Russians in Italy: the features and complexities of life

Many of us dream of going abroad to live. Especially bright are the dreams of warm sunny edges. Italy, a popular country for tourist trips, beckoning with its stunning cuisine and warm climate, however, has never been popular as a place of mass immigration of Russians. Very rarely our compatriots view this country as a place for a new life. Typically, for immigration more often choose countries such as Israel, Germany, the United States or France. Yet there are Russians in Italy. How do they live? What are the features of living, teaching, working? We want to talk about all this in our article.

Historical digression

In the Apennines there is no large Russian diaspora. The number of our former compatriots in Italy is much less than representatives of other nations. According to statistics, there are about 135,000 Russians in Italy, which, incidentally, is also quite a lot.

Apennines very often experienced economic crises, which seriously affected the country's economy. After the First World War, unemployment reigned in Italy, and numerous immigrants further exacerbated the deplorable state of the country. And yet the Russians sought to the Mediterranean coast in search of a new life. They found it there, it's hard to say. Life in Italy for the Russians has always been full of difficulties. Still, representatives of the Russian intelligentsia were always attracted by this amazing country. It is worth remembering the great Russian composers. In Italy there was often Igor Stravinsky (he is buried in Venice), Mikhail Glinka, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who is rightfully considered a "Russian Italian", Fedor Shalyapin.

And now, when the country is again in the grip of a long-term crisis and there is not enough work even for its own citizens, numerous emigrants aspire to it. True, there are very few Russians among them. According to statistics, the most active at the moment are Moroccans and Romanians. Well, about the Syrians and say nothing. They ask the Italians for refuge in any form.

Who are they, Russian emigrants?

It is worth noting that most of the Russians in Italy are women who married Italians in different periods. As a rule, emigrants have a higher education, which they received at home. If twenty years ago such women completely dedicated their lives to the family and children, now there is a very different tendency. Newly-baked Italians are trying to legalize the existing diplomas in order to get a good job. This zeal for the Russians in Italy is, of course, connected with the economic situation in the country.

As for men, very few people come to work in the country. As a rule, in Italy there are more representatives of Moldova and Ukraine, who work at construction sites or take care of household plots.

The standard of living of a simple Italian family

To understand how the Russians live in Italy, let's analyze the realities of a simple family of the indigenous people of the country. The average annual income of the most usual Italian family (assuming that two people work) is 30 thousand euros. This figure is considered pretty decent for Europe. Most of the families do not have their own homes, so they rent apartments, paying about 500 euros a month for rent. In large cities, the cost of living can go up to thousands of euros.

In addition, the monthly expenses should include housing and communal services: garbage collection, cleaning, house maintenance, etc. The average salary of an Italian is about 1200 euros per month. However, it is worthwhile to understand that not all emigrants can claim such a level of salary. As a rule, foreigners are paid significantly less.

Medical service

Free medicine is the main social achievement of the country and its pride. At the same time, it is considered that the level of treatment and services is quite high, because the medicine is under government control. In Italy, there are paid medicines and diagnostic examinations, but unfortunately they are very few. If an Italian needed a dentist, he would have to pay for his services. A typical Italian family spends up to a thousand euros a year on a dentist. In addition, in order to obtain services related to emergency care, people can also go to private clinics to get better treatment. Of course, if we are talking about a simple observation by a therapist or the treatment of a chronic disease, then the Italians are limited to the services of state clinics.

If you need to get to a specialist in a public hospital, you must first sign up. There may be a situation that you will have to wait for your turn long enough. Even if you want to pay for your visit and get to the doctor before the appointed time, you do not always get it because the specialist does not have time. And this despite the fact that the cost of reception fluctuates around 100-150 euros. Life in Italy through the eyes of Russians is not always so rosy because of such nuances, which at first it is difficult to get used to.

Expenses for food

For food, according to rough estimates, the Italians spend about 200 euros per month per person. This very modest indicator can not but rejoice. For comparison, it is worth noting that the cost of food in other European countries is much greater. To purchase household and detergents, linen, repair of equipment and other trifles, people spend another forty euros a month. But to buy shoes and clothes for a family of three people a year, more than 1500 euros. Such indicators of expenses of Italians are the most modest and democratic in comparison with other European countries.

