Is Russia really so down nowadays?

[Hungry Year]

Today I encountered something very upsetted me,I was in a mall doing windows shopping with a friend ,then three Russian girls came by,my friend told me immediatly that they are Russian hookers ,selling their bodies to the night,and he even told me the I could have one of them for 1000yuan(about 100 Euros) for a night,These days I adore Dostoevsky very much


This hurt my feelings ,we didn't even know they are Russian,we only judge it by their appearance.


But that's what we Chinese think about the Russians,

Sad ,Sad,Sad.

[Gabrinus]

Russia is the largest country in the world with a population of about 350 mil (not sure about how current that number is).  Do you want to judge the state of such country's affairs by its 3 representatives?  

Without a doubt I would not move back even if you paid me, but I do think you made a very uneducated judgment here.

But if you want to know the true problem with Russia, it was summed up quite well in the 19th century by Gogol.  Please try see it at full face value:

V Rossiye est' dve bedy, dorogi i duraki. (There are two bad things about Russia, its roads and its fools.)

[thewretch]

Actually, and not to seem like a jackass, last time I checked the population was 143,420,309 (July 2004 estimate). It is the largest country in land size though with an astounding 17,075,200 sq km. The Chinese actually have the most heavily populated with more than 1 billion people and then comes India. We even have more people than Russia, with some 280,000,000. Things are very desperate in Russia right now, with the Mafia and all, so of course things are going to be bad. But don't think that every Russian is a prostitute, just like I'm sure they don't think that every American is a redneck/gangsta/whatever. This will pass though, in time I believe we shall be headed down the same path that Russia has gone down.

[Gabrinus]

Thank you for correcting my statistics, although that does not change my point.  I wanted to indicate that Russia was misrepresented by the two women.  And your "Mafia and all" statement is also not indicative of the big picture, only indicative of the news headlines.

[thewretch]

Thank you for correcting my statistics, although that does not change my point.  I wanted to indicate that Russia was misrepresented by the two women.  And your "Mafia and all" statement is also not indicative of the big picture, only indicative of the news headlines.

I agree that it was misrepresented and I understand that  my "Mafia and all" statement does not include everything. I really did not want to sound like a jerk and I wasn't trying to go against you at all. So are you from Russia?

[Gabrinus]

I did not take that as a "jerky" statement at all.  It was actually nice to see someone correcting my post (that means someone read it), and now I know the correct demographic.

[thewretch]

Lol, alright then.

[Dillon]

Despite the humble ratio of its land mass to its population, I wouldn't be very optimistic--Russia's a capitalist power, and so its people are, more or less, either disillusioned or predestined to tremedous corruption (and this isn't to say that either of these haven't before ripped and ravaged the Russian microcosm).

I hope that one day the Russians may be able to sway themselves into a social/governmental code that doesn't seem to be one more rung on the miserable ladder of their broadcasted history of squalor and strife, and that they may be able reconcile their ever-expanding capacity for humanistic effeciency with the sad and tormented ruin they see over their shoulders. Perhaps they are well on their way.

[crazyboutx]

I think I know exactly what you are talking about Hungry Year
In Turkey Natasha means Russian prostitute it's so sad (some poeple don't even know that Natasha is a Russian name)
when I heard this name it reminds me some characters from Russian literature but others make ugly jokes like "Natasha yat asaa"

[osman_idiot]

russia...russia...where is your innocence?who raped you?when will you shake yourself?you make me sad russia..you make me cry..

[OlegB]

Has anyone of you really been to Russia to discuss it like this? To be so sad about it? To feel Russia you don't just need to visit it, you have to LIVE here - and even then not everyone has that feeling.
I actually expected more from people on a forum dedicated to Dostoevsky. Do you really think a country that gave birth to geniuses like this can "go down"? Today's Russia isn't much different from Russia of the XIX century in many ways, and yet there were and are people who could see beyond the surface poverty, violence and rudeness into the heart. And trust me, this heart, the essence hasn't changed. I myself feel very sad about what happened to our country in the XX century - the Revolution, with all its controversy, the Stalinist era, then the events of 1991-1993, which shattered our culture and from which we have yet to recover... But if you say Russia is dying, you don't know Russia. It will not only survive but will yet rise, if not politically then culturally and spiritually. And it is this belief that kept it alive all the centuries, after all. And this belief is even more strengthened by seeing more and more people aware of their roots, of their national identity and respectful of their great culture. This is what I see now and I am most assured that very soon we will experience a cultural rise like no other.
P.S. Sorry if I sound too idealistic or "uplifted". It's really very hard for me to use a different style while talking about things like that, so please bear with me .
Dillon, the exact type of today's government or social structure doesn't change anything. Yes, the last 15 years or so were quite devastating for us (well, yes, not the LAST 15 years because things are getting better), but does it really make a difference? Even the collectivisation hasn't changed the Russian spirit and her essence, and communists did have a strong ideology - today's leaders don't have it at all (that is, except getting as much as possible into their pockets). Maybe it's for the best, really... much better than communism or liberalism for me. And corruption is the centuries-old disease you can't cure quickly, especially when the government is thoroughly corrupted too...

[SFG75]

Excellent discussion thus far.  I'd argue that Russia is currently on the ropes in a few respects.  If you look at their economy, they have many challenges.  For one, corruption is a major problem, one that costs their economy $15 billion a year according higher up officials.  While they deserve credit in moving to a free market economy, corrupt politicians and the Rusian mafia have moved in to get their own share of the goodies.  In terms of politics, many people are complaining about Vladimir Putin and some of his more authoritarian policies.  For one, the media is very compliant to his demands, they are hardly the watchdogs that they need to be.  Militarily, they have declined to a level unheard of.  Most of their submarine fleet is unable to leave port due to safety concerns and the Kursk tragedy is evidence of that.  Money shortages, lack of parts, and inexperienced sailors are all a result of years of neglect.  On top of all this, life expectancy statistics are heading in the wrong direction.

Russia has always been a hard-bitten nation with many challenges, but they are trying to resolve their problems.   Culturally, they haven't experienced a decline, but by economic, social, and military standards, the record shows that they've had some unfortunate declines in a number of categories.


Corruption in Russia:
http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/1/28/203347.shtml

Russian media problems:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51587-2005Feb24.html

Censorship in Russia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/1776203.stm


Russian military decline in the aftermath of the Kursk disaster
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/887978.stm

Russian life expectancy declines
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/279/10/793

[Canerican]

It seems like history is in a loop in Russia.

They get a government that oppreses its people (think Stalin) Another country offers its aid in exchange for democracy, or another type of "good" government. Corruption comes in, bad government comes back. (Thank Catherine I)

[adolf]

    in fact russia never been alright and never will be. surprisingly, that by no means to prevent it from being a great country in many ways - from science (russia's first to send man into space), to culture.
    when it comes to russia, logic is just useless. in the minds of many russians the idea of prosperity goes not in a first place.
    in addition, russians are always quick to complain about almost everything even when all is well. but westerners in order to comfort themselves, eagerly trust them just out of naive jingoism.

[BARBARA]

Last year i was to Russia and didnt find any particular problems out there - So what you guys talking about? - i believe it's our mass media  to blame for creating negative image of that country - On the other hand, the bloke is smart at pointing out that russians are the most capricious, fretful and complaining nation - And they dont value their own achievements which other nations would be proud of, such as victories over Napoleon and Hitler; space breakthrough, sports etc - anyway, Russia proved it's ability to survive whatever problems it encounter - Only one question troubles me: if our mass media to be trusted?