LOCAL

Tense? Nervous? Over-worked? Maybe a few problems with food poisoning? Surprising as it might seem these could all be symptoms of culture shock after arriving in Moscow. With so many new and different challenges to deal with in an unfamiliar and sometimes intimidating city, culture shock among western expats in Russia is a real problem. Now researchers at the Moscow State Linguistic University are working exploring the problem - and are looking for help from foreigners based in the city.

According to PhD student and lecturer Elena Grishina, there are several common complaints about life in Moscow - but a wide range of problems related to them. "People often complain that there are no smiles here," she said. "Westerners often feel that Russian people will stare at them very intently, but without ever smiling, and they interpret this as some kind of threat. Another common complaint is poor service - sometimes I feel like a foreigner in my own country when I compare service here with what I've seen in other places."

Other concerns can seem almost contradictory - while Russians are often branded as unfriendly and unhelpful, there are also regular comments about ‘overprotective' and ‘interfering' friends, colleagues and even complete strangers. "People sometimes say they are always being told what to do, or what not to do," added Grishina. "I heard from one American woman who was upset when an old lady stopped her in the street to tell her she wasn't carrying her baby the right way."

But a typical dose of culture shock - or acculturative stress, as psychologists prefer to term it - does not always result in endless carping at the host culture. "Sometimes the effect is exactly the opposite," added Grishina. "When someone seems to admire everything about the host culture and is always criticizing his original home, that can also be a sign of culture shock."

Fortunately, severe culture shock seems to be relatively rare, though Grishina acknowledges that the worst sufferers may be unlikely to speak about their experience or remain in town for very long. But there are several identified symptoms, ranging from predictable increases in stress levels through to addictive behavior - alcoholism and workaholism are common coping strategies - and even physical problems like repeated food poisoning or unexplained twitches and tics.

And what of the solutions? "Traditional advice is to look for the positives in any new situation," said Grishina. "Exploring the culture and learning the local language also make a big difference - why would you stay in a place if you had no interest in finding out more about it? That could mean socializing with locals as well as expats, and then you start to see them as people, not just ‘strange Russians'.

"Perhaps most important, don't stick with a first impression. Be prepared to revise and reassess things as your experience grows."

In more serious cases, psychologists believe therapy may help, though it seems more likely that sufferers would simply cut their losses and leave rather than follow a long course of treatment. Others suggest regular trips back home can help combat feelings of disorientation, though it is not always clear whether this is a successful coping strategy or merely a means of avoiding the problem.

As part of her research project Grishina is looking for expats to fill in questionnaires about their experiences in Moscow. The target is to speak to about 200 foreign residents, mostly from Western Europe and North America. To help with this research, please contact her by email at expatsurvey@mail.ru <mailto:expatsurvey@mail.ru>.

All expats welcome, whether new to Moscow or old hands in the city.  ■