INSTID’s Natalia Leshchenko on the image of Russians in the UK @Seva Novgorodtsev’s BBSeva, BBC Russian

Taking cue from the news that a group of squatters broke into a building outside Irina Abramovich’s house in London and put up flags of Arsenal football club, a rival to the tycoon-supported Chelsea, the programme discussed how Russians adjust to the legal and cultural peculiarities of the British way of life. Whilst Russians are still stereotyped by Brits as rich with criminal past and bad manners, we agreed that once people from the two cultures get to know each other personally, they often communicate with ease and take a liking to each other. Hence, I suggested, the effort of the Russian government towards improving Russia’s image abroad should be focused on promoting and creating positive personal experiences of the country and its people among foreign public.