Foreigners about life in Russia. Russia through the eyes of foreigners

The older generation has not forgotten that in the Soviet Union, to put it mildly, the trips of ordinary citizens abroad were not welcomed. On the other side, too, few people visited us. These difficulties caused the appearance of prejudiced and one-sided views on Russia, consisting in three words - vodka,
Bears, matryoshka. Not the least role in strengthening the impartial opinion about our country was played and very popular among all sections of the population of Hollywood. By the way, in those years very few people separately singled out Ukraine, Kazakhstan or another republic. All of us were Russian for foreigners. Now there is no iron curtain. Russians travel freely around the world, demonstrating there, "over the hill", that our nation is itself. Millions of tourists also come to us, they watch with their own eyes how we live, get acquainted with our culture.

What do foreigners think about Russia now? How much did their opinion change? Some public organizations and ubiquitous journalists occasionally conduct polls, but the responses of citizens from friendly and unfriendly countries vary greatly. This depends primarily on the purpose of their visit. One thing is said about Russia by tourists who came here for a couple of days with an excursion group and arranging visits only to the sights marked in the program. They see only what the tourist guides want to show them. The foreigners working in Russia, who study here, all who live with us for a long time, can tell quite a different story, and the impressions of those living in the capital and in the outback are radically different. And the foreigners themselves are also different. Opinions about our country, for example, Americans or Germans, in many respects differ from opinions of Nigerians, Chinese or Mexicans. But in one thing all foreign guests are united: Russia is huge, to know and understand it, it takes years.

Russians and alcohol

In the Western world, there is an opinion that our nation is incredibly drinking. Almost all Europeans, Americans, and Asians say this in one interpretation or another. But if you look at the statistics of the WHO, Russia does not take the first, second, or even third place in alcohol consumption for each of its residents. On this issue, even the reserved Balts overtook us. And yet foreigners about life in Russia say that they drink a lot here. They are especially surprised why we can drink anywhere - in a restaurant, at a banquet, in a park on a bench, just on the street. Guardians of order are not stopped, passers-by remain indifferent. Perhaps that's why we all seem to them such drinkers? And foreigners can not understand why even in a store you can buy low-quality alcohol, because it is dangerous for health. It also surprises them that in Russia the pretext for drinking can be the most trivial, and the process that began with "for health" often turns into large-scale drinking and drags on until late at night, and almost always well-received on the chest Russians begin to conduct intellectual conversations About politics and the meaning of life, although, being sober, they try to avoid these topics. They have there, "over the hill", on such topics only sober people say, and when they drink, just have fun or talk about their real or fictional victories.

Many foreigners, looking at our drinkers, can not understand: are the Russians so rich that they find money for such a quantity of alcohol? And most importantly, how after a bountiful binge they the next day quietly go to work?

Russian and the order

Our people, as they say, the laws are not written. We are accustomed to this and do not notice how constantly something is broken somewhere. But they notice. Foreigners about life in Russia say that here is the norm or even the duty not to follow the rules, if for this there is no punishment. At the same time, on the contrary, it is the norm to observe the established rules, even when there is no control around. Russian people pass the road without any doubt to the red light, if, according to their calculations, the moving car is still far away, on the platforms in the metro they constantly go beyond the restrictive line, although it is dangerous for life, leave their cars in uncomfortable places, just not to pay For parking. Foreigners are surprised why there are dozens of cash desks in supermarkets, if one or two work, despite the queues gathering in them. They do not understand why we patch the roads in the rain, and the heating systems start repairing in the cold. And how astonishing motorists from abroad traffic cops, who serve in roadside bushes!

As for security, foreigners talk about life in Russia in different ways. The people from Latin America, Tanzania, South Africa, Sudan, who are dangerous in criminality, believe that our evening and night streets have a peaceful calm. Europeans, on the contrary, are sure that the Russian cities are quite restless. Even if nothing and no one threatens life, you can easily lose property or be dragged into a scandal. In this case, the streets are always full of patrolling policemen, so, logically, the order should be perfect.

