Hello!
Today, I am sharing an interview about living in Moscow, the capital of Russia. My guest in this blog post, which is full of content, is dear Diplomat Lady Hatice Kübra. I had the opportunity to meet her during my internship experience at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During that process, she shared her valuable advice about her profession and life with me. After completing her undergraduate education in Ankara, she continued her educational process with a master’s degree. Hatice Kübra, who had the opportunity to get to know different cultures, especially South Korea, closely during her education, is now representing our country at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Moscow. In this interview, we talked to her about life in Russia, the cultural dynamics of the country, the routine differences of its people, and the difficulties and conveniences of living abroad. This interview, which I think can inspire individuals who are interested in the largest country in the world in terms of surface area, may be able to answer many questions in their minds. Enjoy your reading!
Welcome, Ms. Hatice Kübra! First of all, thank you for accepting my invitation and participating in this interview. We are in the winter months now, and the temperatures in Moscow must be minus degrees below zero. How do the cold weather conditions affect life in Russia?
Dear Ahsen, it is a great pleasure for me to have this conversation with such a bright young Turkish girl like you. In the past few weeks, the temperature in Moscow dropped to -30 degrees Celsius. It was really unbelievably cold and hard to breathe. The only negative thing about Moscow for me is the winter conditions. It is a long wintertime in this beautiful city. In this season, it is mostly overcast and the wind makes the cold even more bitter. But still, Moscow is a beautiful city under the snow, it’s a postcard! People are used to the cold weather, but it was quite difficult for us to get used to it at first. We couldn’t go out without underwear and warm clothes, but I think we are used to it now! It is not that cold as long as you know how to dress. All the buildings here are centrally heated and the heaters are on all the time during the winter months. So you don’t feel the winter cold at all indoors. The subway network is also very developed, so when you are outside, it usually doesn’t take too long, as soon as the wind blows, we immediately throw ourselves into the subway station. 🙂
Experiencing life in Russia, especially in Moscow, sounds so appealing. Based on the dynamics of Russian society, what kind of sociocultural profile can we talk about in terms of daily routines and the general flow of life?
Unfortunately, I had prejudices about Russia and Russians before coming here. What is reflected to us on social media or in the news is that Russians are generally so distant, cold people. As someone who has been living in Moscow for about 1.5 years, I can say that this is not true at all. On the contrary, Russians are open to help and love to chat; they just prefer to be a bit distant at first with people they don’t know, which is understandable. Russians are so active and cultured people in social life. It is always possible to see long queues in front of theaters and concert buildings. Despite the freezing cold weather, everyone from seven to seventy follows cultural events closely in this beautiful city. You can see police cars on every corner of the big streets. It is quite comfortable to live here as long as you follow the rules to the letter. People enjoy long walks and sports. It is not surprising to see tons of uncles and aunts over sixty years old walking even in the snow. 🙂
Sports are a big part of these people’s lives. Especially in winter, sports like ice skating and ice hockey are so popular. Cute Russian children with tiny blonde hair and blue eyes are skating so well that they look like professional ice skaters. Of course, the awareness of parents is a very big factor here. In Moscow, parents are generally very interested in their children. Children become accustomed to harsh winter conditions at an early age, families do not overburden them and create personal space for them to do their own work. As a result, children become self-confident and learn to grow up independently.
When you make a general assessment of your time there, were there any issues that caught your attention in terms of cultural or daily routines that you said, “This situation surprised me!”?
I had problems with the language when I first arrived. Even in the most central parts of Moscow, the number of people who can speak English is very limited. Even university students are very shy about English, but I cannot say the same about being helpful. Even though the language was a problem, I was able to get a lot of things done by using body language. 🙂
Another thing is that women are always very well groomed, regardless of the sector. From the working women shoveling snow to the women at the buffet selling newspapers and magazines, they all pay a lot of attention to their personal care in this country. Once, when we were waiting for our turn in front of the Kremlin Theater, there was a lady in front of us, over 70 years old, with her hair done, her nails carefully painted, and a thick fur coat that was a great protection for the cold weather. I couldn’t stop myself from admiring her, I can’t lie. 🙂 This is actually an admirable situation. Caring for oneself and taking care of one’s personal care is very valuable in both personal and professional relationships.
The idea of settling abroad, even temporarily, means moving away from the environment one is used to. Considering our differences and similarities, is Russia a country where adaptation problems can be high for individuals migrating from Türkiye?
