What Russians Think about America (Part 1): Willful Ignorance

The simplest and the most straightforward way to describe how Russians view the U.S. can be summed up in just two words: ignorance and envy.

The majority of Russian people know very little about the States, despite being exposed to a huge amount of American-made TV programs and movies, using American products from jeans to software and smartphones. They learn bits and pieces from (mostly) Russian TV programs about the U.S.A. that provide insufficient and somewhat skewed information. In their daily lives, Russians are inundated by all those negative reports they watch on TV. Russian audience is "conveniently" exposed to gruesome images of frequent shootings, police brutality, mass protests, American atrocities and acts of aggression in other countries. All in all, Russian TV portrays America as a big powerful bully that is out to get 'em. Remembering the fact that Russia suffered tremendous devastation during the World War 2, it is only logical for the Russian people to expect their president fulfills his one and only duty: to protect Russia from foreign invaders.

So, what are some of the myths about America and Americans that the majority of Russian people share and how did they come about?

More after the jump...




Those lucky few who get to visit the U.S. realize that life in the U.S. is not just about the shootings. They also realize that live in America is quite different from "Friends" and "The Big Bang Theory" that are somewhat popular among young Russians.

Below we will try to list some of the myths that the majority of Russian people share:

1. Most Americans are dumb.

It is hard to pinpoint the source of this notion. Possibly, it came from all those American TV programs, showing dumb people. However, the idea is very widespread. Making jokes about "dumb Americans" is common in newspapers, magazines, on TV, and in real life. One of the reasons why it is so popular is because Russians desperately need to raise their self-esteem. With people like Sveta from Ivanovo (a not-so-bright yet very popular interview subject), they have something to fear.

2. Most Americans cannot read maps.

Russians believe that Americans are horrible when it comes to geography. They think that if you give an average American a map, s/he won't know what to do with it. Russians are proud of their ability to find most European countries on the map.

Even though that American education does not emphasize explicit knowledge of map skills, Americans can find South Dakota and Wyoming, something an average Russian won't be able to do. Americans are used to seeing the U.S. map more. They seldom have the need to find certain European countries on the map so their exposure to European maps is somewhat limited.

3. Education in Russia is better than in America. An average Americans can't read or do the math.

American schools are not the best in the word, it is a given and everybody knows that. However, Russian schools are not much better and in some areas even worse (as of now). Source

If you look at the scores, they clearly indicate that Russia is #37 in the world according to reputable international tests, way lower than Estonia, Poland, Vietnam, Slovenia and even Latvia. Source

The U.S. is beyond comparison when we examine higher education closely. All of the Ivy League colleges are, in fact, American, where the best educational institution in Russia (the Moscow State University) is ranked somewhere in the 400s. Source 

4. Americans think that there are bears on the streets of Moscow.

Russians believe that Americans know very little about other countries. They think that Americans view Russians as barbarians who have nothing better to do than drink vodka and watch bears roaming the streets. They think that the way Americans see Russia is skewed and lopsided.

5. The world would be a better place without America.

Many Russians express this thought in their blogs or comments. Some even state that America is the root of all evil.
The funny thing is, the same very people also wear jeans and post their comments on the Internet using Microsoft software or iPhones. Little do they know, they wouldn't be able to paste their comments if it weren't for American inventions.

To be continued...