All about Russia: your opinions and thoughts.

[Almac]

All I know about Russia is it's winter caused the Germans to lose on the Eastern Front in the last century and so chewed up a lot of German and their allies troops, so it was a little easier for the invasion of Europe in 1944. (D-Day Normandy)

[pellaz]

translate.google.com ( Интересный человек и очень общительный ) ... An interesting person and very sociable)

[DerJack]

There is a suggestion that in Russia bears walk on the streets, people drink vodka and wear ushanka all the time. Also, many think that the climate in Russia is very severe. And what do you think about Russia and Russian people?

I"ve definitely heard about bears on streets before, but never really thought that was odd, seeing as where I'm from I've seen several bears on the streets... though I assumed as around here, it's just not necessarily common... also heard the vodka thing, figured it was just an over-exaggeration and as far as severe climate, figured it was only regional, considering how large Russia is as far as landmass... I haven't really had a lot of opportunity to encounter many Russians, though those I have always seemed kind and interesting... also my friend Jens was in prison for like three days in Germany, and he said like 90 percent of the guys in there were Russian... I don't really place any weight in this statement, I assume it was merely circumstantial.

All that being said, I'd be very interested in learning more about the Russian people and culture, I love learning about other peoples.... so please share.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Siberia, where all the political discontents are sent.

Wormwood (Chernobyl) which was where Russians had their 'New-clear' Accident.

Boris and Natasha:



Pavel Andreievich Chekov:


Proof that by at least the 23rd Century the USA and USSR would have ended their cold war.

I know that there is a fabric shortage in Russia, you all use Iron Curtains instead of chintz.

Russians paint everything red - thus they were always known as the Red Russians when I was a kid. However not just red was used, I assume there was a shortage of red paint, thus you all mixed it with white because you all were often called 'pinko's' Obviously refering to your choice in Colors.

I suspect that the Pink Submarine of Operation Petticoat (1959) was actually a nod to our Russian comrades.

Speaking of which, you all have lots of camaraderie there, you call each other comrade. Must be a friendly place.

I Just could never figure out how people thought Russia was an Evil Empire.

I mean seriously if it was an Evil Empire, its National Anthem would sound like this:




And nothing as moving and brilliant as this:





On a more serious note, I know a bit more about the real Russia over the popular stereotypes.

It is a nation that has seen a lot over the past two generations - a lot. And it has not only persevered it has flourished.

[fenris]

[COLOR="Red"]
All that being said, I'd be very interested in learning more about the Russian people and culture, I love learning about other peoples.... so please share.[/COLOR]

Really good spoken... I think we should do more for knowledge about other countrys... what I read here sometimes about countrys and history is rolling my toenails up.

[Pix]

Short and sweet, I see Russians as being generous but also socially conservative. Many Russians (especially older ones) appear to be as nationalistic and arrogant as many Americans which I don't like (in Americans or in Russians), and the old Cold War hatred lingers in both countries (at least in the older generations). Women appear to me to be treated as 2nd class citizens and sexually abused or preyed upon with social and legal approval (though even many Russian women seem to resist efforts to improve their station in society) and see gays as deviants (though I heard recently that a Russian documentary on gays portrayed gays as ok people so hopefully that's improving). Despite gays being stigmatized, it sounds like too many Russian men (especially in the military) get sexually abused by other men (part of why they seem prone to snap and go on killing sprees). Racism is much more of a problem there than in America, and the Russian Orthodox seem to have more power there than our Christian Right does in America. Many Russians seem to have a thing for avoiding safety as if being safe was the same as being cowardly, so that they'll insist on driving without seat belts for example (though I hear it was the same in America up to the 80s).

I've heard that gays in Russia tend to marry each other and form relationships with other married gays (that is, a lesbian and gay man will marry each other but their real relationship with be with another gay man or lesbian, possibly also married to blend in), though I don't know how true that is (I'm sure it's happened, but that doesn't mean it's normal).

I've heard of hardcore alcoholism use in Russia but having been around plenty of that growing up in America (even in areas where selling alcohol was illegal) I don't know how it compares.

Yet most Russians I've met seem to be better educated and with better sense than many Americans (and I mean the typical Russian I've met even knows more about our history and government than the typical American) and thus I tend to respect them and their thoughts more easily than I do Americans, though I'm cautious for being a lesbian (and respect does not mean I agree with everything they say). And again, I also admire how generous and friendly many of them can be (as long as you don't offend them, which is easy to do).

You might find it interesting that Russian Americans tend to be very old fashion (so they'll still kiss each other on the face as a greeting, for example), and given that many came as refugees and fugitives from the old Soviet Union (or were raised by those who were) they tend to be more phobic of Communists than even Americans as well as seeming to be far more cynical of the government (for example, some told me their Russian Orthodox church refused some kind of financial aid from the United States government once because they were scared of the government then monitoring them and telling them what to do and say). Many of them were big drinkers and smokers, too, and I first drank vodka with them, and I saw them giving 10-year-olds vodka. They also saw themselves as separate from Russian Jews and from "New Russians" obsessed with wealth. Most of them were good to me but because most of them can't tolerate gays I cut ties with them before they found out I'm gay (I'm only friends with a Russian American lesbian now) as I wanted to remember them fondly.

I'm curious how Tatu (Тату́ are seen in Russia. I've heard of Russians who criticize America for our immorality and our MTV as corrupting Russian morals, but the most sexualized show I ever saw on MTV was Tatu dancing around (and their English version of their songs tend to be slightly less erotic than their Russian versions). Are they meant to just appeal to men into lesbians? Or are they popular with female audiences in Russia as well? :confused:

I'd also be curious what older Russians thought of X-Men: First Class as well because I've had some interesting discussion with older Americans raised on the Cold War about how it probably would've caused a panic if it had been shown between 1960-1990 by showing both sides of the Cold War as morally ambigious people rather than as good or evil, and how the Americans and Russians joined together (becoming the bad guys) at the end to attack mutants (which included Russian and American mutants). I'll tell you more about what they said if you want. Here's the Russian trailer for it:




Anyway, I hope what I said was understandable. mile: