Forget the Crimea and the cold war: Anglo-Russian relations have never been so
awkward. Moscow resents us giving a home to opponents of Vladimir Putin such
as the oligarch Boris Berezovsky and the Chechen separatist Akhmed Zakayev.
We’d like the extradition of the agent suspected of sprinkling radioactive
polonium210 in London restaurants and hotels. We expel Russian diplomats,
and the Russians make life hell for British Council staff. There’s a
permanent threat that Russia may one day cut off our gas supply Now a
23-year-old Russian author, based in London, has piled in with rude
observations about Britain. In her book, The UK for Beginners, Olga Freer
claims Britons scratch their bottoms in public, don’t iron their clothes and
are obsessed with television programmes about buying and selling houses.
The book is not yet published in English, but following an interview with an
English-language newspaper in Russia, her opinions have reached an
unimpressed British public. Freer looks shocked by the reaction – much as
one of her oligarch compatriots might have looked on discovering that HM
Revenue and Customs had scent of his offshore loot.
“It’s only a novel,” she insists. But as she says herself, it came about as a
result of friends and family reading the letters and e-mails she sent from
London. In any case, she repeats several of her ungracious observations
while The Sunday Times marches her around London’s brightest tourist spots,
desperate to show her how marvellous Britain really is.
Alas, at Buckingham Palace, Freer declares the architecture “uninteresting”.
In Parliament Square, as we watch Plane Stupid activists unroll a banner
from the roof of parliament, she says pointedly that protest in Red Square
is permitted even without prior permission (a dig at Tony Blair’s antiterror
laws).
Our conversation ranges round binge drinking and the National Health Service
and the national plague – obesity. “It’s not something I made up. Britons
are fatter than the citizens of any other European country,” she declares.
“There are large women here who wear mini-skirts and go out and get drunk
and jump out of their clothes. Maybe they are happy with themselves.
“But an English guy told me he was surprised how many chubby English girls
think they are stunning when they are not. He didn’t say chubby – he said
fat, but I’m trying to make it nicer. Russians have a more severe view of
being fat. If you are fat, you will be bullied. Here, you are quite
tolerant.”
Freer says she recently contracted chicken pox, and after battling to secure a
doctor’s appointment, was prescribed paracetamol: “That is not the way to
treat the condition. In Russia, they would put you in hospital for two
weeks.”
From her close reading of Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement, she has learnt that
British hospitals in the second world war were well scrubbed. “But now they
are all dirty. Where did it go wrong?” She concludes that all great
civilisations must eventually decline.
Her most surprising assertion is that binge drinking is worse in Britain than
in Russia. I didn’t think it was possible – but you live and learn. And her
outrage reaches a peak when I ask about culture.
“In the UK, the only thing anybody talks about is football. In Russia, you can
get in a taxi and talk to the driver about literature.
“If you go to a Russian house, everybody has books. But here!” (She’s had the
misfortune to enter homes with no books at all.) “Isn’t it horrible! It’s
disgusting.” (If this seems a bit strong, remember that Freer is an author.)
“I feel pity for these people who do not read. They are miserable. They are
in the dark.”
And in a similar vein: “You go to the theatre here, and it’s all tourists.” In
Russia, by contrast, absolutely everybody is constantly queuing outside
theatres.
As for education: “What you learn at university, a Russian would have learnt
at school.” Ouch.
In Freer’s defence, it’s hard to tell how much of what she says is serious.
But I believe her when she protests: “I do love it here – or I would not
still be here!” Since arriving in 2002, she has worked as a shop assistant
and waitress and is now studying law.
She’s reticent about her marital status, refusing to confirm or deny that
she’s divorced – but admits to having a three-year-old son, Liam. Like him,
she enjoys British citizenship, having qualified for it early last year. Why
did she bother? “For a start, because I pay the tax and I have a right to
apply. And the passport is useful when you travel around the world.”
One thing she approves of is our friendliness. “When you go out in Russia with
your friends, you stay with them. Here, you mix with other people.”
Better still, she says: “You can go out at night and you don’t need to be
afraid.” Really? But weren’t the papers full of stories this past week about
a man who murdered young women? “In Russia, the papers don’t print stories
about young women being killed at night because it happens every day. If you
think London is dangerous, you should go to Russia for a while.”
For similar reasons, she prefers not to discuss topics such as the political
asylum in London of the oligarch Berezovsky. Indeed, she fears she might be
assassinated.
How was she going to vote in today’s Russian elections? “We are told who to
vote for, so we must vote for him,” she says. “Everyone knows who is going
to be the next president. It has been chosen for us already.”
But, still, she would not care to grow old here. With very rare exceptions,
Russians look after their elderly relatives: “Sometimes on Russian TV, you
have a programme about an old woman whose daughter doesn’t want her. Here,
that’s an ordinary part of everyday life.”
Her comments have gone down badly because: “It’s as if you wake up in the
morning and look in the mirror and see that you don’t look so good – you
decide not to go out that day. You don’t hate yourself for that, but if you
had gone out and somebody told you that you didn’t look so good, you would
hate them.”
As a description of how rudeness works, this can’t be faulted. But is it
enough to persuade us to welcome this latest outbreak of Russian hostility?
