As a Russian I’ve been eagerly waiting for Snezhnaya to release for the past 4 years!, At first glance Snezhnaya is as Russian-inspired as it gets:, vast snowy landscape, piercing cold and obviously slavic names for cities and NPCs., But does it feel Russian because it actually reflects the country’s culture,, or because it relies on the visual stereotypes that we commonly associate with Russia?
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or because it relies on the visual stereotypes that we commonly associate with Russia?, To find an answer to this question let’s start by diving into characters. To find an answer to this question let’s start by diving into characters., In my opinion, Alyosha’s design has some of the strongest references., While the hunting aesthetics and dog companions are not unique to Russia,, his clothing is very tastefully reminiscent of Northern ethnic national costumes,, with geometric embroidery, fur accents and scarf., Moreover, the red horns on his hood remind me of a traditional female headdress, kika or kichka, that in some regions survived well into the 19th century. that in some regions survived well into the 19th century., You might have noticed that the photos show women wearing the clothes that could’ve inspired Alyosha’s design,, but Genshin often mixes traditionally gendered elements of clothing,, so I’m not going to be critical of that., I would like to mention that a combination of Alyosha’s name and his dog’s name, Tugarin is funny, since it references a well-known folklore hero, Alyosha Popovich, and his nemesis called.
Tugarin . and his nemesis called, Tugarin ., It’s like Harry Potter naming his dog after “you-know-whom”., Vodyanitsa’s characterization draws on myths about water spirits.
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, Most of the time they are described as young women who passed away due to unnatural causes, including, but not limited to, drowning., They are typically pale, have green-tinted loose hair and white clothing.
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, They are often characterized as mischievous and fun-loving. In some stories they are said to dislike men,, but in others they are shown as capable of compassion and save people from drowning., Vodyanitsa in particular is a christened woman,, which distinguishes her from other categories of water spirits,, sometimes depicted as unclean or extremely ugly., In my opinion Genshin’s Vodyanitsa is a lovely design that references the myth pretty well,, both in her appearance and demeanor as well as in her tendency to torment Mitya for fun.
both in her appearance and demeanor as well as in her tendency to torment Mitya for fun., Eastern Slavic mermaids differ from the Western European idea of a water spirit by retaining human legs like Vodyanitsa does, and by not being directly associated with singing unlike the prima donna of Korolevskiy theater., However, when a modern Russian hears the words “water spirit”,, they will probably connect it to a cartoon character, Vodyanoy, known and loved for his song. Whether the resemblance exists, I’ll leave you to decide for yourself., Moving onto Odette, who obviously draws on the protagonist of “swan Lake” ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century., This story is about a beautiful woman Odette who transforms into a swan under the curse of an evil sorcerer, who hopes to marry his own daughter - Odile - to the prince., The original production did not plan for these roles to be played by the same ballerina .
The original production did not plan for these roles to be played by the same ballerina, and didn’t even associate Odile with the Black swan,, but over the course of 20th century interpretations all these roles came to be performed by one ballerina, and became the symbol of duality that we know today., The ballet has several endings leaving the story open for interpretation., And so I like how this classical story was given a different context in Genshin., Shifting the focus from love to duty . Shifting the focus from love to duty, and merging it with the “Ugly duckling” tale allowed Odette’s character to truly stand out., Seeing her balance the love for dance,, care for the people of Snezhnaya, and a sense of duty she feels to Fatui makes her a perfect first limited character for Snezhnaya -, a nation that is surely used to making tough decisions., At this point a lot has been said about Odette’s heels.
and I too feel somewhat upset that Hoyoverse didn’t go the full way, and give her proper pointe shoes., Especially since the modern pointe shoe takes from the modified footwear of specifically Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova,, whose unusually arched feet made the shoe of that time difficult for her to wear.
