Great Britain, how ordinary people live. Life in England or what the English are like in everyday life

Prices for electricity and gas are simply sky-high + housing and communal services bills are also very high, and if the house also has an elevator, then get ready to fork out some cash.

Living in Glasgow, on average I spent about £200 a month on utility bills.

If you rent an apartment, then add these 200 pounds to the rent, although the housing prices there were quite reasonable, you could rent a 2-bedroom apartment for 600 pounds (then it was about 30k rubles, now it’s about 56k). Those. if desired, 800 pounds needed for housing in warm apartment can be divided by 2, i.e. 400 lbs.

There now huge wave emigrants, throughout Eupoppa, and even more so in old England. There are only Arabs around, they live in communities, according to their own rules and traditions. My cousin lived there for 10 years and is now planning to return. I wouldn't interfere.

They even turn on the heating at the most very coldy and they wash themselves from one basin to save water - the utilities there are prohibitive. If you are not rich, it is very difficult to find a job, only in service.

No matter how long you live in England, for the locals you will always be a foreigner, despite the fact that they are mostly good people with humor, and yet with their inherent share of stiffness and a certain importance, it is quite difficult there in terms of communication, what are you used to at home, you can’t just barge in on a visit, even relatives call in advance, but in different parts England are different people. A very expensive country, you can live, but many things will surprise you and many things you will not understand.

I lived in England for 4 years, from 14 to 18 years old. It is difficult to join the team, the British are on their own, xenophobes, full of all sorts of strange ideas about how everything should be. They sincerely consider themselves supreme nation on the ground, and if you try to object, they will simply twist it at your temple. Although they are not evil or treacherous. But they always keep their distance. Now I'm in Germany, when compared, it wins a lot. Although the Germans are also often strange - like robots performing the task assigned to them - they make contact much easier. It's easy to get into the company. But the attitude towards Russians here is not so hot - people from the Soviet Union, mostly an uneducated stratum of “Germans” from Kazakhstan, tried their best. I don’t encounter such a problem in my life, because I have a European appearance and I communicate in academic circles, but there were a couple of times on the phone that I received a completely different service when they heard my Russian accent on the other end.

I was in London while still a student. I’ll say right away that this is not a country for the poor or even for people of average income. VERY expensive rent, VERY expensive communications (as mentioned in the article), good food not cheap either. You won’t be able to find a job without advanced language skills, so think carefully about what you can offer to this country.

Neutral reviews

I read it and remembered my first impressions of London... It’s cramped! My view was cramped - there was nowhere to roam - since the houses were pressed against each other, the distance to the roadway was not great, and the roads were a bit narrow (by our standards).. and also - Russian speech.. I lived in a hotel, and decided “ “show off” my English, but they didn’t understand me: women worked there... from Bulgaria and they asked me to communicate in Russian. since they knew Russian better than English)) such oddities. From your story I learned a lot that I didn’t know. Thank you.

I decided to talk about life in England, if anyone is interested

It would be very interesting to hear comparisons with life in Russia and other countries. I have never been to Russia, my idea of ​​it consists of films, TV series, stories from bloggers and various forums.

For ease of reading, I will divide everything point by point.

1) climate.

everything they write about the nasty English weather is true. We don’t see the sun for six months or more, many suffer from a lack of vitamin D. There is not as much fog as they say, but it rains almost constantly. Heavy downpours are quite rare; mostly there is a light, nasty drizzle. I heard that it also rains a lot in St. Petersburg, is this true?

Films often show mannered Englishmen sipping tea from an antique service. in fact, there are more than enough homeless people and drunks here. and gopniks are a dime a dozen. Yesterday I was driving to work, looking at people and feeling sad - most of them look nothing at all. faces are rumpled, drunk, voices are smoky. no manners, all swearing and vulgar behavior (throwing garbage at your feet, shouting across the entire bus, etc.)

Yes, they always say “thank you,” but that’s where manners end. There are towns that are more expensive, and there are fewer gopniks there, because... all drunks and gops usually live in state houses, but in expensive towns/areas the state does not allocate houses. in the evenings I try not to leave the house and return before it gets dark, since there are also plenty of drug addicts here, as well as nationalists. There are practically no English people in London, mostly immigrants. but I felt safer there.

3) benefits.

