my grandmother never taught me Russian. she couldn't wait to leave and said she'd never speak the language again when she left.
Disclaimer: Not all.
I find Russians to be a very square egg in modern Europe. Extra-politically speaking, culturally and interpersonally they have an almost innate roughness to them. I don't know if it is a result of climate or years of Soviet oppression which has molded them this way. I refer to them as "old whites".
Their views culturally and socially, their mannerisms and quite honestly, their brutality remind me of an age that is long gone in Europe for the most part. Now, not all of these things are completely bad. As a matter of fact, as with most things none of these traits are completely bad.
They are a very interesting case study.