>>2051515I've noticed the shithole tendencies and I have only spent two months of my life in Russia, most of it /out/ to boot, but the picture didn't seem quite as bleak to me as you painted it. Without romanticizing it - I've seen some of what you mention with my own eyes - I did find there was a good bit of culture still being preserved by the people themselves, and we encountered a lot of genuine kindness, especially when it turned out we spoke basic Russian.
Roughly speaking, I was most pleasantly surprised by two groups: those who don't live on their phones, and those who read. The men that dragged us into their minivan were part of those, and my guide on Elbrus who turned out to be an astrophysicist would also be a good example. Honourable mention goes to former USSR citizens, despite them not being all that popular in Russia, even if I realize this group is also probably overrepresented in mafia circles.
So yeah, definite shithole tendencies, but also some positives, even if these don't come from the government.