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, She is also known for “The Dying swan” dance,, which - while a standalone piece - has influenced modern interpretations of Odette. Paying homage to Anna Pavlova by giving Odette pointe animations, would’ve elevated the work done on her character even further in my eyes., We don’t know much about Vesna yet,, but her fairy imagery combined with military decorations immediately struck me as a reference to The Nutcracker., This winter story is an essential part of New Year festivities,, with tickets to ballet performances reaching exorbitant prices in major Russian cities. with tickets to ballet performances reaching exorbitant prices in major Russian cities., The costume for the famous Sugar plum fairy historically didn’t have wings,, but it’s probably a practical choice rather than stylistic,, as a lot of non-ballet adaptations do give her small translucent wings., The front part of Vesna’s costume references decorative ceremonial coat often worn by Hussars., Overall Vesna’s design is charming with a clear inspiration that still stands out on its own.
and I am intrigued to learn more of her story., For the next three characters the inspiration is harder to guess,, if they were inspired by anything Russian at all., Mitya’s design contains both magical elements and scientific symbols,, particularly the atomic imagery., This symbol is used in at least 10 Russian cities coats of arms,, designed with the soviet idea of a “peaceful atom” in mind. The combination of magical and scientific elements reminds me of a satirical novel “Monday Begins on Saturday” by the Strugatsky brothers, In the novel the magic is seen as an object of scientific inquiry and is dedicated a special Research Institute for it,, where idealistic scientists have to fight the all-consuming soviet bureaucracy., Coincidentally or not, the theme of magical elements used for experimentation is seen all over Snezhnaya and Fatui facilities in general. Coincidentally or not, the theme of magical elements used for experimentation is seen all over Snezhnaya and Fatui facilities in general., This inspiration is not obvious in Mitya’s design,, but the characterization of a hard-working scientist surrounded by magical elements is something I can connect to the soviet legacy of idealizing scientific pursuit., However, with Danica and Valeriy I can’t find justifications for the same stretch of imagination., The modern idea of a maid costume is typically associated with France.
The modern idea of a maid costume is typically associated with France,, and while servants in the imperial household would wear black dresses with white detailing,, that’s about as far as the reference goes., Parts of Danica’s design that can be connected to whales are just as difficult to read -, while whale hunting can be found in Indigenious practices of the Far Eastern regions,, whales themselves do not evoke a specific connection to Russian culture in me. And I can say the same about Valeriy’s design., At first glance the inspiration should be obvious -, he is a military man dressed in furs,, and shouldn’t that alone immediately evoke an image of soldier capable of surviving the winter?, Dim colors chosen for his clothing and accessories and lack of buttons would typically be found on practical everyday military uniform., But the extravagant half-cape, epaulettes and large contrasting ribbon crossing over his body wouldn’t be part of such a uniform.
But the extravagant half-cape, epaulettes and large contrasting ribbon crossing over his body wouldn’t be part of such a uniform,, they are primarily ceremonial accessories., If I take a look at his design from that perspective, it still doesn’t pass -, ceremonial garments even for the lower ranks in late Russian Empire would be much more colorful,, with bright fabric accents and golden cords., Valeriy’s uniform falls somewhere in between, and because of that it loses visual cues that would make it immediately recognizable. and because of that it loses visual cues that would make it immediately recognizable., Since Snezhnaya so far is giving me a vibe of the late Russian empire,, I’ll show you a couple of examples of distinct military uniform of that time., Hussar regiment uniform is particularly ornate, sometimes even decorated with expensive fur., It is a beautiful ceremonial design that in my opinion could’ve helped the Fatui Major stand out., But if I was asked to pick an even more striking uniform.
I would’ve chosen the clothing of General-Major Wrangel., It is practical, yet increadibly distinctive,, and well-suited for a Fatui character -, Wrangel became a leader of White movement in Russian Civil War supporting the idea of empire, and opposing the Red communist forces., The overall work done on characters is decent -, on the one hand character design references Indigenous fashion, folklore and famous ballet productions. but gives new takes on the stories, so these references don’t come off as old and tired., On the other, for at least two of the characters the inspiration, if it even existed,, got lost somewhere among the gacha-fication of their design., Genshin region’s feel is not limited to playable characters only., The world, the stories, the nation’s values -, they all come together to paint a cohesive picture., Snezhnaya’s NPC designs are pretty solid - . Snezhnaya’s NPC designs are pretty solid -, citizens wear different types of coats, warm hats and gloves., Early 20th century Russian urban dress was heavily inspired by the Western fashion, and favored more minimalistic designs compared to previous centuries and sleeker silhouettes., Coats of that time were typically longer,, but Genshin famously shortens all of its designs, so I won’t be too demanding., In Snezhnograd you can see some women wearing the traditional headdress.
