Russian Reflections

While in high school, I studied Russian language for two years and Latin for fours years. 

My undergraduate degree is in Russian language, with a minor in Russian studies. Russian studies includes the history, geography, political system and other aspects of Russian society. 

I worked as a linguist for a very secretive American agency after graduation from college. 

I adopted my daughter from a Russian orphanage. 

I have been to Russia six or seven  times. 

I lived in Moscow for 3- 1/2 months while working in the Russian mission control center with NASA. 

I took my daughter back to visit her native country when she was 18 years old. We visited where her orphanage used to be; it is now used as a primary school. But we met with the former orphanage director, and some of the women who worked in the orphanage put together a very nice lunch for us.

I explored the beautiful city of St Petersburg one weekend. During my stay in Moscow, I spent every weekend exploring various parts of that very old city. I shopped at local markets. I bought fresh bread from a kiosk near my apartment building. I ate dinner at Russian restaurants and ordered from the menu. 

I used to, and really, I still do, feel sorry for the majority of the Russian people. The Russian people have been oppressed by a succession of leaders, from the tsars to the communists to Putin. There were a few years after the downfall of the Soviet Union when people were relatively free. But they were still very much influenced by life under the Soviets.

So I know a bit about Russia. I am still in contact with a couple of the interpreters I met while working in Moscow. One of them has been absent from Facebook since the war in Ukraine started. I know that she has a good friend in Ukraine. I still communicate from time to time with the woman who was the director of the orphanage where my daughter lived before I adopted her.

All of this is to say that I have no prejudice against the Russian people. I do, however, have a major problem with the Russian government. I have an even bigger problem with my own government, that of the United States, falling in line and taking orders from the Russian president, a long time dictator.

I also have a Facebook friend in Ukraine. While she doesn't live in Kyiv, she nevertheless is horribly impacted by Russia's unjustified was on her country.

I have no power over international relations, but I know more about Russia than most Americans ever will. And I know that the Russian people have risked persecution for even holding peaceful anti-war protests.

Russia is not a country whose government the United States should be emulating. Sadly, it appears we already are.