In Russia, we are not familiar with ordinary American life. We have little or no idea about how average Americans live. All we know is what we see in movies and TV shows.
Having had the opportunity through the International Center for Journalists to spend a few weeks in Charleston at the Gazette-Mail, I thought I would detail some of the everyday differences between my country and the U.S.
The first thing is public transportation. Fewer than half of people in Russia have a car, but there is a very well-developed transport network reaching almost everywhere. We have a lot of trains, buses, trolleys, trams, taxis and the metro (in big cities). Regular bus service runs between cities and towns for a very reasonable price.
You can travel 700 miles by bus from Rostov (my hometown) to Moscow in about 12 hours for $30. The train from Rostov to Krasnodar travels 180 miles in three hours for only $10.
In America, I see very little trash in the streets, despite the small number of trash bins offered. In Russia, unfortunately, people throw trash everywhere, as though they are trying to hide the grass and earth under a layer of garbage. In addition, there is absolutely no developed collection of recyclables.
Also on our streets, there is a huge number of stray animals. Special services are trying to control the population by trapping and sterilizing these animals, but it doesn’t help very much.
This problem occurs because of the irresponsibility of people in relation to pets, which they sometimes turn out into the street, deciding they have no time to take care of the animals. Shelters for homeless animals are crowded and few, so the animals roam the streets of big cities and small towns, running in packs and continuing to reproduce.
Church in Russia is another thing very different from America. Most often the churches are Orthodox, very ornate, with golden domes (like your Capitol), a huge number of icons and candles inside, and the persistent smell of incense.
We do not sing in churches. Punk band Pussy Riot tried, but it ended very badly. We have prayers, which are read in a singsong voice, but the organ or piano is not involved, only the voice of the priest. They must have musical casting for priests, for I have never heard a priest with an unpleasant voice. Of course, in America and West Virginia, there are some churches like I describe in Russia, but more often the ones here seem modest to me.
In Russia, every large town and big city has an amusement park — with a Ferris wheel, carousel, bumper cars, cotton candy and balloons. We do not have to travel three hours to see a city from above or have fun on a carousel. But we do not have Disneyland, either, which upsets millions of Russian children.
In Russia, I’m sorry to say there is no friendly environment for people with disabilities. A very small number of places are adapted for their needs. As a result, many people in this situation mostly stay in their homes and lead a reclusive life. Russia has a problem with tolerance toward people with disabilities, and in general toward people who are somehow different from themselves.
We do have big malls in Russia, but more so, we have a lot of small stores that are within walking distance. In residential neighborhoods, you will always find at least one or two stores where you can buy essentials — fruit, vegetables, bread, cereals, dairy products, etc.
I’m deeply impressed by the hospitality and friendliness of the people in the U.S. Russia has always been considered a most hospitable nation, and rightly so. We are ready to have you at our home, feed and put you to bed. But only if we know you.
And friendliness in the simple, everyday sense, is not all that usual for Russians. For example, if I walk down the street in America and make eye contact with someone, they would likely smile and say: “Hi, how are you doing?”
If I would do that in Russia, the response would likely be “Why are you staring?”
In Russia, a stranger will never ask you how are you doing. Sometimes it seems that the Russian people are generally afraid to talk to other people. In this regard, Americans are incredibly open and nice people.
But despite of all of our differences, we are all the same people, with roughly the same desires.
We all want to live happy and interesting lives, spend time with family and friends, and have a job. Each of us wants to feel safe and not be afraid for our future.
We are separated by thousands of kilometers and years of scientific and technological progress. In Russia today, there are many shortcomings, but I hope I will see positive changes in my country — and perhaps even start them — after seeing how it works at the other end of the Earth.
Goncharova’s visit to Charleston and the Gazette-Mail is part of the ICFJ’s Journey of Shared Discovery for Russian and American Journalists program.