# What do you think of Russia?



## xerxesjc28 (Mar 3, 2008)

What comes to mind to me is what I read in a recent NY Times article about a road that goes from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The article talked about how although there is great wealth in Moscow the country side is dieing and full of poverty. They mentioned how many roads are still badly built and not paved, how one family who has no hot water is only able to bathe once a month, and apparently there is quite a lot of homes with out power or water. The massive amount of corruption seems to be sucking away at the resources that should be used to build infrastructure, and the blame game gets politicians removed from office by governors who shift all the blame to local leaders.


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## Сталин (Dec 29, 2011)

Moscow(has great skyscraper projects), communism(and maybe a possible future with CPRF), and Putin(has balls to stand up to american terrorists).


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Manitopiaaa said:


> Unlike other countries in Europe that quickly moved towards modernity, Russia decided reform was bad. So now you have a country that feels the constant need to show it is still relevant and this is done through involvement in Syria, Iran, Georgia, bullying Ukraine. If Russia had embraced democracy and a free market, instead of nepotism and cronyism, the country could have been the premier member of Europe.


Russia did embrace free market economics all right, the entire economy was sold by the penny to the cronies! Read up shock therapy, their entire system collapsed...they had a horrible 90s. Economic, societal, and demographic collapse! Their first president was a drunkard. I'm not too much of a fan of Putin but I can see why some like him. He exudes leadership that was needed in times of turbulence.


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## Vakai (Mar 27, 2009)

Motul said:


> How American of you.


Actually that's just the foreign affairs "expert" in me speaking. :lol:


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## isakres (May 13, 2009)

A place full of beautiful Hot Babes 
Ruled by a few oligarchs and by an authoritharian president
A place full of culture and with some interesting cities
But also full of people intoxicated with vodka
and home of the worst drivers ever.


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

isakres said:


> home of the worst drivers ever.


I refuse to believe that anyone is capable of driving more recklessly and ignorantly than Jamaicans.


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## Manitopiaaa (Mar 6, 2006)

Xusein said:


> Russia did embrace free market economics all right, the entire economy was sold by the penny to the cronies! Read up shock therapy, their entire system collapsed...they had a horrible 90s. Economic, societal, and demographic collapse! Their first president was a drunkard. I'm not too much of a fan of Putin but I can see why some like him. He exudes leadership that was needed in times of turbulence.


An oligarchy is not based on free markets


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## isakres (May 13, 2009)

Marbur66 said:


> I refuse to believe that anyone is capable of driving more recklessly and ignorantly than Jamaicans.


Well, its harder to drive drunk rather than while high, so Russians win this one :laugh:


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## Whiteeclipse (Mar 31, 2005)

isakres said:


> home of the worst drivers ever.


Many countries would be considered bad drivers if they all had dash cams like Russians.


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

isakres said:


> Well, its harder to drive drunk rather than while high, so Russians win this one :laugh:


That is definitely true.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Manitopiaaa said:


> An oligarchy is not based on free markets


No, but it's a result of collapse...


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## isakres (May 13, 2009)

Whiteeclipse said:


> Many countries would be considered bad drivers if they all had dash cams like Russians.


Thats true, Russians are just more exposed because of dash cams.


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## Walbanger (Jan 10, 2006)

A land and people of extremes; harsh, resourceful, resilient, obstinance to bullishness
...still inquisitive and argeeable people in most cases I've found.
The Rus
Long suffering
Authoritarian
Existential, bitter beauty
Rich culture of the high Arts
Corruption, Nepotism, Supression
Jingoism
Orthodox Church
Condemned to repeating historical mistakes
Massively hurt ego post USSR blinds it from being a true force of good, especially to its former empire.


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## psychedelic (Sep 8, 2010)

I was going to say Doestoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, but after going through this thread I'm just gonna say misunderstood.


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## tvdxer (Feb 28, 2006)

1. Largest land mass on earth, stretching like 13 time zones.
2. The USSR - gone, but not forgotten
3. Matryoshka dolls - so cute
4. Corruption
5. Commie blocks
6. Dachas
7. Pine trees
8. Extreme income inequality, oligarchs
9. Putin
10. Medvedev
11. High rates of abortion
12. Population concentrated in west with some large cities out west
13. Tsars
14. Wooden craftworks
15. Hockey
16. Vodka
17. Whisky
18. Potatoes
19. Mushrooms (foraging)
20. Wild traffic
21. Valerie Beladze
22. DDT 
23. Cyrillic
24. Technopop
25. Ruki Vverh
26. Onion Shaped Domes
27. Stalin
28. Lenin
29. Trotsky
30. Bolshevik
31. Old Church Slavonic
32. Katerina
33. Ivan the Terrible


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## COmountainsguy (Jul 30, 2013)

A very awesome and interesting country that I hope to visit in my life.


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## Motul (Nov 8, 2003)

Also, their anthem is epic.


