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I am Russian. Ask me anything.
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Anonymous
There is way too many Russians in DC metro area 
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Anonymous
| What do you think about the Russian guy who owns the most expensive yacht ($1.5 billion) in the world? |
Anonymous
| How'd you like the Boys II Men concert? |
Anonymous
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I have skimmed through this post.... lots and lots of questions and answers! I am American, currently living and working in Russia. This is my third work/living experience in Russia. I first came here as an exchange student in the early 1990s. In total, I have lived on and off in Russia for about 10 years of my career.
I'll chime in with a few things: 1) Leningrad Cowboys: Someone asked about the rock band "Leningrad Cowboys." They aren't Russian. They are Finnish, although they have been known to used the Russian Army choir for backing vocals. They are funky and fun, often doing covers of classic American rock songs in their own way. You can YouTube them and find them singing "Sweet Home Alabama" with backing by the Army Choir that then morphs into the "Song of the Volga Boatmen." They also did a roadtrip movie - "Leningrad Cowboys Go America" - a long time back. It is hilarious! Actually, I found the entire film on YouTube. 2) Russian Women: I have a number of Russian female friends who are very contrary to the stereotype. They range in age from 25 - 35, and those with whom I have the strongest friendships do not fit the stereotype many Americans have of Russian women. They aren't all beautiful in the conventional sense - although a number of them are quite stunning even in their mid 40s. However, I chalk that up to a combination of genes, diet and athleticism. They are very career oriented. Those who are married are very centered on providing a comfortable home life for their husband and their children. One thing I find amusing, though, is the amount of tolerance they give to cheating, layabout Russian men. A number of the women I know would seem to rather tolerate a bad husband than divorce, and if they divorce they are looking to remarry b/c there is a lot of social pressure for women to be married and have a family. In fact, they would seem to get a good portion of their sense of identify as women from being married. I have one good friend here - she would be quite a catch (gorgeous, smart and funny) if she were interested in getting married for a third time. She says there is societal pressure to be married, but she pushes back against it b/c it is better for her career. She has grown children that she had very early. OP may have other things she can chime in on. 3) Russian Stereotypes of Americans/Anti-Americanism: Many Russians have stereotypes of Americans as dull, shallow, uncultured, lacking spiritual depth, etc. Gone are the days when Americans were seen as rich. However, outside of the top echelons of official circles there is very little day-to-day anti-Americanism. American businesses are doing well here. I think programs like the U.S. Summer Work and Travel that bring young Russians to the U.S. do a lot to give young, adventurous Russians a truer experience of America - both good and bad - than they get from either Russian information sources or from American popular culture and movies. A hilarious book on Russian stereotypes of Americans is "In Search of Melancholy Baby" by Vasilly Aksyonov. 4) Russian Culture and History: OK, for whatever reason, I studied Russian language and literature in college. I got the bug in high school when we read "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. I've since read, of course, Tolstoy (Anna Karenina, War and Peace - it is truly the greatest novel ever written!), Chekhov, Dostoevsky, Bulgakov (Master and Margarita - my favorite Russian novel - and the White Guard), Pasternak, Solzhnitsyn (August 1914, Ivan Denisovich). Many of my favorite classical composers are Russian - think Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Rachmaninoff, Prokoviev, etc. And the history is grand and tragic at the same time. My favorite books on Russian history: "Empire of the Tsar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia" by the Marquis de Custine (OK, more of travel journal and maybe a counterpoint to DeToqueville's "Democracy in America; "A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution" by Orlando Figes; "Beyond the Urals: An American in Stalin's City of Steel" by John Scott and "Journey Into the Whirlwind" vy Evgenia Ginzburg (mother of the aforementioned Aksyonov), which is her account of her time in the Gulag. My favotire book that takes place in Russia but is not by a Russian author is "The Fixer" by Bernard Malamud. There's probably countless other stuff I cannot even recall. 5) Russian Foods I Like: Bliny, Pirozhky, Pelmeny, Varenniky. I will add to this virtually any Georgian (I know not Russian) cuisine, esp. Khachapuri. I've always thought khachapuri and some other Georgian treats might make good food truck fare in America. Anyone else who has experienced it, give me a second! 6) Russian Foods I Don't Like: A lot, but esp. kholodets and anything with pickled herring in it. OP, would love to hear what you have found surprising, amusing, shocking about America. What stereotypes hold true? Which are false? |
Anonymous
| Also, if OP comes back maybe she can elucidate for Americans the difference between "russkii" and "rossiianin," which would clarify a bit some of the confusion expressed about the sense of ethnic identity in Russia. |
Anonymous
Agree, Black South Africans had it worse and the US did not offer asylum. |
Anonymous
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I am resurrecting this post since I have just got back from a business trip to Moscow. Dear OP and/or anyone who's familiar with Russian culture, I have a few questions that puzzled me throughout my trip:
First, what is up with so many Russian women dyeing their hair pitch black? It looks so unnatural and odd. Second, way too many smokers. Is Russia even trying to combat smoking in public places? and lastly, why do your little ones wear crosses around their necks, even tiny babies? Now I am from the South, granddaughter of a minister, and even I didn't wear a cross at that age. Looked pretty scary to me. What if the baby chokes? 
