Ditto customs: apparently, it’s becoming more and more difficult to simply under-declare the value of your cargo, and Russian companies are beginning to tell their foreign partners to do the importing themselves, as their ‘local advantage’ is declining.

Putin is simply a symbol for everything that’s going right in Russia — all the bad things would happen without him in any case. I doubt, though, that many of the good things would have happened without him.

The guy is obsessed with stability, economic growth, and a sane (yes, you heard me, sane!) foreign policy.

The funny thing is that there hasn’t been a political leader in any country I have lived in before of whom I have approved as wholeheartedly as Putin.

What I hope, though, is that in twenty years this country can do without somebody like him. I wish Russia that one day it will be able to survive somebody as stupid as George Bush.

But for the time being, I hope that Putin has set the tone for how this country should be run.

Fiscally conservative, low taxes, pro-business, step-by-step fighting corruption (yes, I am serious about that one, too. Most business people I talk to here in Moscow tell me that corruption today is much more easy to deal with than before — in fact, many Russian companies begin to appreciate the advantages of not being seen as corrupt, and doing business with companies that are not seen as corrupt).

In any case, enough ranting, got to go back to work.

RM

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is nice in that respect. You can call someone from across town, suggest you meet for a beer, and do so 20 minutes later. Or you go to work, forget something, then nip home and collect it. Try doing that in Moscow.

Although, I am aware of the things that you mentioned because I saw the same situations when I lived there. The other group of expats that I found annoying were the complainers who of course never bothered to learn Russian.

Any big city is hard on a person, but Moscow is just worse. I think much of the frustration is caused by those heavy metro doors that are always trying to knock you down because no one gives enough of a damn to hold them open. They are a metaphor for life in Moscow.

Fortunately my wife, even though she is a Petersburger like Putin, can see through his bullshit a mile away. She doesn’t speak about him very often, but the other day she mentioned that over the last couple of years she has noticed a constant and often subtle campaign encompassing all forms of media – television, magazines, even books – to give Russians a strong national identity, the leader of which is Putin, who – like a Tsar – is granted semi-Godlike status and can do no wrong.

Personally, I prefer taking the line that a politician should be required each morning to justify to his electorate why they shouldn’t hang him from a lampost and skewer him with pitchforks. Idolising political leaders is never healthy for a country, it’s much better to remain sceptical and remind them whom is supposed to serve whom.

I find the missus a great help though we have big arguments about Putin, Chechnya, all that kind of stuff. You made a point before about ordinary Russians not connecting their troubles with their leaders -I’ve got that at home! Putin is a hero and thats it and any critical points made by me are shot down! I dont dislike Putin but he wouldnt have the approval rating he has here if he were in charge of Ireland or another western country. Reform of the army, war in the south, dependence on oil – none of these things are the fault of the Russian leader) He’s only responsible for the good things)
I think that years ago I managed fine on my own here but now I’d struggle a bit here -I seem to have weakened rather than strengthened as time goes by. I think though that it makes a big difference coming home to a family here – coming home to an empty flat in Moscow would be hard indeed.