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## desiyogi (Mar 4, 2011)




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## desiyogi (Mar 4, 2011)

del


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## African Lion (May 28, 2007)

Russia= cold, very rich oligarchs and 2 nice cities, poor citizenry, depression(whether), serious people, large landmass..............


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## weird (Feb 24, 2006)

So zero posts and you already know the Skybar? :|


What I think of:

- Interesting ancient architecture and crappy communist one.
- Kitsch style.
- Some nice gastronomy: Olivie salat, chiburekki, pel'meni, borsch, kvas, vareniki, laxman, etc.
- A beautiful yet helly difficult language.
- Awesome classical music: Tchaikovsky, Rostropovich, etc.
- Relevant country in arts: Asimov, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, Mendeleev, Bol'shoy Teatr in Moscow, etc.
- Interesting culture with hints of different mix like Tatar or Siberian traits.
- Somehow mysterious.
- Perceived as dangerous and it can be if not taken the proper measures.
- Vast land.
- Baikal Lake and its mysterious seals.
- Trans-Siberian - Willing to ride it!
- Perestroika and glasnost - hurt the country badly.
- Tzars and Saint-Petersburg.
- Moscow as the global city where everything can be done.
- Bad drivers. Reckless people.
- Extremist people: i.e. whether they are almost abstemious or drunkards.
- Tea addicts.
- Tradition holders.
- Misunderstood and feared country by many.
- Long history of authoritarianism.
- Bolshevik revolution.
- Relevant in world's literature and cinema: Jules Verne's Mikhail Strogoff, WWII in many movies, etc.
- Rusty industrial facilities in Norilsk, Murmansk and other Arctic cities.
- Good in sports: hockey masters, Olympiads, etc.
- Soyuz, MIR, Laika, Yuri Gagarin and Baykonur Cosmodrom.
- Soviet past: URSS, KGB, Krasnaya Armiya, etc.

Well, I think that it's enough


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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

weird said:


> So zero posts and you already know the Skybar? :|


I am more the guy who more reads than writes (sorry for my english)


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## Prosp (Nov 4, 2012)

As a person from the Baltics (perhaps Russian know what I have in mind ), my notion of Russia might seem to be irrelevant or biased, but what a heck...

Culture. I am still in love with literature classics like M.Bulgakov, V. Jerofejev, M.Zamiatin, V.Plevin. Theatre - during USSR Lithuanian Theatre always competed with Russians and vice versa - know we see that masters of Theatre from LT successfully work in Moscow and some Russians - in LT.

A. Tarkovsky and his Stalker or Soliaris.

USSR. No comments.
Moscow CSKA vs Kaunas Žalgiris, Sabonis/Lithuania against USSR in basketball. 
Ice Hockey
Do not like Moscow.
Like Saint Petersburg
Lack of political culture
Arrogant People which make many of us laugh...I.e believing that everyone must know Russian language.
Driving Culture....No rules...Like somewhere in MiddleEast..
Something like victim-winner complex.
WWII and earlier wars against GDL.
NKVD/KGB and especially NKVD vs Forest Brothers.
Church plus State.
But I like Old Believers. Nice and honest people.
Beautiful Siberian Nature
But - lack of environment protection...
Russian temperament. It might seem that many Russians live in Southern Europe 
Chess.
Vodka.
Gulags (like in Norilsk, Vorkuta)


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## bavarian urbanist (Jan 9, 2013)

A great country that I would like to visit soon. I'm not a fan of these strange anti-gay laws, but that wont keep me from going there  
St.Petersburg, Moscow, the Golden Ring, Kamchatka, the Transsiberian Railway, Vodka, Borschtsch, Blinis,...


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## Manitopiaaa (Mar 6, 2006)

Motul said:


> Also, their anthem is epic.


Yes, the USSR anthem is divine


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## RobH (Mar 9, 2007)

A country with a colourful and expressive artistic culture and, from the perspective of classical music at least, the country that perhaps more than any other gave us the most original and fascinating works of the 20th century.

A country that deserves better than Putin and the backwards anti-gay and blasphemy laws he's introduced in thrall of dangerous Orthodoxy and scapegoating.

A country with huge positives and huge negatives which seems, sadly, to be slipping backwards right now.


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## Hager86 (May 14, 2013)

we have language is not complicated.


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## Hager86 (May 14, 2013)

Sorry if it is wrong or unclear writing. in Google translate


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## Hager86 (May 14, 2013)

*alexru* Я думал почему и как у тебя 0 сообщений. Потом понял что тут почемуто незащитываются сообщения

I thought why and how you have 0 posts. Then I realized that for some reason there nezaschityvayutsya posts


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Ra Ra Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine!


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## Vaud (Sep 16, 2011)

Homophobic and racist country, bully of smaller countries and forever ruled by corrupt officials.

Not very nice image in general.


