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lusenish
Just Starting
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 5
Location: Moscow
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 Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:04 pm Post subject: Emigration and immigration stereotypes |
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Why do people always see everything in black and white? It's known the thuth is usually grey. 
Last weekend I had an interesting chat with one of my acquaintances. She expressed a popular point of view of many Russians.
After the collapse of the USSR (and maybe before it as well) Russians started to think West was a much better place to live than our country, there are less problems, the salaries are higher, so are the living standards. Our country is corrupted, no money, no quality goods, in short - there is positive perception of the West and negative of Russia. Many people emigrated from Russia to live in the States, Germany and so on.
My mother moved to Germany about 12 years ago and she's not always satisfied with her life there, and sometimes she considers returning back to her nativeland. Now she has a son, 11 years old, and he seems to be quite interested in Russia and our culture, he studies the language and I think it is quite possible that one day they will move to Russia.
But my acquaintance insisted that no Europaer would immigrate on his own will to Russia, because it's better to live in the West.
It would be interesting to learn if you know anyone who moved to Russia (except for Asian and Caucasian people) and what were the reasons for that. |
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Paul-Holmes
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 12 Apr 2005
Posts: 1073
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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| There is an interesting documentary on a Canadian who lived in Moscow for ten years. After 10 years, he gave up, because he found that the Russians never truly accepted him as an equal or even close to being such. He was considered to an outsider, because he was never Russian. |
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trevish
Just Starting
Joined: 20 Jul 2008
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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*bump*
Interesting thread! And this is my first post here, too! 
While it may be true for the moment that not many Western Europeans would be interested in moving to Russia, but that might change in the future, especially as Russia grows stronger economically and depending on how the situation in Europe develops. I have thought about once moving to Russia some time in the future, but it depends on how things are over here in Europe.
By the way, Paul Holmes, what documentary was that? Is it available online? I'd love to see it. |
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Absurd
Frequent Guest
Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Paul Holmes wrote: | | There is an interesting documentary on a Canadian who lived in Moscow for ten years. After 10 years, he gave up, because he found that the Russians never truly accepted him as an equal or even close to being such. He was considered to an outsider, because he was never Russian. |
I'd say more - even Russian is doomed to always be outsider in Moscow. Except special cases like singers, artists, money-bags and such. |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Absurd wrote: | | I'd say more - even Russian is doomed to always be outsider in Moscow. Except special cases like singers, artists, money-bags and such. |
I lived in Moscow for about 1.5 year. Neither I felt myself as outsider. nor any of my colleagues. |
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Soundbrigade
Frequent Guest
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Posts: 50
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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I never ever felt like an outsider when I lived in Russia. But I had my wife and her relatives, all our friends and my working mates that took real good care of me (us). The directors of the company I was working for were real bastards and my Russian collegues saw that I had no benefits that they didn't have, so when the company was going down we could understand each other as we were all in the same position.
Even now, I feel very comfortable when I visit Russia but I always try to be humble and really show that I feel a great deal of affaction for Russia and Russians. It is a good help to know the history, to be able to speak Russian and adopt to Russian standards and habits.We sometimes make a joke about returning to Russia when we retire and have the Swedish govt. send our pensions there.
A few days ago we bumped into friends (she is Russian he's a Swede) and she said - How come I feel good when I am back in Russia and get so depressed when I am back in Sweden?
My wife also feels that life outside Russia is very hard for her as a Russian. But she states that Russia has changed soo much that she doesn't feel at ease when she goes there.
Maybe Swedes and Sweden are complicated, but we heard some complaints from a Russian who lived in Italy and my wife thought she talked about Swedes. - No, I am talking about the Italians.
A collegue of mine who's from Germany doesn't really feel comfy in Swede, but maybe she is treated badly or at least people are showing a slight cold facade because some people in Germany started a war on Europe 70 years ago and somehow hold all Germans responsible for that. And Swedes keep Russians responsible for a lot of stuff though we, by now have evidence they were innocent of whatever it was. |
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james-wilkins
Just Starting
Joined: 13 Sep 2008
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:20 am Post subject: Russian Contexts, Myths and Truths |
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While it may be true for the moment that not many Western Europeans would be interested in moving to Russia, but that might change in the future, especially as Russia grows stronger economically and depending on how the situation in Europe develops. I have thought about once moving to Russia some time in the future, but it depends on how things are over here in Europe.
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james wilkins
viral marketing |
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Leonore
Just Starting
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 3
Location: Moscow, Russia
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:03 am Post subject: just some thoughts |
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just to add my experience, since we're compatriots with the author...
what you've written is quite true. a myth of a better life somewhere-there has always existed. probably not in Russia only. some of my friends moved abroad, some settled and calmed down, others are unsatisfied. in fact they're always unsatisfied. i'll tell you one thing: i once met a great australian guy who told me he would definitely be glad to live in Russia. i was less optimistic at that period, so i was puzzled. why my country? why not Europe or whatever. but time passes and by now i've met quite enough of folks thinking of moving to Russia and quite a lot of people who have all the opportunities to leave it - but don't have the slightest intention to go... thus i came to a simplest conclusion. no matter where you live (well, i agree, in Zimbabve it's still less comfortable than in Moscow, i guess, but it's details) - so, no matter where you live - it's just HOW you live. i mean, how you take it. you can be happy anywhere - and you can be unhappy everywhere. happiness and satisfaction with life seems to be an internal state of mind rather than the question of location.
it depends, anyhow.
best regards. |
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hpesch
Frequent Guest
Joined: 09 Mar 2008
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:41 am Post subject: Lee Harvey Oswald |
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He lived and worked in Minsk before he returned to the US and (apparently) shot JFK.
It seems true that Russians suffer from home-sickness more than most people. I myself feel quite at home when in Russia from time to time. But it is the overwhelming bureacracy, the corruption and insecurity in relation to the state that puts most people from considering living in Russia. You never know when the next witch-hunt will start. |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject: Re: Lee Harvey Oswald |
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| hpesch wrote: | | But it is the overwhelming bureacracy, the corruption and insecurity in relation to the state that puts most people from considering living in Russia. |
Bureacracy is a problem. Sometimes I wonder how quickly and professionally they able to serve citizens and some time I want to tear them apart because they are so slow and inefficient.
| hpesch wrote: | | You never know when the next witch-hunt will start. |
Anything specific? I can't remember anything that could be called a "witch-hunt". |
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romdur
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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To respond to the original question (unfortunately, lusenish doesn't seem to have posted for a year)...
I've made the acquaintance of a very nice Brit who has lived continuously in Russia for about 15 years (when I say continuously, he makes short trips out to renew his visa ). His Russian is very fluent, with a noticeable English accent. He has made a life and business there, and clearly enjoys it.
That being said, he's seriously considering selling out his business interests, and moving to one of the Baltic states, because dealing with Russian bureaucracy is so difficult. |
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