Has your relationship changed towards Russians ?

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when I was younger for a period I went out with Russians.
IMO they're funny and respectful of others, I remember having a lot of fun.
The only thing I couldn't stand was the shots of vodka during dinner...
I never made it to dessert :ROFLMAO:
 
Ordinary Russians - it hasn't changed. When I was over there some were strongly anti-western but still personally at least "OK". Some very guarded - suspicious, you could say, arguably with justification. I never noticed anyone from here or there thinking the other lot were born evil.
Of course it's as Robinbanks said, so you feel more or less sorry for their predicament as they can't vote their government out or get uncensored news.
There has always been an overwhelming distrust of any Russian authorities, now at a new low. I haven't heard any sentiments of any Russians supporting Putin, 1st or 50th hand. Those who might have probably decided to shut up.
 
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I've met some great Russians. Bloke who works in my local chippy is Russian and a good sort, and his chips are the best. I have never broached the subject of Ukraine with him as I don't want to put him on the spot - it's his business what he thinks of Putin and the war. I just keep it to "easy on the vinegar, comrade" and "do svidaniya" as I leave. Have also met some great Russians on the p!$$ in Prague, etc - happy to ply me with their vodka and letting me tuck into their roast pork knee. However, on the whole many Russians can be quite bone-headed and unnecessaily aggressive. Their roads are lethal and many drive like maniacs - their brains numbed by vodka and the brutal cold of Russian winters that last about 10 months. Slightest provocation and they are ready to fight each other - fists are popular, but many Ladas, Volgas, etc seem to come equipped with baseball bats as standard. They are good at fighting - Hitler found this out to his cost. The Ukraine war hasn't altered my opinions about Russian people.
 
No, not at all. Politicians and journalists are the bad guys, the common people are generally good.
 
I suspect that she reveals her birth nationality with some apprehension which in itself creates tension and awkwardness. People are just picking up on a vibe that she may well have unintentionally created.
 
It's probably more than a vibe. My wife is non-British and experiences a lot of xenophobia, and her country is a peaceful one.
Most recent was being interrogated by 2 women hairdressers about her right to live and work in the UK. She's been here 25 years, is a British citizen, has family and paid more tax than the average hairdresser, but yet they still felt it was ok to ask a lot of personal questions and a not very pleasant manner. Needless to say, that's another hairdressers struck off the list!

Some people are just nasty towards all foreigners, but especially nasty if for a moment they think they have a reason, eg. Russians, Muslims, refugees that might be criminals etc.
 
It's probably more than a vibe. My wife is non-British and experiences a lot of xenophobia, and her country is a peaceful one.
Most recent was being interrogated by 2 women hairdressers about her right to live and work in the UK. She's been here 25 years, is a British citizen, has family and paid more tax than the average hairdresser, but yet they still felt it was ok to ask a lot of personal questions and a not very pleasant manner. Needless to say, that's another hairdressers struck off the list!

Some people are just nasty towards all foreigners, but especially nasty if for a moment they think they have a reason, eg. Russians, Muslims, refugees that might be criminals etc.
Where do you live???
I'm a foreigner and never had such trouble.
Apart from the police...
 
I've met some great Russians. Bloke who works in my local chippy is Russian and a good sort, and his chips are the best. I have never broached the subject of Ukraine with him as I don't want to put him on the spot - it's his business what he thinks of Putin and the war. I just keep it to "easy on the vinegar, comrade" and "do svidaniya" as I leave. Have also met some great Russians on the p!$$ in Prague, etc - happy to ply me with their vodka and letting me tuck into their roast pork knee. However, on the whole many Russians can be quite bone-headed and unnecessaily aggressive. Their roads are lethal and many drive like maniacs - their brains numbed by vodka and the brutal cold of Russian winters that last about 10 months. Slightest provocation and they are ready to fight each other - fists are popular, but many Ladas, Volgas, etc seem to come equipped with baseball bats as standard. They are good at fighting - Hitler found this out to his cost. The Ukraine war hasn't altered my opinions about Russian people.
Thank you for your great response. And yet for some reason my wife always gets asked what she thinks of Putin and Russian internal politics and she has no clue as she hasn’t lived there since she was a child.

It’s funny you should mention driving, we live in the village and obviously surrounded by single carriageways and small B roads, whenever her parents come over they are terrified it always ****es me off because they claim how dangerous the roads are even though I’m going like 40-50 mph…
 
It's probably more than a vibe. My wife is non-British and experiences a lot of xenophobia, and her country is a peaceful one.
Most recent was being interrogated by 2 women hairdressers about her right to live and work in the UK. She's been here 25 years, is a British citizen, has family and paid more tax than the average hairdresser, but yet they still felt it was ok to ask a lot of personal questions and a not very pleasant manner. Needless to say, that's another hairdressers struck off the list!

Some people are just nasty towards all foreigners, but especially nasty if for a moment they think they have a reason, eg. Russians, Muslims, refugees that might be criminals etc.
That’s awful I’m sorry to hear that. Luckily we have never experienced that.
 
The Russian I know best , over a period, lives in Caifornia. Her anti-Putin rants overwhelm any conversation. She makes you feel lucky to be born in the west and be able to rant at him if you want to. It sounds extreme until you hear her family history - awful. You have a problem? NO, she will tell you, you haven't!
 
I suspect that she reveals her birth nationality with some apprehension which in itself creates tension and awkwardness. People are just picking up on a vibe that she may well have unintentionally created.
yes I agree, I can just see her freeze when people suddenly ask her where she is from as an off topic question.
 
However, after Russian invasion of Ukraine, she feels like the Brits changed their relationship towards Russian Citizens, even though she lived here for 15 years, and totally against war. However, I can see she is very self concious now, always hesitant to say where she is from originally and feels that even our neighbours have changed their relationship towards her.

I judge people as individuals, irrespective of their colour, or where they are from - they are individuals in my mind. I can hate Russians as a race, without hating the individuals of the race and yes, I've met a few.
 
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