Realized the other day that I've been subjected to years and years of propaganda about Russia and Putin. Even correcting for it a bit in my head, it still doesn't seem like an amazing place to live. But is it better or worse for the average Joe?
My impression is that its 2nd world. Lots of modern technology, but shitty and like 20 years behind. Not progressive in terms of LGBT or women's rights. Definitely not a democracy and basically run by plutocrats.
Anyone have personal experience there?
Some good, some bad. Definitely not as terrifying as American media makes it out to be lol. I was at a summer institute thing in St Petersburg a couple years ago, which is done in partnership between a St Petersburg and a New York uni, and the Russians were extremely enthusiastic and open while the Americans were weirdly scared about being in Russia lol. (Side-note, the summer institute is extremely fun, highly recommend it as a way to experience meeting Russian people, living in Russian dorms and getting bitched at by Russian dorm managers lol. The focus is split between theoretical + cognitive linguistics and a variety of cultural studies.)
Apart from that, depends on where you are. St Petersburg is lovely, like any western European city. Except instead of kebab take-aways there's Russian pancake take-aways and they're amazing. Otoh my grandparents lived in Kursk, and that place is pretty grim. Feels like the brightest young people move to Moscow and St Petersburg, and what's left is depressing. The bureaucracy is teeth-grindingly annoying. Old people's brains are completely rotted - on the way to my grandma's funeral her neighbours kept pestering me about "whether westerners really think such bad things about Putin". I suppose that's no different from Americans.
From what I know re women's rights - women have been encouraged to work since the revolution. It's just that when they go home they're expected to do housework like in pre-revolution times.