WOWRussia!

...I believe if you were not born in Russia, you consider Russia to be a far-far-far away country, located somewhere in Asia, with huge amount of deep forests, angry and hungry bears, drunk men in fur-hats (shapka-ushanka) and women wearing fur-coats...with crazy enterntainment and type of socialization: hunting, dancing with bears, fighting each other or simply drinking and when completely drunk singing old Russian songs or shooting guns...oh, forgot about Babushkas - truely National Heroine chics!

:) You've got it almost right...

Though there is something that you would never know, understand, feel as it is - Russian soul and inner world of any Russian human being...

I am glad that I was born in Russia...inspite of all the stories of Litvinenko's death, coruption, political jerks, cruelty of the passed times...Life is not simple...And the more difficult it is, the more creative and courageous you become...

Many people like to dig into Russia's 'dirty clothes'...well, if it is interesting, please do :) I myself prefer to stay out of topics I was not involved in as a participant or topics that make you argue without any final positive result (only leaving cultural offences)...

What I would like to do is to present you My Russia...My WOW Russia! Thanks to creative Russians for bringing http://www.wowrussia.com/ to live :)

Russia is the country of vast landscapes, vibrant life, beautiful contrasts, and interesting people. Taking an immense space of 9000 kilometers from west to east and 5000 from north to south, being home to people of so many different nationalities and customs, Russia is often called a "bridge" between Europe and Asia, both geographically and sociologically.

From the ancient times up to now, Russia has been changing and re-shaping itself, its boundaries, its culture. In the ancient times, the Slavs, Finn tribes, Tatars, had made their way through Russia, and this mix of many different nations and their traditions has defined the unique Russian character and culture.

Visiting Russia, you'll see neverending forests and lakes, scattered among them, gleaming little churches in Moscow and impressive imperors' palaces in St. Petersburg, all the modern attributes of "capitalist" world and old relics of communist times, hip crowds of young people and old babushkas (old women = grandmothers) and dedushkas (old men = grandfathers), proably wearing fur hats and coats in the snow (if you find any by now:) .

To us, it's all about this kind of differences, about constant change in Russia now, which makes it a very dynamic country with lots of energy and potential. Emerging market indeed! There has never been time in the Russian history, when it was still or calm, always there would be something like a revolution, an economy crisis, a war, as if to make life less predictable, and, perhaps, more interesting too.

Russia is in the heart... not on the screen... So, any time, please come to visit! If I be there, I would love to show the Real Russia to you ;)

P.S. Guess, I started to miss Russia...Espesially today, when Stas told me that he is going to Russia for bank holidays in May... :(