roman
cuisine
Daily life
(gymnasia,
coins)

4. Symbolisms to culture
Tradition
• Deep roots
Resilience/ Resurrection/ Hope
• The olive tree is resistant to adverse conditions
Wisdom
• Ancient Greeks’ wisdom /philosophy is known all around the world
Glory
• Greeks value great ideals - Always want to achieve great goals

5. Symbolisms to culture
Purity of heart
• Greeks live in a nation known for hospitality and kindness
Religion
• Baptism – Olive branch was handed to the gods as offering
Olympic Games
• Crowns made of olive branch for winners

6. Social aspects of olive tree
Collectivism
• the collection of olives requires group work
• men and women unite their powers/strong groups
• family
Masculinity
• collection of olives is a hard activity that is often related
with men/distribution of roles
Ethnocentrism
• Olive oil and olive tree remind Greeks about their
nation/feeling of duty to the country

7. The Russian Ballet
“In order to become a prima ballerina, it is a lot of work, and a lot of strength and time
- and a lot of emotions are spent to achieve it”
Svetlana Zakharova

8. Russian Ballet
1689
• Rise of Peter the Great, Russia was introduced to ballet
Cultivation of the Russians
• “Standard of physical comportment to be emulated and
internalized - an idealized way of behaving”
The Vaganova system
• Taught all over the world
Bolshoi and Mariinsky ballet

9. Russian culture and ballet
Discipline and seriousness
• Russian ballet teachers demand from their students to be like that
Reluctant to change
• So is ballet (includes specific list of moves, steps and positions for hands,
head, feet and body)
Patience
• Something very important for an aspiring ballet student
Russian personality traits:

10. Russian culture and ballet
Masculinity and Femininity
• Reflected in pas des deux
Collectivism
• Quite important for a ballet show to succeed
Russians dress up in a flashy way with glitter clothes
and furs
• Ballet costumes are very fancy
• Social Status

11. Russian culture and ballet
-Ballet’s repertory includes fairytales with princesses
and imaginative creatures, elements also found in
Russian culture and history (tsars, princesses, palaces)
-Russians’ dark temperament can be found in major
ballet plays like Swan Lake (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
-Tragedy, dark colours

12. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
“The olive tree is surely the richest
gift of Heaven” Thomas Jefferson
“No one can arrive from being talented
alone, work transforms talent into genius”
Anna Pavlova