Russian week at Thinktank: The Grass is always greener in the West (and East!)

Second post in our Russian series where we look at the lives of cosmopolitan digital natives.

Russians may not agree with one another on Western politics, but when it comes to everyday goods and lifestyle, the grass is way greener in Europe.

Everything seems to be better there: quality, choice, let alone prices. Young Russians will tell you that even Nespresso capsules bought in Europe seem to taste better compared to the ones purchased in Russia.

So those who can afford it get most of their fashion items, some electronics and many other consumer goods during their trips abroad - literally going on shor holidays with empty suit cases and spending at least a couple of days in local malls until they run out of luggage space.

"If you want to buy a Mac, you can get it through an official Russian retailer or you can fly all the way to New York and buy it there. The latter is cheaper and more fun."

That said, young Russians can also look East - here Japan seems to be the lifestyle beacon. Girls have recently turned to Japanese cosmetics which are now commonly believed to be better for Russian skin.

"Even regular shops now have shelves that have cosmetics with hieroglyphics. Most of the time these shelves are empty".