Russians
Chat for students with international ancestry and overseas students.
-
- Reputation:
- Respected Member
- Location: USA / Russia
- Posts: 220
Re: RussiansI'm Russian. I grew up in the States and then made the horrible mistake of agreeing to go back to Russia for uni to please my mother. My parents still live in the States and I would give anything to turn back time and change my entire undergrad experience around, honestly.
I'm currently in my 5th and final year at St. Petersburg State, and all I can say is that it certainly isn't anywhere near as good as it's made out to be. Alright, perhaps compared to some other Russian universities it isn't that bad, but I hate it with an absolute passion and I cannot wait to graduate.
Someone mentioned Russian unis being harder than UK/US/etc ones - they're not. Trust me. The system's so easy to fool and get around that you end up with graduates who don't know ANYTHING and yet have straight As. It's ridiculous. A girl I know is on for the equivalent of a 1st* at St. Petersburg State (supposedly the best classical university in Russia) and thinks Orwell's "1984" is a non-fiction book about the year 1984. YES, it really is that bad.
I'm a political science major. I can't work here, because that would involve either working for Putin or working for some marginal party, and I have strong ethical objections to the former and strong financial objections to the latter (terribly sorry, but I'm not busting my behind for $300/month). Getting a job anywhere else is impossible for people off the street, even though I regard English as my native language and am entirely fluent in French, because the system is so corrupted that every single prestigious spot on the job market has already been "bought" by some influential parent for their kid. Considering the aforementioned kid probably has half a brain at best, it certainly won't help the structure they're going to be hired into, but hey, they paid enough so they're allowed to be stupid according to the rules of the game.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the country, the culture or the history... I hate the system and the political side of things, which is a huge deal for me as a poli sci major because that's obviously the field I want to go into.
As for the university system... well, the Bs I have (6 in total out of 40 grades to date, I think) are Bs because the professors marking the exams wanted money and I refused to pay. There aren't many like that left at all, but I was unfortunate enough to come across the few who actually are.
Last year (my 4th), a girl from my class ripped my entire 3rd year research project (all 25 pages of it, mind you) and passed it off as her own. In any NORMAL system, she'd be kicked out without even so much as a second glance. I came up to my research advisor as soon as I found out, and all he said was that "it's really no big deal" and "well, surely we shouldn't make a fuss about it, right, Alex?". YES YOU SHOULD. However, no one did anything and I was told that if I did go to other people with it, I'd be risking academic probation myself. The girl is still perfectly alive and well at the department and is graduating with the equivalent of a high 2:1.
Last year (you might've even heard about this), a guy from my department and my year, a very close friend of my friends, was stabbed to death in the centre of the city because he "didn't look Russian enough". The university once again threatened us with academic probation if we so much as participated in any civil protests because they were deemed to be too "radical".
It's not even so much the university system in general that bothers me so much, it's the people I come across on a daily basis. Half of these share a brain between themselves and their only claim to fame is that their daddies drive Porsche Cayennes on an "official" salary of $400/month, while the other half are all extremely radical right-wing racist bastards. Ethnically, I'm half Polish Jewish, and I was once told to get the hell out of the country because I wasn't Russian enough to fit their standards by people at an *official* (!!!!!!!!) university-sponsored (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) political get-together. Not one single university official of those present so much as reprimanded them for it.
In short, I'm throwing a gargantuan party the second I graduate. My god, it's been way too long... -
- Reputation:
- Respected Member
- Location: USA / Russia
- Posts: 220
Re: RussiansLast year in St. Petersburg it went down to -32 with a wind chill of -40. I couldn't keep my eyes open for too long because I could feel them starting to freeze inside their sockets(Original post by Cooookie)
How cold is it in Russia during the winter???
-
- Reputation:
- Benevolent Member
- Location: Russia
- Posts: 673
Re: RussiansI am Russian too and am so proud of that!(Original post by Lexy86)
Last year in St. Petersburg it went down to -32 with a wind chill of -40. I couldn't keep my eyes open for too long because I could feel them starting to freeze inside their sockets
-
- Reputation:
- New Member
- Location: Moscow, Russia.
- Posts: 4
Re: RussiansHello everyone!
Very nice to become a part of this forum's community.
I should report it is +7 C in Moscow and dry at the moment. This is extremly uncommon for this time of the year but it makes me believe the global warming should be taken seriously.
I am a 4th year undergrad at Moscow State University. As to my knowledge, this is the only uni in Russia which has taught programmes close to european level. We do have a long competition with the Spb's uni but MSU recieves much more funding and media coverage so it is generally a bit more well off. Pity for Spb's Uni coz they have some really good teachers and men of science as well.
