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 Myths and Truths about Russia
As seen as on http://www.waytorussia.net

New: on President Putin, Privatization, and Khodorkovsky...

Sometimes we hear and see so many striking, odd and new things about Russia on TV or in newspapers or from the people we meet, that I think I'm missing something! Really, it turns out I live at such a dangerous place flooded with mafiosi, catastrophes, bombings happening all the time, with deadly cold winters, demolished economy, depressed people that I'm really surprised I'm still alive and living here. The point is that all those things about Russia are either not true or very much exaggerated.



Myth: RUSSIA IS FULL OF MAFIA AND IT'S DANGEROUS HERE!
Truth: Really, many people think that Russia is some place filled with Mafia and it's so dangerous to come here. Well, there is Mafia, but the wild west nineties are left in the 20th century. Nowadays it's like any place in the world and Russia is not more dangerous than anywhere else. If you know where to stay, keep away from the "bad" places, do your normal traveler's things and practice your normal traveler's safety, you'll be okay. You can only have contact with criminals when you're into something illegal, like buying or selling drugs, or are really looking for trouble. Really, think about it: why would anybody have problems because of you? The Mafiosi spend all their time making business, the gangs spend all their time dealing with each other, so you certainly will not experience any of that. Also there's so much police on the streets of Moscow it seems like the safest place in the world.


Myth: IT'S A REAL HASSLE TO GET TO RUSSIA: TOO MUCH TIME AND PAPERWORK.
Truth: If you know how it's done then it's no problem. All the paperwork you need are your passport and an invitation from Russia. It's easy now to get the invitation, and you don't need to book a hotel for the whole period of your stay. The invitations can be made through hotels/hostels (which will ask you to book one night), or travel agencies (which will ask only your money), and the price in both cases will be $25-$35 US for an invitation. The invitation can be sent to you by fax. After you received the invitaiton, you just need to bring it to Russian consulate to get your visa. A Russian visa costs around $50-$60 US (for this price it's ready in 7-14 days), and if you pay more it takes only one day to process. See more about invitation, Russian visa and registration in our Russian Visa section.
Now, some people say it's too long and expensive to get here, but if you travel to Eastern Europe, Russia is really close and not exspensive to get to. A return flight to Moscow from most European capitals costs $350 US, and if you're on a tight budget, you can get one of those EasyJet or RyanAir flights from London or Berlin to Riga (Latvia) or Tallin (Estonia), and then get a bus or a train to Russia for $10-$25 US.
If you want to know more about these and other better options to get to (and from) Russia, check out our Transportation section.

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Myth: THERE ARE SO MANY CATASTROPHES AND BOMBINGS!
Truth: Not more than anywhere else. It's just that Russia is a very big country and it's size is like both Europe's and United States', do you think there are more disasters happening in Russia than in the whole Europe and United States together?


Myth: OK, BUT WHAT ABOUT CHECHNYA AND TERRORISTS!
Truth: You might be thinking more about it than we do, really. Of course it's sad that the situation in Chechnya is unstable and we regularly get reports about people being shot there in some sort of small local conflicts, but however cynical it sounds we got used to it. People live their lives and try to be as happy as they can. Chechnya seems to be very far away and unless you travel there, you most probably will hear about it only on the news. The state of the people is not as if there's a war going on in the country. It's more like people know there's something horrible happening somewhere very far and they prefer to close their eyes to it.
The terrorist attacks are shocking, but then there's always a chance it might happen in other other country, so in this sense it is as dangerous as anywhere else nowadays, unfortunately.


Myth: THE ECONOMY IS DESTRUCTED AND RUSSIA IS A POOR COUNTRY WITH NO FUTURE :-(
Truth: Well, it's not quite true, though many people think so and they have their reasons. The economy is rising now, becoming more and more independent and stable, but unfortunately there's a temptation to do it at the cost of heavy industries (like oil & gas, resources etc.) which turns Russia into a country, that sells resources only.
At the same time Russia tries to keep up with the latest technological advances, and to improve the side of the economy that workes especially for people. It can be seen: I traveled around Europe a lot and to my mind the quality of services in Russia is among the best. Almost all shops are opened 24 hours here, there are currency exchanges on every step (even in smaller towns), cell phone providers offer much more attractive and less expensive deals. Russia is becoming very capitalist and consumer-friendly.
Also, the government is starting to understand that it's there not to suck money, but to help people and the country, but there's a high level of corrution and a high dumb-head factor still.
At the same time the increasing gap between poor and rich people intensifies social tension in society; there are broken down towns and villages (with dead industries); there are lost people not required in the new system and having nothing to do - therefore drunkenness, narcotics and crimes; low paid old people are really just trying to survive; low salaries in state-employment result in bribes to customs, police...
The good side is that there are more and more people who adapt to the new system, and who understand that they depend not on the government (like in old Soviet times), but on themselves now, and what can be seen and felt now is that the people are changing, their attitude is changing, they understand that only by acting themselves will they achieve something, they look quite optimistic to the future and that means everything is going to be all right. There are young people who want to change how things are and people are trying to do something to make their life better. It works, there are more and more "middle class" people. But the problem with poor, old and "lost" people remains.

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Myth: THE WINTER IS SO COLD HERE!
Truth: It's not very cold, though sometimes it might be quite freezing. But if you have warm clothes, you'll be ok. Generally, the lowest is minus 10 or 15 Celsius in the winter, though it might sometimes (rarely) go as low as minus 25 or 30, but even that is not very cold, because it's not humid. And the true thing about Russian winter is that it's very beautiful, that is right. I like it!


Myth: MANY RUSSIANS ARE RACISTS, AREN'T THEY?
Truth: Russians are not racists. Even in the communist time people were raised up on the idea that everybody was equal. The only thing is that few middle-aged and old people have something against the States. But they'll not insult or offend a tourist because of that. Just don't hurt anybody's patriotic feelings.
Anyway, Russians are more often than not very open and generous to the foreigners.


Myth: RUSSIANS ARE DRINKING MUCH TOO MUCH...
Truth: Maybe, but after ages of driking they have a strong immune against alchohol, so they don't become drunk too fast. Also vodka is considered to be the best thing to warm oneself up with in winter. And, in fact, I have the same stereotype about .. uhm... British. Do they really drink as much beer every day as they say?
Seriously, alchoholism is a big problem in Russia, especially among older people. After the collapse of Soviet Union, many people got lost and instead of dealing with the new challenges, they decided to escape their problems through drinking. Because of that, families are unhappy, many people are unemployed, people don't want to build something new, but want to drift into the 'careless' state of mind and not to do anything.