Russians and Wealth

Earlier in the USSR, everyone was approximately equal. Now in our society there has been a division into the poor and the rich. Everything, as at them, in their distant America, Europe, only with the Russian color. What surprises foreigners in our rich people? The fact that most of them boast of their new status, build houses on several floors not to live there, but simply for prestige, they are only bought in the most expensive shops, they buy expensive cars to appear even more important and significant. And, if there are traffic jams on the roads (and they are constantly in the big cities), our rich will wait for hours, nervous, late, but they will not go down in the subway because they are below their newly revealed status. There is no such abroad. There, even the directors of companies without any damage to their image can now come to work on an expensive car, tomorrow - on a city bus, and the day after tomorrow - on a bicycle. There the rich do not see anything shameful in visiting ordinary supermarkets, and they willingly buy promotional items.

Russian and Feminism

It's no secret that foreign grooms willingly choose our ladies as wives. Foreign men about Russia say that the issue of equality is not so acute here, as, for example, in America. There, most women try to prove their independence, because of what their femininity suffers. They pay for themselves in restaurants, they react painfully if they are helped to open the door or give a hand when leaving the transport. There, women, creating a family, primarily guided by material considerations and rush to make a marriage contract. Most Russians are not like that yet. Although their willpower and spirit are not weaker than those of the same American women, they like to seem weak. An American in Russia feels more like a man than at home, because our women do not interfere with his assertiveness at all. They are grateful for any help from men, even if the problem can be perfectly handled without them. Agreeing to become a wife, our beauties are first of all interested in whether their elect likes them, and only then does the second place raise the question of where and by whom he works, what are his prospects for service. Some foreigners are surprised by the abundance of flower shops on the streets of Russian cities. They are puzzled why it is so important for our women that a beloved is on a date with flowers, and why the flowers in a bouquet must necessarily be an odd number.

Russian and culture

In this regard, Russia is simply beautiful in the eyes of foreign tourists. Most excursion groups visit St. Petersburg and Moscow, and there are the most famous sights. It is not surprising that all the surveyed tourists were enthusiastic about the Hermitage, the Winter Palace, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pokrovsky Cathedral, and Red Square. Many foreign citizens, even advanced in the field of French culture, are surprised that we love to visit museums and galleries of people of all ages, and often there you can meet lovers couples. Italians, Spaniards, Americans find it hard to imagine their meeting with a girl not in a restaurant or even in a movie, but, for example, in an art gallery.

Almost all foreigners talk about Russia, certainly mentioning our Bolshoi Theater and a wonderful ballet. Many girls from friendly countries dream of studying at a Russian ballet school.

Very much foreign guests are surprised by the Russians' love for reading. At us in the underground and electric trains, in park on shops and in a city transport till now read usual printed books and newspapers though youth can be seen more often with tablets and iphone.

Abroad, among those who have never been to Russia, there is still an opinion that men are playing balalaikas here, and women are playing roundelays. Some foreigners who visited our country were surprised that they could not see the Russian folklore they had been told about so much.

Russians and food

Foreigners often tell about life in Russia, remembering our pelmets (or huge ravioli), our borsch (or red soup), pancakes with meat, the world's most delicious black caviar. Do not like foreign gourmet jelly. Many people do not understand how such a dish can be eaten. Even more unflattering words - about okroshke. As foreigners think, this is all that is on the table, assembled and mixed in one pan.

Our compatriots, who happened to visit abroad on a visit, recall that there were not plenty of dishes on the table, although there was enough for everyone. Of course, Russia looks a little different from the eyes of foreigners, rather than the Russians see it. The former are sometimes considered to be a fairly rich state, because all the feasts are held on a grand scale, regardless of the cause and material wealth of the people who organize them. It's very important for a Russian person to make the table dishes with all kinds of salads, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese-sausage sliced, fried chicken legs and other food. Half of all this is not eaten and thrown out, to the astonishment of foreign guests.

