Thread: Question for Russians

Hello, I just wanted to ask my Russian friends a question..

Since I was, I'd say 6 or 7, I was always fascinated with Russia. Perhaps it's because I watched too many Cold War movies when I was young and grew up staring at the model globe - one entire chunk of land occupied by the biggest country in the world. Something about Russia attracts me and it's something I cannot quite understand - some sort of deep admiration for it, I suppose. Well, I have two questions.

1. What is the situation in Russia politically? Are Russians generally in favor of the government, or against it? Do you feel Russia is progressing a lot, or only a little?

2. Is there really a big difference between the East and West? From my experience with many Russian friends, we are not very different at all. We go to work, to school, have similar hobbies, enjoy the same things (games, TV, going out to clubs or concerts, seeing friends, etc.). So, really, why does it feel like our countries are worlds apart? I believe that perhaps we are only taught to view people from other countries as 'different' from us, and therefor not understandable. However, I also wonder if America and Russia are always going to feel like they are too far away from one another to really appreciate each other. I know both countries have done some wrong in the past, but I do believe there is a lot we could do for one another to enhance the global situation.

Thoughts? Comments?

This is my take on this.
Remember that for time out of mind Russia has been ruled by a single individual, who had absolute authority to do anything s/he wanted. This attitude trickles down to just about everyone, and is accepted as the norm. There are very few who protest this because alternatives are unknown. The abuse of authority is a powerful draw and extremely difficult to keep from being drawn into. Our government has checks and balances - and nongovernmental watchdogs - but I don't think the Russian government does. This political situation is hard for Americans to accept, our country being built upon the opposite - with a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" rather than being concentrated in the hands of a few.

There is truth in what Chaika says, but the Russians never cared )))

Are Russians generally in favor of the government, or against it?

There is a strong antagonism between the people and the government (any government any time).

This is not about the governtment's policy or its actions. It's just like this: 'if you're the government that means you're a criminal'.
One doesn't have to be a real criminal (even though it is usually the case), but he or she would be considered criminal nevertheless.

Many people, however, separate the government and the 'supreme ruler' (currently the president, former tsars or the party leaders).
There is a die-hard myth that our 'tsars' are generally good, but the 'ministers' are bad.

People just don't believe the politicians and never would. This is normal for Russia.

Do you feel Russia is progressing a lot, or only a little?

Oh, Russia progresses indeed... if one calls changes a progress. But the question is where it progresses to.

Is there really a big difference between the East and West?

Basically no. But there are some finer points where the differences are profound. Yes we go to work, to school and have similar hobbies, but in many respects our views on this life, this world and its values are different. I don't think this has anything to do with what we've been taught about each other. I think it comes out of the fact that we simply don't understand each other often. What seems natural to an average Russian may be shocking for an American and vice versa. We have have different history and thus the lessons we learned from it are also different. We have different culture and traditions also and it can sometimes show.

Originally Posted by Chaika

our country being built upon the opposite - with a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people"

Sometimes I think that America has long since have changed this formula to "of money, by money, and for money".

I think Many Russian citizens still confuse freedom with permissiveness, and strong order with slavery. Power of the law with power of the Tsar, because only the Tsar is the law. Thus, I think the attitude to the government is a great deal negative: The Tsar is good -- His Boyars are bad.

Originally Posted by Coup

From my experience with many Russian friends, we are not very different at all. We go to work, to school, have similar hobbies, enjoy the same things (games, TV, going out to clubs or concerts, seeing friends, etc.). So, really, why does it feel like our countries are worlds apart?

You see, generalizing is always a controversial idea, simply because there would almost always be an inclination to find an exception. Long story short, Russians are all different.
My uneducated guess would be that your friends might have already been influenced by American culture so much so they could become your friends. Other Russians wouldn't. So, your conclusions about similarities between you and Russians are in part biased.
Even during the toughest times for Russia, there were many who actually enjoyed the situation since they were on the side who actually applied the power. You might find lots of opinions that it was normal for a Russian peasant to be hungry, so that was not really that alarming: "Голод, кстати, нормальное состояние русского крестьянства, советую почитать Кара-Мурзу, он хорошо пишет, что настоящий голод в России наступал не тогда, когда рожь не уродилась, а когда лебеда не уродилась, потому что хлеб пекли с лебедой. И это было как раз в правление Николая Второго. Так что голодом в те времена никого не удивишь, и уж Сталина тем более."