Myth: PUTIN IS A NEW TSAR AND YOUR COUNTRY HAS DICTATORSHIP REGIME AND NO DEMOCRATIC FREEDOMS.
Truth: Putin is just a very popular politician in Russia and he acts accordingly. Many people in Russia truly believe that we need centralized government, because the country is too big and loose, because there are too many changes that need to be done very fast, and that there's no time for demagogism anymore. Also, many people believe that the country was robbed by bandits and oligarchs and now it's time to give back. So, the elected president is the person who used to be a director of former KGB (now FSB) and he has nothing to hide, because he actions are approved by the majority. So, this regime cannot really be called dictatorship and Putin cannot be really called "Tsar", because he was elected.
The democratic freedoms are a bit tight, but as a person you don't notice it. Perhaps, if you are in big business or want to publish something bad about the government you will feel it, otherwise - it seems the same as anywhere else.


Myth: PRIVATIZATION
Truth: It's a myth. During the privatization in the 90s every single Russian person (even children) got a "piece" of the country in the form of a voucher. Most of them didn't have anything else. So, a director (who was not paying them any salary) told them: "you'll get your salary, but you need to give me the voucher you have".
It's like you are invited to a casino and you are given a chip. But you don't have any money. Then the manager comes up to you and tells you not to risk and just give you your chip and get 10 bucks instead.
The same thing happened in Russia: the vouchers (or shares) accummulated in the hands of directors who were then selling it to big players. The big players would make their stakes and only 1% survived and now own the majority of production in Russia. The people who sold their vouchers stayed where they started and that's why there's a lot of social tension in Russia nowadays.
At least one positive thing is that the middle class is now forming in our country, so the gap is not that huge anymore. But this little story explains why so many people approve that even such an intelligent and charming man as Yukos' former Khodorkovsky is made into criminal. What they don't want to understand though is that the "casino managers", those who gave them the chips first place, and they themselves are responsible, too.





Your Comments
If you have something to say and you want it to be posted on this page, please, leave your message below.
The most interesting comments (in our opinion, of course) are marked with an sign.

March 2004: The discussion has been moved to the Russia Talk Lounge (otherwise it'll take ages for this pages to load soon), feel free to post your comments there, but you'll need to register first.


Comment (received 14/06/02): "My son 16 year old went to Moscow. He was scared to walk around alone, he'd been told stories about how racist the people were on the roads, especially the older people who he says curse and ill treat foreigners. As a non white European he felt safe only in his group."
Answer: Well, it's a pity if they (the crazy old babushakas and dedushkas) were cursing and ill treat him on the street, but I don't think those people are dangerous... I'm a white Russian and when I walk in Moscow or take public transport there's an old person almost every day pissing me off about something. It's just the way they are... I don't find them treatening though, the best thing is just not to pay attention to them.
Also, I never heard about anyone being openly racists, it's the first time. I agree that sometimes Russians (especially in smaller towns) look at black people more, but that is because they are interested, it's not often there' s a black person in Russia... When I went to India in some areas I was the only white person around an people were gazing at me, as if I'm from another planet... And of couse, there was a different attitude towards me, because I'm not one of them, but I don't consider it as racism...

Comment (received 21/06/02): "I was in Moscow in 1994, great experience!! I'm planning to return this year. I think people have a misconception about Russia because so few people were able to travel to Russia until the past decade. What tips would you give a traveler who wants to experience the 'real' Russia, it's culture and people."
Answer: If you want to experience 'real' Russia, you should stay away from tour groups, big expensive hotels, and postcard views. To me, 'real' Russia is a mix of west and east, of fancy streets and quiet residential areas, of busy city life and 'laid-back' provincial atmosphere. So, I would propose not to do typical tourist things, but to try to pretend as if you live in Russia. Also, to get the whole picture of what life is like here, it's not enough to go to Moscow and St. Petersburg, you should definitely visit one or two provincial towns to get the "feel" of Russia.

Comment (received 21/06/02): "I heard that Russian girls are quite different from others, ?"
Answer: Yes, they seem to be, if you mean being different from women in Europe or in the US. But it's hard to say how specifically, because it will be a generalisation and very subjective for every person. Generally, the striking thing to any person who's coming to Russia for the first time is that Russian girls are wearing very "open" dresses, mostly in Summer, of course. Maybe it's because it was kind of suppressed in the Soviet times? Also, they seem to be planning their life less than western people, but nevertheless are very pragmatic. Many foreigners, whom I talked with, noticed to me, that Russian women want to live "here and now" rather than planning something long-term. However, this "here and now" should be good quality too, so that's where they are pragmatic. They are not too career oriented, but many are looking for an ideal man, who will be handsome and rich (however they like to be independent too, so they look carefully). There are also completely different types of people, of course, very 'western-like' and there are more and more of them. They are very well educated, career-oriented, and independent. It's like in any other country -- people are different.
For now, that's all I can think of, if you have any comments, please, write. Also, it would be interesting to hear how different Russian men are. For some reason everybody's asking about the women, but the men are forgotten.

Comment (received 26/06/02): "I visited your country for the first time, three weeks ago. I was in Moscow, and some little towns arround, and in Peterburg. I and my friends feel very well. We enjoy the country very much. Russian people is very, very kind. I'll be back, as soon as possible."

Comment (received 29/06/02): "this websight fucking rocks."
Answer: Thank you, this kind of feedback is what keeps us going (really).

Comment (received 30/06/02): "I heard recently that people were being beaten up by skinheads in the metro. I am a chinese girl who will be going to moscow alone in July, are there anything that I should be aware of to avoid situations like that?"

Comment (received 1/07/02): "I have not yet been to Russian but had a very wonderful time with some Russian athelets during the winter oylmpics in Salt Lake and I can say that I am looking forward to coming to see them and having a wonderful time in Moscow. Speaking with my friend Elena she told me later that she had not expected Americans to even say hello to a Russian and that was why they were so interested in me because I did not let the past get in the way of a new friendship."

