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Discover the Russia You Never Knew

with Greg McNafferson
I left the US for Russia five years ago and now I've realized what Russia is. Russia is not what many people think it is or what the media presents to us. I have decided to create this site for clarification. I think tourists who are going to visit Russia should know the truth about this country.

Look! There are a few sections on the site now >

reports

correspondence

contest

polls

blog

A few days ago I've got this strange letter from one of my crazy Russian readers: “ты идиот”. The man has risen an interesting topic so I decided to answer. Read on

This site ROCKS! A really great one. Those criticizing it for being untrue and stupid are absolutely dumb and have no sense of humor at all. I feel kinda ashamed of some of us russians. Can’t laugh at yourself? Go f**k bears in subway!

Anonimous

I enjoyed reading your site about Russia. I’ve been surprised with so many antogonizers in your lj-comments. You really do understand something about this country.

Alexei

I absolutely love what you’re doing! I laughed my ass of reading your site.

Oleg

I spent many years in Russia. You are a LIER! Go back to US and kiss Bush’s ass.

Ivan

Thank you for your site, I really enjoyed reading your discoveries. It was the funniest evening I’ve had lately!
Thanks again!

Olga

What is written in most of your artcles is an outrage and an believable collection of made up lies. Have you no shame as some people might actually read this bull shit? It is not funny as the ignorance level of an average American is so high that it can only be topped by the ridiculous negative propaganda of Hollywood… So please, stop this atrocity and leave my country alone.

Ekaterina

I understand you: you would like make the reading more interesting, finding little, but striking details. However, many of them have nothing to do with reality, which is extremely annoying and may be even insulting for Russian people including me… The mistakes are almost in every line of your articles.

Vsevolod

That’s a great site there… I like the idea of reading stories about ordinary daily-down-to-earth living from anywhere in the world. This is the first one of the kind I have seen so far. Hope to see more of this. Big newspapers and media.. lies lies lies and so boring!!! (manufacturing
beliefs and impressions). Keep up the good work.. I will visit regularly!

Edrissa

I find your website neither funny nor clever… Your stories about subway, growing potatoes and cacti in the bathroom, drinking vodka in the morning, shopping, tv and so on, make me believe that you are either on drugs or seriously f**ked up (pardon my French). I think you should stop writing this kind of crap or come back to US, where there is NO subway, tasty food, snow removal, heat in the winter, parking, clubs, fun, life…and I can go on forever.

Rimma

Wow! This is something! It just put me in shock. You are doing a great job man, you are a very good storyteller and artist. If I was a grain more stupid, I would have considered you a complete imbecile. Respect!

Anna

Please, stop telling silly things about Russia. Maybe, you need to get more education?

Vladimir

“The taste of pickles in my mouth”

One of my red-faced US readers has risen another interesting topic that has forced me to uncover some of the motives of making the web site about Russia.

-- Original Message --
To: greg@transformation.ru
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2003 5:23 PM
Subject: feedback
>
>
> One of my Russian friends sent me your
> Web site address and asked me what I thought of it.
> I prefer to tell you. I am an American who
> has Christian friends in Russia. I have hosted them
> in my home and found them to be wonderful people.
> Your Web site embarrasses me. I am red-faced
> to realize that people in Russia
> are seeing it. Linda
>
>

Dear Linda! As a brother in Christ I share your concerns. A little over a year ago while vacationing in Canada I became born again. Since that time I have devoted myself to two things: Christ, our Lord and Savior, and my web site.

I use this electronic pulpit to spread not only my Christian beliefs but also the truth of modern Russian life and society. I believe that it is imperative for the West and all Christians in the World to know the truth about this paganistic society in order to help it to be reborn.

Russia, while purporting itself to be a Christian society, is, in fact, a nation of non-committed “Christians” and atheists. All of Russian society needs help from not only me and you, but all of the Christian world to help end it’s Godlessness. Therefore I use my site in a twofold way: to present this unholy state as I experience it everyday, in order to help people understand it’s heathenness; and as a way to present my Christian viewpoints in a comical way, in which people will feel and relate to them, but not necessarily understand the Christian implications, and therefore possible be turned away.

Let me give you an example of how I covertly represent my Christian beliefs in my site. If you have read the article about “Dusya and the Mafia,” you may have noticed that the main character, Dusya is presented as a prostitute. What the story really represents is not a true-to-life description of contemporary Russian life, but rather a parable representing Mary Magdalene and the resurrection of Christ. In the story Dusya meets he long lost brother, the representation of Christ, and is reborn. Afterwards she says “All that remained of this unpleasant occasion in the morning was the taste of pickles in my mouth,” a revelation of her acceptance of past sins, and her knowledge that they have been forgiven.

I use these subtle methods in order to help force a more universal understanding of Christ’s message in the context of satire. At the same time the exaggerated violence and hedonism represented in the text help those unfamiliar with Russia understand the large scale moral, ethical and social problems facing her today.

I am sorry you were offended by the site, I hope my explanation has helped a bit, Russians are wonderful people, and I hope and pray that in the near future, Russia, as a whole, will be able to make a complete turn around in the right direction.

Peace be with you.

Greg

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