What’s it like for expats in Russia?

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Settling into life in a new country requires time and energy. You are often dealing with a different culture, language, and climate while getting accustomed to your new home, job, neighborhood, school, and the local community. Attention and effort focus on dealing with mundane issues, learning new things, moving over your belongings and pets, and just trying to survive.

But, at a certain point you will begin to feel more settled. You will no longer think of yourself as having recently arrived. This is a wonderful time to seek out ways to broaden your experiences, become more fully involved in society, and enrich your daily life in whichever Russian city you choose.

Here are ten suggestions on how you might do just that. Regardless of how long you have been in Moscow or how long you intend to stay, these tips will help you flourish in your new surroundings.

Learn something new

A great way for expats in Russia to experience personal growth, maintain mental acuity and meet others is to take up something new. Learn a new language. Take an art class, or a course in writing, quilting or crafting. Start or continue your university education through individual courses or a specific program of study. Take up a musical instrument. Learn to cook Russian cuisine or your favourite foreign cuisine. You could do any of these activities elsewhere, but what makes the experience unique is doing them here.

Explore as a local, not a tourist

Expats certainly want to visit many of the popular places Russia is known for. But also try getting to know Moscow better by exploring different parts in day trips and short excursions. Don’t just visit those attractions that typically draw the tourist crowds. Deliberately seek out lesser known places and regions which provide more genuine perspectives of Russian life.

Expand your cultural horizons

Attending a cultural event works wonders for broadening one’s view of society and the world. Visit an art gallery, museum, cultural exhibit or the theater. Attend a book reading or a band, orchestra or choral concert. Fresh eyes and fresh experiences also bring fresh perspectives.

Celebrate holidays Russian style

Regardless of how long you’ve been here, you probably have a general sense of the various holidays the Russians celebrate. Rather than passively observing these holidays, consider participating more actively. Do as the Russians do.

Get active

Join a photography club, writing group, sewing circle. Sing in a choir or play your favorite instrument in a band. Support an organization or group whose cause or hobby you share. Attend services at your preferred house of worship. Join a chess, bridge, mahjong, or scrap-booking club. Get involved, meet new people.

Brush up on Russian politics, issues and history

Your knowledge of historical events, political concepts, and important societal issues in your own country helps provide context to current headlines. But that knowledge didn’t simply appear overnight. You learned about these topics in your homeland bit by bit, over time and in both formal and informal settings.

The same holds true for expats in Russia. One of the fastest and easiest ways to feel more connected to Russian society is to become familiar with this country’s history and current affairs. In addition to news programs, there are websites, local newspapers, and magazines available in English. Make an effort to learn about what’s going on and why. Seek the views of neighbors, colleagues, and friends. Ask them to help explain issues simply and in their own words.

Volunteer

Forge deeper connections to Moscow society by contributing your time and effort in making life better. Needs are always great and volunteer opportunities abound. Help out at a school, nursing home, food bank, soup kitchen, homeless shelter. Donate your time and skills to a non-profit or public interest group. Get involved and help out.

Boost your skillset

Whether your career brought you to Moscow, you are temporarily between jobs, taking a break from employment, plan to return to the job market in your previous occupation or in a related line of work, envision a change in careers or you just aren’t sure, it’s time to review your skillset. Spruce up your CV. Enhance your marketability through training. Keep abreast of the latest developments in your current or possible future field.

Learn what it takes to enter the local or international job market. Consider seeking career counseling or life coaching. Enhancing your skills while in Moscow not only offers insight into Russian and European business practices and perspectives, it also makes for a unique experience not replicated elsewhere.

Widen your circle

Certainly no two expats in Russia have identical experiences. However, sometimes job, school and housing choices result in expats living and socialising together. Whether intended or not, they may find themselves living virtually parallel lives to the Moscow population. The shared experiences among expats in Russia that bring them together is not to be underestimated. But it is also important to consider broadening your friendships to include others.

Invite your Russian (or other) neighbors over for coffee. Meet a new acquaintance for lunch. Entertain. Branch out and initiate friendship with others who don’t mirror you in age, nationality, or stage of life. Not only will you gain a friend or two, you’ll also see the world and yourself through different eyes.

Get out and about

Russians are wonderful at getting outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. When the sun is shining and the weather is gorgeous? Everyone seems to get into the act. Join a running group, a football club or other sports team in Russia. You’ll meet others and see the country from another perspective.

It might seem counter-intuitive to seek out new activities and adventures after having just gone through the challenging process of moving to a new country. Indeed at this point many expats in Russia are only too willing to settle into their daily routines. They may feel satisfied with living a relatively separate expat existence, comfortable with the notion of viewing themselves as guests in this country rather than full members of Moscow society. Some may even question how much more change they could possibly accommodate.

Yet this is precisely the time to dig deeper into the Moscow experience. The point isn’t change. It’s growth. When you go beyond surviving to thriving, you flourish and prosper. By trying some of the aforementioned tips, expats experience personal growth while they broaden their understanding and deepen their connections to the society they live in. This can only help to integrate expats more fully into their surroundings and the fabric of life in Russia.

These suggestions would certainly be beneficial to anyone having experienced the tumult of moving to and settling into a new place. But when that place happens to be in a foreign country, these efforts take on additional significance. By branching out into the community around you, you’re essentially expanding your personal horizons through the prism of Moscow society. You choose to become a part, rather than apart. The result is a fuller, more rewarding expat experience.