"Do not think that people live richer here than in Russia": the history of Muscovite who moved to Austria
'26.07.2019'
Source: Lenta.ru report
People move to other countries for various reasons. Someone met his soul mate, someone left to work, someone is looking for new impressions. For Anna, who moved from Moscow to Austria, the new place of residence became a compromise. "Lenta.ru report»Publishes her story about life in Vienna as part of a series of materials about compatriots abroad.
I met my future husband in Offenbach, Germany, where he worked as a chef. Two months later, we signed in the Moscow registry office for foreigners. There was no pathos or puffy skirts. For more than three years, we tried to get together, but neither Germany, nor Russia, much less Israel, where he had lived for ten years, did not suit us.
In the end, the choice fell on Austria. Why? In fact, everything is simple. We both knew German and, compared to Germany, in Austria it was easier to get a job and a residence permit. In addition to the 2012 of the year, an employment program for cooks opened there. We decided that the husband would go to the “front line”, and I would provide a reliable moral and financial rear.
Many did not understand us, did not support everyone, some did not believe in success. But so many years have passed, and we still live in Vienna, the birthplace of Mozart and wonderful coffee houses with famous cakes. We have a wonderful family, beloved son and a very successful waffle business.
***
In the magistrate, my husband was not particularly welcomed: “Cook? Then you have no chance. ” In vain. Contrary to forecasts, he managed to find work in his specialty and part-time job in a Russian bookmaker’s office. A year later, the same magistrate's employee had to issue him a residence permit. By that time, I was pregnant and in a different status: family reunion. Getting a visa took a month.
What is she, Austria? The first time I came here in 2007 was shortly before Catholic Christmas. I liked literally everything: the architecture, the availability of shops, transport and kiosks with good food, people, the mood in the air, and the air itself.
As for me, the Austrian climate is just a dream! Autumn is always long, warm, little rain. Winter is short and almost without snow (the mountains do not count). Spring has been happy since mid-February, and summer is insanely hot and, most importantly, long.
We must pay tribute to the Austrians: they know how to keep their history. Monuments of antiquity do not change appearance and are not destroyed. Here they always find an opportunity to modernize the infrastructure, without changing anything externally, even if it costs them space sums.
Throughout the city, except for a couple of remote areas, the building is no higher than four or five floors. Not very economically, but compensate for this: the houses are wall to wall. It still jars me up. Sometimes you have to walk past a couple of dozen houses just to get on a parallel street. If only the arches do!
On the subject: 'Do not confuse tourism with emigration': what surprised the Russian woman who moved to the United States with children
A single travel card for a period of days to a week solves all problems with public transport. There are no turnstiles, and even the driver does not need to present anything. True, the "hares" will not be spared. Come across - 110 euro (122 dollar), like a bush! If you forget the travel home, you can show your ID. The transport system has one flaw: the subway runs at intervals up to 15 minutes on weekends. One day because of this I was late for the plane.
After moving to Austria, my husband received 1,7 thousands of euros (1,9 thousands of dollars) "clean", but with such a salary on a mortgage or car loan you can not count. It was necessary to think of something, but what are the prospects for growth for chefs? To get to the next level, they need either a Michelin star, or their own institution. We did not have money for our restaurant and cafe. Even a tiny dot would cost no less than 100 thousand euros (111,4 thousand dollars).
To unwind, go to my sister, who lives in the Netherlands. We walked around the weekend market in Amsterdam and watched, fascinated, as the famous Dutch waffles were made. Returning to Vienna, they decided to find out how the situation is with hot waffles in Austria. It turned out that almost no one deals with them. Here it is, our chance!
Husband for a few days found a supplier of equipment and raw materials, studied the market. After a couple of months, we were delivered a trailer in the form of a wooden house, from which we were going to sell waffles. More we had nothing. No cars, no trading places, no accountant, no equipment. “Gena, quickly send a request for a place on Marishka, otherwise it is only three weeks before Christmas,” I told my husband.
