By KMorris117
Politics in Russia: everyone wants to know about them, no one wants to talk about them. With the recent explosions in St. Petersburg and the most current developments regarding US-Russian relations, it is a topic that we often don’t want to bring up in conversation. It is a topic that I, both with my lack of Russian vocabulary and even my inability to access all honest media reports, rarely feel comfortable discussing with my Russian host family and friends.
To start, I want to point out/reiterate to my family (and maybe the only ones reading this) that I have never felt unsafe as an American in this country. Sure, crossing the border has gotten a bit tougher. There are often a lot of questions, but thankfully my Russian is mediocre enough to be able to answer them accurately. And very rarely are these questions coming from a place of suspicion or distrust; rather, they are normally from a place of curiosity or intrigue. I have been the first US passport some border-control men have seen, and they are often interested in why I am studying there. And although gingers are not the most common thing in Russia, my appearance doesn’t scream “American” or “Outsider” when I am walking down the street. I have run into very, very few problems with being an American here, and I feel safe in this country.
That being said, being an American in Russia has been the most unique experience I could have asked for, mostly because of the perspective it provides when I am learning or talking to people about contemporary Russian politics. And while I don’t want to go into too much detail while still using Russian Wi-Fi (kidding, sort of) I can say this: there are people in Russia who fall on all sides of the spectrum. I have met people who are supporters of every major party, major Russian and/or Soviet politician, and feel differently about all major domestic and foreign issues.
While there is definitely a majority whom I do not personally agree with, there are also so many people here who do not fall into that category and are not satisfied with the status quo. And these people, although their frustrated voices may sometimes seem suppressed, are not staying quiet. And this is the most exciting thing for me as an international relations student. My professors and many of their students are not afraid to find the flaws and the fraud within their current system. They are learning, working, writing, teaching, and traveling around the world with the intention of making their country successful, their government honest, and their political regime democratic.
To be frank, it is not what I expected coming here. I truly expected everyone to think the same or at least accept what has now become the status quo. But this is a large country with a large population, and there are so many different ideas and discussions regarding the overall improvement of Russia. It’s refreshing, it’s motivating, and it makes me even more excited to enter into the field of international relations.