kokoshnik In Snezhnograd you can see some women wearing the traditional headdress, kokoshnik, which towards the end of Russian Empire was seen less of an everyday garment and more of a festive headwear., The court used kokoshniks, to highlight their wealth,, as these large pieces worked well as canvas for jewels and rare metals., It is fitting to see it only on NPCs in the city with their higher status often emphasized with surnames known for their noble origin. The work that went into the NPCs’ names is outstanding and very few of them sound unnatural., Take this girl, for example, who is literally called “unfairness” in Bulgarian., Unfortunately some NPCs with goofier-sounding names are quite prominent figures in stories which spoils an otherwise very solid picture., Archon quest features characters named, Ptashka which means “small bird” and, Shram literally meaning “Scar” -. I wondered who would name their child like that since seeing “The lion king” for the first time., There are a couple good examples of literal nouns used as names: naming a child, Vesna - spring -, is plausible, since words with positive meanings like love or hope can be actual slavic names, especially among girls., Zmei meaning “Snake” would’ve come off as weird if it wasn’t a nickname for an essentially gang leader -, exactly the type of a group where deterrent nicknames are accepted.
exactly the type of a group where deterrent nicknames are accepted., But in general straightforward nouns wouldn’t be used as names in late Russian Empire,, by that time Russia already had centuries of surname history, so nicknames or words describing defining features would’ve long transformed into those., Some surnames used in Genshin like, Tsoslina or Balkonov sound a bit unnatural to me., But all of those are outliers,, and the majority of Snezhnayan NPC names and surnames . and the majority of Snezhnayan NPC names and surnames, can easily be found among Russian people today or throughout history., I do especially like the use of names like, Ippolit or Aksinya that modern Russians would find outdated,, and names or surnames common amongst ethnic groups like, Eteri or Musina ., As for place names, I feel a bit conflicted., Morepesok,Sretomorozsk and Svetloledovka all sound weird to me., The structure of these toponyms - combining two shorter words into one - .
The structure of these toponyms - combining two shorter words into one -, is fairly common in Russia, so the problem is the choice of words themselves -, such literal nouns as “sea”, “sand” or “frost” - combined together sound way too artificial., But other elements like endings in, -sk and -grad are definitely a good choice,, and that’s why my favorite city name is still, Novokitezhgrad, I’ve already gone over the references in that name in one of my previous videos about the use of Russian language in Nod-krai. I’ve already gone over the references in that name in one of my previous videos about the use of Russian language in Nod-krai., The interiors of wooden houses are fairly accurate with one major exception:, they all lack a large stove that doubled as a heater which would’ve been a centerpiece of many traditional homes., But considering that the lack of heating is an important point in Snezhnaya’s story it becomes an understandable omission., What’s less understandable is the lack of color inside houses that are supposed to belong to more well-off Snezhnayans.
What’s less understandable is the lack of color inside houses that are supposed to belong to more well-off Snezhnayans., Here is what a room in the house of a rich individual in Russian Empire could look like - very ornate and colorful., But in Shezhnaya when we get to visit large palaces the interiors are often full of the same two colors as the exteriors - grey and blue., I do like the visible difference in the decoration -, you can clearly tell which house belongs to a wealthy individual. but I do think that a bit more work could’ve been done here., Even the blue color as the main accent could’ve referred us to traditional Russian ceramics -, gzhel -, if it was a deeper shade instead of seawater light blue., The limited color palette chosen for the majority of Snezhnaya is my second serious complaint., Not only the interiors are mostly different shades of grey,, light blue and wooden, the outside is full of ice and snow looking just as dreary.
light blue and wooden, the outside is full of ice and snow looking just as dreary., It is no surprise that in a climate like that people found a way to brighten their day., Not only interiors were often more colorful -, with white and red common in peasant homes,, while wealthier people had access to an even wider range of colors., But by 20th century houses would increasingly often be painted,, and that included the wooden ones, in yellow, red and green. Wooden houses that have survived to the present day have largely lost their original paint,, so that’s probably why Russia is associated with drab grey-looking buildings., But modern Northern towns are trying to rectify the situation, and add color to otherwise monotone and depressing looking background by using bright paints,, so making Snezhnaya brighter would’ve only added to its Russian-inspired roots., What is culture without food?.