There are a lot of benefits here; almost every Englishman has received benefits at least once in his life. Also, many Englishmen live their entire lives on benefits (from 16 years to retirement). the state allocates houses for which people pay pennies, sometimes these houses can be bought (the conditions are more favorable than if you take out a mortgage). Anyone can get in line for the state. housing, but children receive priority. then disabled people and pensioners. Sometimes you get the impression that they also have children here just for the sake of the house. if there is one child, they give you an apartment or a small house. if two children are of different sexes, each is entitled to a room, that is, parents receive at least a four-room house. vouchers are also given for furniture and repairs, the state pays part of the bills for water, gas, etc. many mothers lie to the government that they are single mothers, thus snatching up even more benefits. There are decent families who spend child benefits as they should. but there is also a considerable proportion of those who drink away their benefits. several years ago it was proposed to issue benefits not in money, but in coupons, so there was such a stink about this. Of course, coupons are not so easy to drink.

It's a shame that our taxes are spent on maintaining such parasites. and they continue to multiply.

4) child-centrism

developed as elsewhere. here they are pampered and cherished to the point of absurdity. for example, any physical Punishments are prohibited, and moral harm is also prohibited. social the services do not sleep - if someone complains somewhere, they rush at full speed to check. Children are selected almost in the wrong way. Therefore, for every bruise on a child, parents report to teachers, since they always report everything to social services. services. If you punish the foal (not physically, but for example, take away the tablet) and he complains to his parents at school, expect a visit from social services. workers who will be watching your every move for a very long time. What we have as a result: children who are spoiled beyond belief, who do not know how to behave and have absolutely no respect for adults. There are no punishments for them and they know it. This makes them go crazy and do whatever comes into their head. I, an adult, am afraid of 11-year-old girls, because they can throw out anything. not children, but some kind of animals.

5) the attitude towards Russians is very strange. at first everyone thinks that I am Polish, Canadian, etc. but as soon as they find out that she’s Russian, even their attitude changes. They seem to be afraid or very respectful, it’s hard to say. but the attitude changes instantly and in better side. Everyone as one makes jokes about vodka with glasses, and I back it up with stories about tame bears.

Well, I wrote it here. Sorry for the many letters, if you're interested, I can write more. share your opinion and comparisons with life in your country, I will read with pleasure

Tax deductions in the UK are impressive: income from 11 to 43 thousand is taxed at 20%, from 43 thousand at 40%.

In other words,

42000*0.8=33600 pounds

43000*0.6=25800 lbs.

Although, go find that job for 43,000...

It’s gorgeous everywhere if you have money)))) My friend’s sister lives in London, she has 3 children. You have to retrain for work (our diplomas don’t count), it’s very difficult to adapt (the British mentality is peculiar), the rules of life and behavior are different.

I went to the UK to study the language. This is given for 2 years.

Then you can upgrade and go to university, you can get a student loan.

4 more years.

Well, during this time, find a way to legalize yourself: either get married, or find a professional job and get a work visa.

I live in Britain too. The article is correct. It was somehow instilled in us in Russia and the USSR that there was paradise in the west. And people still think that way. But this is not true. It's hard to live here. For African Indians and other immigrants who have absolutely nothing in their homeland, this may be a way out - to live here.

The myth about high incomes:

My salary is 30,000 a year,

on hand 1800 per month.

50% goes to pay for housing (I live on the outskirts in a small town not in London, of course)

For an example of other expenses, paying for lunches at school for a child is 100 pounds per month.

Not by bread alone

As the author correctly noted, there is virtually no industry here. You travel around the country and don’t understand how one of the largest economies lives. There are no industrial enterprises. All the land on the island has been trampled many times over its centuries-old history; everything has already been dug up, cut down, and paved over. This reminds me computer game- a stage when one of the civilizations has completely exhausted its resources. She has many houses, a lot of population, all this requires resources for maintenance, but there is no prospect of just how to capture other people's civilizations.

In contrast, Russia is a developing country in a good way with a lot of resources and therefore with prospects

One the problem is people in Russia they think that their life is worse.

To be fair, I will say that the people in the institutions here are very polite. The client is used to feeling right. And it’s calm in terms of crime (not in large cities).

I dream of going to Russia one day and encountering constant rudeness and dirt there, so that I might get my face stuffed in order to say later that after all, on TV in Russia it seems good, but it’s impossible to live there.

Positive reviews

laws do protect animals, but not as much as we would like. In our town, a scandal recently broke out: two teenagers (brothers) beat their bulldog, threw him down the steps, jumped on him and filmed everything on camera. the video ended up on the Internet and then the case reached the police and later the court. the dog died from injuries, and the young bastards received a lifelong ban on keeping animals and a suspended sentence. that is, there was no real punishment - I don’t think that they suffer much from the inability to have animals or from the inability to leave the country (and then only for a year, if I’m not mistaken). but then a miracle happened - people united and survived the bastards from the town. now on social media On networks, people tell each other where they were seen and therefore have to move from place to place. So lynching really ruined their lives, and law enforcement agencies did not punish them in any way. Now people are collecting signatures to reconsider this case and demand justice.

in fact, they always threaten with imprisonment here, but they are so scary. in fact, such crimes are not particularly severely punished. Drugs are a different matter; you can get really punished for them. but petty theft, cruelty to animals, beatings, nothing is particularly strictly punished.

