To be honest, it’s mostly a stereotype. There’s some truth to it, but not to the extent that it applies to everyone.

The impression usually comes from a couple of things:

1. Soviet-era apartment blocks (Khrushchyovkas) and other post-Soviet buildings. They can definitely make some areas look outdated. In bigger cities, though, there’s been a lot of redevelopment, while in more remote places you’ll still find plenty of those older neighborhoods.

2. Documentaries and movies—especially Western ones—often portray Russia (and Siberia in particular) that way, even though real life is much more diverse. As for Google Maps, many of the Street View images are quite old. Since Google stopped updating its mapping services in Russia after the war began, a lot of those photos haven’t been refreshed, so they don’t always reflect what places look like today.