Comment (received 14/07/02): "Couldn,t agree with you more. Moscow has to be one of the safest cities in Europe. I lived there for 3 years, 98 to 01 and the only problem I had was from a drunk yank who kept pinching my girlfriends backside in the Propaganda night club. When I asked him to stop he punched me, but then I had the pleasure of watching the highly effcient bouncers launch him head first through the heavey wooden doors out on to the street. God Bless Russia and Her Bouncers"

Comment (received 15/07/02): "Hi! I've visited St Petersburg twice now and both times I was amazed at the hospitality, humour and general friendliness of the Russian people. This coming September I'll be lucky enough to be starting work in Petersburg for a year. Looking at your site, which incidentally is great, I see that even since I last visited all sorts of new and exciting things are happening. If anyone is visiting this site considering a visit to Russia let me tell you that you must go. It really is an incredibly wonderful place.:)"

Comment (received 8/08/02): "I am Russian American and returned to Russia to live and work, both to learn firsthand my parent language and its people, and also to make innovative improvements and help present a better picture of this great country from the inside out. Many many people are negative about Russia, which is why I write and fight so hard to change these views and present the reality of life in Russia. This website is the best and most honest I have found on the web and I intend to promote at every opportunity I can on my own webpages and in my career writing. I wrote similiar ideas to National Geographic magazine in the March 2002 issue and they published it. All the best to the creator(s)/writer(s) of this website, and everyone who views it with positive thoughts."

Comment (received 18/08/02): "Hey, I am Russian, lived ion Moscow my whole life and the thing you posted about racism is pure bullshit. Russians ARE racist. Moscow is a great place, but it is one of the worst places in the world to be black or anything other then white. If you are white, people will treat you like equal. If you are not, militia will give you shit all the time, people wouldn't be too friendly with you and if you are really unlucky a buncha skinheads will beat the crap outta you. A black American embassy consul was attacked by skinheads two yeas ago. So come as long as you are white."
Answers: I wouldn't agree with that. I also live in Moscow and I personally treat people "other than white" as equal. I also know many people who have black friends or asian friends and I personally didn't hear about any problems. The only time I hear about racism is from newspapers and TV (and recently, through the comments left through this page) and it seems suspicious. I don't understand how you can say that all Russians are racist. I don't know anybody who's racist personally. I just came back from a 1-month trip in Siberia and Buryatia (where there are many Buryat, Russians and Mongolians living together) and NEVER met a person who would be racist. Contrary, I was pleased, very much pleased to see how friendly people live together.
I think that you get what you expect. If you come to a country and you think that the people who live in this country are bad (by default), then I'm 100% sure you'll won't meet anybody nice.

Comment (18/08/02): "I spent five days in Moscow recently staying at the Hotel Belgrad. I found the automobile traffic and pedestrian walking to be a nightmare. You are risking your life when you cross the street. Russian men are drinking open containers of beer in the metro stations which is against the law in the U.S. Foreigners are overcharged at cultural attractions compared to Russian citizens. The women in Russia are the most attractive women in the world."

Comment (received 20/08/02): "I disagree with your comment about Russians not being racists. I teach Russian immigrants in the United States and have heard some of the most vile racist comments out of their mouths. I'm not just talking about old people but young people too. Obviously you have no idea what a racist is."
Answer: I'm amazed how you can generalize so much saying that you disagree that Russians are not racists! Do you want to say that all Russians are racists? You base your knowledge only on some particular personal experiences with some specific people to whom you teach.
I'm not saying that there are no racists in Russia at all. Of course, there are different people and different beliefs. And there are some people who believe in superiority of their race towards the others. But it doesn't mean that you can just put the "racist" tag on the whole nation.
I am sorry if you have to teach something to a bunch of vile racists, and if you don't like it, maybe you could just change your job...

Comment (20/08/02): "A wonderful and very useful page!"
Answer: Mmhh... Thank you! It's very nice to receive comments like this one.

Comment (27/08/02): "Thank you for your site. All the information is relevant and valid. You should be proud of it!
We visit Russia at least once a year and love the country. It is complex and unique! Yes there is what you could call 'rascism' but it's really just the 'unusual' appearance of black people in the sea of whites you otherwise see. Though there are already enough 'Asian appearance Russians' from the Republics around to make looking asian a non-event.
I have never had any Russian not try to help me when asked - though suprise is usually evident when you walk up to talk to a person. Isn't that nowadays true in any large city. Home truths!!
The public toilets everywhere I've travelled in Russia are disgraceful! Something the whole country will need to attend to if it wants to become a tourist destination of the size it deserves to be. I think Russians know this already - just no-one is doing anything!
Think Black people would have as great a risk of being offended in much of the USA or Britain as they will experience in Russia. Though in many areas they will be a novelty. I live in Melbourne, Australia and I will walk in places and times in Cant Peiter that I wouldn't dream of at home.
The tourist rip offs are as bad as anywhere else - in balance - the bargains far outweigh that. If you travel in Russia flaunting your 'superiority' or 'wealth' (both alleged) you will be made uncomfortable. (I hope so!)
And as you say 'babushka's are the conscience of the country. It's wonderful that Russia is now open - for better and worse. I enjoy it's beauty and the differences - otherwise I could stay at home!
Russian women are beautiful generally and well groomed.
Be friendly and open yourself and get to experience what's available to those who are!!
Answer: Thank you for the interesting letter. Just a note about the public toilets for travelers: don't use the ones that are on the streets, but better try to find a restaurant or a cafe -- nobody will mind if you use the toilets there.

