Irkutsk in Siberia was a really interesting place and it felt like I was definitely experiencing the 'real' Russia. The city amenities and standard of living was better than I had expected. My observations about Russia and especially Siberia based purely on my unqualified opinion, and anecdotal evidence is as follows:
1) The people in Russia, are by in large friendly, helpful, educated and smart. In terms of Western culture, we share far more similarities with Russian people than differences.
2) Despite so many similarities there is a large amount of distrust of Western governments and media, and strong opinions about being unfairly treated and sanctions being placed on them by the West. I heard a comment in Siberia that life would hopefully improve in the next 10 years as long as America didn't invade Siberia. This blew me away, as I have never heard this being on the radar but was a genuine concern by the person who relayed it to me.
3) Many people appear at least as hard working, and smart as NZ'ers. Also Russia is rich with natural resources. However despite these factors and especially in Siberia, it is extremely hard to get ahead for the working class. Tthe average wage in Irkutsk in 2010 was 21000 roubles per month or around $700NZD per month. Borrowing money to purchase a house or small apartment costs around 20% per annum. Therefore life is a lot harder there, and whilst many people would have 1 car in the family and the ability to go out for dinner at restaurants from time to time, saving is generally not an option. Further once you retire the state pension is barely enough to live on. I saw a lot of old ladies (babooshkas) begging in Moscow and St Petersburg, which was sad as we take for granted that the state looks after the elderly in NZ. This low income, combined with a continually inflating Rouble means that the relative prosperity of Siberian people compared to those in Western countries is constantly decreasing and makes travel to these countries prohibitively expensive for Siberians where we take it for granted.
It is great to be back in NZ, and going overseas always makes me appreciate what a great country we have here. I have always been a firm believer that we can always get ahead with hard work and the right attitude, but seeing how things are for the working class of Irkutsk, it makes me especially grateful that we can indeed get ahead by our own efforts, when our equally smart and hard working Russian counterparts in Siberia don't often have this luxury.