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Russians from US visiting Moscow

Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Russian Contexts, Myths and Truths

Author	Message
ak Frequent Guest Joined: 11 Mar 2004 Posts: 29	Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 7:36 pm    Post subject: Russians from US visiting Moscow We left former USSR in 1992... Do you guys know if we'll stand out as foreigners? Assuming we dress appropriately? We're about 26 year's old, and haven't been in Russia since 1992... Thanks
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waytorussia Frequent Guest Joined: 17 Mar 2010 Posts: 14	Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 8:48 pm    Post subject: See http://www.waytorussia.net/TalkLounge/viewtopic.php?t=82 - this was discussed quite extensively there.
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ak Frequent Guest Joined: 11 Mar 2004 Posts: 29	Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 9:47 pm    Post subject: Thank you for the reply. I have read the thread above previously. I guess I was wondering if former Russians can be picked out as easily as foreigners or not. I understand that one can tell by a face (and I can do it here in New York too), but I wonder how Russians from America are viewed in Russia and whether or not they can be "singled out". Thank you very much for help.
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linguist Frequent Guest Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Posts: 21 Location: Minnesota	Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:21 am    Post subject: Just as the 1st wave and 2nd wave immigrants differ from each other and from the post-Perestroika immigrants, post-Perestroika immigrants would differ from Russians still living there. You probably won't stick out as much as a non-Russian, but it may take a few weeks or more in Russia to lose some of the mannerisms and speech patterns/accents that you have picked up during your life here in the U.S. I suppose it also depends on how "well" you have acclimated to U.S. culture and language.
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:14 pm    Post subject: I am also a Russian living in the US. I spoke to one guy who travells to Russia quite often. He says that if you dress like most russians today (long-sleeve shirt, jeans, dark shoes, no sneakers, etc.), you will be just like everyone else on the street. But once you start talking to people, they know right away that you are not a local. It's the accent, the way we behave, they way we get used to smiling at people we don't know in the US, etc. Little things give us away. We in the US get used to being better groomed (white teeth, hair, deodorant/spray), etc.
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milonguero Frequent Guest Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 32 Location: San Francisco, US	Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 1:25 am    Post subject: It is gestures and small things that give us away. During my last and only visit to Russia, my American residence has been calculated by the habit of automatically buckling up in a taxi right after closing the door.
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:35 pm    Post subject: Can any other russian american comment on this?
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vitalsigns Lounge Wizard Joined: 25 Dec 2004 Posts: 2784	Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 3:47 pm    Post subject: Retiring... Last edited by vitalsigns on Wed Nov 09, 2005 5:29 am; edited 1 time in total
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e VIP Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 654	Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 7:17 pm    Post subject: From my experience, Russians these days tend to dress according to income, the same as it is here, and it ranges from the normal as you see it here, to some the garish and the eccentric that you pointed out. You just do the “smart casual” seen in and from Bananna Republic, Gap, and/or H &M and you'll fit in and be fine.
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vitalsigns Lounge Wizard Joined: 25 Dec 2004 Posts: 2784	Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 3:09 pm    Post subject: Retiring... Last edited by vitalsigns on Wed Nov 09, 2005 5:22 am; edited 1 time in total
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MrSpice Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431	Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 5:29 pm    Post subject: I want to add that during my recent trip to St Petersburg, I blended with locals just fine, especially in the center of the city. When I came to St Petersburg the first day I thought I would not put on sneakers and shiny t-shirts like I do in New York, so people perceive me as foreigner right away. But then I took a walk on Nevsky Prospect and was amazed how many russians I saw dressed the exact same was as many europeans and americans. I saw many russians wearing sneakers and jeans and colorful t-shirts. Foreigners really blend in with the crowd - this in itself is a testiment on how much things have improved in recent years. Of course, I may be mistaken and maybe everyone knew I was not a "real russian". But we asked total stranges to guess where we are from. People that knew that I was living in America said that I had a strange, peculiar accent and speak differently. People that didn't know about it, either did not see any difference or thought I was from some other russian city.
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