Comment (received 10/09/02): I've been to St.Pete's three times and I think it's great!
Sure, some things may be a little run down and old, but nothing serious. The first time I went to my wife's flat, I was a little shocked at the crumbling appearance of the building, but once inside her family's flat things were bright and new! Oh, I noticed many new buildings being built.
The trains can be quite shocking to a spoiled westerner...broken windows, Soviet-era green rust-stained paintjobs, very hard wooden benches(no comfy unholstered seats), and a non-ending succession of salespeople hawking their wares in each car. The first time I rode the train, a man came into the car, opened a case, took out a large kitchen knife, and began yelling at the crowd.
Not knowing Russian, I thought the guy was going to freak and do a "Jason" (Friday 13th, if anybody remembers or cares), but my wife assured me he was just selling knives.
Capitalism is alive and well in Russia...there are an incredible number of small kiosks selling anything you need. I went into a brand new Walmart-style superstore, but everything was overpriced.
And ahhh, the joy of drinking a beer, anywhere anytime! Think you have to wait until you get home to savor a cold one? Naww, just buy a Baltika or six and crack them open on the metro and drink! And if you're a vodka lover, every store seems to have a selection of at least 20 different vodkas...I
thought it was tasteless...why so many brands wonder?
Oh, the metro is like most others...not much fun but gets you from A to B.
It's difficult not to look like a foreigner, but it seems that a black leather jacket and black trousers and shoes might help you fit in(for the guys). Never had a problem with streetcrime, although I'm a fairly big guy. I did hear about an elderly American couple who were accosted by pickpockets... nothing serious though. A baseball cap seems to be a sure way to stick out...didn't notice many at all.
Lots of McCrap restaurants if you like that shit, but I prefer to do my own cooking. Basic food staples are quite cheap comparatively)...dollars will go a long way in Russia.
Russian people are great! Very hospitable(if you know them). Always ready to celebrate anything with a bottle of wine or cognac. Great conversationalists!
Like to have fun! Some can resent foreigners a bit, but usually only the asshole tourists. If you're decent to them and don't brag too much
about your country and certainly don't put down Russia, you'll make friends easily. I don't where our image of the stern, unemotional Russian came from
during the 80's and before, but they're anything but!
I noticed that on buses and metros and any kind of public transport, people are very quiet and don't talk much.
I think a few Russian men resent western men being with Russian women, but I've only experienced it once, and he was completely drunk. "Look, a Russian woman with a foreign man!" Yeah buddy, so what?
All in all, I like Russia and Russians very much! I just wish I could speak the language.


Comment (received 18/09/02): "This is a cool site. Anyway, a comment about Russian MEN this time. My Russian boyfriend is gorgeous, but where is all the rest of the eye-candy in Moscow? Why don't Russian boys take care of themselves? The girls are so pretty, but there doesn't seem to be many pretty boys - very strange. Is it because they're afraid to look nice? I think Russian men can look fantastic (great eyes and bone structure) if they want to, but they don't seem to care. Pity."
Answer: All the rest of the "eye-candy" work on this site.

Comment (received 09/10/02): "I LOVE RUSSIA. I recently returned from teaching English in Moscow for 5 months and I absolutely loved it. I lived with a Russian host family. The Russians that I met there have been some of the most thoughtful, wonderful, and kind people with the biggest hearts that I have ever met. I am fascinated with Russia. This past summer I have taken some Russian language classes, and this January I am planning on returning to Moscow to be a head teacher for the same program. Thanks so much for your site. It is really helpful! RUSSIA RULES!!!!!!!!!!!"

Comment (received 12/10/02): "i love moscow and rusisa i was born there and i have always promoted a vacation or trip to the country. people just have to open their eyes and realize that what you see is not always what you get. it may seem that russia is dangerous just because it is big, but it is sum-what opposite. i love it and i hope that everyone has a chance to go there and enjoy their time there as much as i did."

Comment (received 22/10/02): "Lots of truth there...
But to say russians are not racist is a bit "out of order".
I had milk thrown in my face, verbally assaulted and given the odd Nazi salute by Neo-Nazi's WHO WHERE RUSSIANS!!!
My Russian friend told me several times how she could overhear the racist mumblings on the bus or by passersby because they obviously thought she was English and couldn't understand Russian too I am not saying all Russians are like that...in fact the opposite, it more like anywhere else...you alway's get a little bit of Nazi in every country (the young forget their past and blame everything on foriegners and the old can just be xenophobic) but the Majority of people that you meet are not Neo-Nazi's
The weather bit is not true...like you say russia is a big place and variations do occur...I have been there twice in both winter and summer months, the weather in the winter was on average -14 in Moscow and -30 in ufa...the summers can also be like this, this summer it was about 30 in Kaliningrad 20-25 in Moscow and about 10 in ufa so it depends where you go and the times.
It is a real hassel to get to russia...I agree in part of what you say, but apart from the obvious of what you mentioned, the worry can be more of the issue there...refusing you cos of any little thing they get Paranoid with and then sending it to you when they can be bothered and even then it could be the wrong visa, unclear procedure's that are heavily fined if you dont comply exact...a high percentage of bribery (you mention this yourself) from
anyone in a uniform

Comment (received 22/10/02): Sorry I have a question for you and I wasn't sure of the best place to post it...so here will have to do
I am a black man from England...and have been to russia a few times, many people stare at me...but they still choose to stare at me more than another black man (that is probably African)?
This is probably a wierd question...but can people (white russians) tell the difference between a European black man from a African one?
Answer: Well, it's hard to answer... Normally, Russian people don't see many black people, so I doubt they can really tell the difference... The easiest way for them to know is to hear the language. If a person speaks English, they'll think he's an American (or English), if the language sounds African, they'll think the person is from Africa. I wonder, why are you asking? Just from my own experience, I can always notice if a person is a foreigner or not.

Comment (received 28/10/02): "Ok, this is better than the facts about Russian people that are not true on the page "What is Russia?""
Answer: Wassup? What's wrong with the facts about Russian people (http://waytorussia.net/WhatIsRussia/Intro.html)? All we write on this site is the best it can be (except the grammar maybe ;-)

Comment (received 29/10/02): "Excellent site. Lots of very useful info. I'm a lithuanian and I will definitely visit Russia some time next year. I know russian language (learnt it back in soviet times) and I still remember my childhood when I was playing with my russian mates. Generally speaking, russians are very hospitable, friendly and probably the most open hearted people I've ever met, but you have to gain their respect first. As someone rightly put in the earlier comment: don't be a snob, don't try to be too cool and don't make people feel as though you are somehow supperior because it looks really bad. If you think you can manage that then your visit to Russia will definitely be one of the best you'll ever make.

