It has now been half a week since I returned from Moscow, Russia. I spent a total of eleven nights in Russia, spending 14 hours in St. Petersburg and 14 hours on two overnight trains to and from St. Petersburg. The rest of my stay was in Moscow. Having seen and been to many places, I want to declare that Russia is not a 3rd world country.

Before I left, I tried to do a lot of research and find answers to questions I had about Russia. Specifically, I needed to make sure I felt safe and informed about what to do and where to go. I searched Google for travel tips and advice. This was, in fact, a country of which I had very little knowledge except for the tidbits I learned in school. The assumptions I made, the ideas I formed, they were not very accurate. Let’s go over some stupid misconceptions.

  • Russia is not a 3rd world country – I remember hearing about Soviet Russia and how people had to stand in line just for bread. I remember feeling uneasy about living in a country where you didn’t have the freedoms we have in the states. Guess what? This is ridiculous. Communism is not Russia. In fact, I felt as safe and free as I do anywhere in the states. There was almost nothing unusual about walking around the big cities, even looking like a tourist. This rumor should die.
  • Do NOT bring old, dirty US bills – I’m not sure if this is accurate or not. As long as your bills are in decent condition, not torn up or anything, I have little doubt you’ll be able to exchange your money for rubles.
  • The common hat is Ushanka – I think many, if not most, people associate Russians with this common ear flap hat. Although, yes, I did see this hat on people, it’s very frequently tourists who are stupid enough to constantly wear these hats! Younger Russian natives commonly have progressed into the 21st century in terms of style. If you wanna stand out and look silly, go for a Ushanka!
  • It is common for corrupt police to make you bribe them – Sure, in the wrong areas at the wrong time, this might be common. In fact, I’m sure this has happened to plenty of people who visit Russia. However, this should not be a concern if you have done everything properly. I walked by loads of police and not once was I bothered. If this happens and you have a translator who knows his or her stuff, you’ll be fine. Otherwise, pay the bribe and be on your way.
  • Russia has a large problem of “Gypsy children” to rob you – Once again, another scare tactic. Sure, this exists and I’m sure it’s not uncommon in some areas. If you stay in the right areas at the right times (even late at night you should be fine), you most likely won’t have to worry about it. I don’t remember once seeing an orphaned child anywhere.
  • English speaking Russians is uncommon – Russian children are required to learn English. Most younger Russians in their 30s or younger know some English. Many twenty somethings know English decently. Don’t let the fact that Russians don’t speak a lot of English intimidate you. Going to most restaurants, you’ll find servers often know the English translations of the dish you want. Some menus also come with English translations. Although most signs and Metro stations are completely in Russian, use your digital camera to help you remember!
  • Aeroflot is not fit to transport cattle – For many years, Aeroflot had and still has a negative stigma. If you search the internet for Aeroflot, you’ll probably come across many posts about how bad the service and flight is. My experience with the round trip 26 hour flight was actually pretty standard. Aeroflot has a decent fleet of recent and older planes. I heard they shall be upgrading a few in the next year, but I wasn’t completely unimpressed with the planes upon which I flew. The food was decent too: beef, chicken and fish (although, I was told to avoid the fish so I didn’t try it). Comparing this to my flight on Delta to Germany, I found very little differences in comfort or service (both planes are part of Sky Team anyway). I wouldn’t hesitate to use this airline again if I found another decent rate. (oh, and all flight attendants know English so no worries there).
  • Russian brides – Yup, they still exist in today’s world. People still pay good money to ship Russian girls to be their mates. But to think that going over to Russia means you’re going to get a Russian bride is a inaccurate stereotype. Not all Russian women are trying to escape Russia and seek a better life elsewhere. In fact, if you go to any pub, bar or club in a big city, you’ll almost always find a lot of semi- to decently educated Russian girls who are proud of their country. This misconception is probably the most annoying one, although I received plenty of comments before I left!

Russia is still catching up in many ways, but is just as modern in so many other ways. My conceptions about Russia being unsafe, being stuck in another decade, still poor or financially stricken, were not right. I’m glad I had the opportunity to discover that the world isn’t as bad off as we sometimes wanna believe.