Thread: Question?

I was adopted from Ukraine at age 4. Would I be foreign to Russian? Because even I don't even know. My friend(more like an знакомая) was adopted from Moldova at age 2 1/2. She is around 12 now and she knows Russian again. Would you say adopted Russian(former Soviet Union kids)are foreigners?

Like for me random things come to my mind and I just know them. And I know stuff in Russian that I can't express in Engish. Does that happen to Americans and other people learning Russian?

Sorry, I'm just interested in your opinion.

My son, who is now 11, who left Russia with us when he was 5 and who speaks Russain at home, not well though, and who is constantly spoken Russian to, is foreign to Russian.

Well, you're not russian because you were born in ukraine, so that settles that. And two, moving away doesn't help a whole lot either. I know plenty of things thati cant say in english but i can in russian, doesnt make me any less american. You have a ukrainian backround, but unless you still have the ukrainain citizenship (which makes u ukrainian not russian), or were russian i'd say, ur probly not russian.

Dogboy, if Zhenya was born in Nigeria she would be a negro, wouldn't she? Russian is more ethnicity than nationality, I consider Zhenay as Russian becouse:
1. her last name is Belyakova. It's russian. She would be Ukrainian if her last is Belyanchuk/Belyachenko.
2. her mother tounge was (unfortunatly was) Russian. But now she is recovering her Russian back.
But I realize she is a little bit out of Russian culture though it is not insuperable obstacle I guess.

Женя, не грузись, русская ты, русская...

You are who you want to be.

Well I think it depends on the individual russian.

However, I know an american who was also adopted from Russia at a young age. He came back to Russia to learn the language (he was VERY bad, even worse than me!!!), but all when he told russians that he was born in Russia to Russian parents they they took him as their own...

IMO, I think it depends on your mentality. If you have an american mentality, you are american. If you have a russian mentality, you are Russian! That simple.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

IMO, I think it depends on your mentality. If you have an american mentality, you are american. If you have a russian mentality, you are Russian! That simple.

I agree with you kalinka. That's true.

I think, also that it depands. Let's say, here in Israel, there are some people, that repatriated here in a very young age, and they didn't even get to go to school, back in Russia/Ukraine. So they came here and immideatelly, started learning Hebrew as their native language, some of this kids, talk on Russian, but can't read and write, and some people, don't even speak Russian at all, while their perants are Russian, that immigrated here plenty of years ago, they were born here and Russian language is not spoken at their home, as you can see.
So for me, let's say, If a person does not speak Russian well, and correct, I mean, if he inserts a lot of Hebrew words while he speaks Russian with me, or doesn't know how to say certain things in Russian, or never read no Russian book, or seen Russian movies, or never ate no Russian food, for me he's less Russian, because I did all of that and he didn't so if I talk to him about all of that, he doesn't even get's what is it at all.

As for Evgeniya, I don't know, I never met her, so I can't really know, but again, I agree with kalinka, that it depands on the mentality of the person, if Evgenya is Russian in her mentality and behaivior, than of course she's Russian.

Maybe they just gave her a russian last name in ukraine for some reason. I mean, im fron kazakhstan and my last name is Кербин. Does that make me russian. Not really.

Who is more russian?

A 30 year old person who was born in Russia, but moved to america at the age of 5? Or, a 30 year old person who was born in America, but moved to Russia at the age of 5?

Who is more girly?

A 30 year old person who was born as a girl, but had transsexual surgery at the age of 5? Or, a 30 year old person who was born as a boy, but had transsexual surgery at the age of 5?

I think it's a weird question. They both are in some way. But you can't say any of them is a real girl.

precisly, a weird question...

Originally Posted by Zhenya

Who is more russian?

A 30 year old person who was born in Russia, but moved to america at the age of 5? Or, a 30 year old person who was born in America, but moved to Russia at the age of 5?

Well, if you're asking already, than of course the second option would be the more Russian one.
A person can be born in any country in the world, not just America, but if he has immigrated, to Russia in the age of five, than by the time he'll be 15 let's say, he won't even remember the country he was born in and won't know it's language, he will be Russian just like all the others, he's not gonna be American at all.

Interesting. But I didn't say I was Russian, because I know I'm not. I do have Ukrainian citizenship. All adopted Ukrainians have citizenship until age 18 when we can choose. Thank you all for your answers. I appreciate it.

Sometimes I say I'm Russian because for example this summer I worked at a summer school place with kids. And none of them know what Ukraine is. So when I said I'm Russian, then they understood.

Yes you are foreign.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

IMO, I think it depends on your mentality. If you have an american mentality, you are american. If you have a russian mentality, you are Russian! That simple.

I have a Russian mentality (I think I'm always right and can never admit when I'm wrong), but I'm not Russian :P

But seriously, the whole question of Russian identity is complex. In English it is even harder to discuss since we do not distinguish between Russkiy and Rossiyskiy.

E.g. being Russian can mean different things. Comapre an ethnic Russian, Vladmimir Smirnov, who was born in Eastern Ukraine, with Marat Shakirov, a Tatar who has lived in Tatarstan, Russia for his whole life.

Vladimir speaks Russian and Ukrainian and has a Ukrainian passport.
Marat speak Russian and Tatar and has a Russian passport.

Or to look at it another way.

Mikhail Seminov and his wife Svetlana moved from Moscow to Kiev in 1970 when they were 30. They lived as Soviet Citizens with Soviet Passports (with Russian nationality), then suddenly in 1991 they are living in the Republic of Ukaine. They now have Ukrainian passports, but are they Ukrainian?

TATY, you said 'yes you're foreign'. You mean me to Ukraine? Or Russian language? What do you mean?

Я думаю, что если у тебя есть русские корни, ты свободно говоришь по русски, и, самое главное, ты ЧУВСТВУЕШЬ себя русской, ты безусловно русская. При этом неважно, что ты жила на Украине, т.к. там русских полным-полно.

Totally off topic: anyone want some corn muffins?

^- Ignore.

Originally Posted by Евгения Белякова

TATY, you said 'yes you're foreign'. You mean me to Ukraine? Or Russian language? What do you mean?

You are foreign.

Originally Posted by mariashara

и, самое главное, ты ЧУВСТВУЕШЬ себя русской

А теперь, расскажи нам, как человек, которого увезли в 4 года, может чувствовать себя тем, кем он себя никогда по-настоящему не чувствовал?

PS: Я свободно говорю по-французски и чувствую себя Наполеоном. Интересно, кто я?