Social and pension provision

Whatever one may say, life in Italy for Russians is connected with the issue of social guarantees. The pension for residents of the country is cumulative, so it directly depends on the size of the salary and deductions from it. Taking into account the difficult economic situation, to ensure a normal standard of living for people of advanced age - the task is not easy. Even with the help of the government, it is not always possible to solve the problems that arise in this matter.

In Italy, according to statistics, three pensioners pass for one working citizen. Therefore, the government decided to introduce quotas. Men are obliged to make contributions to the pension fund 42 years and 7 months, women - 41 years and 7 months. In Italy, even provided for fines for those people who decided to go on vacation ahead of time. Residents reach the retirement age by 66 years.

It is worth knowing that different levels of pensions are envisaged in different spheres. Citizens who did not have a permanent job will not receive a pension in full, they can claim only one-third of it. In Italy, there are funds that pay pensions to certain categories of people, for example, the fund housewives. Life in Italy through the eyes of Russians is not so bright, and it will not be better until you can get back on your feet, since the country does not provide benefits for the unemployed - even for its citizens, not to mention emigrants.

How to get an education?

Training in Italy for Russian immigrants can become quite a big problem. The fact is that citizens can enter only a general educational institution in the country. Russians, on the other hand, can count on training only in private institutions or in specialized organizations for children of emigrants. To get an education in a private school, you need decent money, which is unlikely to be available to people who have just arrived in the country. Therefore, the life of Russian emigrants in Italy is directly related to the acquisition of citizenship, which allows you to have certain benefits and opportunities.

To those emigrants who plan to enter higher education institutions, there are higher requirements than for indigenous people. According to the law, an Italian surrenders only one exam (for knowledge of his native language). As for foreign applicants, they must show not only a document about the end of the school, but also a document on the completion of two courses of any Russian university. Undoubtedly, there are specific features of Russian life in Italy. Without knowledge of the language here simply can not do. When entering a university, an expatriate must still undergo special testing, which shows the level of his knowledge of the Italian language. The decision to admit the applicant to the university is taken by the management of the institution.

In Italy, higher education is provided free of charge. But here there are some nuances. The fact is that each student must annually contribute from 500 to 4 thousand euros. This payment depends on the status of the institution.

Russian community

Italy, of course, is popular with our compatriots, but this in no way affects the number of our emigrants in this country. Few decide to move from Russia to Italy. The number of Russians in the country is small - they are much smaller than representatives of other nationalities. This fact is explained quite simply. This situation is connected with the social and economic structure of the country, which impedes the normal integration of foreign citizens. The fact is that after World War I, Italy experienced far more than one migration wave, so the legislation later secured itself against unnecessary foreign invasion, creating certain difficulties for emigrants in obtaining social benefits, education and work.

Speaking about how the Russians live in Italy, it is worth saying that there is not officially our diaspora in the country. But nevertheless Russian communities function in a number of cities. The largest of them are in Turin and Milan. The Association of Russian Emigrants in Milan was founded in 1979 and is considered to be the oldest such organization. Currently, the society actively helps the Russians to integrate into the social and cultural environment of the Italians. The union of Russians in Turin is called "Zemlyachestvo", it has been operating for 30 years. Such organizations are a link between emigrants and Italian state structures, the Russian consulate.

Russian communities exist in other cities: Abruzzo, Bari, Venice, Rome. The main direction of their activity is the support of ties between compatriots. Very often such organizations organize their conferences, lectures, holidays. In addition, on the basis of Russian communities, courses of the Italian language are conducted, where the children of emigrants are engaged.

Representatives of the organizations support a number of Internet resources, which are devoted to the life of Russians in the country. On such sites there is a lot of useful information about the country, its politics, culture and customs. Through such resources, you can start new acquaintances, find a job, which is important, because in a foreign country it is difficult to adapt. But there are no real "Russian" districts in Italy, unlike Israel and the United States. This is probably due to the small number of Russian emigrants.

The life of Russians in Italy: features and reviews

Integration of Russian immigrants into Italian society is quite difficult, as evidenced by the testimonies of people. The life of Russian women in Italy is complicated by the fact that indigenous people are not always willing to accept strangers in their environment. This does not mean that all residents equally treat our compatriots. But still in the minds of many Italians there are certain stereotypes about "Russians", and about other foreigners, too.