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## The Cake On BBQ (May 10, 2010)

Ashok said:


> If I met Russia, I wanna ask, what happened Bro? you used to be SOOOO FREAKING COOL! Like in high school, you had the most amazing stories, and bro - your were killing it in science and technology. But now - ugh, I guess this what *Meth* does to you!


or Krokodil :lol:


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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

Vaud said:


> Homophobic and racist country, bully of smaller countries and forever ruled by corrupt officials.
> 
> Not very nice image in general.


At least or economy isn t based on money laundering


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## I-275westcoastfl (Feb 15, 2005)




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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

Ashok said:


> If I met Russia, I wanna ask, what happened Bro? you used to be SOOOO FREAKING COOL! Like in high school, you had the most amazing stories, and bro - your were killing it in science and technology. But now - ugh, I guess this what Meth does to you!


The capitalism came and Russia became "democraticized" this is what happened


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## vonbingen (Feb 15, 2013)

russia could shut up and let the ukrainians doing what they want to do
if ukraina wants to sign for europe, its not a problem of russia.
____

but russia is a fabulous country for nature, kamchatka, north siberian tribes nenets events etc.
lake baikal
wood houses 
permafrost 
yakoutia etc

onega ladoga, saint petersburg architecture, 
catherina 2 and his palaces
mirinsky etc


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## UncleScrooge (Nov 29, 2009)

Somewhat challenging neighbor.


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## isakres (May 13, 2009)

desiyogi said:


>


Matreshka strong! :guns1:


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## Rumors (Jul 1, 2007)

The women are amazing. :cheers:


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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

vonbingen said:


> russia could shut up and let the ukrainians doing what they want to do
> if ukraina wants to sign for europe, its not a problem of russia.
> ____
> 
> ...


You shoudn t rely on what the western media says about this Topic.
The Ukraine is spilt in 2 parts The west is either pro EU or nationalist and the east is pro Russia.On the crim peninsula most of the inhabitants are even russian.So Russia just defends their interests.


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## Hia-leah JDM (May 7, 2007)

Nazi skinheads in Russia :lol: I still can't get over that.

and this:


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## tryindiffdrugsngirls (Sep 1, 2011)

is that guy riding a bear? :O


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## prolaznikSRB (May 9, 2011)

tryindiffdrugsngirls said:


> is that guy riding a bear? :O


:lol:


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## HappyBrandon (Jun 10, 2012)

tryindiffdrugsngirls said:


> All stereotypes I heard of Russiaa:
> 
> They drink vodka in morning instead of coffee
> 
> ...


The above is hardly close to reality.

Russia was occupied by Mongolians for 300 years. Naturally, after so many years a great majority of Russians have some very visible Mongolian features. Most Russians all across Russia and especially those who reside close to the Far Eastern region have the Asian/Mongolian blood. Many have wide cheekbones and slanted eyes. The Russians close to China may look strikingly different from the Russians who live on the border with Finland. Sometimes, just by looking at their physical appearance it is hard to believe they belong to the same ethnicity. Also, there are many Russians who look very Tatar. Overall Russia is a very confused land as her people do not have a clear ethnic and religious identity. They are not clear if they are Asian, Eurasian or European. Yet, the Russians are very proud of their heritage and they want to be respected. Most want to acquire the superpower status but given the hollow Russian economy it just cannot happen. The country is very corrupt and her criminal gangsters who they like to define as the "members of the business association" impede its advancement. It is very puzzling and also very strange that even though Germany killed off over 20M Russians these days Russians have a much better attitude toward the Germans than they have toward the Americans who helped Russia defeat the Nazi Germany during WW2. They look at the USA as a country that hindered the Russian advancement and robbed Russia of the superpower status.


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## warden987 (Jul 6, 2009)

^^hno:That's absolutely untrue that Russians look Asiatic. Do not confuse ethnic Russians and other ethnicities that reside in Russia. The other ethnicities ( Tatars, Bashkirs, Chechens, Yakuts etc) are Russians too, but they are not ethnic Russians ( in Russian Russkie means Ethnic Russians and Rossyane means all Russian citizens. In English Russkie and Rossyane are translated as Russians). The enthic Russians are absolutely European by their looks, so don't confuse. The ethnic Russians consider for 80 percent and the other 20 percent are other ethnicities. 

So, your opinion that Russians in the Far East look different than Russians living in the European Part is absolutely untrue, if you don't take other Siberian ethnicities such as Yakuts, Chuckchis, Koreans( yeah, many Koreans live there, quite Russified), Yukagirs, Tuvinians, Buryats and others as ethnic Russians. And all those Siberian ethnicities speak mostly Russians, many of them have Orthodox religion), but they are not ethnic Russians, though they are true Russian patriots too. The ethnic Russians have quite an ethnic and religious identity ( they speak Russians and there are almost no dialects, they are 99 percent Orthodox believers), so your opinion that Russians have no ethnic or religious identity is untrue as well.


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## warden987 (Jul 6, 2009)

BOSS said:


>


oh, the picture from the 90s. So overused.


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## 2mars1444 (Nov 3, 2013)

Nice,beautiful womans and rich in culture as for the rest no comment.


