A return to Russia?

With not being certain about whether Lily and I will stay in the UK long-term.. or even short-term, it got me thinking about whether I'd ever return to Russia to live...

Russia-bound?

I view my time in Russia, for all the problems, hard work and challenges there, as the best four years of my life. I tried to learn Russian and to immerse myself in the culture as much as I could with the language that I had, gaining a vast array of wonderful and ludicrous experiences. I participated in the seemingly absurd, as often generated by Russians as by native speaking English teachers. By opening myself up to possibilities, I opened my eyes and came out mentally stronger and more insightful (though I did draw the line at trying a cake made of alternating layers of liver and mayonnaise). Professionally, I set my targets high and met them and survived moments of  months of scream out loud frustration at work... so much hair-pulling, there's little wonder my hairline receded faster than the river ice in late spring, but I look back now and laugh. I got married to a Russian and was so warmly welcomed in to the family. Russia and russianness have become a part of me and my surrounds - habits, food, music, films, reading (and don't tell Lily, but even some of the humour) .... and combined with my wider interest in culture, sociology and world affairs, it's why I write this blog.

There are clearly reasons to go back. There is family (and friends) there and those family responsibilities could one day mean a return. We have even discussed the idea of going to Russia for a year or two so that our (future) kids could experience the country, the language and education (less valued internationally than UK education yet far more demanding, but that's a another post sometime).

Our past experiences of Russia are mainly good. Who wouldn't want to return to a place with positive associations for them?

Lily and I both work in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language, i.e. to people whose first language is not English) and that means we have the qualifications and skills to travel and work worldwide and, being only human, yes... we'd go where the money is, including Russia. However, the Russian economy is not in the best shape right now (understatement alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and that has hit language schools over there: foreign teachers whose salaries are in Roubles have seen the value of their earning halved in the last year and many of those who had contracts fixing salaries to dollars or euros have been made redundant as schools can no longer afford them. Additionally, Lily wouldn't get the premium pay for foreigners back in Russia.

The fact that we've had positive experiences in the past doesn't mean that they would be repeated: Russian management can be somewhat 'slippery' when honouring contracts (the voice of personal experience) and one could expect a heavy workload for the money and we've had enough contractual issues in the UK and unstable/ unpredictable/ undesirable working conditions here to make us wary of jumping back into such an work environment in Russia. It is also fair to say that what once suited us may not be right for us now and there are also other places to explore.

Russia is a different place from 2008... and not for the better. The economic situation is unstable and the cost of living has gone up dramatically since then while wages in the TEFL industry haven't. Also, as a teacher, I've always tried to be honest in building up a rapport with students - good teachers ask a lot of questions of their students to generate language and that might mean students producing answers that might reveal something personal about themselves in front of others, so in a sense making themselves slightly vulnerable. I think that teachers should be prepared to reciprocate, within reason obviously... 'What did you do at the weekend?' 'Went clubbing, drank 2 bottles of vodka and 14 shots, went home, did a couple of lines of coke, got a couple of prostitutes, woke up naked up a tree' (a bad idea... to reveal it, that is). The 'foreigner factor' can engage students - it's a feature which can spark curiosity and debate. While never telling students, "you're wrong", I've been prepared to disagree or put across an opposite opinion, even if for the sake of playing devil's advocate to generate language practice. Students often ask about my/ typical British attitudes to life, to the world or to issues and I don't know now whether I could answer students' questions as honestly or discuss as openly as before and that would make me seem more guarded, potentially creating a barrier and not an environment to be working in.

As for taking kids to Russia to live, does the intolerance preached by the government and church make it a good place to raise children? Such organisations should act as moral guides and, if they think that their stance against western decadence (women doing anything than being baby factories or, ahem, 'non-standard family living arrangements') is enlightened, I don't really want children exposed to that in thought or deed.


Time has moved on... we have changed, as has Russia. As one door closes, so they say, another one opens. No one is actually closing that door, but the other doors offer better, more secure possibilities where we can provide for ourselves and family in a better environment - safer, more relaxed and more comfortable. Never say never, but it's not at the top of our list, not even close.

Boney M... surprisingly (and still ridiculously) popular in Russia.

Oh, oh got a one way ticket to the blues

Nooooooooo!!!!