10 Things I Realized Living In Russia

If you haven’t traveled to Russia before, I bet on my life, you have heard a lot of what I call “weird phony stories,” about Russia that would sink your heart into your stomach.

Yeah! I know what you’ve read and what you’re thinking right now. Sorry that the media made you believe that!

But, hell no! this is the 21st century, we do not need to rely only on Google and the media anymore to get to know about a particular people, their culture and lifestyles.

Travelling is education, as my father often says. This isn’t a time you sit in the comfort of your couch, punch in keywords into Google Search Engines, and believe whatever pops ups about a particular person, country, culture, and lifestyle.

There’s a saying so popular in my country “Landlord, travel and see.” Funny Right! Da! Da!! Da!!!

So, it’s very important to experience things first-hand before running into conclusions. Otherwise, that’d be awkward.

Furthermore, this is the more reason the travel blogging industry is booming now! At the time people want to listen to those who have experience and can prove it through a video. For God’s sake, we are in the era of technology.

Without further ado, let me tell you the 10 things I have realized while living in Russia.

Before that, grab your popcorn, a bottle of big Coca-cola. Because this is going to wow you?

THE 10 THINGS I REALIZED WHILE LIVING IN RUSSIA

1. Russia isn’t a slum unlike their western stereotypes suggests.
In fact, Russia is a developed country with advanced technologies rivaling that of the west. I would press further on this. I’d use my country colloquial slogan “Landlord, Travel, and see.” I mean no harm, just joking!

2. Russian women are prostitutes and mail, order brides.

The truth is there’s prostitution in every country of the world.

Here is a link to the top 10 countries with the highest prostitution in the world.
Russia didn’t even make the top 10 list.

Reality check, prostitution is prohibited by law in the Russian Federation.

3. Russians are not alcoholics.

But Russia’s long term western stereotype suggests Russians knows ‘nothing else’ but ‘alcohol drinking’. Last I checked, they were the first to put and man and in Space. Last I checked, they were the ist to land an unmanned craft in space and many more groundbreaking inventions.

In Reality, statistical figures from 2017 to date prove Russians are drinking more tea than Alcohol.

4. Russians aren’t racists.

But Russia’s oldest western stereotype suggests that Russians are racists, they kill black people, black people do not live in Russia. But Russia boasts of a reasonable number of prominent Afro-Russians.

Meanwhile, Russia’s population is over 147million. So how is it possible that over 147 million Russians are racists?

Clearly, the 2018 FIFA World cup hosted in Russia is ranked the best FIFA world cup ever in FIFA’s history.

I’m west African, chocolate skin, during the world cup I experienced the warmest welcome from Russians, photos should speak for itself.

Afterward, went on to live in Russia and haven’t experienced one bit of racism from Russians.

5. There’s freedom of access to the internet in Russia

This is unlike some western political propaganda which suggests that the internet is generally censored in Russia, and Russians are not allowed to use the internet.

Hell no! I live in Russia i have full access to the internet, access to the use of all the social media available, VK, Ok, including Facebook, Whatsapp, read news from all over the world, excluding linkedin which is blocked in Russia over some security compliance issues.

Although just like Facebook and other social networks would remove some certain comments or publication, Social networks in Russia also removes such comments that is directed to stire-up chaos in the country.

6. Russians aren’t cold people
Meanwhile, western propaganda suggests Russians are very cold people, they can kill someone at any time with their Kalashnikov.

Hmmm! this isn’t Hollywood commercials. In Russia people do not carry such automatic guns around. People are often more engaged in corporate jobs, minding their businesses, rather than carrying guns around and looking for who to kill.

I’d say Russians are the most warmest people you’d ever be with. At first instance they may look cold, but when they get to know you better, trust, and becomes friends with you trust me, it is friends with no boundaries.

7. Without Russia, World War II wouldn’t have ended at the time it did

But the western part of world war II stories deliberately excludes the efforts of the red army that defeated Hitlers’ Army in Moscow. So many Russian soldiers fought with their last blood to protect Russia. After defeating the Nazi German army, they matched on into Germany and rescued prisoners that were taken captive by Hitler.

So many people do not know this part of the world war II stories. We only know the world war II stories from the western perspective.

8. Russia is a very cold country.

The stereotype has gone very far in using every tool it can lay its hands onto, to create and feed people with fear about Russia. In so doing scare people away from visiting Russia. This is systemically aimed at destroying Russia’s tourism industry.

But little do we know that Canada and the United States of America is even more colder than Russia. But the coldest city in the world is in Russia’s Yaktsk in the Siberian region.

A quick Google search will help.

9. Moscow isn’t that expensive to live in.

But most traveler often thinks Russia’s Moscow is very expensive. But this isn’t generally true.

In contrast, if you have less than 5 dollars in your wallet which is 375 rub. at the time of writing this article, you’d be able to buy 7 litters of petrol with 5 dollars and have a small balance.

A litter of petrol in Russia, Moscow is around 45 to 47 Rubles.

If you’re travelling by train you can buy about 6 train tickets and get back some change.

There’s a long list of what $5 dollars= 375 rubles can buy for you in Moscow and other big cities in Russia.

10. Russian are culturally Oriented
Russians are culturally different from other core western countries with relating similarities with some of our African cultures, norms, and taboos.