According to World Population Review, there are more than 360 Slavs across the globe. There are 13 Slavic countries, mainly located in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. And while we all know that stereotypes aren’t always true, some things Slavs tend to be known and loved for are their trademark tracksuits, squats, cigarettes and having a penchant for drinking.
But the Squatting Slavs In Tracksuits Facebook page aims to celebrate all of the quirks of Slavic culture, while keeping a lighthearted attitude. This account, which has amassed an impressive 1.4 million followers since its creation in 2015, describes itself as an “exclusive Gopnik party” where tracksuits are mandatory. The page shares photos that are hilariously relatable to anyone who’s ever lived in a Slavic nation and even has an online store where followers can buy gear to “embrace their inner Gopnik.”
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Lucky for us, Bored Panda able to get in touch with the creator of Squatting Slavs In Tracksuits, Matei Tabacu, who was kind enough to have a chat about SSIT. We recently covered one of Matei’s other popular Facebook pages, Scenic Depictions of Slavic Life, where he explained that Squatting Slavs was the first and is now the largest Slavic humor page on Facebook. He began with this one in 2015 when he couldn’t find anything similar on the site, and has now branched out to three other popular pages as well: Scenic Depiction of Slavic Life, Babushka, and Lada Life.
We reached out to Matei to hear how everything with SSIT has been going since the last time we spoke with him, a few weeks ago. “Lately, I've been quite busy with the shop, as I'm the only person managing all the pages and the store. It has led me to work around 14-16 hours a day,” he shared with a smile. “But it's okay, I don't feel tired because I enjoy what I do, and when you love what you do, fatigue doesn't seem to bother you.”
“Moreover, I receive numerous emails from satisfied customers after they receive their orders,” Matei continued. “Some of them are already on their third purchase. The fact that they are happy and send me emails of gratitude and encouragement keeps me going without taking a break. I even work on weekends, by the way. As for the Facebook and Instagram pages, everything is going well, but I would appreciate more fan photos as it would save me more time for the shop.”
We also asked Matei if he could comment on what makes Slavs special. “The most important thing, I believe, is that we are a very united community that strictly adheres to all the customs and traditions that make us Slavs,” he shared. “I was truly impressed in 2018 when I wanted to organize the International Squat Day and created a Facebook event for a small gathering in all Slavic capitals. Although I was only present at the gathering in Sofia, I received hundreds, maybe even thousands, of photos from the gatherings in other Slavic capitals, where a considerable number of people attended.”
“In Prague, Czech Republic, there were the most participants, around 400-500, and in Sofia, where I was present, there were about 200,” Matei continued. “I was deeply impressed by their behavior, customs, jokes, and everything that I see on our pages, as I laughed, talked, explored the Sofia countries, held squat competitions, and had a great time. I regretted having to leave in the evening because I had traveled 600 km (I'm not from Bulgaria).”
We also wondered if there were any common misconceptions held about Slavic people that Matei wanted to dispel. “The most common stereotype I've encountered is that Slavs are drug addicts, which is completely wrong,” he noted. “I believe that those who hold this stereotype do so because of the internet videos showing Slavs dancing to hard bass, jumping around, and being very energetic.”
