The definition of Russia

[rita-ivanovna.livejournal.com]

I met a Russian guy today (at an Ecuadorian party, no less) who said he has lived in the States for the last fifteen years but he was "born in Russia." I asked him what part of Russia, and he said Minsk. I would seem to me (an ignorant American) that Minsk is definitely not in Russia. Obviously Belarus was part of the USSR during the time he lived there, but it seemed odd that he would claim to be from Russia. Is it common for people from the former Soviet Union to say they from Russia? Can the two names sometimes be used interchangably? Or was he just assuming I wouldn't know anything about Eastern European geography?

Comments

[fieryphoenix.livejournal.com]

My experience is that some people tend to use Russia and the Soviet Union interchangably, much like many use England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom interchangably. I'm sure it stems from the fact that Russia and England were/are the overwhelmingly dominant members of their respective unions.

But yeah. They -shouldn't- be used interchangably, but they are anyway.

[zhenyach.livejournal.com]

Probably at some moment he got tired of explaining to people what "Belarus" was and found it easier just to say that he was born in Russia.

Or it might be that he was born in Minsk but his family moved to some Russian city pretty soon, so that this is what he associates himself with.

[bobthedog.livejournal.com]

My mom generally says that she's from Russia. If they ask what city, she says she's from Odessa. Often times, I just use the same terms when mentioning my mom's origins. *shrug*

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Well, but Odessa WAS Russia, not Ukraine. The core Ukraine never approached the Black Sea. It is only since 1918 when this part of the former Russian Empire started to count as Ukraine. Most of the present-day Odessites would never admit that Odessa is an Ukrainain city, they normally say "we're not the rest of Ukraine, we're Odessa."

[bobthedog.livejournal.com]

Haha, yep. None of my mom's family speaks Ukrainian at home. They treat it as a joke.

I sort of feel that if everyone was finally communicating in the same language, why did they bring back all these other languages and mess it up again? I encounter militant Ukrainian culturalists and it doesn't impress me.

[noser.livejournal.com]

Most probably, the last one. I've heard Belarussian people complaining that it's easier to just answer "Russia" than answer "Belarus", get blank stares and spend the next few minutes explaining geography to people that don't really care.

[sovok.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't be surprised if a guy from Cardiff says that he is from England not Wales? While Walshes and Englishmen ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT UNRELATED PEOPLE and Russians and White Russians (Belorussians) are both hardly separable Eastern Slavs.

[kahala.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'd be very surprised. I think most people here are based in the US, correct me if I'm wrong? fyi - I'm from the UK and/or England - the Welsh and the Scots absolutely in no way would ever identify themselves as English. Try and call UK citizens English citizens, if they're not from from England, and you will start a fight.
Sorry if this comes across as high-handed, but there is absoutely no way anyone from Wales, Scotland or N. Ireland would describe themselves as English. The only comparison I can think of (and it's a crap comparison, I warn you) would be Canadians describing themselves as US citizens - it's just not going to happen.

I am from Uzbekistan

[narcisus.livejournal.com]

When I was staying in the States, I would say I was originally from Uzbekistan. That would cause lots of confusions and questions like "What? Uzbekistan?" "Is it the capital of Pakistan?" "Is it on the Earth?" - something like that. Then I started telling that I was from Ex-Soviet Union, and usually got the replies like "Ah, Russia. It must be very cold there". And no one really cared that the territory of the Soviet Union was very large and Uzbekistan is very hot, unlike Russia, but it seemed to me that people asking "Where are you from?" would get more satisfied with the answer pointing to a country they know about well.

Re: I am from Uzbekistan

[shellesie.livejournal.com]

would get more satisfied with the answer pointing to a country they know about well.
Exactly!

Re: I am from Uzbekistan

[narcisus.livejournal.com]

Another situation - more or less similar - was described by Paolo Coelho in "Veronika decides to die" - who really cares about an unknown girl from an unknown country...

Re: I am from Uzbekistan

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

...and about an obscure writer :))))))

Re: I am from Uzbekistan

[rita-ivanovna.livejournal.com]

I apologize for my country's ignorance. = ) If it makes you feel better I know exactly where it is, and have an aunt from the Karakalpakistan region.

Re: I am from Uzbekistan

[narcisus.livejournal.com]

Oh, you are so sweet, thank you!
Actually I never had problems about that, because I understood people just couldn't know everything. But I sensed Uzbekistan had become more known since September 11th attacks, as we are Afghanistan's close neighbours.

Re: I am from Uzbekistan

[24karrot.livejournal.com]

yeah, I have an Uzbeki friend who just says that she's Russian. :)

[anhydrol.livejournal.com]

Before WWI whole teritory that you call USSR including Poland and Finland was Russia. And later in USSR there wasn't really division between republics(like states in USA). Many people like me, even they lived in another republics but they still claim themselves as russian.
For example I'm russian from Tashkent(even the fact it'snot Russia anymore).

P.S. There are some people from Baltian countries or West(and partly Central) Ukraina that from some reason(maybe because Russia get back them only via WWII) prefer not to call themselves russians.

[welgar.livejournal.com]

Ethnicity and ethnical self-identification is a different subject. There are lots of native Russian-speaking people all around ex-USSR and they tend to call themselves Russians. However, most native people (like native Ukrainians in Ukraine or native Latvians in Latvia etc.) don't and some of them consider it insulting.

[mooze.livejournal.com]

he was trying to impress you by claiming association with a popular nation hoping you wouldn't know the difference between that and a small Buelorussia... Some folks from the West tend to not be too knowledgeable about the difference between the republics of the former USSR, and it's really not their fault. I'd say that would be the reason.

[kart.livejournal.com]

Before the revolution Minsk was part of the Russian Empire and was technically "Russia". If asked specifically what part of "Russia" she came frome, my great grandmother from would say she came from Grodno guberniya. How a person answers has a lot to do with cultural identity and how each nationality is perceived.

Who controlled Belarus throughout History
900-1300 Kievan Rus
1300 Lithuania
1569 Polish
1700's Russian
1918 independent (briefly), then under Russian occupation
1919 Polish
1922 Soviet
1941 German
1944 Soviet
1991 independent

[throughblueeyes.livejournal.com]

i was born in Kishinev moldova and many people dont know where that is but because i speak russian (not moldovian or romanian) i sometimes say im from russia (but not always) usually i just say im from Moldova and if they ask where that is i say former ussr