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## OldKool (Dec 20, 2010)

cold military state


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## tkr (Apr 3, 2005)

Nice country.


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## Peregrin Tuk (Oct 20, 2007)

best musician of the world

worst drivers


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

A tea-drinking nation like us
Far too big, borders with both North Korea and Norway.
Great novelists, playwrights, composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The last remaining European empire.
Cossacks
Both huge expanses of unspoilt nature and also terrible examples of industrial pollution.
Onion domes
Root vegetable cuisine.
You can see Sarah Palin's house from Russia


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## Walbanger (Jan 10, 2006)

HappyBrandon said:


> Yet, the Russians are very proud of their heritage and they want to be respected. Most want to acquire the superpower status but given the hollow Russian economy it just cannot happen. The country is very corrupt and her criminal gangsters who they like to define as the "members of the business association" impede its advancement.


There's more than just corruption that prevents Russia from wearing the Superpower badge of the USSR. Serious demographic issues, a lack of a persuasive Ideological counter point to Western Secularism and Capitalism, unable to export a refeshed and attractive culture, The EU and China are miles ahead with India offering a superior cultural product.



HappyBrandon said:


> It is very puzzling and also very strange that even though Germany killed off over 20M Russians these days Russians have a much better attitude toward the Germans than they have toward the Americans who helped Russia defeat the Nazi Germany during WW2. They look at the USA as a country that hindered the Russian advancement and robbed Russia of the superpower status.


Germany didn't kill 20 million Russians. The USSR's elite with Stalin killed up to half with stategies that left civilian and soldier as mere cannon fodder. Ideology over the saving of lives.

Pretty funny if your last sentence is true. The USA did 'rob' Russia of it's Superpower status if 'robbed' means expose the decrepit, bankrupt system behind the puffed up fascade.

What keeps Russia in a unique position it is colossal, aging Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Arsenal which all together is most likely the largest in the world. The Russians were never as accurate as the Americans so they still possess more Stategic Nuclear warheads in the Mt range to compensate which means far more colateral damage.


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## HappyBrandon (Jun 10, 2012)

warden987 said:


> ^^hno:That's absolutely untrue that Russians look Asiatic. Do not confuse ethnic Russians and other ethnicities that reside in Russia. The other ethnicities ( Tatars, Bashkirs, Chechens, Yakuts etc) are Russians too, but they are not ethnic Russians ( in Russian Russkie means Ethnic Russians and Rossyane means all Russian citizens. In English Russkie and Rossyane are translated as Russians). The enthic Russians are absolutely European by their looks, so don't confuse. The ethnic Russians consider for 80 percent and the other 20 percent are other ethnicities.
> 
> So, your opinion that Russians in the Far East look different than Russians living in the European Part is absolutely untrue, if you don't take other Siberian ethnicities such as Yakuts, Chuckchis, Koreans( yeah, many Koreans live there, quite Russified), Yukagirs, Tuvinians, Buryats and others as ethnic Russians. And all those Siberian ethnicities speak mostly Russians, many of them have Orthodox religion), but they are not ethnic Russians, though they are true Russian patriots too. The ethnic Russians have quite an ethnic and religious identity ( they speak Russians and there are almost no dialects, they are 99 percent Orthodox believers), so your opinion that Russians have no ethnic or religious identity is untrue as well.


Please tell us he was not Russian..


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## HappyBrandon (Jun 10, 2012)

Walbanger said:


> There's more than just corruption that prevents Russia from wearing the Superpower badge of the USSR. Serious demographic issues, a lack of a persuasive Ideological counter point to Western Secularism and Capitalism, unable to export a refeshed and attractive culture, The EU and China are miles ahead with India offering a superior cultural product.


No dispute here.



> Germany didn't kill 20 million Russians.


What is your number?




> The USSR's elite with Stalin killed up to half with stategies that left civilian and soldier as mere cannon fodder. Ideology over the saving of lives.


Actually, the Russians do not have a precise number of people killed during the Gulag times. Some estimate 15M others 40M to 60M. It is a highly disputed and debated issue.



> Pretty funny if your last sentence is true. The USA did 'rob' Russia of it's Superpower status if 'robbed' means expose the decrepit, bankrupt system behind the puffed up fascade.


They have to blame somebody and in this case the US is their perfect target.



> What keeps Russia in a unique position it is colossal, aging Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Arsenal which all together is most likely the largest in the world. The Russians were never as accurate as the Americans so they still possess more Stategic Nuclear warheads in the Mt range to compensate which means far more colateral damage.


Well, the Russian missiles have no bearing on the quality of their hospitals. The average Russian life expectancy is on par with the poor African countries.


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## treetopbisho (Jun 2, 2013)

Cold and Opulent


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## Walbanger (Jan 10, 2006)

HappyBrandon said:


> What is your number?


Impossible to put a figure on such colossal strategic and tactical calousness.
20 million Russians were killed but 20 million didn't have to die but for Uncle Joe. 



