Moving to Novosibirsk from New York, a young American Filko, who has been living in Russia for 4 years and teaching English here, decided to share the saddest thing about Russia. About it, he told on his video channel and describe his word here.
"It's been 4 years since I came here, I have not been here all four years, I've traveled back and forth, visited different countries, maybe it's been 4 and a half years since my first visit here. There were some crazy crap, but mostly I have good memories, if it was otherwise, I would not want to stay here, it's obvious, but I want to talk about the most sad thing about Russia, because it's such an unfair truth , If I may say so.
What do you think is the most depressing in Russia? What is the saddest thing about Russia? What comes to your mind? I'll try to guess. The most depressing thing in Russia. Do you think this is homophobia? Maybe racism? Perhaps you think this is an economy. Or, alcoholism. I do not know what you can think about. About crime? But if you think that one of the above can be called the saddest truth about Russia, well, that's exactly what I'm talking about.
The most depressing thing about Russia is how people treat Russia. Including myself. Before I come here, I would say ... when did I first form an opinion on Russia? I must have been 15-16 years old. I had only negative thoughts about Russia. Not about Russian people, because Russians can be found everywhere. No one thinks about it and is not inclined against the Russian people. When I began to think about travel, about how I would go somewhere once, I never considered Russia. Until I was 26, I never considered Russia. Russia? It's probably dirty and dangerous there.
At every step racism, homophobia - why should I go there, it's just a hole. So I thought. And so many people thought. So what is the saddest thing about Russia?
I can give an example. When I first left America and went abroad, I went to Austria. In addition, that many Americans are stupid, we do not know geography. On Facebook I wrote that I'm going to Austria and I was told "Come on, go ahead! Enjoy it all upside down! "I said" Austria. Not Australia. It's next to Germany. " "Ah, Austria! Good! Have a nice rest! It will be cool, do not forget about the pictures! "Then I went to Germany. I said "I am going to Germany". "Oh great! Have a good rest, have fun, take pictures! "Then I met someone. The Russian girl in New York. She is great. And after that I told him that I was going to Russia. And how do you think people reacted to this? Almost everyone told me the same two words, including the Russians themselves: "Be careful!" We switched from the endless "have fun, have fun" to "be careful." What the hell happened !?
In fact, I understood what was wrong. When I first came to Russia, I thought that Russia is one big ghetto. I grew up in a ghetto and used to be close to dangerous people. I thought, as soon as I learned to speak a little Russian, I could quite deal with it. I know how to behave with dangerous people, the only thing that stands out here from the crowd. In America, if I do not dress up in something wild, I do not stand out. I look like everything. Therefore, I probably will not attract attention, otherwise it may end badly when you are in bad places. I do not attract attention, I like everyone else. But in Russia, I not only attract attention - I am alone here.
Sometimes I see other black people, but it happens very rarely. Here they are less than half of one percent. This is very small. So, in essence, I'm here on my own. And I knew it, I was ready for it. But after four years of my stay here, my impressions are at least twenty times better than I expected. If you take into account that I managed to visit 35 different cities - once I had trouble in Penza, a little trouble in Moscow. For all time only these two cases, maybe I forgot something. There were also some minor troubles with the police and registration. And in the rest I had no problems. However, many, and even myself, when I was younger, consider Russia dangerous, racist, full of hatred, boring, dirty and underdeveloped place. And so many people think, and it's very sad. Because if more people went to Russia, more people would change their minds, go back home, tell us that these stereotypes are complete nonsense, it's not true, and so on.
But one of the reasons why so many people think ill of Russia is that the Russians themselves have a bad opinion about their country. Not all Russians, of course. Now I'm talking about those who leave Russia for America and remain there illegally. Before leaving for Russia, I was engaged in renting rooms and apartments - I helped my father - and, I would say, 95% of the time the residents were girls from Ukraine or Russia. And I was not interested in meeting them, I earned money. I gave the room to seven girls and met only one. And before they advised someone of my room, I warned that I was only interested in money. When I was called to go somewhere, I always answered that I needed money.
These girls talked about Russia. And the worst thing about Russia, I've heard, as a rule, from those who stayed in America illegally. "Are you going back home?" "No, I'm not going back! It's dirty there, I do not like it there. People in Russia are angry, everything is depressing, it is impossible to get out! No respect, very bad attitude, homophobia! "- and anything that they could present, I do not remember what they said, but even my ex-wife used to say the same thing.
When I asked why she did not want to go back, I heard the same nonsense in response. And I hear it all the time.
Here those who return home usually do not say so much bad about Russia, but those who stay and behave in a way that they can not return because the plane will explode during landing or whatever, usually say the worst. Because of this, many people think that America is ahead of everyone, and Russia is a hole. Because the Russians who illegally stay in America tell only the bad. And, listening to their stories, many then reply: "I understand why you do not want to return. I would not want to". And so many people have a negative opinion.
This is actually very sad, because many people here could have a very good time and have fun, but because of what they think, they might never come here. And I do not insist on visiting Russia necessarily. I'm just saying that you believe untruthful stories, and if it prevents you from coming here - it just sucks.
I think I told everything I wanted. You see, I'm not Russian. I can not say that I live well in Russia, because I do not know what it's like to be Russian in Russia. I just know what it's like to be a black American in Russia. If I was born and raised here, maybe I would have a different opinion. I would not be able to take and go to America. When I need to, I just plan a trip and go there.
So, the saddest thing is that many people have a bad opinion about Russia. Too many people think that Russia is a hole. This is your opinion, all I can do is give people the opportunity to learn about their experiences, telling about their life in Russia on Youtube. I want to say that in Russia it's not nearly as bad as many people think. And I know those who say that they have friends who shared their impressions of Russia, who are from Russia and now live in New York. Maybe someone was telling something, maybe something is true. All I know is that I'm here and do not see any of the horrors that I've been told all these years before I came here. I do not see it.
And I can tell you about things that I do not like here. For example, here do not clear the streets of snow, so you'll constantly slip on the ice, if you do not buy special gizmos for shoes. I have such ones. They do not have coin machines, so I have a hell of a lot of trifles here, and I do not know what to do with it. I have to wait in the store until all my small things are counted at the checkout. Let's put coins in Russia! What else? Sometimes you can meet drunk in the street during the day. But not much more often than in America. Stray dogs! The street is full of stray dogs, there are too many of them. And I, like a stupid American, always try to find out whose dog it is. I ask, whose is this dog, and in response people throw their hands up - "nobody's a street dog". And, I think, that's all. Trifle, dogs and ice. The cold does not bother me much. It happens, of course, incredibly cold when -25, but I just do not walk down the street, I take a taxi.
The saddest thing for me is that so many people consider Russia a hole. When you arrive here, I guarantee you will have another impression. Of course, if you do not behave like an idiot, try to change something, make it more "Western", try to get people to think differently. Come here, do not break the law - enjoy your visit. And if someone has problems with this - do not listen, they are losers. Observe the law, do your own thing, have fun - that's all! "