The university course I'm enrolled on offers only 9 hours a week of lectures which including breaks and early finishes usually boils down to about 7 hours a week. Is this really worth £3000 a year? This is the state of British university education and its a shambles.
David Jones, Bolton, UK
Olga just wrote about what she saw, about her experience. What's the problem? It's a democratic country after all. As many Russian readers mentioned here, all we see on TV in western countries about Russia is negative. It is also hurtful.
Eve, Western, Europe
Truth hurts, but Olga did make many valid points there.
Melanie, Hall,
Well, this one from Olga Freer - "protest in Red Square is permitted even without prior permission" - is quite interesting. I doubt she ever tried to protest in Red Square. Otherwise, she would know it's forbidden. In case you still do protest there - police will seriously beat you up. Of course, rallies of pro-Putin/pro-governmental movements are not forbidden there, but still they have to have permission. In 2002 my group Ecodefense did protest in Red Square against the import of nuclear waste to Russia. And it ended up with beating and arresting nearly 30 activists and some reporters. Moreover, all photographers (who were arrested by police) had to delete their photos. Ecodefense didn't have permission for protest in Red Square for one very good reason - it's impossible to get this. And hey Olga, next time we go to Red Square to protest - join us to feel Russian democracy (but better get some helmet and smtg like skateboard' protection in case you want to continue with books)
Vladimir Slivyak, Moscow, Russia
I had a Russian girlfriend who married an Englishman older than her father to get a passport. She dumped him a couple of years later after getting it. However, she works all hours at a crummy hairdressers despite having a university education; she values education for her daughter ( says her daughter is 2 years behind her Russian friends now); she is cultured and spends her spare cash on concerts, books and theatre and extra tuition for her girl. She is very stylish and makes an effort in her appearance and beautifully refurbished the slum flat she was given. She thinks the British are lazy and crazy to allow natives / immigrants to milk the benefits system. Sadly, she was incapable of telling the truth about anything and was keen for me to give her money. But I don't criticise all Russians. Like all of us she had good and bad points. Just ruthless in wanting her own way and status.
Mark, Hull, England
Taxi drivers always think they know something worth waxing lyrical about. Try to take a New York cab without being informed of the finer points of baseball at sometime during the Journey and your driver will probably be a Brit Student Jobbing.
In London it's the football, in Germany it's the Cars; Money, Government, Size of House/Salary.
I'll guess that Russia has a plethora of frustrated Wannabe Poets, well thats 70 years of communism for you.
Personally I'm just glad that the Taxi reaches my destination without crashing ( yep, I've been to Italy too).
Nick, Emsdetten, Germany
Unfortunately she has some very valid points that Brits should concentrate on rectifying.
Antoine ,Warsaw
Antoine, Warsaw, Poland
Just another classic example of generalization and intolerance of other cultures. (drum roll) To be followed by accusations of demonization.
Not all Brits are chubby, drunken, spitting, bum scratching oafs. Just like not all South Africans are racists. And just llike not all Russians are emotionally challenged authors.
Marita , Surrey, U.K.
Why does almost everybody takes this girl so seriousely? She is just a kid who paints everything in black and white, her comparisions are extrememly subjective. I guess they come from the very high expectations that girl had moving here and a disapoinment with her own situation. Also, she seems to lack any logic - why did she choose to raise her son in "uneducated", non-reading, bookless Britain instead of Russia? Does she want her son to become a "bottom-scratched fat barbarian"? :)
Irene, London,
Why would someone care about what a divorced single mum- who is so ashamed of her nationality that doesn't mind to swap it as soon as she found a British guy available-has to say?I know some women who marry guys for passports and because they feel they will gain prestige by doing so. They are usually banal, materialistic women, they lack personality and have an inferior complex. Olga fits the bills.
Ciara, London/Rome, Italy/UK
She has hit it right on the nose.
I get back to England a few times a year and to be honest I hate going back nowadays.
David, Madrid,
It's very funny to see reaction on criticism.
Can you imagine all-Russian who hears criticism from foreign countries about their country every day – Russian democracy, Putin, economic, alcoholism? It’s the answer of appearing detestation sometimes but anyway Russians tries to be friendly to foreigners always.
And be sure, we know these problems without you.
About education and top universities, many Universities of Russia have very high level of education. But the problem connected with low education financing. As result many rocket-scientist can’t work here and go to the foreign Top Universities for good salary and scientist environment. The same problems exist in other Universities of Asia, East Europe and Africa.
As a result the level of education in Russia is decreasing, and the same time level of Top World Universities is growing.
Pavel Tsarevskiy, Samara, Russia
'Seems to work in math and physics (among other fields) for the Russians. Any significant examples of the British self-directed creativity in the past 50 years or so'
Steven Hawking for one
As for Buckingham Palace not being that special, i'm actually rather proud of the fact that it isn't an ostentatious display of power, whilst we definitely had the resources to build a grand palace like Versailles or the Kremlin at the height of Empire, the political limitations of the British Monarchy as opposed to the authoritarian ones on the continent meant that it was impossible to do so, i think the modesty of the Palace is a testament to our development into a constitutional monarchy.
Jonathan Underwood, Edinburgh, UK
Being Russian, and living in the States forever, I must say that Olga's views are rather extreme and childish. But that's the idea - to publish, to shock, to sell, to make a bundle...
The moment I read that we, Russians, are told for whom to vote, I started laughing! The girl wasn't even old enough to vote when she left Russia!