HappyBrandon said:


> Actually, the Russians do not have a precise number of people killed during the Gulag times. Some estimate 15M others 40M to 60M. It is a highly disputed and debated issue.


Ok 




HappyBrandon said:


> They have to blame somebody and in this case the US is their perfect target.


True but it won't help them in short, medium and long term



HappyBrandon said:


> Well, the Russian missiles have no bearing on the quality of their hospitals. The average Russian life expectancy is on par with the poor African countries.


Thus they will never be a Superpower again but their Arsenal gives them one stronghand. Still, by exersizing it they shit on their soft power gains and look like bullies.


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## -:UberMann:- (Dec 9, 2009)

Jonesy55 said:


> A tea-drinking nation like us
> Far too big, borders with both North Korea and Norway.
> Great novelists, playwrights, composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
> The last remaining European empire.
> ...


The UK or France are still empires, they keep territories in southamerica like French Guyana, clipperton Islamds or the Falklands, don't they?


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## seattle92 (Dec 25, 2008)

Irina Shayk and the rest of the hot babes. You don't need more to love that country. :cheers:


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

-:UberMann:- said:


> The UK or France are still empires, they keep territories in southamerica like French Guyana, clipperton Islamds or the Falklands, don't they?


Well, they are 99.9% gone, while Russia still controls 90%+ of the territory it conquered during its imperial expansion.


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## Rekarte (Mar 28, 2008)

I love russian girls, I want'll:cheers: they look like perverted snow:yes:


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## -:UberMann:- (Dec 9, 2009)

HappyBrandon said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Guadalupe_Hidalgo


So what? in their moment all defeated governments "reached" agreements and that does not mean anything when they were pulled in by force. In their moment (around 1453) even Greeks and Ottomans reached "agreements", or Poles and Germans in 1939.
The US is an empire and occupied all those territories by military force.


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## -:UberMann:- (Dec 9, 2009)

This is all Mexican territory occupied by the United States:


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## HappyBrandon (Jun 10, 2012)

-:UberMann:- said:


> So what? in their moment all defeated governments "reached" agreements and that does not mean anything when they were pulled in by force. In their moment (around 1453) even Greeks and Ottomans reached "agreements", or Poles and Germans in 1939.
> The US is an empire and occupied all those territories by military force.


Unlike the US most countries that defeated the adversaries never paid a dime for the land they captured. Comparing to the rest of the world the US is a very benevolent superpower. Would you rather have a country like Russia to the North of you?


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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

HappyBrandon said:


> Unlike the US most countries that defeated the adversaries never paid a dime for the land they captured. Comparing to the rest of the world the US is a very benevolent superpower. Would you rather have a country like Russia to the North of you?


kazhakhstan aremnia mongolia azerbaijan and china are southern of us and they dont complain so having russia instead of the usa is not as bad as you think it is And if you bring georgia I bring 1983 Granda 1989 Panama and Kuba


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## HappyBrandon (Jun 10, 2012)

alexru said:


> kazhakhstan aremnia mongolia azerbaijan and china are southern of us and they dont complain so having russia instead of the usa is not as bad as you think it is And if you bring georgia I bring 1983 Granda 1989 Panama and Kuba


Actually, all Russian interventions and interferences served the right purpose. The US is intact while its former competitor...................


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

vonbingen said:


> russia could shut up and let the ukrainians doing what they want to do
> if ukraina wants to sign for europe, its not a problem of russia.


Well, but if Ukraine (or, at least, its government) doesn't wants to sign for Europe, EU could also shut up and let the ukrainians doing what they want to do. Right?


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## krkseg1ops (Mar 19, 2009)

^^ My thoughts exactly. Before the decision, EU wasn't giving a damn about Ukraine, it was only to hurt Russia. Now the shitstorm has started and all the EU puppets are now crying rivers how Russia clandestinely cheated Europe and kept Ukraine at gunpoint.


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

HappyBrandon said:


> Russia was occupied by Mongolians for 300 years. Naturally, after so many years a great majority of Russians have some very visible Mongolian features. Most Russians all across Russia and especially those who reside close to the Far Eastern region have the Asian/Mongolian blood. Many have wide cheekbones and slanted eyes. The Russians close to China may look strikingly different from the Russians who live on the border with Finland. Sometimes, just by looking at their physical appearance it is hard to believe they belong to the same ethnicity. Also, there are many Russians who look very Tatar. Overall Russia is a very confused land as her people do not have a clear ethnic and religious identity. They are not clear if they are Asian, Eurasian or European.


Obviously, you referred to the book of Richard Nixon "The Real War" (1978) that was written during Cold War era. It sound like quote from Hitler's "Mein Kampf".



