Italian Adventures in St. Petersburg and Baikal
Russia, not leaving the pages of the Western press, is of interest to ordinary people in Europe. Some of them decide to come to our country on their own and form their own opinion about it. But increasingly, foreigners choose not Moscow as their goal, but our northern capital and regions famous for natural attractions. She shared her impressions of St. Petersburg with the portal Ruopen an Italian student named Kiara. And here is her story.
Expectations and reality once again quite seriously diverged in favor of real Russia.
Hollywood traditionally paints the countries of the post-Soviet space gray and gloomy, where some strange and unpleasant people live. And in Russia there must be an indispensable winter, cold and gigantic distances. Everyone who tried to talk to her in the subway, the girl a priori considered potential scammers.
As for long distances and a long winter, Western propaganda did not deceive, but in general, everything turned out to be not so scary. St. Petersburg proved to be a very beautiful city, not at all the same as it is sometimes shown in the Hollywood Cranberry. Kiara says that to this day continues to be pleasantly surprised, walking along its streets.
In addition to St. Petersburg, the Italian also visited Lake Baikal. The great lake impressed the girl with the beauty of clear water, in which the mountains are reflected. And I also remember the taste of smoked fish, tried there on vacation. She went to Baikal by train, and it also turned out to be not scary. Even the third class was a decent ride. And on the train, like many foreigners, Kiara met the Russian tradition of sharing food on the road and drinking vodka secretly from the conductor.
The girl for herself noted the curiosity of the Russians, many of whom tried to speak with her. The difference in culture was very noticeable. The fact is that our compatriots, unlike the Europeans, do not try to smile at strangers all the time. At first it bothered her, but then the Italian realized that this was the norm with us, and no one had anything bad against her personally.
Also, a difference in culture manifested itself in relation to the Russian holiday "Scarlet Sails", which takes place annually in the northern capital. A native of Italy at the school, obviously, did not read Alexander Green, so she did not understand the hype around the sailboat with red sails.
It’s funny, but our guest decided that Russia is a very religious country, because in her circle they spoke more than once about the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan. Apparently, she came to us during a religious holiday.
Kiara claims that she particularly liked the way Russians speak toasts using alcohol. So the Russians say out loud about the most important thing in their life, and for which it would be worth a drink with friends.
Bureaucratic red tape. At home in Italy, she can quickly order any inquiries and documents via the Internet. In Russia, it is still necessary to stand in queues for hours in different offices, with a pile of papers.
The general impression of the foreigner about Russia was positive. In her opinion, our country is “large”, “religious”, “rich”, “beautiful” and “leisurely”.
Expectations and reality once again quite seriously diverged in favor of real Russia.
Expectations
Hollywood traditionally paints the countries of the post-Soviet space gray and gloomy, where some strange and unpleasant people live. And in Russia there must be an indispensable winter, cold and gigantic distances. Everyone who tried to talk to her in the subway, the girl a priori considered potential scammers.
Reality
As for long distances and a long winter, Western propaganda did not deceive, but in general, everything turned out to be not so scary. St. Petersburg proved to be a very beautiful city, not at all the same as it is sometimes shown in the Hollywood Cranberry. Kiara says that to this day continues to be pleasantly surprised, walking along its streets.
In addition to St. Petersburg, the Italian also visited Lake Baikal. The great lake impressed the girl with the beauty of clear water, in which the mountains are reflected. And I also remember the taste of smoked fish, tried there on vacation. She went to Baikal by train, and it also turned out to be not scary. Even the third class was a decent ride. And on the train, like many foreigners, Kiara met the Russian tradition of sharing food on the road and drinking vodka secretly from the conductor.
Russian
The girl for herself noted the curiosity of the Russians, many of whom tried to speak with her. The difference in culture was very noticeable. The fact is that our compatriots, unlike the Europeans, do not try to smile at strangers all the time. At first it bothered her, but then the Italian realized that this was the norm with us, and no one had anything bad against her personally.
Also, a difference in culture manifested itself in relation to the Russian holiday "Scarlet Sails", which takes place annually in the northern capital. A native of Italy at the school, obviously, did not read Alexander Green, so she did not understand the hype around the sailboat with red sails.
It’s funny, but our guest decided that Russia is a very religious country, because in her circle they spoke more than once about the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan. Apparently, she came to us during a religious holiday.
What did we like
Kiara claims that she particularly liked the way Russians speak toasts using alcohol. So the Russians say out loud about the most important thing in their life, and for which it would be worth a drink with friends.
What did not like
Bureaucratic red tape. At home in Italy, she can quickly order any inquiries and documents via the Internet. In Russia, it is still necessary to stand in queues for hours in different offices, with a pile of papers.
The general impression of the foreigner about Russia was positive. In her opinion, our country is “large”, “religious”, “rich”, “beautiful” and “leisurely”.
Information