Thread: Why you study Russian? Survey and comments...

Here are my reasons, which I'll enter in the poll if it becomes multi-optional.. (right now it only lets me choose one option)
1. My family has Russian roots, which were lost when my great-grandfather came here (he wouldn't even tell his own family why he left; just that we were Russian, and once lived in Minsk.)
2. Ever since I was a kid, America has had a really.. funny attitude, about Russia.. first when I was very young or looking at media from before my time, there was a mistrust toward Russia/USSR and a distaste for communistic theory. Neither sentiment did *I* ever trust so I wanted to know more about Russia, to see for myself that these sentiments were foolish.. (I'm now 100% sure they were foolish sentiments, and they'd misrepresented Russia to me in my childhood.)
3. Many people think French is the most beautiful language, but for me it's the sound of Russian that melts my ears' heart; I think it's the most beautiful language to listen to spoken that there is on Earth.. second I'd put Icelandic and Germanic languages, but first is definitely the Russian language.
4. Russian sentiment about dealing with their middle position on the globe, on having an understanding of the good and bad parts of their neighbors, as opposed to a blunt and racist understanding of them, could be the key to the US better understanding some groups of people that we seem to poorly understand - the general communities of muslim nations, and the far east, to be specific.. If the US were as tolerant, well-informed and understanding of these groups as the Russians are (politically), the world would be a more peaceful place. I wanted to see these things through Russian eyes.
5. It's simply the biggest country in the world - большой страны. To know the language of the biggest country in the world has to broaden one's horizons and increase one's options.
6. Russian people are NOT american, nor nearly as influenced by Americanization (yet) as they sometimes think they are. They still possess a lot of the strength in their community's personality that many other nations have lost.There are a lot of lessons for me to learn from people like this, from financial and political to moral.
7. I know the local Repubs at the golf tavern would tar and feather me for admitting it, but I'm not always sure I want to stay here forever.. I think I'd really like to live in Russia, even knowing that there are hardships and mitigating factors involved. Russian people are always mis-portrayed as being cold and unfeeling, but my experience is the opposite, and I'd be honored to be amongst them in my future old age.
8. If I couldn't or can't do #7, I'd at least like to work with the Russian language in some way, and be of some benefit to slavic people.

I think Russian sounds cool and I like Cyrillic letters...
Other: I want to communicate with a Russian-speaking person

for love reasons too lol