Actually, no. Russia is a highly developed country where you can find almost everything you need. I had the opportunity to see different cities during my stay here. Even though Moscow has much more developed facilities than other cities, the country and the people are able to survive on their own. Unfortunately Russian is not an easy language for us to learn. It is quite different both in pronunciation and grammatical structure. However, especially in Moscow, there are many Russian citizens from Central Asia. You can see these people in almost every sector. Turkish has become very important and popular in Central Asia where Turkic languages are spoken. In most grocery stores, the cashiers are people from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan who came to Russia hoping to start a new life. When we speak Turkish among ourselves, they immediately recognize us and greet us. Thanks to these people who can speak understandable Turkish, living in Moscow has become much easier for us. Russian culture is a culture where art and literature are important. People spend their free time visiting museums and going to concerts & theaters. This is actually an admirable situation. This country, where there are many museums and ruins even in small cities, is not a very difficult place for us Turkish people to get used to, except for the harsh winter conditions. As long as you follow the rules, life will not be too challenging for you.
When making a decision to live abroad, the first thing that comes to mind is language. Compared to Turkish, what kind of language structure does Russian have and how has this shaped your learning process?
As I mentioned above, it is not easy for us to learn. The correct pronunciation of the word is very important. The words that have the same spelling but can have very different meanings are not few at all. I take online Russian lessons on the weekends. It was quite difficult for me at first, but since Russian is constantly spoken around me, it became more understandable over time. It is useful to be patient. 🙂
How is your relationship with Russian cuisine Ms. Hatice Kübra? Are there similar flavors to our Anatolian cuisine?
I have found a few flavors in Russian cuisine that I particularly like. Borscht is one of them. Made with beets, onions, beef, and carrots, this soup is both delicious and nutritious. I learned to make it myself, and definitely prepare borscht every two weeks. 🙂On cold winter days, the soup especially warms you up in this country. Apart from borscht, there are meat and vegetable-based soups that we can easily consume. Russian cuisine is also very influenced by Central Asia. It is possible to find Central Asian flavors such as Uzbek pilaf and Five Fingers in most restaurants. In addition, there are many Turkish restaurants in Moscow. When we miss the flavors of our homeland, it is good to go and eat lahmacun or a bowl of lentil soup from time to time.
Russian architecture attracts a lot of attention worldwide. Especially the Moscow metro is one of the most popular buildings in terms of design. Were you also impressed when you first saw it?
Absolutely! I never get bored waiting for the metro 🙂 Time passes quickly by examining the walls and admiring the ceilings. Soviet architecture is really impressive. Stone buildings with wide ceilings appear on every street. The Russian people, who pay special attention to so old buildings, regularly restore these buildings. Even the inside of ordinary-looking buildings can sometimes look like a palace! The high-ceiling architecture allows the living space to be more spacious and bright. By the way, the subway usually comes every 1.5 minutes 🙂 In the morning hours this time drops to 45 seconds, while later in the evening it can be up to 5 minutes. Moscow is a place where driving is not really necessary; the metro takes you everywhere!
Considering today’s conditions, the Russia-Ukraine war has gone beyond the expected framework and the tension continues to increase. What are your observations on the repercussions of the war on Russian society?
Unfortunately, the war has affected everyone and everything. In December 2021, when we first arrived in Moscow, the streets were much more colorful and crowded. The war has also changed the face of this beautiful city. There are fewer people in the center than before. The prices we see on the labels in the markets are getting higher every day; the cost of living has become a serious problem. Moscow has always been an expensive city, with rents and luxury goods being more expensive than in the average European capital. But in the last year, unfortunately, life has become even more expensive. The tension and restlessness of the people are evident on their faces. Almost everyone, regardless of political affiliation, has adopted this mood of war. A few days ago, while waiting in line at the supermarket, a middle-aged, educated lady, who I thought was Turkish, told me in a few words of English that the war had affected Russia very negatively and that they were actually a much more beautiful and peaceful society. The sadness and anxiety in her voice were reflected on her face. She was desperate enough to say this to a complete stranger.
Finally, could you tell us about the social activities organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Moscow for our citizens living in that country?
Our Embassy celebrates all holidays and important days in Turkey with the participation of Turkish citizens living here. We, both as employees of the Embassy and as representatives of our country, actively participate in all events and try to do our best to celebrate our holidays more efficiently and enthusiastically. The Yunus Emre Cultural Foundation, which operates in coordination with our Embassy, has also assumed a very important role in the promotion of Turkish Culture and Language in Russia. The Foundation organizes activities such as Turkish language courses at all levels, competitions, picnics, and movie days. Thanks to the Foundation, I had the opportunity to meet many Russian citizens who speak Turkish at an advanced level; they all expressed their satisfaction and appreciation for the opportunity to learn Turkish culture and language. Last but not least, the Russian-Turkish Businessmen’s Association is an organization established under the leadership of our esteemed businessmen based in Moscow, which is actively engaged in activities and cooperates with the Embassy in almost all kinds of events.
- I am so delighted for myself that we had this pleasant conversation and I hope it will be useful for a lot of people. Thank you once again for accepting my invitation!
I am also very pleased, thank you. I hope everyone has the opportunity to visit this beautiful city one day. Love to you.
