AK's Travels

You can view a table of my travel reviews and ratings here, as well as some guides to individual cities like Moscow and SPB.

Conclusion: Comparison of USA, UK, Russia

This about Society, tagged , , , , , was written by for , on April 13, 2011 .16 Comments

As my series comparing life in Russia, Britain, and the US draws to an end, I rank them based on my own preferences – with the caveat that the perceptions of people of different temperaments, character, and socio-economic status may differ radically. Then I finish off with a brief overview of the main trends in […]

National Comparisons: Politics & Media

This about Politics, tagged , , , , was written by for , on April 13, 2011 .5 Comments

In the fourth part of my series comparing Russia, Britain, and the US, I turn my attention to aspects of their politics, including: markets and freedom; media independence; the role of “dissident” voices, billionaires, and corruption; and Internet culture. Some people – perhaps Kremlinologists in particular – will no doubt be surprised by my conclusion […]

National Comparisons: Everyday Life

This about Society, tagged , , , , , , was written by for , on April 11, 2011 .13 Comments

In this third part of my series on national comparisons between Britain, Russia, and the US, I look at the social institutions and infrastructure that play such a big role in our everyday lives. Why is Russia’s life expectancy ten years lower than in the US? What are the most popular university subjects? Where do […]

National Comparisons: The People

This about Society, tagged , , , , , , , , was written by for , on April 8, 2011 .39 Comments

The second part of my series comparing Russia, Britain, and the US focuses on the people themselves. What are their strengths and foibles? How do they vary by class, region, race, and religion? How do they view each other and other countries and peoples? What do they eat, drink, and watch? Where do they travel […]

National Comparisons: Freedom And Security

This about Society, tagged , , , , , , , was written by for , on April 5, 2011 .15 Comments

In the first part of my series comparing Russia, Britain and the US, I am going to look at their levels of social freedoms. While political scientists go on about to what extent a country has “democracy” or “rule of law”, this ignores that these arcane concepts have practically zero relevance to the everyday lives […]

Introduction: Comparison of USA, UK, Russia

This about Society, tagged , , , , was written by for , on April 5, 2011 .1 Comment

Over at Mark Chapman’s indispensable blog, Giuseppe Flavio linked to a fascinating “Comparison USA-Germany” by an academic who was deeply immersed in both cultures. This inspired me to do something similar. My credentials? Having lived for 6 years in Russia, 12 years in the UK, and 5 years in the US (in that order, though I […]