Nevertheless -- my husband's best friend, British Physicist, often visited us in the States. We offered him and his family our home, our hospitality, and our help in obtaining temporarily position at one of the best American Universities. His daughter wrote in her notes (which she managed to leave behind ) that our daughters were "fitness freaks" since they were running every night, and invited her to para plane, scuba dive, and sail with them. Me - "enormously fat". My husband - "flaunting money" . She herself was over 250 lb (I was 135) , unattractive, lazy and condescending. Some Brits don't see themselves as others see them, I am afraid.
Irina , Cocoa Beach, USA
Jack, London:
"I watched one drunken Russian guy in the airport on the way out, spend over half an hour trying to force a cork into a bottle of wine he'de bought in duty free. He didn't succeed. I'm sure a Brit would have."
More than once, I'm sure, with the same bottle and the same wine, too. Drunk or sober, the Brits are far ahead of the rest of the world at cork-and-bottle tricks, duty free or otherwise.
Alex, Boston,
Rob, Paris, France:
"I did a mathematics degree at a top English university. Are you seriously telling me that Russian kids are studying special relativity, topology, groups, Rings and Field Theory, partial differnetial equations with variable co-efficients at High school??????
Well, in which case, how come Russian scientific research is not so hot these days????
How come Britain has 11-13 (depending on the ranking you take) of the world's top 100 research universities??? "
Then how come the British school of topology, algebra, algebraic geometry doesn't even come close to Russia (A.Wiles is a singular exception)? You must have missed something studying variable co-efficients with all that scorching heat of the British scientific research you found yourself in. Also, take a look at the Fields medal winners in the past 20 years (G.Perelman didn't even want it).
Alex, Boston,
Don't take me for an ignorant Russian bear, but I was very happy to read this article =) Not because of that criticism and dirt this "writer" has poured over the heads of Brittish people, but because your reaction (in the article and also comments) reminds me very much of the reaction Russians usually express to similiar stuff published by foreign (mainly US and Brittish) press. You see, there is something (actually very much) in common between us.
I guess this woman is simply not very good at writting and she's trying to attract attention... but I don't quite understand how she was succesful at it. So don't really mind...
Nikolai, Moscow,
Being a product of russian schooling, yes, we studied all those complicated things (algebra and geometry), but frankly for 80% of pupils it goes in and out of the heads. I personally do not remember a damn thing. Literature - yes, russians do like reading and discussing books, but I do not want a taxy driver to engage me in the conversation on the literature subjects.
The types of Olga are known to be giving out about anything wherever they are, a person who sees the life in gray colors, and finding the dirt in anything.
Somebody has already mentioned here that she is lucky to be living in the country with great tolerance towards different opinions (meaning UK).
Aiya, Moscow,
Having recently seen a lot of Russians on holiday in the Red Sea resorts . It appeared as thogh they must have learnt a lot from Brits on holiday in Latvia... I watched one drunken Russian guy in the airport on the way out, spend over half an hour trying to force a cork into a bottle of wine he'de bought in duty free. He didn't succeed. I'm sure a Brit would have.
Jack, London,
If Olga is pining for books she should visit my sister's flat in london. In her 5-room appt there is very little space that isn't covered by books (floor to ceiling) to such an extent that only she and her husband can live there since there is no room for anyone else. Furthermore, they don't drink alcohol so I presume they must have swapped their alcohol ration against someone else's book quota ... to avoid biasing the national statistics.
re: education. I too studied physics, in several countries: BSc in Uk and MSc and first part of PhD (I got a job offer so didn't complete it) in different European countries. My direct, contact-study hours were 22 per week + 15hrs lab-work + 35 hrs of personal homework. I was able to save on my grant because I did nothing but study. I just didn't have the time.
However, I agree with Dimitri, Bhm on the appalling state of mathematics in England; and I might add grammar, history, languages and any other subject you might care to mention.
pierre, paris,
Well, from my personal experience of communication with Englishmen I'd like to mention something which I used to call "cork helmet psychology". Are you guys still living in the British Empire? Believe me, you are not. Where have you got this stupid habit of teaching everybody what to do and what to think? Why do many of you think that you know things better tan anybody else? Sometimes it is funny, but very often - sad.
And one more thing. I live in Latvia and I often see your tourists in Riga, our capital. Your whole country must feel terrible shame for their behaviour. Nothing is interesting for these barbarians, neither the beauties of Old Riga, nor our beautiful museums and art galleries. Only cheap vodka and cheap prostitutes. Every evening you can see dozens of them vomiting on every corner.
I think there's a lot of truth in this book, sorry for that..
Hiker, Rezekne, Latvia
"something to look at whilst you stand in a queue for bread hoping no one shoots you or drags you off to the gulag. "
Have you slept well ? It was so minimum 17 (regarding the queue) or 23 (regarding the gulag) years ago . Now the problems are other (thank God...)...
Leonard, Alghero,
Rob, Paris, France,
No, Russian children don't study all this in school. However, they study: biology - 6 years, physics - 5 , chemistry - 4(labs are about once a week), geography - 7, history -7, foreign lang- from the first grade now (from the fifth in the soviet school), also algebra,geom,Russian,literature, music,art,computer science, physical education and... some others.
