Things that were better in Russia, compared to America, at least a decade ago

Alexei Sorokin
3 min readJun 10, 2022

Out of my forty-two years under the sun, I lived thirteen years in America (across different decades), eight in England, and twenty-one in Russia.

For once I thought I’d avoid a political post like “Russia sucks” and look back at my years in Russia and try to remember some positive things. This story can also be framed as “What sucks in America”.

  • Healthcare. Fortunately, I don’t know —and I hope I will never have to find out — how things work, whether in the US or Russia when you’re facing a major health scare. It probably sucks in both countries. In general though, in the US, unless you work for a company that provides you with benefits, you’re forever climbing a mountain when it comes to medical insurance or getting an appointment or treatment for your health issue. In Russia, at least in Moscow, I was able to walk into a private or public healthcare facility on the very day I needed to walk into a healthcare facility, without worrying about how much money I have in my bank account.
  • There is no culture of reading in America. In Russia, you read a lot during your school years. In America, you don’t. I know — I have four kids. They don’t read and, frankly, I’ve given up trying to make them read. Their American schools don’t encourage them to read and I’m not disciplined enough in my parenting.
  • I think American fast-food culture is as unhealthy as it gets. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely don’t mind an…

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Alexei Sorokin

A Russian immigrant in America, father of 4, Cambridge and Harvard Business School alum. I run and write every day. https://runningwritingliving.substack.com/