And does not even have to spea the Russian language! Cultural "growth", how very very sad for Russia has perhaps one of the greatest culture in the world. Russians, like elites in post-colonial Africa, are suffering from the effects of the colonalism of th mind.

One more point those clueless Russians- like to man interviewed for this clip- who think that European and North American works bring to Russia superior “cultural diffusion” from the West to Russia- in reality, the false propaganda that Russia is not “unsafe” place to work- a claim which is totally baseless, costs Russians billions and billions of roubles each year in the form of tourists who may stay away from visiting Russia because of false myth that Russia is not safe place to do business-which also mean Russia is not safe place to visit! How shortsighted and stupid of the Russia’s new corporate elite to participate in the damaging misrepresentation of their country. Moscow is not less safe than London or New York.

PR101 --- on the money. There is a layer of St. Petersburg/Moscow elite that lives in lala land, and have a crisis of identity. On my last visit, my group had a guide to Moscow that did not stop putting down anything Russian she can think off. This was embarrassing. Folks in the group were from US, UK, Danmark and Australia. And everyone felt uncomfortable. What business has a tour guide in telling us of their government incompentence? She was annoyingly bitter, but that did not prevent the visitors from commenting on the amazing cleanliness of Moscow and beautifull parks. This "cultural growth" is not different from the state of Russian court before Napoleon invasion. Most elite spoke only French, in fact they were incapable of expressing any more sophisticated concepts in Russian. Yet, even the devastation that Napoleon brought did not cure them, but led in one hundred years to a collapse. But even forgetting this cultural naivette, this is not the kind of development Russia needs to make a real progress. Russia is not Moscow and Moscow is not Russia. Unless, in a really short amount of time, the connundrum of leaving the richest Russian regions behind in the Moscow dust is addressed, there is no elite in Moscow that will be the answer to tough problems facing the country.

I wrote these comments with such rage they are full of mistakes! Sorry.

This picture is similar to how the Western workers live in the oil rich Middle East! In the oil rich Middle East, western workers life in gated communities were they live among like-minded people. These people to the ME not bring Western civilisation but to make lot of money quickly and then return to their countries. I cannot believe that similar processes are taking place in the Great Russia!

Russophiles versus Westernisers. This has been going on since Peter the Great, and possibly earlier. It's no coincidence that the Russian for "foreigner" and "stranger" is the same word. It's unfortunate that Bianca had a disgruntled tour guide, but I'm not sure what that has to do with expats. There are those of us who live here who are not on the ridiculous packages mentioned in this article, who learn the language, who live among Russians. I can tell you, though, it's not easy being a stranger/foreigner here. You're employed for your expertise and professional opinion, but no one really wants to hear it - they just nod, say "Right! Good idea!" and do what they already had in mind. Yet for some reason I love it and keep coming back.