>>247580
I started looking into this aspect 20 years ago. Most Russians I have known are very wise for their age, level-headed, humble, self-sufficient and philosophical. In some ways, better people in general compared to most typical Americans of the same age. Probably because they don't have everything as easy as Americans, or live in a country dominated by pop culture group-think. But some of the stereotypes do apply to some Russians, and the criminal groups there, along with corrupt politics, control even more in their country than in US.
I encourage you to search torrent sites for English language shows and documentaries about Russia, such as 'Russia with Simon Reeve' and 'Happy People: A Year in the Taiga', etc, and watch as many as you can.
Also meet some English speaking Russians online in forums of your interest, and build up relationships where you can email or IM with them to chat about daily life.
(If you're a single guy, there are lots of pretty Russian girls on webcams for a living. Don't pay them for camsex, but you can chat with the girls that like to talk when they are bored at work.)