Alexey Skachkov, who moved from Krasnoyarsk to Vancouver, shared his impressions with the Newslab.ru portal. According to him, Russians in Canada live well. Most Russians he has met work as programmers, and this field is thriving here, providing a decent standard of living. Although salaries are lower than in the USA, it is enough for comfort.

The attitude towards Russians and Russia in Canada is the same as towards other countries. It is just another country on a different continent, without any special distinction. There are stereotypes, as with many other nations. For example, it is believed that Russians drink a lot and have a 'tough' and 'resilient' character.

Alexey is rarely taken for a Russian. When he says he is from Russia, it sparks interest, and mentioning Siberia brings even more excitement. Overall, the attitude towards him is positive.

Finding housing turned out to be a challenging task. Landlords want to see financial reliability, so they require information about work and references. New immigrants find it difficult to provide this. In the end, they found housing through an agency that accepted a bank statement.

Finding a job is not difficult if you are not picky. Alexey works as a barista, photographer, and sometimes does extra work. The main thing is persistence in the search.

The cost of living in Canada is such that salaries are higher, but expenses are significant. Rent starts at $1200 a month, food costs $700-800, health insurance is $150, communication is $100, and transportation is $100-300. They spend little on entertainment, as they are currently busy settling into life.

Thoughts of returning to Russia have arisen, but there were no intentions. In difficult moments, Alexey wondered what he would do back home, but this did not lead to a desire to return.

There are no problems with food in Canada, including international options. In Vancouver, there are Russian and Ukrainian stores in almost every neighborhood where you can buy traditional products such as dumplings, vareniki, zucchini caviar, sushki, herring, and much more.