Anymore Russians wish to comment?

Do you feel Russia is progressing a lot, or only a little?

Okay.... What do you mean "progressing", for a start?

Do you feel like things have improved alot since the era of the USSR?

Well, what to call improvment? Most people can buy X-BOX and used Japanese car, it's good. But population of the country decreasing by 500 000 man/year, it's not so good. There is a lot of sausage in any food store, it's good. But it made from transgenetic soya, it's bad. And so on and so on. But as for me, things is better now, yes...

We can travell around all over the world now. That's a great advandage over the Soviet regime, when the Soviet people were mostly fenced by the Iron Cutrain. However, people seem they are willing to produce new iron bricks to have the Iron Curtan built back again.

Originally Posted by Coup

Do you feel like things have improved alot since the era of the USSR?

Coup, I really don't think that you know much about how things were going in the era of the USSR. I mean, you, without doubt, have some idea about that, but it's only your idea. Thinking that everything was awfull in the USSR is wrong. You maybe don't know, but life under Stalin and life under, say, Brezhnev or Gorbachev was quite different, and the mentality of people was different.

But actually Russia is no longer the USSR for 17 years already (if this is your question).

So what do you mean? The economic situation maybe? Of course it's better, better and better a lot, and it is still getting better. Although I'm not sure that in the Far East, Siberia, Kamchatka things are as perfect as in Moscow or Petersburg.
Or you meant something else? What then?

I guess I should have been more thorough and asked if things are continuing on an upward slope economically and politically. Perhaps setting it back to the USSR was too far in the past, so I guess I should narrow it down to 10 years ago. Understand I'm not trying to generalize here, I'm simply asking because I don't know for myself.

I think there are tremendous changes happening. When I was there in 1992 you would look in store windows and on shelves and see only a handful of items. Now stores are packed with everything you could want - probably even peanut butter. And the roads are packed too, unlike before. I am looking forward to visiting M & SP next year to see the progress being made.

Ramil - there is a lot of truth in your comment about money. We like to say that we have the best president that money can buy. =:^)

Originally Posted by chaika

When I was there in 1992 you would look in store windows and on shelves and see only a handful of items. Now stores are packed with everything you could want - probably even peanut butter. And the roads are packed too, unlike before.

Yeah, except that too many people still can buy only the same handful of items. The problem is the prices are almost the same as in any other country while salaries are obviously not.

And it always irks me a little when people give examples from the 90s when talking about USSR. The crisis in the 90s was awful. Even ridiculously empty (comparing to the modern supermarkets) Soviet stores were like three times better than most stores in 1992.

So I guess that technically it went down in the 90's, then back up in the 2000's?

How is it now? Do you think economically it's on around the same track as many other countries?

Originally Posted by Coup

So I guess that technically it went down in the 90's, then back up in the 2000's?

How is it now? Do you think economically it's on around the same track as many other countries?

Each country has its own way. I think, Russia hasn't got a big success in economics yet due great political corruption.

Originally Posted by chaika

Now stores are packed with everything you could want - probably even peanut butter.

Unless we're talking about mobile phones I would say stores are packed mostly with cheap Chinese products. What's the advantage of choising out of several models if every model is made at the same factory and just named differently? I need to buy things either on eBay or at on-line stores abroad, because here in Russia, even in Moscow, often I can't find what I want.

Originally Posted by mishau_

Originally Posted by chaika

Now stores are packed with everything you could want - probably even peanut butter.

Unless we're talking about mobile phones I would say stores are packed mostly with cheap Chinese products. What's the advantage of choising out of several models if every model is made at the same factory and just named differently? I need to buy things either on eBay or at on-line stores abroad, because here in Russia, even in Moscow, often I can't find what I want.

Нехилые у вас запросы, батенька.

Coup, you might want to read "Among the Russians" by Colin Thubron. A Brit driving in USSR 1986 (ish). I just finished it. Interesting when he talks with people.

Originally Posted by Rtyom

Нехилые у вас запросы, батенька.

У нас - это у кого, папаша?