May be Olga took, for instance, geography or biology class, and her classmates were not so prepared as she was.
About universities - I am sure that you know ;) Russia teaches her children for free. Students have about 40 hours weekly + a lot of homework. About 100 top universities -check who wins university world competitions in math, programming and etc.
Galina, Moscow, Russia
Why are we letting ONE person's comments affect us?!! What i fail to understand is why she moved to England in the first place??!! What's wrong with Russia??!! We Brits are thick skinned, who cares if we scratch our bums in public or don't iron our clothes??!! I certainly dont care about having this sterotyope attached to us, because i'm so proud to be British, and i wont let some author's blatant ignorance to recognise that its not what you can see that matters, but the patriotic strength the majority of Brits hold. Yes, there are anomolies, but which place doesn't have exceptions??!!
Em, Bristol,
I don't think the author intended this book to be taken so seriously. It takes all sorts to make a world, and good ol' blighty seems to have most of them. Ms. Freer has chosen to focus on the nation's nether regions. Okay, good luck with the book. I'm sure you'll do well with all the publicity - and enjoy your life in one of the most free and accommodating societies on the planet.
Peter Fry, Lamphun, Thailand
Russia and many russians still lack tolerance and respect for others (thanks to the country's bolsheviks & KGB past). This article just confirms this. When people only want to take (e.g british passport) and never to give (or learn) it is called in russian "XAMCTBO". No need to comment on Olga's "facts" as they are mainly incorrect.
P.S. Regarding books on the shelves - the is a saying "Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are". Maybe she was not simply admitted to the houses with books?
Alex (russian), Moscow/London,
I have studied at school:
complex numbers, calculus, differential equations, determinants, vector calculus. Plus, I had to study geometry (Euclidean), programming in Pascal, physics, chemistry, biology. This is in addition to Russian literature, language, history and other humanities. Yes, I forgot to mention English starting when I was 10 (in some places kids started a foreign language at 8). I agree, beauty of girls and number of drunk people are questionable, but extremely low level of British students is amazing! I know that since I work in Physics department of British University. Since I started teaching my (British) collegues kept saying 'don't be surprised by the level of students, don't assume they know anything in mathematics ...' It is very sad, and I am happy that someone have pointed this out !
Dimitri, Birmingham,
to Rob, Paris, France:
>> Are you seriously telling me that Russian kids are studying special relativity, topology, groups, Rings and Field Theory, partial differnetial equations with variable co-efficients at High school?????? <<
Yes, it actually happens at some special math and physics school. Seriously.
>> Well, in which case, how come Russian scientific research is not so hot these days???? <<
Due mostly to financial reasons. The hottest place by far is still the US where you'll find plenty of Russian scientists, among many others.
>> How come Britain has 11-13 (depending on the ranking you take) of the world's top 100 research universities??? <<
Most (if not all) of the top schools are in the US, heavely staffed by the best foreigners money can buy.
>> I did a mathematics degree at a top English university. <<
Ecole Normale Superior wasn't top enough for you?
Dan, NYC,
I did a mathematics degree at a top English university. Are you seriously telling me that Russian kids are studying special relativity, topology, groups, Rings and Field Theory, partial differnetial equations with variable co-efficients at High school??????
Well, in which case, how come Russian scientific research is not so hot these days????
How come Britain has 11-13 (depending on the ranking you take) of the world's top 100 research universities???
There are elements of truth in stereotypes (not just of English people I might add) but let's not get carried away!!!
This woman might also like to ponder how lucky she is to live in a country which doesn't mind self-criticism...would you read this kind of article in the Russian press about Russians??
Rob, Paris, France
Stop scratching your bottoms drunken ignorant barbarians!
Vasiliy, Sanct-Peterburg, Russia
I do agree with lots of her points (especially the bit about fat girls dropping their drawers which always seems absurd), but here's a question:
She says that "what you learn at university, a Russian would have learnt at school". The article then goes on to say she has been studying law in London.
Surely she is exempt from studying by virtue of her Russian-ness and should be called to the bar immedately! All I can say is that I hope the university are not subsidising Her Arrogance's attendance at a British university...
Anna, London,
This I know for sure - we are the worst dressed and worst groomed commuters in the world. I'd be interested to know how many pressing irons, decent shoes and lint removers in this country actually see the light of day!!!
On education, I believe students should be "spoon-fed" information. Our "each man for himself" approach to education has failed us - unless someone can offer a better explanation for why the higher skilled (and therefore better paid) jobs in this country go to foreigners.
All said, I'm not British, but love this country to bits. God Bless Britain (especially the good fish and chips shops).
Osei K., London,
Gosh, 12 L of alcohol per inhabitant every year in Luxembourg? Yes, finally we get to win at something! Still, it's probably all the ex-pat Brit community, trying to keep up with everyone back home. (I kid, I kid)
Anna, Nemours, France,, but originally Luxembourg
"I dont think that can be said of the countries of the people criticising Britain on this forum"
That just points to the fact that you are not interested in the world history. You would be surprised, but democracy was invented in Greece, science foundation was laid in Rome empire (now Italy), etc. There are lot of great people in England, but this can be said about any major country - France, Germany, USA, China, Russia. All of them have achievments they can be proud in.
On the other hand this article is about common people. From your reaction it seems that there is some truth in these words. You just don't like that somebody else is talking about that.
