Vodka, bears and babushkas

It struck me as odd seeing that there are some quite interesting blogs about life in Poland, Yugoslavia and even Nigeria, while none about Russia. At least not that I could find - digging pretty shallow, I have to admit. Plus, the United Federation of Bloggers consists mostly of expats living in this or that country - while an insider's view may present a pretty different perspective on life.

Having thought all that, here I am - a Russian living in Russia, with stories about having fun and doing business in this [pick up pretty much any adjective] country.

Before we dive into any specifics, a short introduction is due. Currently, I live in Moscow, being employed by one of the largest multinational companies. However, I spent 25 years of my life in Siberia (no, it's not the coldest place on earth) and have traveled a lot both in Russia and abroad, having accumulated enough impressions to compare. Well, it's never enough.. but still. My grandfather comes from a small Serbian village, where I used to feed the sheep and milk cows as a kid, and then I went to Phillips Academy, Andover - the one that George Bush 41st president and, I am sorry to say, George Bush 43rd president had graduated.

But enough of that. For the start, I just want to say a couple of words about your typical Hollywood-style Russia image: vodka all day long, balalaikas in the restaurants, bears walking in the snow-covered streets with babushkas running away in awe. Well, here is the news: it's all long gone :) There are more Porsche Cayennes and Bentley Continentals in Moscow than bears in surrounding forests. The most popular cuisine is japanese - yes, sushi, being served almost everywhere - save for MacDonalds, but they may not hold much longer. IT-market is growing 35% a year with about 6 billion US dollar in total in 2004. That's 27 in 5 years. Oil.. Well, oil is a separate story in itself.

Living here is fun and sometimes difficult - but opportunities abide. I only hope I'll be able to show you some pieces of the puzzle - and always welcome your feedback!