In Part 1 of Alina’s interview with Y&F, we talked about her job at the British Embassy in Moscow and how it came to be. Here, we get up close and personal with her about what she does in her off time, and the Slavic megalopolis she calls home.

What do you do for fun? I’m sure it’s not all work and no play!
After a busy day at work, nothing gives you more energy than a good dance class! There has been a “dance boom” in Moscow in the past two years. Fitness clubs tend to be either very expensive, or not that great (and few), so a lot of young women take group classes at dance studios owned by former dancers (by coincidence, there are many of those in Moscow, as well). Disciplines include everything from classical ballet to Salsa, ballroom, hip-hop, jazz, acrobatics, pilates and (yes!) strip-tease. Once I came to take a class and got a job teaching instead (I’ve danced and been a synchronized swimmer from a young age). I instantly fell in love with it! I have no idea why I never did this in the U.S., although as a synchronized swimmer, I did plenty of teaching. It’s a fantastic workout, and nothing can be as motivating!

What do you think is unique and appealing about Moscow, especially to young people?
Moscow is a huge, crazy megapolis where there seem to be 25 hours in a day. The city acts as the hub of all political, financial, commercial, social and cultural activity of a very vast country of 142 million people. It is like Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and Detroit squeezed into one, with the President and all of Congress, Sarah Jessica Parker, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Paris Hilton competing to settle in their favourite part of the city.

I love Moscow for its crazy drive and reckless attitude! Anything goes and staying at home is unacceptable. High ambition has to be proven with hard work. And after the work is done, it’s all about living it up, so come and see how long you can survive the “Moscow Never Sleeps” mantra. Also, the perfect blend of modernity and history in one city: you feel like you have it all at your fingertips.

By the way, Moscow night life is crazy! Driving through Moscow at night, when there’s no traffic, is probably ten times better than in the day time. The most popular clubs are full of expats and foreigners, which makes the atmosphere more exciting. I love Moscow’s night-time urban glow and nearly mystic combination of deep history and the ultra-modern! But it can be hard to power through clubbing after the intense Moscow workday and after-work traffic marathon. The city is very intense! So people tend to value “down time” and try to escape the city at least every once in a while, to their dachas or abroad. Ocean-front destinations are most popular.

How in the world do you dress for a city like Moscow?
Buying clothes is serious business here: I’ve come to think not only of the aesthetic side of a garment, but its practical and technical sides: what are the component materials, what are the accessories, what weather is this suitable for, is the quality good for the price, is this investment for one or several seasons, etc. Also, Moscow can be unforgiving on the style-lazy. Style here is 24/7, you cannot dress up one day and decide to wear your pajamas the next day. And there’s a tremendous competition to stand out and look good; your presentability says a lot about you, shows respect towards yourself and others.

Russia is also unique in that there is a very sharp seasonal variation for clothes: four separate wardrobes, one for each season, is a survival must. Winter shoes, coats and accessories can be particularly expensive ($500 for a pair of boots is a typical “low” price). So I guess that the average Russian girl, even if she is not striving to wear only designer brands, must spend a relatively high percentage of her income on clothing and accessories, to survive, not only in the fashion sense, but in the practical sense, as well.

On the down side, clothes are ridiculously expensive for all wrong reasons: import politics. Brands like Guess Marciano cost twice their U.S. retail price, because importers have to pay so much at customs! A shopping trip to Milan can be better than buying in Moscow. My cousin is a buyer for Podium, Russia’s top hudge boutique chain, and she knows first-hand that such trips are becoming more popular for those who can afford it.

Besides dressing up, what are the challenges of living in the capital?
Once you’ve mastered the weather, the roads, and standing your ground on everything, it’s a breeze. Day-to-day life in Moscow keeps you on your toes. You never know what will happen and are forced to work harder in this intense pace, become more disciplined, aware of your actions and their consequences. This can be both fun and exhausting. But it definitely never gets boring.

What do you miss about the U.S. the most?
I miss my friends!!! (She asked to repeat this a thousand times!) Although, I am lucky to have the friends that I do in Russia.

What were the sacrifices you’ve had to make in order to get where you are?
Most people said I was crazy to come here from the U.S. People tend to move the other way around. Most Russians – particularly young people – really like the idea of travelling to the U.S. or U.K., and maybe even moving there for good. So they thought I was crazy, too. But I had to do it my way – after all, I already had the experience of emigrating to the U.S. once in my life. Something inside me told me that I had to come back and see for myself – and I went with that.

I think that I’ve achieved my goal. Now I can go back to working for a Western firm and say, “Look, I know Russia, know the business language and culture, can live there and can help you do business there.” I know Russia a lot better now than when I came here, and I definitely think it’s a country you should try living in if your goal is to understand it.