Many in the US have very unfavorable opinions about Russia and Russians. I’m not talking about the recent upheaval about election meddling. I’m talking about the deep-set belief that Russia is a gloomy, cold, and generally unpleasant country.
I am an American with no Russian blood. I have been to Russia several times. Here are several observations:
- Russia is vast and has tremendous natural beauty, including: the deepest and most voluminous lake in the world (Lake Baikal contains more water than all of the Great Lakes combined), and the largest forest in the world (Russia has more forested acreage than the United States did when Christopher set foot onshore).
From my experiences, Russians tend to be very pleasant, boisterous, and blunt. Middle-class Russians also tend to be better-acquainted with great works of literature and poetry than their American counterparts. There is something melancholy inside them, but this only adds to the beauty of the Russian soul.
They are often very blind to the failings of their government. They generally like Putin and do not acknowledge his dictatorial and corrupt tendencies.
Their food is similar to Amish food in the US – somewhat bland, but not bad at all (think root vegetables, chicken, and dumplings). They use lots of dill and a mild version of sour cream called Smetana. Their cuisine is also generally much healthier than American fare.
Their women are beautiful.
Moscow and Petersburg are very expensive, but Siberia is CHEAP. I was able to grab lunch for a little over a dollar back in 2007. Not sure if it’s changed since then. The cheapest pack of cigarettes I could find was a little over 10 cents ($1.00 for a decent pack).
They endured the lion’s share of casualties during WWII (something like 20-50 million compared to the United States’ 600,000), and they have memorials all over the country to the Great Patriotic War, as they call it.
For fun, they like to walk around their cities (in the warm months at least). This is probably a more popular pastime in Russia than watching TV, and that’s refreshing.
They do drink quite a bit.
Conclusion: Visit Russia – it’s better than the crass and cliché vacation spots so many Americans frequent.