Well, being a Russian I don't like that too.
Dan, Yoshkar Ola, Russia
I agree that Olga's view is very superficial but so is John-Paul's. It is very easy to notice bad points in any country (e.g. behaviour, uneducated people, rudeness, criminal situation). Unfortunately most people that contribute to the achievements of any country end up being unnoticed.
There is enough unpleasantness and unfairness in Russia that made me move to Britain, equally some Brits are just as bad. This is not about the nationality- it is about the way one was brought up and one's actions.
If you don't like living in Russia or Britain- move, not sure though there is an ideal place to live.
It is funny and frightening though the extent of people's hatred towards each other and how an article directed to "entertain" people ( not much scientific or educational value) can start a big squabble.
Lydia , Cheltenham, UK
My country is better than your's!
David Williams, Beijing, China
Look at Britain's contributions to the world. We have contributed an immense amount in terms in science, art, ideas, sport. The world listens to our music, reads our authors, sees our plays, plays the sports we created, uses inventions created here. We began the industrial revolution that shaped the modern world and pioneered democracy around the globe. The world would be a much poorer place without Britain. For such a small island we have had an immense impact on the modern world. I dont think that can be said of the countries of the people criticising Britain on this forum
john, London, England
I can not agree with Olga: Moscow is a very safe capital at day and nights with excellent transportation system and metro. Look "Moscow Nights" in youtube and read comments. Also we have a TV program about criminal news: no girls are killed everyday- I guess it was a joke.
Galina, Moscow, Russia
She claims that "Britons scratch their bottoms in public, don’t iron their clothes and are obsessed with television programmes about buying and selling houses."
Those are my type of people! But are you sure she wasn't describing us Americans?
James Jones, Columbus, USA
“For a start, because I pay the tax and I have a right to apply. And the passport is useful when you travel around the world.â€
Let's remember that having a British passport is not a right, it's a privilege.
Victoria M, London,
Olga Freer enjoys our friendliness? My God, what are the Russians like?
Tim, Auckland, New Zealand
MB, Edinburgh: "I'm neither British nor Russian but all I can say is that almost every country I've ever lived in holds educated people in higher regard than the British do."
You should visit New Zealand: significantly a former colony.
tim, Auckland, New Zealand
Tom , Birmingham,
> In response to Galina, UK university students have less taught hours, but they do much more self-directed study. By comparison, Russian university students are spoon-fed their information, and do little for themselves. The result is students who have a broad knowledge but little idea of how to apply it to novel situations, or extrapolate from what they've been taught. The Russian system produces graduates with little creativity or practicality, but excellent faculty for recall. <
Seems to work in math and physics (among other fields) for the Russians. Any significant examples of the British self-directed creativity in the past 50 years or so? Obviously, you were not educated in Russia, otherwise you would have come up with something better.
Alex, Boston,
In response to Galina, UK university students have less taught hours, but they do much more self-directed study. By comparison, Russian university students are spoon-fed their information, and do little for themselves. The result is students who have a broad knowledge but little idea of how to apply it to novel situations, or extrapolate from what they've been taught. The Russian system produces graduates with little creativity or practicality, but excellent faculty for recall.
Tom , Birmingham,
Poor Brits, superficial, boring and can't hide it any longer.
Dan, NYC,
So you married a English man at 19 to get a British passport, divorced him and have now written a book slagging off the UK yet you don't want to live in Russia? And you're studying law - who's going to take you seriously now or offer you a job when you clearly can't stand this country. Sorry but you don't deserve to call yourself a British citizen and should be stripped of the passport.
Sarah, London,
If all she wrote is true then you are not as bad as I thought.))) It must be damn as funny to observe London streets full of brits scratching their bottoms (or maybe even balls in Michael Jackson’s fancy style) and drinking beer and ale.))) I’ve already heard before about bad education in UK but I can’t figure out why the hell then our politicians, bi-and millionaires send their children to get education in UK if it’s true. I’ve never been in UK and I can’t judge but by some reasons (mostly because I am a genuine Russian drunker) I do not believe that brits drink more than us. This blunted statement wounds our Russian souls and at some extent our pride and should be verified in fair contest between Russian and UK wasted drinkers.
GloomyGonzales, Moscow,
Benedict Carter,
And, actually in Russia there are a lot of brutal wild bears in caps with earlaps and valenoks walking on streets, playing on balalaikas and drinking vodka. OMG. These Russians! LOL
Tziolkovsky, S-Petersburg, Russia
When on a BBC forum a Russian reader asked a reporter who traveled along the great Russian river Volga (February 2008) why all his reports are so negative, he answered: “It is, I suppose, in the nature of journalists to look for the dark underbelly." (Rupert Wingfield-Hayes). Now British people reading this article understand what Russians feel. Add to this that most Russians can read in English and they at least have double opinion. While British people enjoy just their own "free" media.
Galina, Moscow, Russia
it's sines and cosines.
15 - 18 hours weekly? No, I was going 38 hours, plus homework.
jt, Detroit,
I've been to Russia, then (against my will) and now (rather voluntarily, doing business). Nothing's changing but small things. They're a bit more wealthy, at least some of them are...
But it's still the same stinking streets and grim yet tiny military servicemen wearing oversized round hats and permanently spitting on their way (literally).
