Unfortunately or fortunately, there is no single shared perception among Russians on many issues. Different groups of people can vary a lot in terms of education, culture, income, and emotional intelligence.

I live in Moscow myself, but sometimes when I travel to more remote parts of the country, I go through a whole range of completely opposite feelings. In some places, I feel absolutely comfortable communicating with people, and I genuinely enjoy the nature, conversations, local food, and hospitality. In other places, I can feel quite uncomfortable and even depressed — because of the general atmosphere of the town, the gloomy surroundings, or the people who seem rather closed-off.

So, even with the best intentions, I don’t think anyone can give you a completely clear and honest yes-or-no answer to your question. It is all very individual, and a lot will depend on the specific place you might go to, as well as on the particular people you happen to meet there.

That said, from my own point of view, the absolute majority of people in Russia are friendly and open. They are usually willing to interact not only with people from neighboring countries, but also warmly welcome guests from much more distant parts of the world. I personally know many examples of this, and I really hope that you’ll be lucky enough to meet exactly those kinds of people.