Comment (received 10/11/02): "I would like to hear your thoughts on Russian men, in general. I work with a Russian man and he is very, ummm, different in the way he interacts with people. He is quite a mystery and I would love to get inside his head or at least someone from the same country's head! :) Thanks!"
Answer: Ohhh, it's a very hard and provoking question. I think that most of the Russian men I meet are absolutely adequate, nice, and interesting people with a unique personality.
However, you may also meet some weird men, who have something very strangely typical among them. I tried to put it into two types: "bear" and "workaholic".
The "bear" is a man that's very much to himself, not too expressive to strangers. Proud. Doesn't look after himself enough. A bit shy. Likes calm life.
However, once he lets himself go (in most cases it is either with friends, or after a shot or two of vodka) he changes most of his patterns to contrary: very open, smily, a bit too much, noisy, tries to get with women.
To get to know such person, you really need to become his friend or spend an evening drinking something strong together.
The "workaholic" type likes everything about western way of life, so in the way he is, he tries to be a "western type". He'll be pleased if you mistake him for a foreigner. He doesn't like Russia too much, so he's thinking about emigrating. He works a lot to achieve a status and to have a lot of $$. He's fast. His girlfriend will be like a piece of his wardrobe to show to his friends and colleagues. Needless to say, his personal life is a wreck. He seems to be open minded, but soon you learn that it is so only within a very narrow "corridor" limited by his business and status interests.
I want to point out that it's just a little fraction of characters you can meet, they came first to my mind, and of course, everybody's different, so please don't adopt any stereotypes!

Comment (received 2/12/02): Great info and it's finally true too......or at least the most part of it. I'm from russia but now i live in USA. Most of my friends are Russian and they are racist agains everyone exept themselves.......Mostly hispanics...and americans too. Russia is a great contry and there is no doubt about it. And the fact that Russians mistreat others at school is bacuz other mistreat them.....i would know, i had that happen to me especially 4 years ago when i just came to america and didn't speak a word of english. But still a GREAT SITE!!!!! :) MOLODEC"

Comment (received 9/12/02): "I'm from Mexico and I have travelled extensively throughout the world, but Russia has to be one of the most interesting and beautiful places I have ever visited (was in Moscow, St. Peterburg, Kazan and Penza in May 2002). Russia and its people are simply wonderful. It totally overwhelmed me. I will have to come back in January to really experience Russian winter. To my surprise, the food was also excellent. Russia's, culture, architechture, history and scenery are simply too great to miss!"

Comment (received 20/12/02): "Hi, I just wanted to let you know that this site is incredible, you've certainly captured the "big picture" of the whole nation. I truly think that you're analyzation of the country as a whole is incredible and highly accurate to a certain extent. I was recently in St. Petersburg and I think it's an incredible city and I plan on returning next year, although I didn't get to experience much of "real" Russia (more like the tourist-life), I still got a general idea of what it was really like there because I have many family and freinds currently residing all over Russia. Please continue your incredible work, it's so useful!"

Comment (received 28/12/02): "My son has recently married a Russian woman. They travel regularly to Russia on business, and I am fortunate to be able to go with them to St Petersburg in June 2003. I have enjoyed reading the comments on your site, very informative! I see I have much to learn about the country and people, and am reading as fast as I can, and trying to learn a few words of Russian, starting with the Cyrillic alphabet...oh boy! My son tells me that Russia is wonderful, not at all the way it is portrayed in Western media etc. I hope to meet some of my new daughter-in-law's family, and see as much as I can of the country in 10 days. This site is extremely informative. Well done.
P.S. I am a seasoned vodka drinker already...so...one thing I don't need to study or practice!"

Comment (received 17/01/03): "Heya - I have been travelling for years and using the net even longer than that. I'm about to come to Russia for the first time and found your site while I was doing some research. This has GOT to be one of the most usefull websites I've ever come accross. You rock. Well done! :)"

Comment (received 9/02/03): " I was last in Moscow in 1998. There was a tornado which did a heck of a lot of damage. I remember thumbing a lift back to my hotel - it was always £5 (can't remember it in roubles) but this night the journey took hours crawling along through the fallen trees and smashed up cars - and the fella still wouldn't take any more than £5 from me. In London I'd have been skinned!
The only annoyance was some the ex-pat Brits and Yanks - real arseholes!
I thought the locals were friendly, warm and noticeably well-educated compared to people from the west. I was also impressed that they tolerated my appalling attempts at the language.
I'm finally returning this April - Aaargh can't wait! Sorry, almost forgot - nice website, thanks."

Comment (received 11/02/02): "I'm a freelance web developer who grew up in Washington DC, has been to Great Britian, Canada, and Mexico, but not yet to Russia. Recently I have had occassion to work on some global project teams with some very fine folks from Moscow, Kaliningrad, and (somewhere in) Siberia.
I'm 34, and the Russians I work with range from 20 - 35 in age. Mostly male, but a female or two are there as well. I don't chat with the ladies as much, due to language barriers. There is one person on each team who speaks fluent enough english that I end up chatting with them all the time, but I've spoken now to about 6 Russian people on a daily basis for nearly a month.
I LOVE to chat with these people in my instant messanger, and I typically have hated using chat online in the past. We work and enjoy ourselves for hours sharing info about our great nations and cultures and world views. Sometimes though we digress to talk of games, booze, and dirty jokes. Some things are Global in appeal, eh?
In fact, I came here looking for some phrases I could use with them in Russian, to surprise and honor them. It's ridiculous that we Americans usually only speak one language and poorly at that! I look forward to learning more Russian, to augment my high school German, and to someday visit and drink beek in public on a hard train bench with my new friends.
I have to say I didn't even know about the Russian racist stereotype, and I consider myself well read. But what I have learned from my new Russian friends over the past month has been that this is a country experiencing an awakening, it's a very exciting time there, and the young people are seizing life and living it in a way their parents never could have.
Socially graceful, ever accepting, and just flat out fun to chat with. THATS my picture of Russians today! I can't wait to go there and meet them all!
Thanks for your site. I feel just like the guy who told you this site F'n rocks! Cause it DOES! I learned a great deal here, and Will be excitedly sending a few russians your way tomorrow morning, to let them get an external view of themselves. I can't wait to see how amusing they find this site!
Thanks again,
Corky K.
adedicated.com"
Answer: Thank you. It would be nice to know what your Russian friends think about it. Most of the comments we receive from Russians are like: "What you say about Russians is not true, well, yeah... uhm... actually some things are true, but...." :-)

Comment (received 13/02/03): "I heard Russians worship the Birch Tree and many wouldn't leave the country because they would be leaving their sacred tree."
Answer: Yeah, this is kind of true. I'm a Russian, and I don't worship the Birch tree, but before I traveled, I thought that the Birch grows only in Russia and that it is a "true Russian tree". I'm still surprised when I see it somewhere in Europe, I feel as if I'm in Russia. It's more like a stereotype in people's mind here, I think. Also, birch tree is really an image in Russian literature (especially Esenin).