When it comes to Snezhnayan menus,, all the recipes that I’ve gathered so far are for the dishes that we actually eat., Having rye bread is extremely appropriate for a region with such cold weather -, rye can withstand low temperatures better than wheat, and was a staple grain in Russian homes throughout history., The roast and zharkoye, - baked meat with root vegetables -, would be a common dish due to the centerpiece oven that I’ve talked about before. would be a common dish due to the centerpiece oven that I’ve talked about before,, and even having meat in this recipe isn’t exactly historically inaccurate -, as meat consumption in the cities was rising rapidly by 1913., Okroshka - cold soup - is one of the most controversial dishes even today,, as everyone has an opinion on what belongs in the “true”, okroshka ., Genshin’s recipe with flowers and smetana would probably become one of the most disagreed upon versions.
but I am still glad to see such an iconic dish in the game., The dessert Medovik according to the legend was created in 19th century in the Russian Empire, The dessert Medovik, however the earliest written recipe for it is found as late as in 1950-s cookbooks., This dessert is a staple item in cake shops, and I think that it works well as Snezhnaya’s first sweet dish despite the anachronism., The same can be said about the layered salad. Salads have existed in 19th century Russian diet,, but were often dishes for the wealthier part of population., They would only become staple pieces in the second half of 20th century during the soviet times,, especially the layered version that was added in Genshin 7.0., Small era inconsistencies don’t take away from the fact that these dishes are very distinctly “Russian”., The same with a special drink called, Kvass. it is immediately recognizable as a classic Russian refreshing summer drink, and even the description is spot-on., Using not only food but also beverages to shape the region has always been a clever approach, and in Snezhnaya I feel that approach stronger than ever., A group of friends stranded in the cold mountains and warming themselves with tea, hits especially close to home with Russia being one of the world’s major tea-consuming countries - so we’ve all been there.
hits especially close to home with Russia being one of the world’s major tea-consuming countries - so we’ve all been there., Encounters scattered throughout Snezhnaya are full of small references to historic occurrences or cultural practices:, from the couple that wishes to copy the famous fizzy drink from Fontaine, and the wedding in the ice palace to snowball fights and dressing up snowmen., A lot of thought has gone into winter entertainment in Snezhnaya, and eager participation of NPCs in these activities makes the region feel truly alive. and eager participation of NPCs in these activities makes the region feel truly alive., Having an entire town of ice sculpting artists in Snezhnaya feels extremely appropriate, since similar competitions are held in many Russian regions during the colder months., This NPC’s behavior might seem unusual,, but it actually is a reference to a well-known Russian tale about a wolf who listened to sly fox’s advice, and went to fish with his own tail,, freezing and becoming an easy target for local residents.
freezing and becoming an easy target for local residents., It teaches kids to be pickier when choosing their friends, and while the rest of the story doesn’t play out in front of the players’ eyes for this NPC,, the situation itself is still funny,, and I hope that knowing its origins helped you to find it amusing as well., While exploring Snezhnaya through quests,, I came across one in particular that makes extensive use of folklore concepts in interesting ways. I came across one in particular that makes extensive use of folklore concepts in interesting ways., Flamefeather Valley’s main villain is, Koshchei -, a bio-alchemist who believed that life was a puzzle that could be taken apart and reassembled on a whim., In Russian folklore Koshchei, is an archetypal villain known for being Immortal by “imprisoning” his death inside an egg, In Russian folklore, Koshchei, then hiding the egg inside a duck, the duck in a hare etc., In tales Koshchei is typically busy stealing main hero’s love interest.
