Russia and the US have never been good friends. Tensions between us have wavered for decades upon decades. At the moment, we have imposed so many economic sanctions on their country, the value of their currency has plummeted. Putin, who seems like their beloved arrogant leader acts like he can do whatever he wants without consequences. Invading countries, supporting rebels, limiting transparency and controlling the media. Wait, that sounds a lot like what America does too….
OK, so we do have a lot of the same problems in our country as Russia, but Russian culture is vastly different. They live in a very unique country where travel is limited. Huge mountain ranges and barren tundra stretch thousands of miles. Russians living in large metropolitan cities seem to have a much different life than those in small towns and villages. This leads to vast cultural differences in people even though they’re all ethnically Russian.
With the international spotlight Russia has been receiving because of the Winter Olympics in Sochi and their meddling with Ukraine, Russian culture is getting scrutinized more than it has since the Cold War. Corruptions and bribery have always been something that the population seemed to ignore. Now with technology allowing information to be shared easily and quickly, the younger generations are taking a different view. [Via]