Pavel Durov’s Seven Reasons to Stay in Russia · Global Voices
Gina Lentine

Pavel Durov, Russian entrepreneur and the brains behind the social networking site VKontakte.ru, recently wrote on his page there, that more and more young people are deciding to emigrate from Russia over the past eight months. Durov quipped [ru], “In typical fashion, I've decided to go against the trend — and want to outline seven reasons to stay put in Russia.”
Here are Durov's seven reasons:
1) Low Taxes — Russia has a flat income tax of 13%, something that Europeans can only dream of.
2) Talented People — Russians often show off their talents by becoming champions in many fields, from computer programming to figure skating.
3) Breathtaking Scenery — Russia is a leader in terms of the volume and diversity of natural resources on its territory.
4) Beautiful People — As someone who has spent several years outside of Russia, Durov says that he can confirm that the percentage of beautiful girls in Russia is significantly higher than in most other countries.
5) Freedom of Expression — Taking a creative approach to pushing the envelope is Russia's national characteristic.
6) Potential for Economic Development — Many like to underscore Russia's lack of development. However, thanks to the lack of development, this leaves the possibility to create new possibilities, which developed countries lack.
7) A Rich Cultural History — Russia gave the world dozens of writers, architects, composers, artists, and scientists.
It remains to be seen if these positive aspects of Russian life are enough to outweigh the negative, and convince potential emigrants that they have more of a chance at home.