A Humbling Experience
As my program came to a close last Monday, August 8th, I feel as though I have returned to the United States as an enlightened individual. Being in Russia was truly an amazing experience, and at many times, quite humbling. As someone who was born and raised in America, a highly-developed country, there are many privileges that I have taken for granted, such as clean drinking water. It was expected that you could drink tap water, even if it did not taste as purified as bottled water. Being in a country where tap water is not drinkable, I found that water filtration in the USA is merely a luxury that we do not truly recognize.
I have grown up in a country and have attended a private university that has essentially said that anything I want to do is possible and will happen, as long as I put all of my effort into making it possible. While I found Russia to be far more developed than the media depicts, there were a couple occasions where I felt almost uncomfortable by the different way of life. There is a level of poverty throughout Moscow and St. Petersburg that was very unfamiliar to me until recently. There is truly an economic divide between the upper and lower classes in Russia, and the “middle class” are what many would consider lower-middle class in the United States.
Russia was much more than a developing country, and my humbling experiences do not depict my overall view of the country. In fact, I found Russia to be a beautiful and cultural hub unlike any other country I have seen before. It is a nation founded on its unique political, cultural, and religious practices. The people are incredibly unapologetic for being Russian, and have immense pride for their country, even if they disagree with a policy or practice. There are many people in the United States that consider Russians to be “brainwashed” because of their pride, however, I found it was quite the opposite. The people of Russia are aware of the injustices of their country and the entire world. They understand that their country is not as developed in some ways. However, they stand with their country regardless, showing that their pride and love for Russia is much greater than one or two opposing views.
While I cannot speak for every Russian person, I found this perspective refreshing. Many people in America feel as though they live in a capitalist nation that is founded on political corruption, and these attitudes often lead to people wanting to move outside of the United States or stating they hate their country. I was once one of these people, and my time in a country that stayed united despite the disagreements made me reconsider how I view the United States.
My time abroad was incredible and has inspired me to teach more students about Russia, the Russian language, and the programs offered at Northeastern for those looking to learn about the language and culture.