> _Within two and a half centuries of Tatar-Mongol Yoke in Russia, ethnic Russians virtually disappeared. Mongols diluted Russian blood, thus changing the original psychology of Russian people. Mongols brought aggressiveness, cunning, deceit, greed, laziness and other unpleasant qualities into Russian psychology..._


However, the main feature of ********* race is epicanthic fold (eye fold). 70-95% representataives of ********* nations have such facial feature.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicanthic_fold 

In contrast, according to results of researches, only 0.12% ethnic Russians have such epicanthic fold, and only only in its infancy. This is no more than percentage of ethnic Germans who have such feature.


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## HappyBrandon (Jun 10, 2012)

^^ 300 years of Mongolian occupation had no impact?


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

HappyBrandon said:


> ^^ 300 years of Mongolian occupation had no impact?


Of course, it had impact, but not in same sense as you mean. Your theory has no any grounds.

Iberian Peninsula was under Arabic occupation even more - for seven centuries. Will you claim that Spanish people are Arabs?



HappyBrandon said:


> Please tell us he was not Russian..


Leonid Brezhnev was born in present-day Ukraine. He was marked as Ukrainian in Soviet passport and as Russian - in some earlier documents of WWII.

Anyway, it's hardly to find such type as among ethnic Russians, as among ethnic Ukranians. May be, there were mixed marriages in Brezhnev's family.


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## Romashka01 (Mar 4, 2011)

>



Brezhnev was born in Kamenskoe (now Dniprodzerzhynsk in Ukraine), to metalworker Ilya Yakovlevich _Brezhnev_ and his wife, Natalia Denisovna _Mazalova_. Brezhnev and Mazalova is a surnames of _Russian_ origin.
So, he is ethnic Russian. 


I think Brezhnev was Europeoid like 99% ethnic Russians. Look at pictures where he is young:













Also, ex-president of Russia Boris Yeltsin - on first pic he looks like mix *********, but look at the second picture where he is young  


1.










2.


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## Bulevardi (Jul 19, 2007)

Very nice photo cameras.

I own a Lubitel and a Lomo, and a Zorki S2


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## johnsonbig (Dec 5, 2013)

cheap cigarettes, vodka and gas


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## ArtZ (Feb 17, 2006)

Many Russians have Ugric and Turkic origin though they are mostly of Slavic roots.


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## farmerboy (Nov 29, 2013)

alexru said:


> What are the people in your land thinking of Russia and the russian people?



about russia:
-the country forever ruled by paranoid-arrogant-corrupt-backstabbers-criminals-devoid of any moral sense and dignity politicians.

-the country that bullied mine for centuries, destroyed again and again our cities, our culture by attempted russification...

-the country that not only divided my country and my people countless times by stealing our lands, riches and lives, but they also persecuted the survivors without mercy.

And what's more annoying is that russia always play the victim and act as if she doesn't realize, or she doesn't care about the amount of pain she created (still does) around its borders (and within them).

about the russians: 
... don't care. They've earned it !


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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

farmerboy said:


> about russia:
> -the country forever ruled by paranoid-arrogant-corrupt-backstabbers-criminals-devoid of any moral sense and dignity politicians.
> 
> -the country that bullied mine for centuries, destroyed again and again our cities, our culture by attempted russification...
> ...


From what country are you?


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Galro said:


> Worlds number one producer of Youtube dashcam videos.
> 
> St. Petersburg is also a pretty nice city.


True  .. Are most Russians really so horrible at driving?
However I agree with St Petersburg being quite beautiful (just as parts of Moscow) ; however I've seen too much strong opinions about Russia in this thread; although I don't agree often with its government, I'm sure that there life is no big hell as times have changed


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## Prosp (Nov 4, 2012)

AmoreUrbs said:


> *True  .. Are most Russians really so horrible at driving?*
> However I agree with St Petersburg being quite beautiful (just as parts of Moscow) ; however I've seen too much strong opinions about Russia in this thread; although I don't agree often with its government, I'm sure that there life is no big hell as times have changed



Check youtube 

I wont drive next time in Moscow. Difficult to understand how they manage to do that.
 
However in other countries Russian drive according to all rules. Well, that is my impression.


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## warden987 (Jul 6, 2009)

HappyBrandon said:


> The above is hardly close to reality.
> 
> Russia was occupied by Mongolians for 300 years. Naturally, after so many years a great majority of Russians have some very visible Mongolian features. Most Russians all across Russia and especially those who reside close to the Far Eastern region have the Asian/Mongolian blood. Many have wide cheekbones and slanted eyes.



Sorry for a late reply, but this is absolutely untrue. Yes, Russia lost war to the Golden Horde, but it remained its autonomy and Mongols never settled within the Russia proper at that time. The Russia became a tributary to the Golden Horde, but, as I already said, it remained its autonomy, its own religion and sort of independance in the domestic issues. The marriages of Mongols and Russians within the Russia proper were not very common and the religion played its part. After the complete independance from the Golden Horde the marriages between Russians and Mongols were a real rarity, so it didn't play the part at all. Don't forget that according to the Russian traditions from the 11th century Russians could only marry to other orthodox people and even the marriages of orthodoxes and the adherents of other denominations of christianity were not welcome. Tatars were either Muslims and pagans and most of the mixing took place in the areas controlled by Tatars at that time, the territories that became later khaganates, not within Russia proper. 


