It has now been exactly a year since I returned to Russia.
One
of the questions I get asked the most from Russians and foreigners
alike is whether I enjoy living here, or whether I am disappointed. My
answer is that it fell within my “range of expectations”. I like to
think that this is a function of my perception of Russia prior to 2017
having been reasonably accurate, and considering I was blogging as “Da Russophile”
on Russia matters until 2014, that’s pretty much an accolade. In my
experience, the typical response of visiting foreigners and expats to
life in Russia is one of pleasant surprise, no wonder since Russia might
as well be “Equatorial Guinea with hackers” so far as the Western media
today is concerned. However, I banally didn’t have anything to be
particularly surprised about, pleasantly or otherwise.
Even so, there are areas where Russia shines, as well as some where it doesn’t (that’s for an upcoming just published post on 10 Ways Life in America is Better than in Russia).
First, the good points – where Russia performs better than the United States.
More @ The Unz Review
I traveled to Russia a dozen times from 2006 - 2010. I'll offer a few comments:
ReplyDelete1. Russians, excepting the Russian mob, government officials, etc., are really nice people.
2. Public transportation is really good but everyone wants a car.
3. Driving in cities is horrid. Absolutely terrible. Don't even think about it.
4. The corruption is unbelievable. We needed something approved by a fire marshal. Afterwards a colleague remarked that we had to bride him with a laptop before he would do the inspection.
Once the hotel forgot to stamp my passport. When exiting the airport I was stopped by security who pointed out the discrepancy. Around a corner out of sight I paid him $500 to overlook the issue.
Contrary to what Americans think, bribery is normal and accepted.
5. Housing is sub-par. Most people still live in Soviet-era apartments. There aren't many private homes.
6. I noticed that a bottle of cream spoiled in a few days because it didn't have preservatives. I consider that a positive.
7. Although some areas such as Georgia are warm, much of Russia is really cold. Temperatures of -20, -30 or even -40F aren't uncommon.
8. I saw a fair amount of public drunkenness. This wasn't a problem with younger, better educated people.
9. Large supermarkets e.g., Food Lion, Lowes, etc. are rare. Most people seemed to shop for one or two days of supplies at local markets.
10. The article mentioned dachas. A "dacha" for most people is not much more than a shack outside of a city. Fancy places are for the wealthy and powerful.
11. Many people speak a second or third language. This is fairly common in Europe but it still impresses me.
Thank you for the information. My brother and his wife stayed for a month with a Russian family and he said they only ate boiled food with no seasoning. He said he doesn't plan on going back, but if he did he would carry a huge bottle of Tabasco sauce. :)
DeleteThere seems to be a pattern in Russian history. Longer periods of imperialist stability followed by a periods of chaos and economic and political instability after which a new imperialism emerges. Putin and his oligarchy are just Russian imperialism rev. 3.
ReplyDeleteThe French had the good sense to raze the Bastille. The Russians may have hated the KGB but after the fall of the Soviet Union all they did was change the name over the door of Lubyanka prison. Not a single Communist no Communism itself was held accountable for 70+ years of crimes against humanity. That many Russians still Revere Stalin and see Putin as a reflection of the same Russian imperialist fervor tell you all you need to know about the deep flaws in the Russian psyche if not the culture itself.
Revere Stalin
DeleteI could never understand this.