Many of us dream of leaving to live abroad. Dreams about warm sunny edges seem especially rosy. Italy, a popular country for tourist trips, beckoning with its fabulous cuisine and warm climate, has nevertheless never been popular as a place of mass Russian immigration. Very rarely, our compatriots see this particular country as a place for a new life. As a rule, countries such as Israel, Germany, the USA or France are more likely to choose immigration. Yet there are Russians in Italy. How does he live? What are the features of living, studying, working? We want to talk about all this in our article.
Historical excursion
In the Apennines there is no large Russian diaspora. The number of our former compatriots in Italy is much smaller than representatives of other nations. According to statistics, there are about 135 thousand Russians in Italy, which, however, is also a lot.
The Apennines very often experienced economic crises that seriously affected the country's economy. After World War I, unemployment reigned in Italy, and numerous immigrants exacerbated the country's deplorable state. Still, the Russians sought the Mediterranean coast in search of a new life. It is hard to say whether they found her there. Life in Italy for Russians was always full of difficulties. Nevertheless, representatives of the Russian intelligentsia have always been attracted to this amazing country. It is worth recalling the great Russian composers. Igor Stravinsky (he was buried in Venice), Mikhail Glinka, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who is rightly considered the “Russian Italian,” Fedor Chaliapin, often visited Italy.
And now, when the country is again in the grip of a long-term crisis and there is not enough work even for its own citizens, numerous emigrants flock to it. True, there are very few Russians among them. According to statistics, Moroccans and Romanians are currently the most active. Well, there is nothing to talk about the Syrians. They ask the Italians for refuge in any way.
Who are they, Russian emigrants?
It is worth noting that most of the Russians in Italy are women who, at different times, married Italians. As a rule, emigrants have a higher education, which they received in their homeland. If twenty years ago such women completely devoted their lives to family and children, now a completely different trend is being observed. Newly made Italians are trying to legalize existing diplomas in order to get a good job. Such zeal among Russians in Italy is, of course, connected with the economic situation in the country.
As for men, very few people come to work in the country. As a rule, in Italy, representatives of Moldova and Ukraine are more likely to work, who work on construction sites or care for personal plots.
The standard of living of a simple Italian family
To understand how Russians live in Italy, let's analyze the realities of a simple family of the country's indigenous people. The average annual income of the most ordinary Italian family (provided that two people work) is 30 thousand euros. This figure is considered pretty decent for Europe. Most families do not have their own housing, so they rent apartments, paying about 500 euros per month for rent. In large cities, the cost of living can reach up to a thousand euros.
In addition, housing and communal services should be included in monthly expenses: garbage removal, cleaning, house maintenance, etc. The average Italian salary is about 1,200 euros per month. However, it should be understood that not all emigrants can claim this level of salary. As a rule, foreigners are paid much less.
Medical service
Free medicine is the country's main social achievement and its pride. Moreover, it is believed that the level of treatment and services is quite high, since medicine is under the control of the government. In Italy there are paid medicines and diagnostic tests, but, unfortunately, they are very few. If the Italian needed a dentist, then he would have to pay for his services. An ordinary Italian family spends up to a thousand euros per year on a dentist. In addition, wanting to get services related to ambulance, people can also go to private clinics for better treatment. Of course, if it is a simple observation by a therapist or the treatment of a chronic disease, the Italians are limited to the services of state clinics.
If you need to get to any specialist in a state hospital, you must pre-register. It may be that you have to wait your turn for a long time. Even if you want to pay for your visit and get to the doctor before the appointed time, it is not always possible to do this, because the specialist does not have time. And this despite the fact that the cost of admission fluctuates around 100-150 euros. Life in Italy through the eyes of Russians is not always so rosy because of such nuances that are difficult to get used to at first.
Food expenses
According to rough estimates, Italians spend about 200 euros per month per person on food. This very modest indicator cannot but rejoice. For comparison, it is worth noting that the cost of food in other European countries is much higher. People spend another forty euros a month on acquiring household and detergents, underwear, repairing equipment, and other small things. But on the purchase of shoes and clothes for a family of three people a year, it takes more than 1,500 euros. Such Italians' spending figures are the most modest and democratic compared to other European countries.