I still laugh at my naivety. Mariahilferstraße is Vienna’s central shopping street. Getting a place there is no easier than in Moscow on Red Square. Of course, the plans had to change. As a result, our first departure took place as early as May 2015. How we rejoiced at the first sales and 240 earned per day euros (267 dollars)!
Fortunately for us in that year, a wave of street foods has swept Austria. We were torn to pieces. The street food companions were extremely interested in why our caravan caused such a stir. We walked around, tried to spy, but did not understand.
Our small waffle business is growing every year. We trade at several Christmas markets, provide catering services, serve corporate events, weddings and birthdays, go to festivals. This helped us to see all parts of Austria with our own eyes.
On the subject: How thousands of Russian women live in Cuba
Regions of Austria are incredibly different from each other. In the south, people are more open, sociable and wasteful. Closer to Salzburg and Bavaria, they are "more correct", more benevolent and friendlier. In the direction of Vorarlberg and Switzerland there is prosperity and status. As for us, we chose Vienna, and not by chance.
After a dynamic Moscow, I find it difficult to imagine life in another Austrian city. Of course, Vienna is five times smaller, but also the capital with a couple of millions of inhabitants and more or less active life. After the move the first year and a half everything was new. A new apartment, a small renovation, a trip to the sea before the birth and the most happy motherhood did not allow to miss and pay attention to the shortcomings. And they are.
The crowns are polite and courteous, but somewhat arrogant and lazy. In other regions, they are considered stingy and greedy, and there is some truth in this. They are also picky and very demanding - apparently, that's why food and drinks were banned in the Vienna metro. In real Austrian areas, where there are few visitors, a person with a slight accent is sometimes simply ignored. And just because of tolerance they don’t say after their favorite phrase: “Damn foreigners”.
In the evenings and on weekends Vienna falls asleep. After 20: 00 doesn't work except movies, cafes, restaurants and transport. At seven in the evening, even the playgrounds are empty. Paradox, yes? We in childhood did not drag home even after ten. Another surprise was that in cold weather (even two degrees of frost here think so) almost no one shows a nose on the street.
No shopping centers close to midnight. Maximum to 21: 00, on Saturday to 18: 00, and then the Austrians have family time. There are, of course, a couple more places ... Thanks to Prater amusement park. Though he saves at the weekend. Another help city pools.
It lacks the usual spontaneity and emancipation. I just want to visit, not agreeing about it for a month. Celebrating birthdays is noisy, tasty and fun in a large company, and not with a beer with chips. But here it is not accepted. An acquaintance said that her husband's parents come to visit only by prior arrangement and for a specific time. And to sit with the child is from the realm of fantasy, about this you need to negotiate for a month. This is the case in most Austrian families.
There are no problems with the Russian-speaking population in Vienna - there are a lot of us. On the contrary, a wonderful woman from Mordovia worked with the foodstuffs, with whom we are friends to this day. I must say, foreign land rallies. And not only in everyday life. Now our main tradition is the procession of the “Immortal Regiment” at the monument to Soviet soldiers near the Belvedere.
Austria is a country of coffee and pastries, so there are cafes around every corner. The Austrians do not start the day without coffee and take baking mainly in Austrian bakeries. Viennese bakers stepping on the heels of Turkish bakery and pastry, which has recently become very much. Personally, I do not like old Viennese cafes. Everything is shabby, glasses and cups in scratches, unwelcoming waiters at the age, who have obviously worked there all their lives.
Tourists are now advised to try Kaiserschmarrn. According to legend, once the emperor looked into the kitchen and had a snack with some scraps. He liked it so much that he announced that he had eaten his favorite dish. The dish is a cross between a pancake and pancakes with a large number of eggs. It is fried in butter, divided into small pieces and served with plum stew or apricot marmalade. Though simple, but really very tasty! We prepare ourselves.