We do not have stray cats or dogs. If an animal is found on the street, it is taken to a shelter, where the microchip is read and the owners are found. If the owners are not found, they give it to other people. The shelter does not give out animals for free - there is a certain amount that is then spent on the needs of the shelter. Microchips have been mandatory since April this year.

Instead of stray cats we have "stray" foxes. but not like we are used to seeing in photographs - they look very sad. mangy dirty fur, skinny bodies, tails that are not fluffy at all. They are not afraid to walk around the city, and at night they howl terribly and move containers. They are afraid of people, that is, you can’t pet a fox, but you can get very close.

For some reason there are a lot of green parrots in London. I heard that a couple of parrots escaped from the zoo and then bred in the wild. While I lived in London, I often woke up in the morning to the screams of parrots. It’s a pity there are no photos - the tree is covered with bright green parrots.

It all depends on how you arrange yourself. I really like it in England. And the people around me are pleasant, and the neighbors are friendly. Yes, I will never become a “local”, but I have never felt any negativity towards myself as a Russian. I find life in England cheaper than in France, although statistics say the opposite. Very often there are big discounts on products. And not only in the summer and post-Christmas period. And a lot more goods “for the middle class”. Whereas in France there is a greater gap between expensive exclusives and low-grade consumer goods with no reasonable middle ground. England and France are beautiful in their own way and it’s stupid to compare them. But the climate is definitely worse in England. I can't say anything about French medicine. But in England it is blatantly disgusting. And compared to Germany it is at a medieval level.

I have been living in London for the past 3 years. It’s not difficult to get along with the English, but they will still consider you a foreigner, and every day you will have to prove that you are not a camel, and that you are worth something, just like they are locals. They are reluctantly allowed into their society, in order to be friends like us. I am married to an Englishman (although he calls himself European). He was born in England, his father is German, and his mother is Dutch; Although he was born here, and people seem to consider him an Englishman, there are still people who, looking at his last name, consider him a non-local. For the British, it is very important what place you occupy in society (working class, middle class, upper class). My husband belongs to the latter and therefore it is difficult for me to communicate with people NOT of this class. I work at a school, teaching English. It’s better if you have a university education, you will be appreciated, because many Englishmen do not have an education higher than our vocational school. At school this is especially striking, and I am very surprised that until the 8th-9th grade, children cannot read or write. Therefore, foreigners (eg Poles, Russians and other nationalities) study very well, and sometimes even better than the English themselves, for whom English is their native language. In general, England is a country of opportunity, but here, as everywhere else, you need to work to live well.

I have been living in England with my husband for only the second year. The thought of living and studying in another country had been in my mind for a long time, but somehow it didn’t work out. The opportunity presented itself rather suddenly. My husband needed a Western-style diploma to work, and in his specialty he could choose to study at a university in the USA, Canada or the United Kingdom. Without thinking twice, we chose England, since it suited us best in terms of cost and deadlines for submitting documents.

It is worth noting that long before all this chaos with the separation of Britain from the European Union, England was not the easiest country for Russian emigration.

Some of my friends were not always able to obtain a tourist visa, let alone the right to permanent residence.

Now, every year, the visa policy is becoming stricter, and the opportunities are becoming less and less, so when you meet compatriots living on the island, the first question they always ask you is: “Are you studying or working here?” In fact, a study or work visa is the two most common ways of moving to the UK for residents of Russia, with the exception of Russian wives who have tied the knot with British subjects.

A crowd of schoolchildren greets the Royal Horse Artillery in London

We came on a study visa and stayed on a work visa. Now I work in English school, and this gives me a unique opportunity to understand and study the system from the inside. I can literally see how, from a young age, children of all nationalities and backgrounds are taught general principles, on which society has stood firmly since imperial times and which help the inhabitants of the country speak the same language with each other, no matter what dialect you have.

This is not about knowledge of laws and history, but about discipline, about how conflicts are resolved and how laws are respected, regardless of position, status or religion.

This cannot be taught from textbooks; children absorb this knowledge from communicating with teachers and classmates at school every day. Perhaps this partly explains the prestige of the English educational institutions, where children are sent to study year after year, despite the very decent cost. A British education is seen around the world as a smart investment, which subsequently opens up new career horizons.

