Which country answers the phone by saying I'm listening?

During the peak of Communism and all the social challenges it presented - limited services, electricity, running water, gas, phone, etc., a common salutation by Muscovites so privileged to have a phone was to say 'Slushayu Vas' (I'm listening) when it rang. Sometimes the acknowledgement was even less - just a simple: 'yes?'

But this wasn't just a prompt and friendly acknowledgement of the call. It was common that phones were connected so haphazardly that it was not unusual for the number dialled could be heard by more than one person. In apartment blocs, due to crossed wires, one person's number may have crossed with several others, so the salutation 'I'm listening' was often a caveat to the caller that others could hear whatever was being said.

Additionally, due to the (often appropriate) hysteria over eavesdropping by Communist agencies such as the KGB, communications were kept to a minimum and even then, often quite vague.

There was also the challenge that phone connections were seldom reliable. Accordingly, rather than laboriously languid chit chat, the caller and recipient would often rapidly detail the purpose of the call, then end it. 'I'm listening was the quickest way of acknowledging to the caller that she should get on with the purpose of their call and dispense with the niceties of greeting ceremonies.