Russians simply adore myths, they can't live without that. Telling lies and - most important - believing in those lies is their natural state of mind. That always was and will always be.
And yes, you sure can chit chat about literature with a taxi driver. But that's ONLY about their literature. If you ask a driver about his opinion on vonneguts and twains, the best he can respond with is shrugged shoulders and the worst is "to hell them all those western imperialist two-faced ill-so-called-literators!"
Believe me, I know them quite well.
Algis, Vilnius, Lithuania
Benedict Carter,
This can also be called directness and honesty when it comes to addressing people, as opposite to hypocrisy, PC etc. At least you can see very well who cares about you and who don't from the start. As a reward, you always know that smiles are always genuine.
The Russians are not illiterate in any way you mentioned. You just make insults here, showing "Incredible rudeness" and "open aggression", which, I agree, often can be met in Russia.
Alec, London,
I don't really have a comment on the article as a whole (I'm not in a position to judge the Russians, and I am far from thinking the British are perfect), but I have a comment further to the comment of MB in Edinburgh that the British resent educated people.
I think in the UK many people without much education themselves hold educated people in contempt, because they associate a decent education with elitism and inherited money, or have a chip on their shoulders because they have failed in their own attempts to attain a higher education.
There is also the fact that students in the UK have a bad reputation (binge drinking, blah blah blah).
I am well educated, as are my friends, and I don't know anyone that doesn't consider education to be a positive personal attribute. And by the way, I was educated in the UK, at Oxford as it happens, and no-one can convince me that Russian children learn at school what I learnt at university, but perhaps I'm wrong!
Sally, london,
I can't see what all the fuss is about. Her views on England are trivial, superficial and stating the patently obvious, and her research methodology appears to be reading fiction (Atonement). So our society has a binge drinking problem, a lot of women are overweight and have no fashion sense, and British TV is frequently rubbish and repetitive. So what's new and revelatory about that? As for reading, I don't know anyone who doesn't. She needs to change her (clearly limited) circle of friends. The woman is dull and full of herself. "No one else is interested love. Bon voyage."
Anna, Kendal, UK
An amusing article. Brits should not get too offended-- after all Buckingham palace is not the most beautiful building in London to my taste too-- this does not make me an Anglophobe yet.
Last time I was trying to rent a flat in London-- I got the same opinion about the books in the houses from a nice English landlady who told me that she recently stopped installing the bookshelves in her properties as no tenants were interested.
What the article and most comments fail to mention is that Russians are mostly Anglophile and seeing a chav-loaded tube train for the first time comes as shock. Moreover, judging from the article the author comes nowhere near Booker prize winner DBC Pierre with his Ludmila's broken English which is not even humorous. After all if you do not like the idea of a foreigner criticizing you do not publish the book, if you do not like the idea of a foreigner living in a country and criticizing what about all the British hacks in Russia?
Dmitri, Planet Earth,
Wait a minute,
1) when I'm out in the public and I get an itch on my bum I squeeze my bum or sit down in the hope it goes away, I've never brazenly scratched my bum in the public.
2) Always look my best to make sure my clothes are Ironed
3) I obsessively watch science and nature programs
She just picked all the bad bits of Britain, where people are different from all walks of life. I can happily say she is a downright snob for looking at other people like that.
Jamie, Preston, England
She is right of course, but Russia is much worse. How do I know? I live here. Incredible rudeness; open aggression; they are politically, philosophically and spiritually illiterate; they lie constantly; they understand their own history hardly at all and excise from their minds all of what they themselves are guilty of (and for which, by the way, they will never apologise); they are the roughest bunch I have ever come across. And we love them for it! Sometimes.
Benedict Carter, Moscow, Russia
The last I heard about Russians and theatres was that 135+ people had died in one having been gassed by their own security services.......
Doug Bates, St. Albans,
She's too frank and rude about the things but there's no lie, that's all true. Typical English young woman now is fat, and this is not only about a figure, it's about a state of mind. Russian who's fat really cares about the body (so diet, dances, fitness) and also - Russian people have salads and soup for lunch, sometimes meat, bot not sandwiches everyday... say no to fast food, to ready meals, to Coke and Beer - and you're gonna be in a good shape!
And there's a huge difference - lots of Russian study English language and culture, but just few English people do so with Russian Culture. The culture does not mean you can say "babushka" (btw the right pronunciation means "bAbushka" and not "babUshka", sorry guys). Go, visit country, live in it for a while and write your book.... and do it better if you can - more polite, more open-minded... believe me, you will be very welcomed there.
Lana, Bournemouth,
By the way, is it truth that students in British Universities have just 15-18 hours weekly?
Galina, Moscow, Russia
Alan , Baku, Azerbaijan wrote: "University. A russian engineering degree is worth a HNC in UK, I have worked with them, in Russia."
Nonsense. UK HNC would not pass entrance exam in Russia.
A UK university engeneering Bachelor course (civil engineering) I know has only 3 months of math study overall, when they go through, guess what, fractions, sinus, cosunus and nothing else. Still, many UK engineers do not know what sinus is, because they spend 3 days a week writing useless essays for 3 years, instead studying for 5 years 7 days a week.
Alec, London,
I'm sure I could write a 10 volume book on the bad points of Russia.