Speaking of prices. Of course, living in England and especially in London is an expensive pleasure, even by Moscow standards. The lion's share of your salary is usually consumed by rent. Prices start from £600 per month per room. As a rule, you can rent a more or less decent apartment in London for about £1.5-2 thousand per month. On top of that, throw a few hundred pounds on public utilities and council tax. As a result, it may happen that you will literally work for food. In general, a salary of £20 thousand pounds per year (approximately 107 thousand rubles per month after taxes in terms of our money) is considered almost a living wage here. This is not the money with which you can afford much here.

In addition, in England there is a progressive taxation scale, which leads to a paradoxical situation when your salary seems to have been increased, but you received little more than before.

Life doesn't stop at night in Piccadilly Circus in London

In general, of course, if money issues are settled, a Russian person lives well in Britain. There is something so attractive in this mysterious country that for centuries, like a magnet, it drew the Russian intelligentsia to the other side and inspired our classics. Personally, I feel a special closeness to England, largely due to the study of literature and history of the country. And we are even accustomed to the local warm and humid climate, although in winter I really miss the snow. In this matter, the main thing, as elsewhere, is to dress according to the weather and not focus on the British, who all year round can walk around in shorts and T-shirts.

I am also very close to the easy approach of the British to life, their irony, and gentleness in communication. On the one hand, I know that I cannot come to a colleague or even a friend and dump all my troubles on him, he simply will not understand such a passage. On the other hand, I am sure that he, in turn, will not cross the boundaries of my comfort, will not unleash all the dogs on me if he is not having a good day, and thanks to this I feel protected emotionally, even being a foreigner here.

None of the British will allow themselves to speak disrespectfully about my country and Russians in general in my presence, and this is very important, because after moving, I did not love my country less.

On the contrary, I would even say that Russia is a country that is much easier to love from a distance.

The London bus is one of the main icons of England

After moving, I began to pay attention to things that in Russia seemed to me to be taken for granted. At home I didn’t notice cheap and reliable public transport, universal heating or the ability to turn on water at the temperature you need, and not separately one tap with boiling water and another with ice water. These are all little things, but you begin to appreciate them in a new way after seeing what happens in other countries. I like that Russians here treat each other quite warmly and try to help.

I have never felt such unity with people I barely knew in Russia.

Here I met Russian children who grew up in the Baltics. This is someone you can definitely learn love for your homeland from.

I can’t say that there is some kind of prejudice towards me as a Russian in England. Although it is extremely rare for me to be identified as Russian at the first meeting.

Many people here ask me what I think about our president, and, interestingly, they quite often speak out in support of his political course.

Most likely, those who disagree with his views simply prefer not to ask about it. When it comes to politics, another unspoken rule of communication that I wholeheartedly support is the agreement to have different opinions on any political or religious issue, which is contained in the formula Let's agree to disagree (let everyone have their own opinion). I used to always defend my point of view until I foamed at the mouth and jumped out of my pants, but now I really appreciate the opportunity to argue for my position and remain with it, listening carefully to the other and without winning anyone over to your side.

There is an opinion that the British are completely superficial and only discuss the weather, but in my experience this is only true in business communication- say, when meeting your boss. And in the evening after work, sitting in a pub over a pint of beer, the English give free rein to their tongues, and the range of topics can vary from gossip about ex-girlfriends before discussion tragic destinies killed during the Second World War.

Dear readers of Gazeta.Ru!

At first glance, life in England is no different from the usual way of life in other countries. Northern Europe, but upon closer examination one can find many differences and even oddities. To get to know the real English life, it is worth spending a few days visiting the native English, because the mentality of this people is clearly revealed only in a homely atmosphere.

Home life

First of all, most English people prefer to live in private houses with at least two floors. Living in your own home is not only a tradition, but also an indicator of a person’s wealth, well-being and independence. Private houses necessarily have several floors, are spacious, and very often have a small courtyard with a flower bed attached to them. The closer to the city center such apartments are, the higher their price. Almost every home is equipped with a fireplace, stairs and several bathrooms: for guests on the first floor and for the family on the second.

The British are very economical and careful about the consumption of electricity, water and gas. For example, in winter, few people heat the room throughout the day. The heating is turned on for several hours in the morning and several hours in the evening, but the house is not heated day and night. But it is considered quite normal to walk around the house in two sweaters and three socks, and go to bed with a warm heating pad in your hands.

They also save a lot of water: washing dishes under a stream running from a tap is considered the height of wastefulness and carelessness. A funny detail of everyday life is the ancient water supply system with two separate taps - one for hot water and one for cold water. cold water. It is impossible to mix them into one warm stream of water, so in order to wash your hands or face, you need to draw water from both taps into the sink. IN modern buildings Mixers have been used for a long time, but for houses of the so-called “old foundation” the problem still remains relevant.