How do Russians live in Italy? Difficulties arise in the early years, when there is an adaptation to local customs, food, clothing, behavior, rules of existence. Everything is different here than at home. Many emigrants who have lived for many years in the country say that one should never lose contact with relatives and Russia. No matter how good or bad the Russians are in Italy (the testimonies confirm this), they will always be strangers and will stand out from the crowd in a good and bad sense. This trend is typical for all countries. But at the same time, none of the emigrants are in a hurry to return to their homeland, accustomed to the eternal warmth, beauty and food of Italy.

Life in Italy for Russians: reviews of 2016

Since 2014, there has been an unprecedented influx of refugees into the country. This situation led to a reduction in the chances of finding a decent job for Russians in Italy. A little easier with work in the northern regions, since it is difficult to find good vacancies in the south even for the indigenous population. Of course, there are exceptions. If, for example, a person has an in-labor contract with an Italian firm, this solves many problems with entry and residence in Italy. But such emigrants, unfortunately, only a few.

Based on the opinions of Russians living in the country, we can say that at present most of our compatriots who have diplomas of engineers, doctors, teachers, work in Italy as governesses, waiters, unskilled laborers or builders.

Family businesses are quite common here. Small and medium business is built on the fact that all relatives and good friends work at the enterprise. This is the mentality of the Italians.

As for large companies, it is also difficult to find a job in them, because there are serious demands on applicants. Sometimes you need to go through a lot of Skype interviews before you reach the office of the organization.

Italy currently has a high unemployment rate, according to official figures, it reached 12%. According to people, in practice the situation is rather sad, since unemployment is rising even among young people. For example, in Russia you can always find a job as a waiter. In the south of Italy in the tourist region for a salary of 500 euros for a similar post claims up to one hundred applicants. Employers give preference to indigenous Italians.

It is more comfortable for a country to emigrate if you have a stable passive income in your homeland, even at the rate of 1000 euros (bank deposit or apartment rent). The money supply allows you to feel more comfortable and not to grab for any low-paid work.

Best Regions for Life

According to the research of specialists, a higher standard of living is typical for the cities of the northern regions of Italy. The best and most comfortable place to live is the city of Bolzano. Followed by Milan, Trento, Florence and Sondrino. In northern cities there are more chances to find work and cheaper housing, as the prices for apartments in the southern regions are much higher.

Legal residence

In 2002, the Italian government passed a law on the legalization of foreigners. Non-residents were given the right to enter and exit the country. However, without legal status, it is impossible to get a discount for medicines, insurance, it is impossible to go to university or driving school, get a job in Italy.

After 2014, the government had to go on to tighten the rules on illegal immigrants, since their number is steadily growing. Currently, illegal immigrants do not have the opportunity to make money transfers, officially work. Employers expect serious fines if an employee who has no legal status is found.

Every year, the Italian government provides a quota for the entry of foreign citizens into the country in the form of labor. But getting into the number of applicants is not so easy. In 2013, only 13,850 foreign nationals were able to legalize in the country. Mostly it is highly qualified specialists, interesting to the Italian economy, artists, artists, foreigners of Italian origin.

Italian realities

In Italy, as in any country, one can not do without the knowledge of the language. At the consulate there are courses of teaching Italian for foreign citizens. In addition, you can deal with private teachers. In both cases, you will have to pay a certain amount for the lessons. Naturally, private lessons are much more expensive. As a rule, they are given by all the same emigrants who have already settled a little and have learned the language.

Since the work in Italy is now a bit, its search is through relatives and friends. Those who do not get established by acquaintance, are forced to look for vacancies on the Internet. Very often people with higher legal or pedagogical education, having arrived in Italy, are forced to start a career from scratch, working as a courier or handyman. These are the usual realities of the life of emigrants.

The mild climate of the country, the beautiful nature, numerous attractions - all this beckons our compatriots in Italy, which may well become for them a new home. However, the emigrants themselves recommend newcomers who decided to conquer the country, leave real estate in Russia for unforeseen cases, so that they can return to their homeland. After all, not all Russians manage to settle in a new place.