For a while I have thought about going to Russia.
But I’ve procrastinated the trip for a long time. And it’s not because of the “tense” relations between the U.S. and Russia in recent years.
I could care less about the politics. In fact, the politics really bore me.
No, my hesitation was merely due to the visa application process.
I don’t like paperwork, so filing a bunch of forms with a foreign government really doesn’t appeal to me!
But I’m happy to report I received my 3 year Russian visa a few weeks ago.
And come mid-June I will be visiting Russia for about 3 months.
Pretty crazy right?
When I told my sister this, she responded with, “Isn’t Russia corrupt?”
I actually had a good laugh about that (which I’ll discuss later) as corruption is a very relative term.
Anyways, I wanted to write up this blog post discussing why I’m visiting Russia this summer.
1. Isn’t Russia Corrupt?
Alright, let’s talk about corruption in Russia, which is one of the big fears many people have when it comes to traveling to this country.
When my sister said Russia was corrupt I kind of laughed a little bit.
Yes, Russia is corrupt. But I’ve found that corruption is a relative term (and typically doesn’t impact tourists).
Russia is ranked 138th in the world on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), right next to Mexico.
Clearly my sister hasn’t been to many Latin American countries or cities, especially in Mexico – where bribery (especially of government officials) is present at some level.
In fact a few years ago, my friends and I bribed our way out of both a speeding ticket and DUI in Cancun. I’m not really proud of the later mistake, but that’s a story for another day.
Even in the U.S. bribery is pretty commonplace – just take a look at the college admission scandals.
And if you look deeper into the history of Hollywood, you’ll see similar trends.
Anyways, yes, Russia can be a little corrupt, but from what I’ve read and researched online, the country is generally safe.
Just exercise common sense safety standards.
In fact, Russia is the 9th most visited country in the word by tourists – admittedly, most of those tourists are from neighboring countries in Europe.
However, Russia is pretty safe – just don’t do anything stupid.
2. Love The History
If you love history, you’ll love Russia.
I’ve been reading up on Russia from the reign of the Tsars to the Soviet times.
Russia has a long and super interesting history. And best of all? You can experience it all with all the museums, kremlins, and historical sights.
In fact, Russia is home to 28 UNESCO heritage sites. Pretty incredible, right?
I used to think history was super boring in school – but it was taught in a classroom.
Those classes could put you to sleep in a matter of minutes!
But history in real life (as an adult) is super interesting. And one of the reasons is you can see all the stuff you read about in books in real life.
I’m planning on visiting many of the cool historic sites in Russia’s biggest city, including the Kremlin in Moscow and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.
3. Beautiful Scenery
When I say Russia what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
When many people think about Russia they think about snow and winter almost instantly.
While it’s true that much of Russia is a frozen tundra during the winter months, during the summer it is actually very nice.
And it just so happens that I’ll be going for the summer! I’m not sure I can handle a Russian winter.
I mean I handled a winter in Banff pretty well, but I hear Russian winters (especially in Siberia) are a totally different animal.
Speaking of Siberia…it’s one of the places I’m going to!
Well, more specifically I want to check out Lake Baikal. I have heard Siberia is absolutely beautiful in the summer.
Just Google search “Siberia Summer” and you’ll see beautiful landscapes that would give Iceland, Greenland, the U.S. and Canada a run for their money.
Siberia is vast and much more beautiful than you could ever imagine.
Lake Baikal is one of the stops on my journey that I’m most looking forward to on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
If you’re an adventure lover, a summer in Siberia would probably be a dream for you.
4. Media Doesn’t Portray Them Well
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few years, tensions between the U.S. and Russia have been pretty tense.
In fact, you could argue that things have never been worse since the Cold War.
That’s one of the reasons why I want to visit Russia.
I know…I sound pretty crazy, right? But I don’t like it when the media tries to feed you propaganda.
In fact, many people have questioned about my trip to Russia based on things they have heard in the news or even worse stuff they’ve seen in movies (Russian spies and all).
I want to see Russia for myself to form my own opinions about the country.
No billionaire media propaganda is going to feed me opinions!
And you know what? I’ve always gotten along great with Russians for some reason.
I have many Russian friends in the states and some of them are my great friends.
They’re easy to get along with and incredibly loyal people.
5. It’s Foreign To Americans
I have to admit, the more “foreign” or “forbidden” a place is, the more I want to visit it.
In 2016, only about 40,000 Russian tourist visas were approved for American travelers.
That’s great in my opinion. Most people don’t apply to Russia because of the annoying Visa process.
But surprise! The U.S. Visa process is even more complex and annoying for our foreign friends. Just be glad that you’ve never had to deal with that kind of bureaucracy.
Anyways, I love it that so many Americans haven’t been to Russia. To be honest, when I travel, I don’t really want to meet anyone “like me.”
Sounds pretty crazy, right? But I just want to immerse myself with the locals and see how they live and even experience a little of it.
That’s why I’m always so surprised when people go to places like Cabo or Cancun in Mexico.
You’re literally just at a beach with a bunch of other gringos. That’s fun for maybe a short weekend, but not to experience the culture.
I’d much rather go to a real city, like Guadalajara.
That’s not truly traveling for me. I want to experience Russian culture, history, and the food.
I’ve read a lot about the history and culture, but I haven’t had much experience with the food. So that’s something I’m super excited about.
Final Thoughts On Visiting Russia
Overall, I’m super excited about my choice of visiting Russia this summer.
I can’t wait to experience the history, culture, and food. And it’ll be nice to explore so much of the country.
I’m going from West to East so it’ll be the biggest trip of my life.
And best of all? I’ll be in Russia for my Birthday!
I have a little thing where I go to an international destination for my birthday every year. And this year will be no different 🙂