Kinda true Tim, but I have been to NYC and Chicago, SF, Miami..etc, and there is one big difference. Muscovites seem to include themselves among other great European cities. History yes, The amazing buildings, yes, but freedom of the press, free elections, religion??? The list is long but most of all, there is a bullish judgemental mentality that I find over and over and over...even of their own countrymen. I have friends, more like brothers really in Siberia, that were deemed "poor hardworking folks." Hardworking YES, Poor, not in Spirit of culture. Friends in Lviv in the Ukraine, Nazi's they were called. On the Black Sea, leaches and a drain on "real" Russians. I think the biggest impression was(and i do not mean every Muscovite)an inability to hold their tongue. Rude is the word that comes to mind. I will take alot of crap for what I wrote but it is what it is. I wish you great luck here Tim. You should try Siberia in the dead of winter. How they manage is amazing!! No matter how cold they just keep on going.