Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

If someone says to you that Russia is a dejected place with dull people and a variety of problems, take a closer look before believing everything you hear. Look carefully, Russia is different.

Her critics will point to the political instability, economic inequalities and probably even throw in alcoholism (vodka is in their blood, huh?). I won’t deny, there are certain problems, but there will always be, no matter whether we are talking about Russia or any other country in the world.

But the most amazing thing about Russia is the people who live there. The people of a nation raise hope for a better future.

Some time ago I read a story about Muscovites, which ended up concluding that “Moscow is for the sad”. I do not agree with this author, as every time I visit Russia, I meet friendly, cheerful people, who are open-minded and ready to help.

Apart from that, recently I made another discovery about how quickly the young generation of recent graduates turn into highly-skilled professionals. Unlike the infantile Europeans who only get started in their mid-thirties, young Russians build a successful career in their mid-twenties. Consistency of ambition is the engine for progress. There are artists, painters, musicians, designers, journalists, photographers, who have a very good chance to be at the top of their profession in less than a decade.

In this issue we have gathered together some successful people who have already achieved great results in their different spheres of life: businessmen Yevgeny Chichvarkin (p.6); painter Vladimmir Ovchinnikov (p.10); film director Stanley Kubrick (p.14); pianist Nikolai Lugansky (p.16); actor and singer Vladimir Vysotsky (p.21). These and many more personalities, who appear on RM’s pages, prove that Russia is different due to the people that live there. It all depends from which angle you look at the country and whether you want to see this difference or not. There will always be a question “Is the glass half empty or half full?” And looking at modern Russia I would say it is “Half full".

Best

Olga Kudriavtseva