Comment (received 1/03/03) (excerpts): "[...] This spur of interest (one of my latest) for Russia was triggered strangely enough by a certain "pseudo-lesbian" chart-topping pop sensation from Moscow. I was wondering how you guys feel about that. Although one would assume that "smart student types" such as yourselves would be somewhat indifferent to or even disgusted by such a group.I'd be happy if a group from my country could have such a success abroad. They've put Moscow on the pop map
of the world.So anyway, I was thinking, who the hell knows what's happening over there since the collapse of the Soviet Union (oh yeah, like we knew what's going on during Soviet years).
Few years ago there was a "new" Russian film on TV here (I'm in Croatia by the way-you know one of those cheerful little countries that emerged after the collapse of ex-Yugoslavia,then the war and everything...) The movie shown was "Strana gluhih" ("Land of the deaf"-released 1998), and I really liked it. It was advertised as the "movie of the year In Russia". I don't know whether that's true but adding to the debate on Russian women I remember thinking "Vow! This has got to be the most beautiful girl in the world!"-(Chulpan Khamatova). Anyways where I'm getting at is
that I would love it if you could put up a music and film section to the site, with brief history and mainly concentrated on these last, post-USSR years.[...]
Answer: Thank you very much for your comments. It's true we feel indifferent for this group (Tatu), but surely, it's interesting that they're taking the top places in the European charts. I remember I was surprised when I heard some music news in England and there was this group at the 1st place... They are also very popular in Russia. But I think it is more because they have a good producer, who knows what strings he should pull, rather than music.
In fact, we were thinking about making a guide to Russian music and Russian film guide (we already have Russian literature guide - have you seen it?). The music guide would list a few most popular Russian groups (Tatu, Zemphira, Mumy Troll), ethno musicians (Huun-Huur-Tu - throat singing), Russian jazzmen, and alternative groups (DDT, Chaif).

Comment (received 9/03/03): "Hi, I am a sixth grader doing a report on Russia. Where could i find information about local laws so I can compare them to our laws? Also, where we have local city and county police, CIA and FBI, what does Russia have that compares? Thank you. Calvin"
Answer: You can try either try http://www.garant.ru/ (click "English version") or http://www.consultant.ru/
As for the police, there's a Ministry of Internal Affairs ("MVD" in Russian) and they are like head police body. Then there are local police divisions for every region and city. In fact, it's more like CIA, although not exactly. The closest analogue to FBI is FSB ("Federal Security Bureau"), which is former KGB - Commitee of Government Security.

Comment (received 11/03/03): " I am a Russian citizen and I am proud of it! I'd never swap livin' here to livin' in any other country of the world. Yeah, we, Russians, are silly drunkards with no electrisity, shampoo, soap, computers, TV, human rights, money and brains... But, wait a minute, how did you think I've managed to type this message? Listen to me, foreign guys! We are no rasists! We do not drink more alcohol than you do! We speak your English and are always friendly to the tourists. We won the World War II and we will win the war against terrorists. We're the nation of deeds, not of words. We're brave and smart, and we don't have time for bla-bla-bla, that's why somebody consider us dumb. Then explain me, how could we fly to space and envent so many useful things? There are no bears in our streets and people here wear regular clothes. Look at our President and you'll see the common Russian person, the majority of us is the same. That's all I can ay about that... Good luck!"

Comment (received 16/03/03): "Like the comment made on the 1st of March, i got interested in Russia through Tatu. But since January-ish when i got interested, i've been reading all the stuff i can find about Russia, and it's really interesting. I've recently started learning Russian through CD-ROM, and i'd love to go to Russia (but not yet).
(I'm from Wales in the UK). The west has this image of Russia being cold, poor, and misserable, and always drunk. And lets face it, Russia is very cold in the winter compared with western Europe, and Russians have a smaller income per person than Costa Rica, and you'r fond of the odd drink (take russian weddings for example). But these things are blown out of proportion and i'm sure it's a blast there (if you speak the language and have money).
I'm surprised by some of the people not in your 'Famous Russians' list. like, Baryshnikov, Ivan 'The Terrible' Vasiljevich, Nureyev, Prokofiev, Yashin, Rasputin, Karpov, Kasparov.
Anyway, i really like this site, and is jampacked with interesting and useful info. So Thanks! "

Comment (received 23/03/03): " Hello. I live in Russia, and just wanted to say, that you, probably, haven't payed much attention to other Russian citiyes. There are much of cities and towns in Russia: not only Moscow and Peterburg. And they are more different, sometimes even more interesting, than capitals. Maybe you can write about other cities and small towns too?"
Answer: Why, we do pay attention to other Russian cities: there are guides to Golden Ring cities, Novgorod, Siberian cities on our website. Perhaps, you mean that comments on this page tend to represent more Moscow & St. Petersburg, than the whole Russia? I wouldn't agree.

Comment (28/03/03): "Hi,you published my comment on this page in which I sing praises to "russian" beauty of actress Chulpan Khamatova
but little did I know that she is actually ethnic Tatar.
So here is a "myth" for you:Few years back my friend met a Russian girl from Kazan and she was telling him about tensions between Russians and Tatars in Russia.She said that in Kazan there is a strict segregation between the two ethnic groups.She even compared the relationship
between Russians and Tatars in Russia to black/white situation in America. Could you comment on that."
Answer: This is a complete myth and is not true at all. I have a few friends who have been to Kazan, and they even asked people there (out of interest) if there are any tensions. And on numeruous occasions the answer was always "no".

