Expat Family Life in Russia

Background

I came to the Soviet Union for the first time as a single high school student on a cultural exchange program in 1990. It could have been named more appropriately a cultural SHOCK program- coming from California, the Moscow of 1990 was a city filled with incomprehensible things to the average teenage American mind...limited food options, no advertisements, no seats nor doors on the school toilets...Nevertheless, I left the country after a few weeks smitten with the intensity of the people, of the weather, of the contrasts and depth. Leaving the airport, despite the glare from the immigration officer and her menacing Kalashnikov gun, I somehow knew I’d be back.

On my second trip to Russia, I took the train from Helsinki to St. Petersburg in 1993 to meet up with my fiancé, whom I had met initially in the exchange program. We married in January, 1994 and began our hybrid American-Russian family life in a studio apartment by the Moscow State University- a “cozy place with all the comforts.” Unknown to me at the time, it was (and still is, although the recent economic boom has made it possible for more young couples to buy or lease their own space) unusual for young couples to have their own apartment- most live with either his family or her family, at least for the first few years. We navigated life in Moscow for a year before moving back to the United States where we lived for the following years. When our daughter was two years old, we realized that she would not be fluent in the Russian language, nor would she fully experience Russian culture living in our neighborhood in the southern U.S. The economic outlook was improving in Russia, my husband’s family was eager for us to be near them and since we love challenge, adventure and the world hadn’t exploded with the coming of Y2K, we decided to move back. So with a Rottweiler, a Siamese cat, a two year old and six suitcases, we returned to a drastically different Moscow. Different from that of my husband’s childhood, different from 1990, 1993... one trait of the city is constant change. Moscow is dynamic- living in Russia, you need to:

• expect the unexpected (have plans, back-up plans and contingency plans for the back-up plans that fail!)

• be creative, inventive and resourceful

• have a sense of humor

• be flexible

• appreciate the absurd

• don’t search for logic where none is to be found

• don’t let the weather be an excuse for unhappiness

• attempt to learn & practise (often from your children, as they are better at this!) as much of the language as possible
  

essentially, many of the same things you need in ANY country!

Moscow is a huge metropolitan city- one of the world’s most expensive and one of the largest. It is very densely populated- something that you must be prepared to accept. If you have not lived in such a city before, this can be distracting, in Moscow, your personal/private space while out and about is the six inches around you!

Moscow has all the advantages and disadvantages that a metropolis offers. Art, history and cultural events are plentiful. There is a wide variety of sports facilities, theaters, movie theaters, art galleries, restaurants, clubs, and shops.

Moscow is the financial, political and cultural capital of a rapidly changing society. There is an enormous amount of poverty and an unfathomable amount of wealth. It is still considered a “hardship” post by many embassies and companies. The average expat stay is only around two-three years, which can be sad for those of us who remain for longer. I hope that the information listed here will help you make your decision, or assist you and your family if you are already Russia-bound!

What to Bring/What to Leave Behind

Household Necessities

Even if your apartment or home will be furnished, it will not be stocked with all of the household items you will need. I recommend leaving most of your furniture at your home of record, if possible, as shipping and customs can be cumbersome, especially for antiques or valuable items. You will need curtains or blinds that shut out the light in summer and let the maximum amount of light in during the winter. These are available for purchase or custom-order here.

Most people still ship their kitchen and house wares, but now almost all items can be purchased in Moscow and other major Russian cities. There are furniture stores located throughout the country, and the prices are generally comparable to stores in North America and the U.K. In some major cities, there are also home supply stores that carry tools, plants and other household items. Appliance stores for TV’s, electronics, small appliances, and phones are numerous.

Shipping your personal belongings by air as unaccompanied luggage is not recommended because of the difficulties involved with customs clearance and the complicated process of retrieving unaccompanied luggage from the airport warehouses.

Appliances are 220 volts. Unless you bring a transformer, you may simply want to buy your 220V appliances here. If you are coming from a non-metric country, you will want to bring an oven thermometer, measuring spoons and cups to help you when cooking. Ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines are usually smaller in size than those in North America.