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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So glad someone revived this!
I am dying to take my children to Moscow -- DH thinks I'm nuts. What do people think? Is it a good place for children? (8 and 10 y/o) |
Anonymous
| What does shubina mean |
Anonymous
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Regarding babies wearing crosses. I was friends with a family of Russian doctors who were religious and all the babies wore crosses, but the string was different than a normal necklace. I don't remember exactly, but it was shorter, for one thing, so not as easily tangled. Probably a special clasp too. I am sure there was still a small risk of strangulation but the parents evidently thought it was worth it. Wearing a cross on your body at all times is a big part of Russian Orthodox tradition.
Regarding taking kids to Moscow, IMHO, if you want to show them Russian culture, St. Petersburg has a lot more and it is also a city that is much more hospitable to outsiders. But even though I grew up in f.USSR, my experience with either city is as a short term visitor. People who have actually lived in Moscow would be able to tell you the best places to go with your kids and how to avoid trouble. |
Anonymous
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How old are your children? On the cultural end, I think St. Petersburg has much more on offer and is much more accessible than Moscow. Moscow is a sprawling metropolis that is hard to manage, though the Metro is probably the coolest thing there is and the best way to get around. In Moscow, I favor the Kremlin and Tretyakov Gallery and recommend a visit to Sergiev Posad, which is the seat od the Russian Orthodox Church. For kids, the Cat Theater and Circus might be interesting.
St. Petersburg can keep you busy for days with its plethora of museums, palaces, theaters, gardens and, of course, the White Nights. Every visit to St. Petersburg starts with the Hermitage, although I highly recommend climbing to the colonnade on St. Isaac's Cathedral for a bird's eye fire of the city. In the Hermitage, visit the State Rooms used by the Russian tsars for Sate functions. The start with art. Your next stop is the Russian Museum. Though not as good as Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery, it is the world's second largest repository of Russian Art. Outside the main building, there are also exhibitions in the Marble Palace and St. Michael's Castle. Next to the Russian Museum on the Griboedov Canal is the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, constructed on the site of Tsar Alexander II assassination. Take. Boat tour on the canals and the out onto the Neva River to watch the bridges go up. Visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, which includes the burial places for all Russian Emperors and Empesses since Peter the Great. The St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery Necropolis is another great graveyard, containing the tombs of famous Russian authors and composers, including Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakoff, among others. And then there are the suburban palaces - Peterhof, the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo and the Alexander Palace, home to the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II. |
Anonymous
| Oh, and a visit to either the Monument to the Defenders of Leningrad or the Piskarovskoye Cemetery might leave you feeling a bit humbled - over 500,000 Leningraders died during the 900 day siege of the city in WW2. Most are buried in mass graves at Piskarovskoye. |
Anonymous
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Don't let your hubby get lost on Nevsky...
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Anonymous
| Why are a rusian women so hot? |