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Russian People Talk — Interviews on the Streets - July
22, 2005
We asked Russian
people the questions our visitors sent to us... See what answers
we've got (interviews by Luba Bogoslovskaya from Vladimir)
Have a question you would like to ask to Russian people?
Send us your suggestions below.
| Mark
Solomonovitch:
a retired engineer from Vladimir |
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Question: "What is
Russia's future? What will Russian life be like in twenty
years?"
A. If our political system remains as it is, Russia will
fall apart. We will have several very small principalities
in twenty years.
Question: "Is there a lot of racism
in Russia?"
A. Yes, we have it but it is not obvious. Like when I
wanted to be hired as an engineer instead of “We don’t
need you” they said “We already have too
many Jews”
Question: "Do you like to travel
and see new places and cultures, and which country would
you most like to
visit if you could travel anywhere and why."
A. I never traveled abroad. But I have a dream. My dream
is a week in Paris.
Question: "If you could change
one thing to make life better where you live at what would
it be?"
A. One more oil hole. Just kidding… To be serious,
I’d like to change principles of selecting people
who occupy powerful and leading positions. They just take
people from the middle of nowhere and raise them from dirt
without any reason. Like in case with our prime-minister
Fradkov. I’ve never heard about him before his arousal.
Question: "Can a foreigner be
ever accepted as a Russian? What would he/she need to
do for it to happen?
A. He or she needs to be dead drunk and not to be able
to say a word. Or deep in sleep.
Question : "What do you do for fun?"
A. I have 3 things in mind. They all kind of go together.
The first to be mentioned is hunting. I love hunting. It’s
a passion of my life. I love hunting dogs. These are two.
And the third one is writing hunting stories. I just finished
my first book about dogs and hunting. It’s called “My
beloved dogs”.
Question : "Is there a lot of
racism in Russia? Do any black people live there?"
A. It is normal for every nation to hate others. We don’t
have blacks. May be, 10 African International students
in our town. That’s all.
Question : "what is the most popular food that
you eat?"
A. My favorite and most of my friend’s favorite is
shish kebab.
Question "What do Russian men do special for a
girl at any point in time to show they like a girl?
A. You need to impress her. You need to be or seem to be generous and charming.
Try this. It works!
Question : "How do you feel about foreigners who come through Russia?
Tourists or Long-term?
A. I don’t care. Feel nothing against them until they try to do some
business here. We don’t need their investments. I am not a fool. I just
don’t want our officials to take advantage of Western money investing
in Russian economy. You know, it always beneficial for them only. |
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| Oksana,
30, a literature agent, Vladimir |
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Question: "What can a man do
to be liked by a Russian woman? What do Russian women
respect and like the most?"
A. To ask her to marry
him. The quicker – the more
likable he is.
Question: "Why are so many Russian
women looking to marry a man from the west. Is this because
of more money
and a better life or is it that russian men do not treat
russian women well?"
A. Woman has to believe in something. We need illusions
and sweet dreams in our life. Some think they will get
a better treatment, some think they will be happy. Everyone
has his or her own understanding of love.
Question: "What is your hobby?"
A. I like to go for a walk and think, think think things
over…
Question: "Why do Russians often
look very closed and sad and don't even smile in their
passport's picture?"
A. It is a common believe in Russia that smile is an indication
of being foolish and slow. Russians, most likely, simply
have a very understandable desire to
look more or less
smart and clever.
Question : "What are the good and bad things about
Russia?"
A. I like people in particular, taken one by one. This
is a good thing about Russia. A bad thing is when all these
wonderful people begin to communicate and interact with
each other. It happens at home, at work. It is a real nightmare.
A bad thing is how they treat each other.
Question : "What can you say about
president Bush?"
A. I like him better than Ketchup, I am sorry, Karry…Bush
is not extraordinary but he is appropriate. I like Ketchup
very much, by the way.
Question : "What clothes are in
style in Russia? Are Russian styles different from American
styles?"
A. The word for American style is “convenience”. “Expensive” would
be the right one for Russian style. Mom told me that if
something is expensive she wants to buy it. It gives you
a feeling that you are investing money in yourself.
Question : "what is your favorite food to eat?"
A. Boiled chicken.
Question : "now that you know the advantages and
disadvantages of each sistem would you like to return to
the socialist
regime?"
A. Socialism? No, God keep me away from it. Bad capitalism
is much better that good socialism! |
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| Vladimir
Krakovsky
72, a Russian writer, Vladimir |
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Question: "It has been said that
Russia is both European and not. What is the most European
aspect of the Russian mind,and what is the least?"
A. All our natural instincts are European. Everything that we absorbed while
going through history is Asian.
Question: "What can a woman do
to be liked by a Russian man? What do Russian men respect
and like the most?"
A. She needs to have a complex of features. Not just one
remarkable thing. But will keep the list to myself. And
very important point! Before doing something she needs
to have a Face. A face of a cirtain quality? I mean. There
are faces that you can do nothing to be liked by a man.
Question: "Do you like to travel
and see new places and cultures, and which country would
you most like to
visit if you could travel anywhere and why."
A. I’d like to go to Athens. It makes my heart trembling
to see things and stones that are over 3 thousand years
old.
Question: "What is your hobby?"
A. I like to take pictures of my friends.
Question: "What do you think about Putin?"
A. He is a nice guy but far from being a political genius.
He is not catching stars from the sky, we call it.
Question : "Are you disgusted that there are some
people in Russia such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky (currently
in jail) that have been able to become billionaires
in less then 10 years (since the demise of the CCCP) while the average Russian
worker only earns about 100 USD per month? Especially since these people have
made their money by "acquiring" formerly state owned (CCCP) industries."
A. I am very proud of him. I respect him very much. He has made all his money
in accordance with our Law. Those who issued the Law like this are those who
are responsible for the unfair game.
Question : "What is the one thing that you have done
so far in your life that you are most proud of?"
A. I don’ really know what specifically needs to
be changed. But I vote for gradual changes. I care about
people’s psychics. What we’ve experienced within
last 20 years is really damaging for many of the Russians,
mentallywise.
Question : What do you think about the influence of the
English language in the russian, especialy with the introduction
of the occidental music and the internet?
A. I think Russian language will stand it. We will chew
it and spit it out. It the XIX-th century 63 per cents
of the words in Russian language have been borrowed from
French. And nothing bad happened. Only languages of small
populations can be assimilated and disappear. Russian is
not one of them.
Question : "What the russian people
think about the russian cars, in comparation with japanese
cars, or american
cars"
A. I, personally, don’t drive a car but my friends
from Moscow,, also writers, do. From what they say about
Russian cars I know that it feels like seating in a fishcan
while riding or driving a Russian car.
Question : "Would you ever consider emigrating
or moving to UK or any other country? If so what would
be
your reasons."
A. No period. I am a Russian writer and like a fish
on a river shore I will die without the Russian language. |
Your Comments
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