I once went out with an Ukrainian women (the only real relation in my life) and went to Kiev for 45 days and 5 days in Moscow in 2005.
Actually, its because my relationship with this wonderful, beautiful, sensible soul wrapped in the body of a sultry blonde goddess did not work that I realized I could never be a man to anybody no matter the "incentive" to do so. I cried a lot for a few months when I realized that... It was a revelation that started my transition a few months later. But I still miss her. I can't even tell her about what happened with me because this would kill her (she has intense anxiety and frequent panic attacks since they don't believe in psychologists) and she's a product of her culture.
There, calling somebody crazy there is one of the worse insult possible and they don't believe in psychotherapy. If your gay, or a TS, well YOU ARE THE WORSE KIND OF CRAZY!!
I know many russian who've emigrated from various places in the old USSR and they say the atmosphere, the societal pressure, is smothering, especially on men; they drink for a reason... Its better for a minority, for the rest its better in some aspects and worse in others.