Social and retirement benefits
Whatever one may say, life in Italy for Russians is connected with the issue of social guarantees. Pension for residents of the country is funded in nature, therefore, it directly depends on the size of salary and deductions from it. Given the difficult economic situation, ensuring a normal standard of living for people of advanced age is not an easy task. Even with the assistance of the government, it is not always possible to solve the problems that arise in this matter.
In Italy, according to statistics, there are three pensioners for one working citizen. Therefore, the government decided to impose quotas. Men are required to make contributions to the pension fund 42 years and 7 months, women - 41 years and 7 months. In Italy, fines are even provided for those people who decide to go on vacation ahead of time. Residents reach retirement by 66 years.
It is worth knowing that in different areas provides a completely different level of pensions. Citizens who did not have a permanent job will not receive the full pension, they can only apply for 1/3 of it. In Italy there are funds that pay pensions to certain categories of people, for example, the housewives fund. Life in Italy through the eyes of Russians is not so rosy, and it won’t get better until you can get on your feet, because the country does not provide benefits for the unemployed - even for their citizens, not to mention emigrants.
How to get an education?
Studying in Italy for Russian emigrants can be a rather big problem. The fact is that only citizens can enter any general educational institution in the country. Russians can only rely on education in private institutions or in specialized organizations for children of immigrants. To get an education in a private school, you need decent enough money, which people who have just arrived in the country hardly have. Therefore, the life of Russian emigrants in Italy is directly related to obtaining citizenship, which allows you to have certain benefits and opportunities.
Those immigrants who plan to enter higher education institutions are subject to higher requirements than for indigenous people. According to the law, an Italian takes only one exam (for knowledge of his native language). As for foreign applicants, they must present not only a document on graduation, but also a document on the completion of two courses of any Russian university. Of course, there are peculiarities of Russian life in Italy. It’s just not enough to do without knowledge of the language. Entering the university, the emigrant must still undergo special testing, which shows the level of his knowledge of the Italian language. The decision on admission to the university is made by the institution.
In Italy, higher education is free. But here there are some nuances. The fact is that each student must make a contribution in the amount of from 500 to 4 thousand euros annually. This payment depends on the status of the university.
Russian community
Italy, of course, is popular among our compatriots, but this in no way affects the number of our emigrants in this country. Few decide to move from Russia to Italy. The number of Russians in the country is small - there are much fewer than representatives of other nationalities. This fact is explained quite simply. This situation is associated with the social and economic structure of the country, which impedes the normal integration of foreign citizens. The fact is that after the First World War, Italy experienced far more than one wave of migration, therefore, in the future, it legally protected itself from the excessive invasion of foreigners, creating certain difficulties for emigrants in obtaining social benefits, education and work.
Speaking about how Russians live in Italy, it is worth saying that our diaspora does not officially exist in the country. But nevertheless, Russian communities function here in a number of cities. The largest of them are in Turin and Milan. The Association of Russian Emigrants in Milan was founded in 1979 and is considered the oldest such organization. At present, society is actively helping Russians integrate into the social and cultural environment of Italians. The association of Russians in Turin is called “Fellowship”, it has been operating for 30 years. Such organizations are the link between emigrants and Italian state structures, the consulate of the Russian Federation.
Russian communities exist in other cities: Abruzzo, Bari, Venice, Rome. The main direction of their activity is the support of relations between compatriots. Very often, such organizations organize their conferences, lectures, and holidays. In addition, on the basis of Russian communities, Italian language courses are held at which children of immigrants study.
Representatives of organizations support a number of Internet resources that are dedicated to the life of Russians in the country. On such sites there is a lot of useful information about the country, its politics, culture and customs. Through such resources you can make new acquaintances, find a job, and this is important, because in a foreign country it is quite difficult to adapt. But the real "Russian" areas in Italy does not exist, unlike Israel and the United States. This is probably due to the small number of Russian emigrants.
Russian life in Italy: features and reviews
The integration of Russian emigrants into Italian society is quite complicated, as evidenced by the reviews of people. The life of Russian women in Italy is complicated by the fact that the indigenous people are far from always willingly accepting strangers into their surroundings. This does not mean that all residents are equally related to our compatriots. But still, in the minds of many Italians there are certain stereotypes about the “Russians”, and about other foreigners too.
