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In reply to the discussion: Russia demands $3.8bn security deposit from Visa and Mastercard [View all]steve2470
(37,461 posts)I was in Moscow in 1989 when Gorbachev and perestroika were in effect. The ONLY people who seemed happy and smiling were the young people. Anyone over, say, 30 was dour and grim and doing their best to go about their day.
I know things are different now than 25 years ago, but supposedly that was a GOOD period in Russia. Things were liberalizing. Putin seems to be reverting back to quasi-Soviet times. I think the people who demonstrate in public are very very brave, especially if they are confronting the regime. Even in 1989, I know for a fact that the KGB monitored my visit due to my being an American tourist. We were required to have a humorless guy go along on our tour. The hall monitor lady had to call someone to inform them we were leaving the hotel. If it was like THAT in 1989, I can imagine how things are now.
Before someone scolds me, I'm not trying to say Russia is 100% inferior to the USA. The Russian people were good to us and seemed quite decent. However, you can't really understand the place if you haven't been there. I have. I'll stay here, thank you very much.