When the subject comes up and I tell people where I will be living
for the next 2 years, more often than not their first reaction is, “Why would
you want to go to Russia?”
It is hard for most people to believe, but this country and
its people have altogether captured my heart.
As Westerners, much of our perceptions about Russia are
based on movies and the persistent “Russia is the enemy” propaganda from the
Soviet/Cold War era. Yes, I am well
aware that Russia (the government in particular) has several major problems,
however, as is the case in most 2-sided situations, what we are hearing on this
side of the world is not really 100% true.
There are always 2 sides to every story and generally reality can be
found somewhere in the middle. (I have found this to be especially true by
comparing what I read in U.S. news vs. what I read from Russian news outlets
Right now U.S. media is painting a very bleak and hateful picture of Russia.
There is SOOOO much more to this country than what you see
on TV or read in newspapers.
I have been studying Russian history for a number of
years. Yes this country has many periods
of harsh cruelty in its history, but there are also many periods rich with joy
and creativity. This country and its
people have been through so much and have overcome so much! The depth of culture and tradition amazes me!
While most people hear the Russian language and think it is
harsh sounding, it sounds incredibly beautiful to me. When I came back from Russia 2 ½ years ago,
what I missed the most was always hearing Russian. I desperately hope to be fluent someday!!
In the U.S., our general perception of Russians is that they
are cold-hearted, mean, angry people.
Part of this comes from the picture the media gives, but another part of
that is from not understanding their culture and history. Trust me, some of the happiest people I know
are Russians. It is true that you will
not often find a Russian smiling or laughing excessively. The typical westerner (particularly those of
us from the South) would see a straight-faced Russian and think they were angry
and/or unfriendly. However, in the
Russian culture, a person who smiles constantly and laughs without an obvious
reason is characterized as a fool. They
love to laugh at a good joke and smile at a friend, but not unnecessarily. Neither culture is wrong or right about how
to show happiness and/or friendliness.
They are just different, and that is perfectly fine!
Again, I am not saying that all is well in Russia, but I am
saying that it is not nearly as bad as Americans generally think it is and a
lot of hate could be resolved if we could look at people (all people, not just
Russians) without trying to impose or views on them. This can be difficult to do, but it is so
worth it to expand our worldview and try to understand where they are coming
from.
A part of my heart is definitely in Russia! Its culture, history, language, and people
captivate me! I am hoping that this blog
will help you get a peek into my second home and experience even a portion of
the depth of beauty contained in this country.
P.S. In my rush to get this posted, I did not spell check or
grammar check very extensively.
Apologies to those that are deeply bothered by misspelled words or
incorrect grammar! I feel your pain and promise to do better next time! J