[/QUOTE]


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## Japanac (Jan 20, 2013)

Russia is awsome country! :bow:
We are the brothers Slavenians. 
I like russian rap, russian parkour, russian commies, russian skyscrapers, russian landscapes and russian compilations. :cheers:
Greetings from Croatia! :hi:


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## midrise (Feb 17, 2012)

Beautiful looking country and people, held hostage by an oppressive, impersonal, unjust government...hno::yuck:icard::no::shifty::banned::nono::sly::cripes:


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## warden987 (Jul 6, 2009)

AlekseyVT said:


> Of course, it had impact, but not in same sense as you mean. Your theory has no any grounds.
> 
> Iberian Peninsula was under Arabic occupation even more - for seven centuries. Will you claim that Spanish people are Arabs?


The mixing of Russian and Tatars was not common at all during the Golden Horde. Russia remained its autonomy, the Tartars( Mongols, not present Tatars) almost didn't settle much at all withing the then Russia proper). After the full liberation of Russia from the Golden Horde the mixed marriages became even less. Just let one think of Russians from 17-19 centuries, there are no ********* featires in Russians at all. The real mixing became only after the 1917 revolutions, then yes, interethnic marriages became more popular. 





AlekseyVT said:


> Leonid Brezhnev was born in present-day Ukraine. He was marked as Ukrainian in Soviet passport and as Russian - in some earlier documents of WWII.
> 
> Anyway, it's hardly to find such type as among ethnic Russians, as among ethnic Ukranians. May be, there were mixed marriages in Brezhnev's family.


The old people tend to look this way. Even Ronald Reagan on his later photos sometimes has ********* features.


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## TeKnO_Lx (Oct 19, 2004)

Walbanger said:


> There's more than just corruption that prevents Russia from wearing the Superpower badge of the USSR. Serious demographic issues, a lack of a persuasive Ideological counter point to Western Secularism and Capitalism, *unable to export a refeshed and attractive culture, The EU and China are miles ahead with India offering a superior cultural product.*


tottaly. I love the fact that Russia is such a big country, with beautiful cities and women. But it´s general conservative, racist and homophobic culture (not open) are not globally attractive. It also should be a big EU supporter, but instead it just "locks in himself", not getting over the glourious but unsucesfull USSR past
Moscow should be the trully European Union capital first place. It´s the most populated european capital, with more pop than London and New York. The potencial is so enormous.. yet they just need a different leader, capable of producing the global Russia of the future, who sets global "trends" and which every countries wants to follow.
Neverthless I believe Russia will change as I am learning russian and I love this language.


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## adventurenepal (Dec 15, 2013)

I don't know I always think about Putin and Vodka whenever I think of Russia these days.


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## Demolition Dan (Dec 17, 2007)

I think Russia has an extremely exciting future.
It takes a dignified stance on international issues. It exposes the evil and corruption in places like the US, the EU and Britain.
Its main problem was the "shock Capitalism" recommended to the comedian Yeltsin by corrupt Americans in the 1990s. Fortunately that problem is being resolved to some extent.
It takes a sensible view on the plague of the anti-family plague of promotion of homosexuality to minors.
It takes a sensible view on racial harmony and doesn't succumb to the Western Establishment's bizarre act of unemploying millions to be replaced with dirt cheap foreigners who cause crime, turmoil and instability.
I like the fact that is doesn't bin aspects of the past that still make sense.
I also like the fact that the government takes an active part of the development of the country, rather than hiding behind a mantra of "market forces".

In architecture, Russia combines the elegant aspects of its past, with bold new concepts for the future.

Westerners who attack Russia really need to bother to find out the facts 1st. By the way, I am a British citizen, of Russian descent.


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## Fred_ (Apr 29, 2012)

HappyBrandon said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Guadalupe_Hidalgo


Dude, this is the kind of saying to a thief: "Okay, take my things. Just don't kill me, please." :lol:



ardues said:


> *
> 
> 
> 
> ...


*

:drool:*


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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

TeKnO_Lx said:


> tottaly. I love the fact that Russia is such a big country, with beautiful cities and women. But it´s general conservative, racist and homophobic culture (not open) are not globally attractive. It also should be a big EU supporter, but instead it just "locks in himself", not getting over the glourious but unsucesfull USSR past
> Moscow should be the trully European Union capital first place. It´s the most populated european capital, with more pop than London and New York. The potencial is so enormous.. yet they just need a different leader, capable of producing the global Russia of the future, who sets global "trends" and which every countries wants to follow.
> Neverthless I believe Russia will change as I am learning russian and I love this language.