Comment (28/04/03): "Read this article about racism in Russia.
http://social.narod.ru/civil/felix.htm"
Answer: Well, this is a very sad article. If what is written in this article actually happens, we should find a way of fighting it, drawing attention to it. But in order to do that, an organized action is needed. Please, tell me what you think about it.
I myself have never seen a black person being harassed or beaten or offended on the streets in Russia, really. But I'm not black and maybe I don't see everything that actually may happen.
I would very much like to hear what other black people who live or traveled to Russia think on this issue. Please, could you post your comments on this issue in our Talk Lounge / "Russian Contexts" section - it is quite popular and it will be easier to have a discussion there.
Thanks

Comment (8/05/03): "I was in Russia for 10 days in March 2003 and this is my unbiased opinion on the topics mentioned above:

MAFIAS: Everyone there agreed that a good part of business was ran "underground". Meaning, mafias. It may also seem suspicious how so many russians in Moscow came to be SO FUCKING RICH. However, you will not have to deal with any mafia people, unless you're trying to open a business there! As a tourist, we never came across any. Don't worry about this. There are more mafias elsewhere and the mafia level is not proportional to the security in the streets. For example, the YAKUSA is the world's largest mafia and it is based in Japan, supposedly a very safe country.

ECONOMY: Central Moscow seems richer than Mayfair. I've never seen so many Mercedez in my life, there are more S500s in Moscow than in Berlin! BMWs, Jaguars... The women are exquisitely dressed up and the luxury is imminent in Tverskaya St. The rest of the city is not that rich, but to say DEVASTATED is unpardonable.
St. Petersburg is not so posh, but Nevsky Prospect seems to have a bustling economy. Plus, why do would you car about the economy if you are just travelling? It should not be a drawback. Peru is venerated by tourists and people are starving here.

DANGERS: When I asked the lady at the reception if the area around the hotel was safe, she laughed, almost indignated. Central Moscow (where you will ussually be because there is not much to see in the suburbs) is VERY
SAFE. Plus, there are policemen EVERYWHERE. The Moscow police is only paralleled by the NYC police and that is a proven fact. I cannot speak for the suburbs, but most of it is residential areas which are tranquile. Perhaps you would like to avoid the metro late at night... I took the metro at 10:30pm and it was very peaceful though, and there were policemen in the station. Plus, YOU DO NOT WANT TO OVERLOOK THE METRO STATIONS.They are lavishly decorated with marble. Ubbelievable. They even have statues inside. And most of them are IMPECABLE, not a trace of graffiti or anything of the kind. The best examples are perhaps ARBATSKAYA St. and BYELORUSKAYA St.

VISA: You will need an INVITATION and around $40. Nothing else. The invitation, if you are travelling with a tour is free. If travelling independently you will need to buy one from some agency. You can buy one from this page, or from lots of other reliable ones. Try yahoo and you will find quite a few. Sometimes your hotel can send you one. If you are travelling to a hostel or youth hostel, you'll have to buy one from them.
The Russian council in Peru is atypical because they asked us for the ORIGINAL version of the invitation. This we had to had sent by FedEx. With this invitation, our passport and $45, we got our visa in 3 days. Not difficult at all. YET, if you are a US or UK citizen, the process is different. I met an American who said visas for them IS a hastle - as is a tourist visa for a Russian to go to the US. Another UK guy said he was denied the russian visa BOTH IN LONDON AND IN AMSTERDAM.
- Registering your visa is no problem at all. It takes about 2 hours and your hotel will do that for you. You see, it sounds difficult, but its just paperwork. ***Some policemen will try to tell you that you need to register your visa in every city you go to. BULLSHIT. That's just an excuse for bribery. They tried to trick us into that like 3 times. We told them politely that we knew the regulations and that "Russian Council in our country said only 1 stamp". They'll know fair amount of english. Do not take it personal, its just underpaid ordinary people.

CATASROPPHEES AND BOMBINGS. It is a fact that Chechen Rebels have carried out a fair number of bombings in Moscow. The theatre hijack last year is another example. I certainly have no idea how you can prevent any of these. I guess its just bad luck. Its not much more of a problem than in Ireland or Spain or the US... just that in big, Russian proportions. Yet there has never been something nearly as striking as September 11th if you want a comparison with the understood civilized-world.

WINTER: It does seem to get dead cold in January or February, around minus 15, minus 20. I was in March though, and neither in Moscow nor St. Petersburg were we lower than minus 2, which is quite bearable. Those astonishing temperatures are ussually recorded at night, while you'll sleeping or partying like a mad-man in some hot disco. St. Petersburg has a warmer cimate for the closeness to the ocean.

RACISM: This is the most delicate issue. Russians are racist, and for this you must blame the diversity of the country. We were so frightened of the Skin Heads that instead of going to a youth hostel in a not so centric area, we went to HOTEL ROSSIYA. (Please, don't go to this hotel, it sucks. It has the less friendly staff I've ever seen and it is a rip-off and urrrrrgh, though if you want a better location try booking a bed in the Kremlin or next to Lenin!). For a good review of the skin-head problem try www.exile.ru, the page of a semi-underground newspaper which is the closest to the truth. The skin-head problem is basically teenagers (some as young as 13) who believe the neo-nazi shit of a bunch of grown-ups. Some of the beatings (and even shootings) are done at random metro stations at random hours, but the huge majority are pre-planned massacres on poor immigrant communities and lots of them after football matches. We did not read one single attack on a tourist. I am a white peruvian, but to those skins everything but arian or slav is black.
Our experience in Moscow was totally different however. Everywhere we went there was someone darker, more asian or more arab than us. It is a 5 millions people city, it is damn cosmopolitan!! We never saw any kind of harassment. I don't know what happened. We were expecting hell, really. In fact, the only rude commentary I received was from a stoned black guy at a disco. Neverthleles, Russian metropolies have a problem which foreign embassies have pin-pointed several times, but the russian government dismisss it as hooligans. One article read a declaration from a gov. official saying: "Boys will be boys". What a pity.
Having met no harassment at all in Moscow, we felt very relaxed in St. Petersburg, and we had 10 times more fun.
Nevertheless, policemen are on the look for dark/arab people for the chechen rebel threat, and if you look arab like me, you'll have to loose some minutes showing your passport to officers. Bear this in mind, that if poeple are suspicious of foreigns is because chechens and mid-east rebels have represented a threat to them in the past. The most extraordinary thing was when we went to MetroClub the women at the door noticed we were foreigners and asked where we were from. We said "Peru" and she either understood that, or "Beirut", and said "Oh no, terrorists. Please leave". You must also understand that russian youth dress up for everything like there's no tomorrow and we looked just like we were, backpackers who hadn't worn clean clothes in a week.
However, the last night before leaving for Helsinki, we spoke to latin people at a club, who said they knew people who had had their brains smashed by skins. When we asked them what you could do to prevent a skin-head attack, they just said "its a question of luck".
I guess we had real good luck, then.