In tales Koshchei is typically busy stealing main hero’s love interest,, but in Genshin his involvement in the story focuses on experiments with life,, death and immortality with horrific results,, very suitable to the original character but with a new refreshing take., Zhara - a bird that is determined to stop us from continuing the story -, is a Russian word for “heat” and immediately makes me think of, Zhar-ptitsa ., One of the folktales shows Koshchei being jealous of fine embroidery skills of a village girl . One of the folktales shows Koshchei being jealous of fine embroidery skills of a village girl, and he turns her into, Zhar-ptitsa, stealing her away from the village., It becomes a fitting retelling of this tale that makes for an interesting obstacle in the story., But Koshchei ‘s biggest piece of work in Flamefeather Valley is turning local residents into trees -, Leshys . But Koshchei, Leshy is the forest spirit, often hostile to humans and capable of shapeshifting.
Leshys commonly appear in folktales having various physical appearances from elders to children, and with various levels of retaining human features., In traditional folklore Leshys aren’t humans turned forest creatures,, but the quest in my opinion only wins from implementing this twist., Combining all three mythical creatures into one complete logical story while preserving their defining quialities. keeps the references recognizable while telling a story that fits the vibe of the game., At this point I’ve mostly praised Genshin’s work with its inspiration sources, and only had occasional criticisms., To wrap this video let’s rewind to the beginning., Given the strong visual references in Alyosha’s design to the clothing of Indigenous people of North-Eastern regions of Russia,, it feels like a missed opportunity not to take this idea further. it feels like a missed opportunity not to take this idea further., While each group has a unique history,, they still share some similarities in cultural practices, dictated by comparable living conditions., So “Alyosha” is not a traditional Yakut,Hanty,Komi or other Indeginous group name. traditional, Not only that, but the village where Alyosha lives looks exactly the same as all the other villages in Snezhnaya., With two locations devoted to two different kinds of “snow” people.
a little more variety in human settlements would’ve been nice too., There are tents scattered around Snezhnaya that resemble the traditional housing,, albeit they are a bit too open for colder weather,, but they don’t belong to any settlements and presented more like a temporary shelter., Moreover,Stroganina - thinly sliced frozen raw fish -, that is a traditional Arctic Siberian dish was added in Genshin,, but somehow didn’t become Alyosha’s signature dish. but somehow didn’t become Alyosha’s signature dish., It is exceptionally refreshing to see these elements in the game since this big part of Russia often gets overlooked in media,, but they all exist separately, in the end blending into the background., Having a character with more clear-cut connection to the culture of Northern Indigenous people, and more interesting characterization than simple “hunter who cares about his villagers”, could’ve given Alyosha a much stronger presence .
could’ve given Alyosha a much stronger presence, and it would’ve been valuable to have a case of representation of an under-represented culture in such a huge media piece like Genshin., Still, even with some criticism that I had today for Snezhnaya,, I still appreciate how the region is turning out., The occasional safe choices or anachronisms don’t ruin a cohesive picture, and instead fill in the gaps where the connection might otherwise be less noticeable. I love the reimagining of classical tales and stories,, it is way more interesting to see how the base ideas are twisted and revealed in creative ways than if they were told straightforwardly., With my Russian cultural background it was often easy to notice the possible references,, but it never felt like these stories were word-to-word adaptations., Developers have managed to avoid relying too much on stereotypical imagery associated with Russia.
and instead often highlighted folklore and artistic achievements., Even the abundance of, matryoshkas doesn’t feel like choosing the easy road, since they were invented in late 19th century Russian Empire and became a popular souvenir in early 20th century -, the aesthetic I see most often in Snezhnaya., I can find small details to nitpick here and there,, but at the same time I can’t deny that standing in the center of Snezhnograd reminded me of visiting Moscow - . but at the same time I can’t deny that standing in the center of Snezhnograd reminded me of visiting Moscow -, it feels bigger than you, livelier than any other city you’ve visited before and yet strikes with its deeply melancholic feel., It is important to note that I was born and raised in Russia,, which naturally affects my perspective on cultural references., “Slavic world” is larger than just one country,, so someone with a different background might have different thoughts.
and nothing I’ve said should be interpreted as invalidating of these opinions., Thank you for watching this video!, I hope that you’ve enjoyed it, and if you did,, please leave it a like so I know to make more of videos like this one in the future., I will see you soon, bye-bye!.