Chris, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
There is a good saying that goes "you meet fire with the fire". There is mutual hostility between Brits and Russians at the moment, so... what would you expect??? If you read the British press, all you can find is quite sad picture of Russians - "armed to the teeths - killin' n' stealing - illiterate bums with polonium in their pockets".
There are good and bad people in every country. It just so happens that people only see what they would like to see... And the press on both sides is not doing a good job at the moment to show other 9better) images...
Roman, Moscow,
She got married at 19 and is now divorced and was after the UK passport from the start. She is flattering herself if she thinks she'll be assasinated she's just a bimbo, using western stereotypes to make herself seem more interesting, when she clearly isn't.
She obviously hasn't watched Russian TV in a while as all our TV is adapted for Russia and they now have popular garden and home decoration programmes, as well as dancing on ice, Little Britain (called Nasha Russia but copied all the same), Smack the Pony etc.
Yes Brits binge drink and our drunkeness is mainly in young people at weekends, whereas walk round the streets of Russia on 23 Feb or 8 March its all drunk men and some women who have wet themselves lying in the gutter.
DCH, Moscow, Russia
Yes we British are obsessed with property programs, do scratch our bums and often don't iron our clothes.
What's new? We have a binge drinking culture? Corrupt government and politicians ? Surveillance state? State intervention? and a state run bank.
Two similar countries then.
observant, petersfield,
Russian hospitals. The visitors spit on the floors there, even in the maternity unit when I visited a work colleague. My friend had a heart attack in Russia, one doctor told him to have a whisky and go to bed. We insisted he went to hospital, and had to bribe the doctor to examine him and give him a place there.
Young Russians drinking, yes they do, and you regularly see them asleep recovering.
University. A russian engineering degree is worth a HNC in UK, I have worked with them, in Russia.
Alan , Baku, Azerbaijan
It's so funny reading comments from the English who think their country is so great. But it's also true to apply that to any country. When it comes down to it, every country is a mess. Although at least the UK is a democratic mess, where it's only a nanny state as opposed to the oppressive rule from Red Square. The modern societies problems stem from the apathy allowed to the family unit towards external factors. Otherwise, people don't care if they upset or annoy other people anymore. I say bring back national service, least it'll teach the youth of today "some manners" might even slim them down a it at the same time.
Russian woman are far hotter than the English variety.
From a Northern Irish man living in Edinburgh!
Shane P, Edinburgh,
I agree with not reading books. It's the first thing I notice on entering people's homes: DO THEY HAVE BOOKS? It does give an insight into people.
As for her studying law in the UK at university, shouldn't she have already learnt it all at 'school' in Russia?
EC, London,
She has 'worked as a shop assistant, a waitress and is now studying law' - well respected author then!!
Em, Carmarthen,
She might be right with regard to some points and so what? No one forced her to come there, if sh's unhappy she is free to leave. For me she reads like a loser neither avaialble to adjust to realities of life in Russia (that's why she emigrated) nor in the UK.
If i were a brit I would just not care what she says. And certainly would not issue the passport for someone having attitude like this towards people and the society she seeks to leave with.
Konstantin, Moscow,
she's absolutely right about literature in the home. what sensible brit wouldn't want a weighty tome by some ignorant foreigner on a shelf reminding us how we are despised around the world?
sure, russia has some "interesting" architecture. a bit gaudy for my taste, but I suppose it gives you something to look at whilst you stand in a queue for bread hoping no one shoots you or drags you off to the gulag.
I loved the lines "in russia, they would put you in hospital for two weeks" and "everybody is constantly queuing outside theatres", incidentally. that's pretty much how I imagine things.
jem, london, uk
I read the first article that appeared in Russia. She arrived in the UK to learn English age 19 promptly married and English guy so she didn't have to return and then divorced him. She wasn't after the passport much then...
Not ironing clothes seems picky and as for scratching bottoms, give me scratching bottoms anyday to spitting everywhere.
There is a lot more I could say, but I think if she watched a bit of Russian TV she would find there are an awful lot of gardening and home improvement programmes on the box nowadays.
Russian women are a generally lot thinner than British women, but it is changing and my Russian friends constantly complain if they put on an ounce and go into depression for days and end up spending a fortune on all sorts of ineffective weight loss treatments, instead of trying to maintain a balanced weight the desire is for super thin.
DCH, Moscow, Russia
The British have entered a higher level of materialistic existence - Russians have yet to evolve and experience the joys of undeterred materialism, endless and and moronic speculation over the value of property they do not own, culturally inept reality shows and the freedom to eat and drink what ever they like.
Iain, sydney, australia
ha ha, well don't think Russians are the only ppl in this world to think this way! As someone already said "truth is painful" but hey who is going to change here ? no one really as ppl in UK are quite condescending on other nations (very often if poorer), reading and blindly trusting all the propaganda diffused by the media.. common mass reaction to anything, judging very often without first hand knowledge..
alex, London,
She absolutely right! About education, hospitals, binge drinking, fat women. I would add couple of words about horrble children and very very bad parenting.
Julia, London,
British drink more than russians, thats true. So whats the problem? Don't like it? love to insult russians with your barbaric stereotypes but don't like when it comes back?
Pc, Moscow,
Don't get upset! It's a worldwide problem. We have a lot of young cattle too. :))))
Especially after the soviet education system was destroyed.