DRINKING: Yes, they drink a lot. Does it bother you?? Just tag along and drink, drink and drink. It seems that if you are russian and you want to get from point A to point B, you do it with a beer in your hand. Vodka is getting out of fashion it seems, and beer is quite cheap and its legal to drink it any where you want.
I really hope this was helpful. Head to Russia for the time of your life, but do not expect river-side cafàs or Italy, expect a plush kingdom that lived communism for 74 years and is not experiencing one of the most fierest capitalist economies histories has seen. And the most beautiful women too."
Answer: Thanks a lot! We could make a whole new page out of this comment! Very helpful and interesting.

Comment (10/05/03): "Hi all,
Gratz to all the team of this website looking very pro and intelligent contributor.
It's so great that it help me greatly to me make a round trip in Moscow to meet russian friends, just have to wait this damn visa...
I just miss more information about "bad places" to avoid in Moscow. Yourself said :
"keep away from the "bad" places"...
I open a topic to discuss it in Lounge Forum Index -> Moscow with title "what bad place to avoid in Moscow, especially if look asian "
Because I am French, living in Paris, but looking asian because mummy..."

Comment (14/05/03): " It is nice to get so many different perspectives on one site! I wanted to give credit to Russian men/boys. So maybe they are a little spoiled, but they make wonderful lovers! 4 years ago I met a Russian student at the university I attended . I can say I have never ever been treated so well by anyone. I am an American girl and very much in love with a gorgeous Russian man. I am taking my second trip to Moscow this summer to attend MGU, and of course, to be closer to mine ; ) And about TATU, when I was in Russia the summer of 2001 I started liking them so much that I brought back the cd with me. I could have been swayed by the fact that they were on the radio 3 times and hour, but I still think they deserve props."

Comment (21/05/03): "Russia is "a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma"
Winston Churchill"

Comment (10/06/03): "Great & varied website. You give a good flavour of what Russia is like.
I have some personal experiences from visiting Russia and would like to add to the discussions on this page.
I am Scottish and have been to Russia four times. The first time I travelled from Moscow to Beijing with a three day stop in Irkutsk (July 1999). The train was a fabulous experience, I would like to do it again in winter. During my visit to Irkutsk, I had a city tour during which I was the only tourist. Initially I was teased by the tourist guide for travelling on my own. To cut a long story short and after much travelling back & forth, we got married and have just had our first child here in Glasgow. Anyway, enough the personal stuff. Here are some of my experiences
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
I have seen two incidents.
1) While walking in the Arbat, there was a fight between some young guys. One was being beaten up by a group of others. People were looking on in disgust, there were no police about. Then one older well-built guy in a telnyashka saw what was going on and single handedly started fighting all the attacking group, this guy's intention seemed to be to give the guys a taste of their own medicine. They all offered no resistance, it was amazing to see.
The second incident was in Irkutsk, Natasha & I were the only customers in a pub early one evening. Suddenly about six men entered with balaclavas and automatic weapons. There was no indication if they were police or mafia. Natasha cooly led me to the door and we were let out. She thought they were police checking for illegal workers.
Having said all of the above, I usually feel safe in Russia. It is certainly no worse than many cities in Europe.
RACISM
I have no experience of any racism in Russia. I think like most countries a small minority can grab a lot of headlines and distort the truth. For example, I dont think Scotland is a racist country but there have been a number of well-publicised racist incidents. Is Russia any better or worse? Who knows?
BANYA(SAUNA)
MY father-in-law treated me to a sauna at the dacha last year. It was 110 Centigrade complete with beriozka twigs for the skin. A hat was necessary if you wanted to stand up (the water seemed to boil from your head if you did). By god, it felt wonderful when you came out.
FOOD
As most people who have visited Russia may agree, the food that you receive at a Russian home is likely to be much better that any restaurant. My mother-in-law says she spends 70 % of her salary on food. Yet they have a dacha and two cars ('it is the Russian way to manage this'). They dislike very much the stereotypical New Russians, I dont know enough to comment but they are good and honest people. I do like your comment that the babooshkas are the soul of Russia.
Certainly if anyone is travelling on the train, buy food from the babooshkas at the stations. If you dont speak russian, just pick the food you want and give the woman some money, you will not be ripped off.
I applaud that you are trying to give a balanced view of Russia. There is certainly a lot of bad press in the West. I beleive this is a legacy of the Cold War. I personally have no problem going back there time and time again and would encourage people who are thinking of visiting to do it. It may be difficult and frustrating at times but most of the time you will be entertained and learn a different way of life.
Good luck with this site."

Comment (10/06/03): "I have immensely enjoyed reading your website. I do have a few cultural questions. I am male, and am involved in a homosexual relationship with a male Russian (and who said Russian men weren't hot??). How do average Russians view homosexuality? My partner assures me that when we visit, we won't have any problems. I am still a bit apprehensive. What are your thoughts on this?"
Answer: Your partner is right saying that you won't have any problems. Majority of people, especially younger generation and people who live in big cities don't have anything against homosexuality (at least, it looks like it). You may have problems if you are overtly expressing your relationship in front of old people, or in small towns or villages, or just in front of drunk or bully people who just need troubles to find. Mostly, it has to do with the fact that Russian society is still quite conservative, but it's changing fast.
Besides, there's quite a good gay scene in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Comment (25/06/03): "To the guy who had problems with traffic (dangerous): try walking under the street where pedestrians are supposed to go...Or you will get killed. Have you ever walked across I5 in downtown Los Angeles at rush hour? By the way, my experience in Moscow was great without any threat of violence, or any racism. I am still with my wife who I met there. "

Comment (1/7/03): "what about the KGB do you need to worry about them are they friendly?" and "Is it true about the KGB being really hardcore people like highly trained fighters and such...the kind of people you would NEVER want to mess with?"
Answer: Ok, we have your IP address logged and will report it to KGB...
:-))) Seriously, you don't have to worry about KGB guys (now it's called FSB, by the way). As a tourist, you won't ever have to deal with them, unless you are a spy or having a business in Russia that is important for national interests... The guys are doing exactly what they are supposed to do: federal security bureau. But yes, KGB are hardcore and intelligent.

Comment (7/7/03): "I have