A foreigner went to the market and bought... Shock. “Everyone is cheated in Russia!”: American screamed in Kazan bazaar, but one question about farmers shattered her confidence

At the end of September, a foreigner named Sarah arrived in Kazan. Her companion decided to show her an ordinary Russian bazaar, where locals buy meat, vegetables, honey and homemade products. Before that, Sarah judged Russia mainly by videos on the Internet, so the trip was supposed to help her make her own impression of the country.

The market was crowded. Sellers laid out the goods, buyers chose products, and in the pavilions stood stalls with meat, cheeses and pickles.

Seeing the price of tomatoes, Sarah was outraged. According to her, in America, vegetables are cheaper, and in the Russian market, buyers are simply deceived. The satellite did not argue with the foreigner and asked her a simple question:

- Do you know how much time a farmer spends growing this tomato

Sarah was thinking. The man explained that there is labor behind every product: it is necessary to grow a crop, harvest it, deliver it to the market and pay for a trading place. The buyer sees the price tag, but does not always think how much effort it took to get the product on the counter.

Continuing a walk through the market, the satellites stopped at the counter with cottage cheese. The seller said that she keeps a cow and prepares dairy products on her own. Sarah tasted cottage cheese and admitted that she had not eaten so tasty in a long time.

They then bought honey from a beekeeper from a nearby neighborhood and tried homemade cheese. The sellers were eager to talk about their business, and the foreigner listened with interest to their stories.

Especially she remembered a conversation with a man from the meat row. For many years, he was engaged in his business, joked with customers and did not hide that he loves work. It was surprising for Sarah to see people who are happy to talk about their work.

Before leaving, the satellites met Masha, who came from a village near Kazan. The woman was selling homemade jam and told Sarah about life outside the city.

According to Masha, the village has Internet, children go to school by bus, and necessary goods can be bought at a local store. Rural life requires effort, but it also has its advantages.

Sarah was surprised. She represented the Russian village in a very different way and didn't expect to hear some young people coming back from the cities and building new homes.

The satellites left the bazaar with their bags full. Sarah was carrying honey, cheese and jam bought from Masha. Along the way, she admitted she jumped to conclusions and wasted calling the market a hoax.

In a few hours, the foreigner got acquainted with farmers and sellers, tried homemade products and saw how much labor is behind the usual purchases.

Her companion did not prove that everything is perfect in Russia. He only noted that there are problems in any country, and it is wrong to judge life solely by other people’s videos and stereotypes.

This trip showed Sarah the other side of Russian everyday life. Her usual trip to the market helped her to look at the locals differently and understand that real people, their work and everyday worries are behind the price tags on the shelves.