There is nothing more interesting than observing the behavior of an Englishman in his own home. This is the only place where he can allow himself to relax, not care about etiquette, skip the evening tea party and eat up at night. At the same time, it is not customary here to wear a dressing gown, unless it is early morning or late evening. During the day, you will never see a Briton in a ten-year-old stretched tracksuit and slippers, even if he is alone at home and is not expecting anyone to visit. A home suit usually consists of comfortable trousers and a sweater or T-shirt, depending on the time of year.

Food and nutrition

The British do not like to spend a lot of time preparing food and queuing in supermarkets every day. People most often go for food and drinks on Friday or Saturday, stocking up for the whole week. In England, frozen preparations for making soups, pastas, salads, as well as yoghurts, puddings, pies and mousses are very popular. Organic food is very highly valued: vegetables and fruits grown in one’s own or farm gardens, fresh milk, cream.

Hospitality

Real, native English people are very hospitable and responsive by nature. Yes, their concept of hospitality is different from the usual: it is not customary here to set luxurious tables or come without an invitation. But if you have already agreed on a meeting in advance, rest assured that you will be received with great respect and will definitely in a great mood. Another important one distinguishing feature The British never discuss their problems with guests. To the question: “How are you doing?”, you will always hear “Thank you, everything is fine! "

The truth is in a more compact form. So, let’s briefly list all the features of life in this wonderful country.

The main feature is that everyone wants to come here; when walking around London, you will immediately notice that there are almost, meaning that there are a lot of obvious foreigners, different nationalities, races and colors, many of whom do not even speak English and yet, they all go to work or school with a newspaper in their hands. London is not typical British city, despite its scale, everything here is very small, as you know in the UK there are 1.8 per person, a rather serious result for Europe, but these rooms are very small, also in London there are small restaurants and cafes, but in this city there are none, according to at least those that we have. Property prices, including residential ones, are sky-high, with many areas in London costing from £20,000 per square meter, this is exactly twice as high as the central regions, utility costs are also impressive, about 22% of family income.

In London and other cities there are many pubs, cafes and restaurants, in pubs people even gather outside the establishment itself, since there is not always enough space for everyone, the menu mainly includes beer and potatoes with sausages and fish, but there are also many elite restaurants with at recommended prices, to which I would add that London is a very crowded city. Almost every street and subway passage is enlivened by musicians who play guitars to No Busking; usually such signs prohibit almost all liberties; only the British follow these prohibitions.

Where is the best place to live in the UK?

Most likely, there is no difference at all where, of course, some regions are rich, others are poor, respectively, prices and wages are high or low, in London the highest wages, but at the same time the most high prices for all. In the provinces, salaries are lower, but you can live comfortably on less money. London, like any other metropolis, is for people who never sleep, in other words, it’s fun here, there are huge opportunities for self-realization, you can work as anyone, start your own business in any field.

Salaries must be shared in the UK a complex system taxes, which depends on the level of income, the more you earn, the higher the taxes, for example, for salaries from 20 to 38 thousand pounds per year, income tax and others will total 20%, if the salary is from 38,000 to 70,000, then taxes are 35%, further 42% and even half of earnings.

How does the middle class live in Great Britain?

If we still hypothetically accept that middle class there is still something here, then we can assume that the salary of the head of a family of such a middle class will be about 30,000 pounds per year, after taxes it is 2,000 pounds per month, not at all much for the most expensive country in Europe. An apartment or a house can cost from 600 to 900 pounds per month, depending on whether it is your own house or rented, an apartment or a house, the presence of a garden and a large area, a swimming pool, and the like. An apartment in central London is more expensive in the provinces. Utilities are £130 per month, more expensive in winter. There is also a property tax, the so-called Council tax, which can be 100 pounds per month. Transport costs can range from £50 to £200, for example a travel pass central regions London will cost 100 pounds per month. Paid entry for all cars into the center of London, high cost of parking, one-time travel on public transport.

Food costs can range from £200 to £400 on average. Other miscellaneous costs to consider include health insurance, car insurance, cable TV, communications costs, each of which alone could add up to another £45 a month. In total, there will be absolutely nothing left; in most cases, the average Briton cannot save a penny for the future. British society does not see any way to increase income. Let us note that in the UK, compared to the USA, loans for goods, cars, and mortgages are not issued in such quantities and with such ease; the British today buy houses and apartments exclusively with their own money. The American rule of buy now, pay later does not work surprisingly well in the UK.

One can imagine how Russians in Great Britain are forced to economize in everything, meaning the second type of Russians, the poor.

