From Mental Health to Borshch, the Complexities of Understanding Slavic Culture through American Eyes

“Suicide isn’t a national problem. If someone is so weak that they kill themselves to avoid facing life, it’s not my issue.” The statement wasn’t terribly shocking to me (although I did ask Galya to repeat it, to make sure that I hadn't translated incorrectly), as the woman I was interviewing regarding mental health was a fifty-six year-old Russian, but when I relayed it to my friends a few nights later, they looked as though they had all been slapped in the face. I grinned slightly. Before living in Russia and Ukraine for a year, such a statement would have simply angered me. However, when you’re living in another country, it is not your job to pass judgment on their cultural attitudes, unless it directly affects your safety. Your primary job is to observe.