> this comes off as complete BS. I've seen this written before and it's always in the form of "It's not us that smile too little, it's you Americans that are fake and smile too much!"

Which is pretty much what the article quotes Russians as saying. Without agreeing with them, of course.

>I think the real reason Russians don't smile is cultural.

Again, you're agreeing with the article - and contradicting your subsequent explanation, which is mainly economic and judicial.

>It's because [Russians] are genuinely more cynical miserable people.

How is this is any better than some Russians' generalization that smiling Westerners are duplicitous?