In the first 2 decades of the 21st century, half of Russian society had a alternatively good view of Poland, and now we have a reputation worse even than the United States and Ukraine. However, the opinions of average citizens not so much reflect their individual experiences and thoughts, but are a faithful reflection of the Kremel propaganda. The Russians who met Poland developed their own opinion about it.
A couple of young people, Lena and Sasha, moved in 4 years ago. – Life in Poland changed us Cardinally – They say.
* * Oh, * *
– The first event that changed me, took place precisely on the first day of stay in Poland – She remembers Sasha. Pandemic, they're both in quarantine. – At 10 am, a police officer calls the flat and asks about my health: “How are you feeling?” It was truly weird due to the fact that after Russia, the police associated me with scaring and beating, not caring.
* * Oh, * *
– Staying in Poland encouraged Lena to take care of wellness and condition. – I didn't like sports, it was a hard thing for me. Here, erstwhile you see joggers, cyclists, people walking in parks full families, you want to practice sports. They started running. – I've never had a motivation for this before – Says Sasha. – It's due to the places around us, due to the fact that there's quite a few moving paths, parks, beautiful places that encourage you to decision out of the house. Before that, sports was not peculiarly crucial to me, and here it became an integral part of my week. They besides bought bikes. – It's an amazing experience due to the fact that the last time I had a bike was 5 or six years old. I started exploring fresh places. With each journey you learn that Poland is very diverse, all part of the country has something peculiar to offer – from landscapes, through local cuisine, to people's hospitality. Lena became an artist. Immigration inspired her to paint paintings. To her large joy, she finds their buyers.
* * Oh, * *
– I'm calmer than I was. – Lena says. – Life in Poland is very peaceful. I think you can justice that even after people drive cars. It's weird for me – I've seen drivers behave calmly in different situations on the road many times. If you're going besides slow [by road]Nobody yells at you or signals at you. [does not usage the horn]. The pace of life is different from Moscow, even in Novosibirsk. People live in a balanced way, work is important, but household is more important. It's a balance.
* * Oh, * *
Sasha changed his thought of politics. – For me there were only 2 political views – you are in favour of Putin or against Putin. He admits that this causes many conflicts in Russia. – But now that I live in Poland, I see various parties, different views. Various parties have different ideas for the future of Poland, for different people. It's truly surprising. People can argue with each other, they can talk about politics. This may be average for you, but it's truly interesting to me and I like this active political life. It's a sign that society is alive, that it wants to influence its country. After surviving in Russia, where most people are apolitical and, as Putin said, it will be, what is in Poland is cool. He besides likes the engagement of local communities taking part in discussions about what prices will be for public transport tickets, whether you can build a building next to the park or not, how to make green energy in Krakow or make Krakow and Poland energy independent. At times like this, I feel like I'm part of a surviving society. I would very much like that to happen in Russia.
* * Oh, * *
– The most crucial thing that strikes me inactive after 4 years in PolandThat's the difference between Poles and Russians. They are truly deep, present in everyday life, not only in culture, but besides in mentality – This is Sasha. – In Poland people appreciate individuality more and have a greater request for individual freedom. We in Russia frequently talk about unity and community, in Poland we talk about it, but from a different angle. – Poles do not think of Poland as a country of central power, it is alternatively something else, a community of tradition and history.