I don t understand why do you want that we should be an EU supporter.I don t think you will find in whole Russia 1000people who want to join the Eu.We were totally betrayed by the cowboys the big brother of the EU in the 90s, who were very happy when the soviet union collapsed.Also you have to know that we Russians have our culture and our pride as a global power.So i don t see any reason to ally with europe.





Btw India has recently even forbidden to he gay but no one cares as it is not in Russia o O


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## TeKnO_Lx (Oct 19, 2004)

alexru said:


> I don t understand why do you want that we should be an EU supporter.I *don t think you will find in whole Russia 1000people who want to join the Eu.We were totally betrayed by the cowboys the big brother of the EU in the 90s, who were very happy when the soviet union collapsed*.Also you have to know that we Russians have our culture and our pride as a global power.So i don t see any reason to ally with europe.


Like I told you, you guys need to get over the glorious past of USSR. No one gives a shit about that really. it was good while it last, but it won´t lead anywhere. Is like Portugal trying to get back brasil or angola. Times change, so deal with it. Todays Russia´s biggest asset is probably the language. Russia (not USSR) must look at the future. And my opinion is that you will join EU sonner or latter. Russia has the higher percentage of ppl who want to live abroad/emigrate, that tells alot about the current atrractiveness of your "great" country and leader.


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## midrise (Feb 17, 2012)

It is trying too hold on to former isolation, it needs more openness to include and not exclude ideology of acceptance, the world needs to work together too push forward.


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## ArtZ (Feb 17, 2006)

midrise said:


> It is trying too hold on to former isolation, it needs more openness to include and not exclude ideology of acceptance, the world needs to work together too push forward.


Of course, but it must be done by working together, not with domination of one or few powerful countries over the rest of the world.hno:


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## Khaleejian (Jun 20, 2012)

i like russia and i hope it takes back all former soviet republics :troll:


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## teddybear (Sep 12, 2002)

I like Russia!


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## ardues (Mar 7, 2010)

I like Russia very much. Photo from Russia.


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## Redmadhatt3r (Nov 30, 2013)

Interesting to hear foreign opinion but nothing new for me as Russian. Many foreigns (not all) know nothing about Russia and most of them very rude.


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## Prosp (Nov 4, 2012)

Redmadhatt3r said:


> Interesting to hear foreign opinion but nothing new for me as Russian. Many foreigns (not all) know nothing about Russia and most of them very rude.


Well, maybe not everyone is happy when they see people acting like a....I don't know like what. Youtube it and see let's say, Russian tourists in other parts of the world. Surely, it creates an image of the country and not in all cases - very positive.


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## Roman_P (Nov 26, 2012)

Well, what's typical for Russians is that we're too anxious of what other people think about us. And if their opinion is not 100% flattering (why should it be?) we start taking offence and complaining that everyone is rude and unjust and ignorant and so on. Why asking then?


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## alexru (Aug 20, 2013)

TeKnO_Lx said:


> Like I told you, you guys need to get over the glorious past of USSR. No one gives a shit about that really. it was good while it last, but it won´t lead anywhere. Is like Portugal trying to get back brasil or angola. Times change, so deal with it. Todays Russia´s biggest asset is probably the language. Russia (not USSR) must look at the future. And my opinion is that you will join EU sonner or latter. Russia has the higher percentage of ppl who want to live abroad/emigrate, that tells alot about the current atrractiveness of your "great" country and leader.


Well, if China India and Brazil will join the Eu than I guarantee Russia will join too


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## AlekseyVT (Dec 21, 2009)

warden987 said:


> Sorry for a late reply, but this is absolutely untrue. Yes, Russia lost war to the Golden Horde, but it remained its autonomy and Mongols never settled within the Russia proper at that time. The Russia became a tributary to the Golden Horde, but, as I already said, it remained its autonomy, its own religion and sort of independance in the domestic issues.


That's right. And that's why Russian Grand Princes like Alexander Nevsky (who were unable to fight on two fronts in these times) preferred to fight against Western invaders and be dependent from East, not visa versa.

By the way, this history has many common with current proposals about "integration with EU" (that, in my opinion, would lead to full losing of Russian sovereignty and forced imposing of foreign norms and values).


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## tvdxer (Feb 28, 2006)

1. Good, corny pop/rock music
2. Very high abortion rate, higher in Soviet times though
3. Trans-Siberian railway
4. Right stance on "homosexual propaganda" and desecration of sacred places
5. Neo-nazis and skinheads galore
6. Cute matryoshka dolls
7. Very racist towards Africans, Asians
8. Colder than most countries, extremely cold winters and surprisingly warm summers in Siberia
9. Russian mafia, oligarchs, corruption
10. Cyrillic writing system
11. Vast natural resources
12. Alcoholism, women far outlive the men because (at least in part) they are more temperate drinkers.


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## UrbanMyth (Apr 25, 2006)

Used to like it, but the country's unfetted and uncompromising attitude toward gays just makes it ugly.


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## ArW (Apr 28, 2015)

Extracomplicated country.


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

not sure about complicated but its scenery is very diverse for sure.


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