Forms of Address
Although everyone in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus is required to have three names, the full three-name form is virtually never used in direct communication and is generally reserved for documents and public speeches. In the media, the three-name form could be used for highly respected persons (e.g. leaders of the Soviet Union and Russia). In most circumstances, one or two names are usually omitted. Different combinations of names denote varying levels of respect.
The choice of addressing format is closely linked to the choice of second-person pronoun. Russian language distinguishes between informal ty (ты) and formal vy (вы), the latter also being the plural of both forms, used to address a pair or group. (Respectful Vy may be capitalized, while plural vy is not.)
Read more about this topic: Eastern Slavic Naming Customs
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