Youth, juniors office workers, and in general, the majority of UK residents receive a salary of only 20,000 pounds a year, they receive about 1,400 pounds a month with clean hands, then it is not at all possible to save money for a rainy day. In small towns and provinces there are fewer expenses and opportunities to spend money, but salaries are also lower.

It’s very difficult to save up for your own property in the UK; the cost of an apartment in London is simply cosmic and starts at half a million pounds; it will be the deadliest apartment. Young people in the UK live with their parents for a very long time economic reasons In order to rent housing separately, you need to receive at least an average salary by local standards, as a rule, for young professionals it is assumed minimum wage, the same applies even to young doctors, teachers or accountants, so young people are forced to live under the same roof with their elders. In this, Great Britain is similar to the countries of Europe, but is very different for the worse from the United States, where society has long moved away from the foundations of the classical patriarchal family.

In the UK there are sacred distinctions, for example, a pub with beer on Fridays, in London and other cities people gather after work and socialize in pubs, which means public, if there is no place in the cafe itself, then you can settle down on the street.

Tourist trips in the UK and abroad are mainly the domain of wealthy pensioners; after retiring, the British try to make good use of their time and accumulated funds. In the UK, as in the USA, the richest people are pensioners.

The British buy everything on credit, of course, if they are allowed to do so, it’s furniture, money for renovations, Appliances, computers, iPhones and more. The demographic problem of Great Britain is solved with the help of immigrants, among them it is customary to give birth to many children; if not for these immigrants, Great Britain would not have such a strong economy and general prosperity.

Just a century ago, a quarter of the surface globe occupied by the British Empire, now former colonies remain, from which refugees moved to Britain in the second half of the 20th century. The country could not refuse its subjects and accepted everyone, and still accepts them now, people from of Eastern Europe in the background, Russia and Ukraine were never colonies of Great Britain, so the Russians in Great Britain are treated as strangers, while many Africans are like their own.

Life in the UK for Russians

Emigrants from Russia and Ukraine without legalizing their education can count on a maximum of 6 pounds per hour. Russians are not very competitive in the local labor market and are unsuccessful businessmen; they are losing greatly even to Asians or Africans. The thing is that Russians have a different mentality, they are not so mobile, they stick to their homes, are afraid of new things, work where they live, the British, on the contrary, live where there is work. Russians are not as polite as the British, in British etiquette it is customary to apologize ten times, and only then start a conversation or hint about a request, Russians go straight to the point, which is disrespectful and rude in England. Russians do not like to take risks, the Western mentality is alien to them, and these are all the principles on which life in the UK is based, and especially in the UK, even in comparison with other countries Western Europe, shrugged last place where Russians will take root in Europe is Great Britain. However, not everything is built on this mentality; in London, Russians are either millionaires or poor people. Millionaires are identified with Abramovich, and the poor are identified with illegal immigrants as caregivers, nannies, builders, and plumbers.

London is the capital of Great Britain - without exaggeration, we can say that this expression is familiar to almost every inhabitant of the earth. England is also called Foggy Albion, and in recent decades - the homeland of Harry Potter. This amazing country with slightly eccentric residents who consider themselves the British elite. Here it is customary to eat oatmeal for breakfast, have tea parties and not leave the house without an umbrella. This is what life is like in England.

How to get to London?

You can read thousands of times about how they live in London, but it’s still better to see everything with your own eyes. For this you don’t need much: desire, finances and a visa to England. Contrary to popular belief, there are no monsters at the embassy who, with bloodthirsty enthusiasm, refuse to issue a visa to every second person. The main thing here is to fill out the documents correctly and meet the requirements.

You can apply for a visa to England yourself by submitting all the relevant documents to the consulate, or you can contact visa centers, where specialists will do everything for a small surcharge. Usually, visa centers are approached by people who work unofficially, and therefore there is no one to issue them a certificate. However, it is worth remembering that such agencies, although they can draw any “linden” picture, do not guarantee that the visa will be approved.

Required documents

To get to England, you need to collect a whole package of documents. The first thing you need to do is fill out the form. Information must be provided as accurately as possible. Any discrepancy with reality - and the consequences will be disastrous.

In addition to the application form, you need to take care of a color photograph measuring 3.5 by 4.5 cm in advance. Then you can begin collecting all the missing documents:

• A foreign passport with two blank pages and an expiration date of at least six months from the date of application.
• Photocopy of the first page of the passport.
• If available, then old passports that will show the history of movements.
• Printed and signed application form.
• Photo.
• Documents confirming marital status.
• Certificate from study or place of work. It is important that it indicates the position, salary and the fact that workplace assigned to the future tourist.
• A bank statement confirming that you have enough money for the trip.
• Information about booked hotel and air tickets.
• Medical insurance. This point is not mandatory, but will affect the decision to issue a visa.
• Receipt for payment of the consular fee.