As for the more satisfying food, the conservatism of the Austrians is successfully diluted with Oriental and Asian food. Everywhere kiosks with local shawarma (dyuryum), noodles and pizza. National sausages with buns and schnitzels also buy, but more often tourists than locals. In addition to the kiosks, there are really good restaurants - the main thing is to determine the budget and gastronomic predilections. All of them are commonly mentioned in guidebooks.
In Austria, the sea "unconventional" grocery stores, and Russian - is no exception. Only they help out, because from birth you get used to certain things that are not to be found here. It is difficult to imagine, but the Austrians hardly eat, for example, buckwheat. In simple supermarkets it does not happen, and in expensive ones - it is also “golden”. Therefore, Russian stores are held in high esteem.
On the subject: Russian wives in India: give birth to a boy and listen to the mother-in-law
What else is good? Quality products! And even in shops for the poor. The most interesting thing is that the standard set of products is the same everywhere. If, of course, you want something more beautiful, then you are to the "rich"! I am very pleased that the Austrians pay attention to specialized nutrition: a good choice of soy products, without gluten and lactose. In Russia, this was just beginning to develop, and here I sighed with relief.
When the child grew up a little, we began to look for places in Vienna where we could spend time interactively. Found, but there were quite a few of them, and prices are sometimes discouraging. We often go to the House of the Sea and the Imperial Zoo, but constantly visit, for example, the Oberlaa thermal pool (22 euros - 24 dollars - per person) or the children's play center in the Favoriten area (12 euros - 13,3 dollars - per person) the budget does not allow ...
Very annoying brothels. They are becoming more and more, and with the design they are not shy. And more recently, there has been allowed the free sale of marijuana. The people are sitting in the parks near the playgrounds and quietly making a roll-up. For me - so guard!
Accommodation here, of course, is very expensive, like all services. We live in a house without an elevator, built in the late 740th century, but we have to pay 824 euros (200 dollars) per month. Plus electricity with gas and water, gas water heater inspection at your own expense and renewal of the apartment rental agreement (223 euros - 27 dollars - every three years). Oh yes, there is also the "wonderful" organization GIS, which has to pay 30 euros (4450 dollars) a month for "air" on pain of a fine. Or rather, for having a TV and using a connection. We were also lucky that we found accommodation without a broker. They charge two to three rent for the service. And if there is also a deposit for three months, then, you understand, it comes out about four thousand euros ($ XNUMX) - the amount is not small.
Those who believe that they live richer in Austria than in Russia are deeply mistaken. Even if the salary is higher, taxes (minimum 35 percent) and high prices eat up all the difference. Another thing is that here you really feel, for what you pay taxes. The quality and standard of living, including social support, is at a very high level.
Remember, our grandmothers said that in Soviet times they knew that there would be a salary, a pension, a legitimate lunch break, a bed with a wardrobe in installments, and everything else? So, Austria is an improved version of the USSR. In it you find a certain inner calm, as if you are swimming in a depth where there is never a storm. The dimension of life and the plan of action completes the picture at least a few days ahead.
From this dimension, I have a feeling that before the eyes of hanging matte film. When I come to Moscow, it instantly disappears. Freedom of action, life 24 hours a day, spontaneous travel and, yes, I can go to the store at any time of the day or night - the main thing is to want. How I miss this! I arrive in Vienna - a breath of fresh air, and the film returns. At some point I was covered with a longing for past life. I abandoned all interests, gained extra weight and was engaged only in home and child.
It came to a feeling only a year and a half ago. She tidied herself up, went in for sports, lost almost a kilogram of 18 and found herself some creative activities for herself. Now I make short animated films for our business and create customized vintage Christmas balls to order. Each ball is unique in that it contains a photograph of a dear person, beaten in different styles. To create the illusion of the work of past centuries, they are deliberately aged. A good gift if you want to give a loved one something special and memorable. In general, life is gaining momentum again.
Of course I miss Moscow, Peter, Russia as a whole. I lack life speed, emotions, communication and professional demand. But I have a beloved family, and she needs a hearth for all. Therefore, we do not even think about a change of residence. For us, Austria has become a small homeland.
