8 popular foreigners who run blogs about Russia
What do Russian grocery stores sell, how to survive in -40°C (-40°F) and how to become a Russian citizen? Find out the answers to these burning questions and many more by checking out the following expat bloggers who live and work in different parts of Russia.
1. Travelling with Russell
Australian Russell Lee Otway has been living in Moscow for several years now and maintains a blog in English about the everyday life of Russians. Everyone has seen the Red Square, but what are prices like in Moscow supermarkets and what do apartments on the outskirts look like? It is reviews like these that made his blog very popular.
Before coming to Russia, he worked for more than 20 years on cruise ships, and then met a Russian woman. They decided to live in Moscow.
2. Wild Siberia
Daniel Castle is a former U.S. Marine. He came to Russia in 2022 to see Lake Baikal. But he ended up meeting his love there and decided to stay in Slyudyanka, a small town in Irkutsk Region near Lake Baikal. He loves fishing and feels at home there.
The locals treated him differently: some called him a spy, while others, on the contrary, tried to help him settle in. On his channel, Daniel talks about the nature of Siberia, which captivated him. Very inspiring!
3. Gabrielle Duvoisin
Gabrielle is 27 years old and a biology research engineer working at Skolkovo. She moved to Moscow in November 2022 and has started a blog, in which she talks about her life in Russia. For example, about how she took a dip in an ice hole on Epiphany, discovered Maslenitsa and toured the cities of the ‘Golden Ring’. And, of course, about what surprises her in Russia after France.
Gabrielle blogs in French with Russian subs, but she also has a few videos in English, in which she interacts with other bloggers.
4. Expat American
Joseph Rose moved to Moscow from Florida because his Russian wife felt homesick. They decided to move together with their five children and now they are also involved in helping other foreigners move to Russia. On his channel, Joseph reviews interesting places in Moscow and other Russian cities, talks about local expats and also asks Russians for their opinions on world events.
5. Countryside Acres
A family with eight children moved from Canada in January 2024. They have since settled in Nizhny Novgorod Region and are engaged in agriculture. Arend Feinstra and his wife Annisa also had a dairy farm in Ontario, and were actively blogging before they moved. And, now, they continue to blog about their farming life, but this time in Russia.
6. 'Survival Russia'
Lars from Denmark lives in a small village in Siberia. He blogs about his lifestyle and shares his experience of surviving temps as low as -40°C (-40°F)! You won't find reviews of trendy Moscow restaurants in his videos, but you will learn how to pitch a tent in the forest and find your way home.
7. Scottish guy in Moscow
Jim Brown is originally from Scotland. In Glasgow, he worked as a schoolteacher. In Moscow, he also works at a school, teaching English. He also runs his own blog about life in the capital: what is on sale in the stores, what fitness facilities are available, what the medicine is like, etc.
8. Tim Kirby's Travels
American Tim Kirby is one of the most famous foreigners in Russia. He makes videos about traveling and local traditions, as well as about foreigners who have come to live here. He hosts channels in both Russian and English.
