Like many people who jump to conclusions, you assume incorrectly that I am Russian. I am an American mutt all the way, mostly German if anything.
That said I have spent a lot of time living in Russia and if you have not, you are the one who is confused.
No, I did not at all. I said "like so many Russians," not "as many Russians."
Also, living in Russia helps but does not replace education. That seems to be a tendency: in your arguments, you refer to personal experiences. Someone in your educational chain betrayed you and hid the most important point: education is what supplants your personal experiences, and not all learning is experiential.