We are so used to all the things we surround ourselves with, we tend not to recognize the comfort level they help us achieve, that is until we are placed in a situation where those things are no longer available. The opposite is also true: if we never had certain things to begin with, we would not appreciate the comfort they could bring. With that in mind, here are ten things that an average Russian lives without and an average American takes for granted.

A coffee maker (кофе машина) — coffee makers have only recently entered the Russian market. At this point, the average price of a coffee maker is about $100. The hefty price tag puts them out of reach of many Russian consumers. Unless the person is really into coffee and trying new things, that purchase gets put on the list of things to get after everything else is taken care of. Most Russian coffee drinkers make coffee in a турка (a Turkish style coffee pot, the one with a thin long handle) or a regular small pot. I must admit, coffee made in a турка tastes different; the coffee is brewed on very low heat, just until boiling. My mom, for example, still makes coffee this way, even after 11 years in the US because she likes the taste better.

A dryer (сушка) — some people in Russia have them but it isn’t the norm. Some washers are configured in such a way where they do both, washing and drying. The majority of people, however, still hang their laundry out to dry.

Ground meat (фарш) — ground meat is fairly common in Russia, it is used in a wide variety of dishes, but most likely you will have to grind it yourself. Most households still have the good old meat cranker.

NOTE: due to the overwhelming feedback that ground meat is in fact readily available in Russia, I am going to say that a lot of Russian households still do grind their own meat and that ground meat hasn’t been around in Russian supermarkets for too long 🙂 . For those who disagree with фарш, insert peanut butter 🙂 .

Central air (центральная система охлаждения/кондиционер) — while wall mounted air conditioning units are rapidly gaining popularity in Russia, you will not find central air conditioning systems in a typical Russian dwelling.

A dishwasher (посудомоечная машина) — I have seen a couple of small dishwashers in Russia, but again, it was more of an exception than the norm. If you live in Russia, you are the dishwasher.

Wall-to-wall carpeting (ковровое покрытие) — a lot of commercial/office buildings have been using wall-to-wall carpeting for years but for some reason it has not transitioned into your typical Russian home yet. You are likely to see hardwood, laminate, and vinyl, in a lot of cases with a large area rug covering most of the floor.

Fitted sheets (простыня с резинками) — I believe fitted sheets will eventually make their way into every Russian home but as of right now, all the sheets I have seen there were flat.

Two bathrooms in one house (два туалета в одном доме) — pretty much any house/apartment you end up in is going to have one bathroom; in many cases the toilet is in a separate room from the bath/sink combo, but in either case they add up to one full bathroom, no double sinks, no bathroom counters 🙂 .

A shower head that is not detachable (душ без шланга) — shower head with no hose is one of those things that took me a long time to get used to here in the US. How the heck are you supposed to clean the shower when the shower head does not come off? It takes forever! That is why whenever I move to a place that does not have a detachable shower head, I bring my own. Absolute majority of private bathrooms in Russia, including stand up showers, have a detachable shower head.

A lawn (газон) — while lawns can be seen in many public places, a typical Russian apartment building/stand alone house will almost never have one. You can expect to see either unmaintained grounds, some sort of flower bed/tree combo or a little garden.

Despite the vast differences between the two countries and the fact that the US has a much higher standard of living, I have a lot of very happy memories of my Russian childhood. My happiness level growing up was never defined by what possessions I did or did not have, but rather by what I got to experience with my family and friends. I never wished to have it any other way.

I hope if you visit Russia, you are able to look beyond the question of modern conveniences and focus on things that pique your interest, whatever they may be.

Всего хорошего!