Those of the foreigners who traveled through Russia by train can not understand why our people, just when the train is moving, begin to get a bunch of food from their bags, as if they want to eat on the road for the rest of their lives.

Russian and friendliness

Practically all foreign guests remember with kind words our sincere Russian hospitality. Some of the interviewed foreigners traveled around Russia hitchhiking, asking to stay with ordinary people, rather than stopping at hotels. They all tell how they were given a wonderful reception, how to put a lot of food on the table, put them to bed in a clean bed, even specially heated the bathhouse. The next morning these random people became best friends for a foreign guest.

However, in general, all foreigners are called morose and consider that our severe climate is guilty of this. They say that we are in the subway, in the store, just on the street very rarely you can see smiling men, women, youth, the elderly. The situation changes radically when you turn to Russian people, for example, with the question of how to find a way. Gloom immediately disappears, instead of it there is a sincere desire to help.

Russian and business

What tourists see our country, it's pretty clear. And what do foreigners think about Russia who live and work here? The Chinese believe that we have very strict procedures, decent salaries, high prices and a strong-willed president. Putin they call a wonderful ruler, almost like their Xi Jinping.

Europeans and Americans, working for us as leaders or leading experts, believe that in Russia salaries are below average, and prices are prohibitive, and even for such goods, which should be cheap, for example, on gasoline (because we have many oil wells).

On the attitude to work, foreigners' comments about Russia and the Russians differ. Foreign experts are surprised by the reluctance of our managers or managers to go beyond job descriptions, even if this can bring profit to the company.

If we are talking about performers, foreigners, especially the Japanese, are surprised by their indifference to the prosperity of the common cause, the endless smoke breaks, the departure from work strictly on a call. The attitude of Japanese towards work is different. They always come to work a little earlier, get ready for work, and after the shift they stay to remove their workplace, and consider this to be the norm.

Also, foreigners are surprised that the Russians solve many important issues "by the brunt", and they like to celebrate any, even insignificant, success.

Russian cities and provinces

It's hard to say how many foreigners in Russia live permanently or long enough. Statistics call the figure of 100 000 people. But it does not take into account those who are here illegally and are not registered anywhere. Now foreigners are considered not only Americans or Africans, but also formerly their own Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks. Representatives of these post-Soviet countries, tens of thousands, come to us in search of work. Basically, they settle in large metropolitan areas, where it is much easier to find a job. All that interests them in Russia is the opportunity to make good money.

Previously, there was training for foreigners in Russia. It was held only in the capital and several large cities. Now this business has developed on a big scale. To us they go to study not only in state but also in private universities, and in addition, groups coming to study only the Russian language come. Students like life in Russia in any of its cities, because youth can only see good in everything.

Tourists who come to us for quite different purposes, well notice the difference between the Russian centers and provinces. They always note that beauty, cleanliness, normal roads, well-dressed residents are present only in large cities. Than from them further, the worse the roads, easier at home, poorer people. There are no such differences abroad. There, life in the village is practically no worse than urban. Perhaps, therefore, they all who can afford it, try to settle in the suburbs, and we, on the contrary, are trying to leave the village to the city.

Russian mentality

Any European or American in Russia should adapt for a while, get used to everything strange and incomprehensible. For example, to the fact that our people have the opinion that an expensive product must necessarily be good. At the same time, if something falls for nothing, almost no one looks at what it's quality.

You also need to get used to the fact that Russians keep all sorts of unnecessary things at home - empty medicine bottles, cardboard boxes, old broken electrical appliances and stuff, in case it's useful sometime.

Another feature that you need to have in Russia is the ability to push your elbows. Without this, during rush hour not to get into public transport, do not break into the train car.

But, despite all these trifles, the Russian people have a wide soul and are always happy to help, and free of charge. Almost all interviewed foreigners say this.