This package of documents is typical for a guest or tourist visa. To obtain a student or work visa, you need to provide additional documents: certificates confirming language proficiency, and documents confirming the availability of an educational or work place.

Foxes and classes

And now about life in England. The first thing that surprises visitors from Russia is the absence of stray animals. This is carefully monitored in the country, because both cats and dogs are full members of English families. But wild foxes are often found in cities, but it seems that the British are accustomed to them, but an unprepared person can get scared. And by the way, the legendary British accent cannot be found in every city.

Also in the country there is still a division of society into the lower class, middle class and aristocrats. These people cannot be confused with each other; they not only look different, but also talk differently. Representatives of the middle class earn about 2,000 pounds a month (165,000 rubles) and actively buy real estate on credit. The British prefer to live in own homes, and not in apartments, as is customary in Russia. Almost 70% of English people already live in private sectors, where there are houses with a separate entrance. Renting such housing costs about 1 thousand pounds (87.5 thousand rubles) per month, plus you also need to pay separately for utilities ≈ 15-20 thousand rubles.

Fish and chips

It also surprises with its cuisine. The signature dish here is batter-fried cod with French fries. In the morning they usually serve oatmeal or a classic English breakfast, which includes eggs, sausages, beans, bacon and mushrooms.

The British also consider themselves the most musical nation, since it was in Great Britain that groups such as The Beatles, Queen and The Rolling Stones. The argument, of course, is so-so, but let them believe it if they like it that way.

And along with all this, it is worth understanding that life in England and tourist idleness are not the same thing. Some say that the country can only be visited for sightseeing or study. The life of emigrants in England is not as rosy and carefree as it might seem.

Features of migrants

Russian people learn about life in England mainly from the words of those who came from there. But many migrants have one distinctive feature: they lie about their status, career success, earnings and quality of life. In fact, these people can be understood, because not a single person voluntarily admits that he has lost, which is why migrants lie shamelessly.

If a person manages to get hooked on some decent job, he will greatly exaggerate his success. And if it didn’t work out, and he had to return, then he would say that migrants were being pressured, weren’t being hired, and in general, it was impossible to get anywhere.

The second feature of migrants is, oddly enough, hostility towards their compatriots. The emigrants do not like each other and try to avoid meeting each other. True, this is valid only for Russian-speaking citizens. Lithuanians or, for example, Poles are trying to stick together in a foreign country.

Why don’t you need to go for permanent residence in England?

It rains here 200 days a year, which makes it easy to get depressed, especially if nothing works out with work. But in addition to rain, the country is often shrouded in an impenetrable veil of fog and there are strong winds. Not everyone can endure this kind of weather.

Some visitors claim that medicine is bad in England. There is no such thing as a preventive examination here. If you come to the doctor, he asks the reason for the visit, when there is no reason, then the person is sent home. Before going to a specialist, you need to get a referral from your family doctor.

Life ordinary people in England it is too measured. Outside the capital, it is unlikely that a migrant will find any entertainment. Cinema, cafes, shops, theaters - all this is available only in London, and in other cities it is not so easy to find them. In addition, establishments operate according to a very strange scheme: banks can close at two o’clock in the afternoon, and shopping centers- at nine in the evening, no later.

Standard of living

In general, living conditions in England are quite good, but to achieve them you need to work tirelessly. The average salary here is high - about 179 thousand rubles, if translated into Russian rubles, and in London - all 290,000. Highly paid specialists are brokers, lawyers, doctors, company executives, sales and marketing managers.

Those who come to England for the first time should not count on mountains of gold. The life of Russians in England begins with looking for work (if they were not invited to the company in advance). The most they can count on at first is 6 pounds per hour, which is the minimum wage in England. In a month, a person can receive about 1000 pounds (depending on who, how and how much they work). This money is enough to rent the cheapest housing, for minimal food and for free expenses. If a person wants to eat normally (almost like an aristocrat), then he will not have any free money left.

Although the standard of living in England is high, people have to spend too much. The cost of renting an apartment is 900 pounds, food will also cost much more than we are used to. And you will have to spend at least 100 pounds a month (about 8 thousand rubles) on public transport. Also, do not forget about taxes - the higher the salary, the more you give to the state.

Work issues

In a word, you cannot come to England (or any other country) “from a lantern.” There is work for Russians in England, but you just need to take care of it in advance. Not a single developed country will refuse a highly qualified specialist with knowledge of the local language. But even if a person is far from a master of a narrow specialization, the British authorities provide a whole list of work visas.

