Thread: Victor Bout - Russian Businessman (?) facing 25 years in US prison

Really? But why would they care, if they live in the middle of Siberia and practically never meet anyone who is not Russian or ex Soviet... How would they know unless they speak good enough English to read English speaking media?

Russia has a lot to be proud of, and no particular reason to feel bad about the past, if you compare with any other largish European countries! If anyone feels the way that gromozeka describes they should forget it and hold their heads high!

That said, I would hate it if Russia started to play superpower and boss around neighbouring countries, mess in the politics of other countries or if Russians suddenly started turning up as tourists and behaving like arrogant, snobbish or self righteous idiots in European tourist destinations. But that does not seem to be on the horizon at the moment.

In one way I hope Russia can be more influential in a positive way. There definitely needs to be a counterweight to the USA and (soon) China. EU for the time being is too split to be able make act effectively as one.

Originally Posted by Hanna

Really? But why would they care, if they live in the middle of Siberia and practically never meet anyone who is not Russian or ex Soviet... How would they know unless they speak good enough English to read English speaking media?

We all meet foreigners every day, at least in big cities. Something is translated into Russian. Search for Иносми или Инофорум, for example. And it is said in Russian media about what is said about Russia abroad sometimes.

Originally Posted by Marcus

We all meet foreigners every day, at least in big cities. Something is translated into Russian. Search for Иносми или Инофорум, for example. And it is said in Russian media about what is said about Russia abroad sometimes.

Well, I thought so too, but there was a girl called Olya who used to be on this forum and was quite active. She said that although she lived in the centre of Moscow she had never known anyone who was not Russian or from an ex Soviet country. I was really surprised to hear that because i personally know a few non Russians who have lived in Moscow for shorter periods. But she said it as if it was completely normal.

Originally Posted by Hanna

Well, I thought so too, but there was a girl called Olya who used to be on this forum and was quite active. She said that although she lived in the centre of Moscow she had never known anyone who was not Russian or from an ex Soviet country. I was really surprised to hear that because i personally know a few non Russians who have lived in Moscow for shorter periods. But she said it as if it was completely normal.

The later is absolutely impossible, unless she never left home. Moscow is full of legal and illegal immigrants from former Soviet republics, they are everywhere. Maybe she's never been friends with one, but that does not mean she was screened off "foreign" influence or beliefs altogether.

But why would they care, if they live in the middle of Siberia and practically never meet anyone who is not Russian or ex Soviet...

It's a special brand of Russian patriotism: being worried sick of what other people might think of your country, and then getting angry ("what the beep do you know anyway!").

How would they know unless they speak good enough English to read English speaking media?

You don't need to speak English to be aware to some extent of what's going on. Especially now, when Internet exists. Mass media always have been devoting quite a lot of attention to what foreigners think of Russia too.