Estonian in St. Petersburg: Propaganda in Russia is Working
The Soviet era-like rhetoric in Russia is having an effect, says Mailis Hudilainen, an Estonian who is living in St. Petersburg.
Hudilainen told ETV's “Ringvaade” on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's 80 to 90 percent approval rating comes from those Russians who have never traveled abroad and who live in small villages and towns.
“They get all their information from television, they do not read newspapers nor use the Internet,” she said, adding that people are given what they expect and the right buttons are pressed.
Russians traveling abroad are not as welcome as they used to be, Hudilainen said. She said when she spoke Russian in Berlin, people looked at them and squinted. She said she has heard of cases in Turkey and other tourist destinations of Russians refused service.