How do Russians live in Italy? Difficulties arise in the early years when adaptation to local customs, food, clothing, behavior, rules of existence takes place. Everything here is different than at home. Many emigrants who have lived for many years in the country say that you can never lose touch with relatives and Russia. No matter how good or bad the Russians settled in Italy (reviews confirm this), they will always be strangers and will stand out from the crowd in a good and bad sense. This trend is characteristic of absolutely all countries. But at the same time, none of the emigrants are in a hurry to return to their homeland, accustomed to the eternal warmth, beauty and food of Italy.
Life in Italy for Russians: 2016 reviews
Since 2014, an unprecedented influx of refugees into the country has been observed. This situation has led to a decrease in the chances of finding a decent job for Russians in Italy. It’s a little easier to work in the northern regions, since in the south it is difficult to find good vacancies even for the indigenous people. Of course, there are exceptions. If, for example, a person holds a signed labor contract with an Italian company, then this solves many problems with entering and living in Italy. But such emigrants, unfortunately, are only a few.
Based on the reviews of Russians living in the country, we can say that at present most of our compatriots with engineering degrees, doctors, teachers, work in Italy as governesses, waiters, laborers or builders.
Family businesses are quite common here. Small and medium-sized businesses are built to ensure that all relatives and good friends work at the enterprise. This is the mentality of Italians.
As for large companies, getting a job in them is also not easy, since serious requirements are imposed on applicants. Sometimes you need to go through a lot of interviews on Skype, before you even reach the organization’s office.
Italy currently has a high unemployment rate, according to official figures, it has reached 12%. According to people, in practice the situation is rather sad, since unemployment is growing even among young people. So, for example, in Russia you can always find a job as a waiter. In southern Italy, in the tourist region, up to a hundred applicants apply for a salary of 500 euros for a similar position. Employers give preference to native Italians.
It is more convenient to emigrate to the country if you have a stable passive income in your homeland, even if it is in the amount of 1000 euros (bank deposit or renting an apartment). The cash reserve allows you to feel more comfortable and not grab at any low-paying job.
Best Regions for Living
According to experts, a higher standard of living is typical for cities in the northern regions of Italy. The city of Bolzano is recognized as the best and most comfortable for living. It is followed by Milan, Trento, Florence and Sondrino. Northern cities are more likely to find work and cheaper housing, as apartment prices in the southern regions are much higher.
Legal residence
Back in 2002, the Italian government passed a law on the legalization of foreigners. Non-residents were given the right to enter and leave the country. However, without a legal status, in Italy it is impossible to get a discount on medicines, insurance, it is impossible to go to study at a university or a driving school, to get a normal job.
After 2014, the government was forced to tighten the rules on illegal immigrants, as their number is growing steadily. Currently, illegal immigrants are not able to make money transfers, officially work. Serious fines are expected for employers if they find an employee who does not have legal status.
Each year, the Italian government provides a quota for foreign citizens to enter the country in the form of labor. But getting into the number of applicants is not so simple. In 2013, only 13,850 foreign citizens were able to legalize in the country. To a greater extent, these are highly qualified specialists, interesting to the Italian economy, artists, artists, foreigners of Italian origin.
Italian realities
In Italy, as in any country, one cannot do without knowledge of the language. At the consulate there are Italian language courses for foreign citizens. In addition, you can engage with private teachers. In both cases, you will have to pay a certain amount for classes. Naturally, private lessons are much more expensive. As a rule, they are given by all the same emigrants who have already settled down a bit and learned the language.
Since there is not much work in Italy now, its search takes place through relatives and friends.Those who are not comfortable getting to know each other are forced to look for vacancies on the Internet. Very often people with a higher legal or pedagogical education, having arrived in Italy, are forced to start a career from scratch, working as a courier or laborer. These are the usual realities of the life of emigrants.
The mild climate of the country, beautiful nature, numerous attractions - all this attracts our compatriots to Italy, which may well become their new home. However, the emigrants themselves recommend that newcomers who decide to conquer the country leave real estate in Russia for unforeseen events so that they can return to their homeland. After all, not all Russians manage to get well in a new place.