What's life like in the Russian province? French family share their experience

Nestled among boxes and packages in the cabin of an old Renault Megane, they traveled the long way east, leaving Germany, Poland and Latvia behind. This long journey with the final destination being Russia was undertaken in 2023 by French couple Davy and Delphine, their sons Marius and Victor and their pet, a French bulldog named Lukum. “To move to Russia, we had to literally fit our whole lives into a car,” Delphine laughs, recalling it.

Davy, Delphine and kids on their way to Russia

So, with the border control already passed, the old Megane was already rustling its winter tires on the road towards Moscow. The family made a stop in the nearest village to change euros into rubles, as well as to stretch a bit in the fresh air. “Only then did we realize we were in Russia,” Delphine recalls. “Colorful wooden dachas, snow everywhere, wrapped children coming back from school, small Orthodox churches, birch trees and fir trees… it was beautiful!”

The passion of youth

But why would this French family with two teenage children decide to move to such a remote and frosty land? It's all down to Davy's youthful interests. "My father asked me if I wanted to study Russian as a foreign language at the lyceum. I was immediately attracted to the idea! Russia, this huge territory, was marked red on our geographical maps, we knew almost nothing about this country and that aroused a great curiosity in me.”

After a few months of hard work, Davy was invited to participate in a school exchange program between France and Russia. That's how, in 1993, he ended up in the city of Veliky Novgorod, northwest of Moscow.

“I remember not sleeping the first night. I bitterly regretted my choice <…> I thought about my friends who had gone skiing in the Alps and told myself that I was the only crazy person who had decided to go to Russia,” he says. “I was lying on a sofa in the living room of a small apartment in which the huge host Russian family lived. 

I was no less shocked by what I saw in the city: everywhere were wrecked cars and buildings that needed to be repaired. But, the next morning, the magic began!”

Davy and his host family in Russia

Thanks to the warmth and hospitality of his host family and the friendships forged with new acquaintances in Russia, Davy soon felt at home. “It was a real journey of initiation, during which I learned to separate material conditions and human relationships,” he says.

Eventually, Davy liked Novgorod so much that he returned there two more times during his summer vacations before finally realizing his obsession with Russia. Not surprisingly, when choosing a university to continue his studies, Davy was motivated by one thing: he wanted to be where his Russian friends lived. 

Therefore, he chose international trade with a specialization in Russia. “When the coveted diploma was in my hands, I rejected offers from French companies, being satisfied with only small part-time jobs,” he says. He wanted to work in Russia and nowhere else. 

Then and now: Davy and his Russian friend Arkady

One day, one of Davy's Russian friends suggested an unexpected compromise: to go to Latvia, one of the post-Soviet countries, to start selling French trucks there. Davy agreed and, for good reason, as it wasn't long before he and his then girlfriend Delphine moved from Riga to Moscow to expand their company.

How a Frenchman fell in love with the Russian provinces

“We found ourselves in a small apartment in the north of the Russian capital, where we lived for three happy years. Business was booming and the trucks were selling like hotcakes,” Davy recalls. 

They wanted to stay in Russia for a long time. But, Delphine became pregnant and they decided that she should give birth in France.

Sixteen years later, Davy, who, by that time, had already worked in many countries, recalled his earlier dreams. And his family decided to support his choice. And so, a new French-Russian adventure began and it continues to this day.

Life in the Russian province

A typical winter morning in the cozy cottage of a French family, located near the city of Voronezh (just over 500 km south of Moscow) begins as follows: The first thing that needs to be done is cleaning snow! Brothers Marius and Victor are shoveling in unison. “I've never seen so much snow, never felt such low temperatures. But, it's a really interesting experience,” Marius says.

A little later, together with his mom and pets, they go for a walk along the frozen river called Usmanka or among the snow-covered trees in the nearby forest.

Despite the fact that this French family has lived near Voronezh for only a couple of years, they have already made quite a few friends in the village. “Everyone knows each other here and I often forget that I am in a foreign country,” Marius says.

The family goes shopping at a small market in the neighboring town of Ramon. While Davy works and the children study online, Delphine does chores and cooks. She says she has fallen in love with Russian cuisine, so local dishes often appear on the family table. 

“It will sound strange, but, when I eat Russian food, I always feel like I'm having dinner at my grandmother's house. The dishes are simple, of course, but authentic,” Delphine smiles. 

However, she devotes most of her free time not to the household, but to community development and, several times a week, she organizes a creative workshop for local children and gives French lessons.

Streets of Voronezh

On weekends, the family often visits Voronezh, a city with a million residents, which has a rich history and well developed infrastructure. 

There, their route usually passes through points of attraction, such as the Puppet Theater and the Museum of Local History, as well as a replica of the first line ship of the Russian fleet built by Peter the Great.

The museum of the first Russian ship

But, they try not to ignore the treasures located in the region. Thus, they have already managed to visit the castle of Princess of Oldenburg and a unique nature reserve specializing in the breeding of beavers.

Princess of Oldenburg castle in Ramon, Voronezh region

“It's very important to me that my boys can experience the dual Franco-Russian culture,” Davy says. Delphine adds that they feel freer and safer in Russia than anywhere else. “The big drawback is, perhaps, the interrupted air links with Europe and the fact that Russia is very stigmatized now,” she admits sadly, however.

“Russians are a people who think and act with their hearts. And they are always ready to help and are not at all as rude as the world's mass culture paints them out to be!” Delphine adds.