The result of all the turmoil is closer families. The Russians seem to value the elderly much more than we do in the United States. There is also a difference in personal drives. In the United States, we are pressured to be independent, to live on our own, make our own fortunes, and be separate from our families. I did not observe such a strong drive for independence in Russia.
Families live together and a sense of community thrives even in school.
The friends I have in Rostov explained that they go to school with the same group of students, taking tests with them, studying with them, spending much of their time together throughout their entire schooling process up to graduation. The bonds made in that type of setting are unbreakable. Though much of my time has been spent on the people of Russia, there are many other aspects that make up culture. One of these areas is food. I personally like Russian food, and there were only a few things that I found hard to eat.