Kot_Vasya, Moscow, Russia
Unfortunally - for Russians like me - that at least two of her notes will soon could not be noted. And not because English people grow better, but 'cause Russian gets worse. I talk about (more important) the education, in Russia it degrades rapidly and now it's not so better than western one and, the second, diet, leading more of our lovely beautiful women to that beer-and-hamburger shape.
sorry for poor English
Yar, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia
I don't have the experience to say whether she's right about Russia, but she's certainly right about Philistine Britain.
Gatz, Chelmsford, UK
It's been said on the article about alcohol consumption tables, but who on earth actually trusts these stats coming out of Russia!
Given that vodka is drunk quite literally like water out there I think the chances of finding a sufficiently sober statistical analyst are slim.
Sarah, London,
Isn't the saying "Civilisation built on ill feeling is doomed to crumble" and wasn't it related to the Romans?
---------------
Don't you mix black and white? Romans? First British?
Ph.d., Moscow,
Having the truth pointed out can be painful.
But we'll not change
Dave, Gibraltar,
So an unmarried mother/single parent is criticising others but she doesn't identify herself with the disgusting stories as if they happen in every street when they are occurring in particular areas? Does she read the Sun or Daily Start?
No books in our homes? Is she mad?
Isn't the saying "Civilisation built on ill feeling is doomed to crumble" and wasn't it related to the Romans?
redandover60, Hayes, Middlesex, England
"Her most surprising assertion is that binge drinking is worse in Britain than in Russia. I didn’t think it was possible – but you live and learn."
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/images/CIN144.gif
Britain-#9
Russia-#12
Britain leads!
Serg, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
"As for education: “What you learn at university, a Russian would have learnt at school." Yes, it's truth.
Serg, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
I guess it all depends on her social circle. I've known some very clever and well-read Russians. However, I'm sure throughout Russia there are very many ignorant and stupid people. The difference is in the UK, with such a small land area, you are more likely to bump into the English version..
With respect to obesity, yes the muffin-top is now the look of choice for the majority of young women in the UK. I'm sure that now the Russians have a lot more to eat (unlike in the past), they will start to develop the look in their own distinctive way.
And as for binge drinking.... we love it.
Dr Robin Laundon, London, UK
She is 100% right, whether we like it or not.
Nick, London,
This is repulsive. She might be right on a number of things but the Home Office grants a citizenship to someone who blatantly disses the Brits and says "she enjoys British citizenship, having qualified for it early last year. Why did she bother? “For a start, because I pay the tax and I have a right to apply. And the passport is useful when you travel around the world.†Come on, Home Office!!!
Katie, London,
Alcohol consumption
Liters of pure alcohol per person, 2002
â„–1 Luxemburg - 12 L.
â„–2 Hungaru - 11 L.
â„–3 Ireland - 10,5 L
â„–3 Czech Republic - 10,4 L
â„–5 Germany - 10,25 L
â„–6 France - 10,15L
â„–7 Portugal - 9,8 L
â„–8 Spain - 9,77 L
â„–9 Britan - 9,7 L
â„–10 Denmark - 9,67 L
â„–11 Switzerland - 9,5 L
â„–12 Russia - 9,35 L
........................
Source: World Drink Trends, 2004
Andrew, Moscow, Russia
Alot in this article is right. But one thing. Who the hell wants to get into a taxi and talk about literature!
Mark, Wolverhampton, U.K
I've never been to Russia (yet) but am learning the language at the moment. Last week our teacher mentioned to us the big contrast between Russia and the UK in terms of the value placed on education. In Russia, students (apparently) have to work extremely hard to get a degree and when they do have one are highly respected. In Britain, education isn't taken seriously.
I'm neither British nor Russian but all I can say is that almost every country I've ever lived in holds educated people in higher regard than the British do. There seems to be a real resentment of the highbrow and learned in the UK. Maybe it comes from the obsession with social class and a perception that being learned is somehow bourgeouis and only for snobs who think they are someone. It's ironic that an ex-Communist country has less hang-ups about middle-class values than a solidlly middle-class one.
MB, Edinburgh,
She's right !!!
Andrea, Udine, Italiy
she's right about fat british girls going about with their belly hanging out wearing low crops. Totally DISGUSTING
But then i think that only applies to certain areas.
chetas, croydon, surrey
London points to Russia - haw to live and does not want to see itself. Ruther interesting. Exectly I surprised John-Paul Flintoff ^s reactions on true?! Perhaps it is not democrathy?!
Or English behaviour is not discuss - tabu. Its a pitty
Dan, London, Russia
Brits don't like it? Well, i understand, but may be they will finally understand how people of other nationalities, Russians for instance, feel when they are bashed by westerners left and right.
Tatiana, New York, USA
Judging by what I've read, I' m inclined to agree or rather confirm that taxi-driver-talking-about-literature thing. I've just a nice talk with a cafe waitress about the Russian Silver Age poets. Pity it was too short and I too drunk...
Pavel, Kotlas, Russia
Why "Russian hostility"? That's British hostility as she's now an UK citizen.
Evg, Moscow,
She is absolutely 100% RIGHT
Nick Perch, Morristown , NJ
Yes, we russians do absolutely agree with her :-))
it is the truth. But we do love you, tolerant British people !
Katie, Moscow/London,
She is absolutely right.
Alexander, Farnham, Hants