Oh, and one more thing - MSU was the first Uni in Russia, established 1755. It wasnt Spb's Uni.
Have good luck. -
- Reputation:
- Junior Member
- Location: far away
- Posts: 45
Re: Russianswhere in Belarus are you form? I am form Brest but moved to Portugal when I was 13 and now am living in Ireland(Original post by Bismarck)
You lived in Siberia and don't watch hockey?
Getting into a bath should be fairly straightforward.
I was born in Belarus and my father was in the Soviet air force (we moved a lot). The Shetland flag is there just for decoration.
So when did you move to England? Do you go back to Tomsk for vacations?
He was the greatest at the subject I'm studying in the last 350 years. -
- Reputation:
- Junior Member
- Location: far away
- Posts: 45
Re: RussiansMay be its because you do not notice nice looking russian girls at all.. you are too focused looking at the blonds that look loke prostitutes...(Original post by ~the_one~)
I've neglected this thread for a while, hello again, how are all the lovely russians doing.
On the subject of russians, do any girls, get the prostitute thing? I swear all through school theres been the sly russian prozzie jokes, because i'm russian (as well as the vodka, and russian spy jokes). It's so annoying, but i dont blame the steriotype. When i visited russia last year the girls all dressed like complete slags, and whenever i see any russian women on the tube (which i see so many of) the all look the same, bleached fake blonde hair and WAY too much make up. I really dont get it, it looks gross.
I'm Russian, Kosak, and Jewish (although im not actually jewish, its just the heritage), so i guess i dont fit the blonde russian steriotype.
was in St.Petersburg last summer and saw couple of girls like that but not many! most look very well dressed and definitely not like prostitutes! -
- Reputation:
- Respected Member
- Location: USA / Russia
- Posts: 220
Re: RussiansI'm not blonde either, nor am I tan, but the stereotype exists because so many of them actually fit that description. The prostitution bit is a bit overdone abroad, but I can totally see where they get that from as well... It's really sad, actually, because it gives the rest of us a bad name - when people think of Russian women, they think of mail order brides, and because the mail order bride culture is so advanced virtually all over the country, it only serves to prove the stereotypical viewpoint.
-
- Reputation:
- TSR Demigod
- Location: London
Re: RussiansIm a Russian living in London.
born in Saint petersburg and still go there on holiday.
have a house in the area called "Bucharestskaya"...if any one is near there then its that huge cottage complex next to the casino (well..the one nearly a block away atleast) -
- Reputation:
- New Member
- Location: Dover
- Posts: 7
Re: RussiansJoining all the Russian people in this forum - Im Russian as well (hence the nick!).
Currently Im in the college in Dover. Doing A-levels, singing, trying some voluntary work... Being Russian in England is tough - not in the sence of problems with the law or social services. Cultures are completely different
Есть ли на форуме люди, которые периодически посещают церковь? Кто-нибудь, посоветуйте хороший православный храм в Кенте! -
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Overlord in Training
- Location: London
- Posts: 2,372
Re: RussiansHellooo! Haven't been here for a while
S Novim Godom narod!!
In Siberia (that's where I come from - and SKIF can back me up here(Original post by Lexy86)
Last year in St. Petersburg it went down to -32 with a wind chill of -40. I couldn't keep my eyes open for too long because I could feel them starting to freeze inside their sockets
) it goes down to -42/-45 every winter, and last winter it hit -55 at nighttime. I miss that so much! I went back to Russia early November this year and it was -10 already and snowing all over 
Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow in England too! (Please? 
)
To SKIF: I'm not far from Kent myself and the Church we go to (*occasionally) is not far from Hyde Park. Have you been there? We are going up there on Sunday (for Christmas obviously). What train station / through which tube stations do you normally get into London? I'm in the middle of the Brighton-London Bridge train line.(Original post by SKIF)
Joining all the Russian people in this forum - Im Russian as well (hence the nick!).
Currently Im in the college in Dover. Doing A-levels, singing, trying some voluntary work... Being Russian in England is tough - not in the sence of problems with the law or social services. Cultures are completely different
Есть ли на форуме люди, которые периодически посещают церковь? Кто-нибудь, посоветуйте хороший православный храм в Кенте!
S4astlivo!
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Overlord in Training
- Location: London
- Posts: 2,372
Re: RussiansHello(Original post by Syd)
Hello everyone!
Oh, and one more thing - MSU was the first Uni in Russia, established 1755. It wasnt Spb's Uni.
Have good luck. My town has the first and apparently the best uni in Siberia, Tomsk State University, established in 1888. I think it was the third one in Russia after MSU and S-P's, not sure about that though Anyway, just wanted to share this pride
There are too many Russians, that's nice. 
S Novim Godom narod!! 