Basic requirements for working in England: knowledge of the language and qualifications. To obtain a good place work, you must have a certificate confirming your knowledge of the language. Knowledge of other languages ​​will be an additional advantage.

As for qualifications, it’s not so simple. The education and work experience obtained may not meet the requirements of employment legislation in England. To check your qualifications, you can use the NARIC online service, which operates on behalf of the British Government.

Also, to get a job you need a sponsorship certificate - this is a kind of guarantee letter from the employer that the applicant for the job is a highly qualified specialist.

Intermediary firms will help you find a job. But you can try to do it yourself, via the Internet. It is best to look for work in London; here the local labor market is absolutely unable to cope with the high pace of development.

Life in retirement

Most of all, migrants are attracted to England by the life of retirees. Older people who spend their days drinking wine in cafes and restaurants or traveling the world cannot help but inspire envy.

In 2016, the UK carried out pension reform, as a result of which a “new state pension” was established and the retirement age was raised to 66 years. To receive the “new state pension”, you must have at least 10 years of work experience. This refers to experience in the UK. Also entitled to an English pension are those who have received National Insurance credits for at least 10 years and those who voluntarily paid pension contributions.

So, how do pensioners live in England? From the covers of glossy magazines and from TV screens we see what is good. But they are unlikely to be able to live carefree only on state benefits; here the system is focused on self-sufficiency. Of course, the government does not allow pensioners to fall into poverty by providing various benefits, free medicines and additional social benefits, but if a person wants to have a comfortable old age, he must save for it himself.

Positive points

Like every country, living in England has its positive and negative aspects. Each migrant sees the pros and cons of life in England differently. It is difficult to find a job here due to the high level of competition, if nothing serious has happened to your health, it is extremely difficult to get medical help, and it also rains here all the time.

But it’s unusual in the country beautiful nature. There are many nature reserves and parks here that make the country similar to the England that existed in this place several centuries ago. The same feeling is enhanced by ancient castles and fortresses.

History buffs can live not just in old, but in super-old houses that are more than 400 years old. Despite the fact that they have low ceilings, such buildings are always equipped with fireplaces, as large as in the past.

People here are sociable, smiling and easy to get in touch with. In England, it is customary to talk with strangers about simple, abstract topics. But making close friends is almost impossible. It's not that the British are cynical and heartless egoists, they just have a different mentality. They are reserved in expressing their emotions and are not inclined to share their experiences over a cup of tea, but are always ready to help.

Alcohol, cheese and dairy products are available here, but vegetables and fruits good quality extremely difficult to find.

This may sound strange, but in England there is practically no crime, so you can calmly walk late at night and not be afraid of robbers.

in England

At first glance, it may seem that life in England is no different from the customs of other European countries, but if you look in more detail, you can find a lot of differences.

As already mentioned, the British love to live in private two-story houses, which is not only a tradition, but also a confirmation of status. Also, residents of this country save electricity, water and gas. Washing dishes under a stream of water running from a tap is, in their firm belief, the height of wastefulness. In winter, no one heats houses around the clock. It is believed that it is enough to turn it on for a couple of hours in the morning and evening - that’s all the heating is. Here it is considered normal to walk around the house in two sweaters, three pairs of socks and go to bed hugging a heating pad.

The British do not wear dressing gowns (except when going from bed to bathroom), stretched out tracksuits and slippers. Loungewear usually consists of comfortable trousers and a T-shirt or sweater. they don’t like to waste time preparing food, and even more they don’t like standing in lines every day. Therefore, they buy semi-finished products on Friday or Saturday for the entire next week.

The British are by nature hospitable and helpful people. But here the concept of hospitality is very radically different from that to which Russian people are accustomed. No one comes here without an invitation, and you shouldn’t expect a sumptuously laid table “on two floors” either. If the meeting was agreed upon in advance, then the person will certainly be met at good mood and will treat him with great respect. The British will never discuss their problems with guests; they always say “Everything is fine!”

This is what life is like in Foggy Albion. Here it rains 200 days a year, ancient castles are hidden among the green crowns of nature reserves, double-decker buses travel around London, and at five o’clock in the evening the whole country sits down to drink tea. Living in England, on the one hand, is difficult, because it is a foreign country, but, on the other hand, there are many places here worth it to be visited, there are many unknown customs and traditions that would be nice to know. Echoes of bygone years are still in the air, wide fields with farms stretch under the lead-gray sky, in the suburbs lined similar friend at a friend's house. It's quiet and almost boring here, but no one complains, because everyone has too many thoughts that require careful consideration over a traditional cup of tea.