Roots of Nostalgia

Brus Monk, author of the schoolbook for Russians "Happy English": The concept of native country arouses a lot of emotion in Russians. It is feminine, you regard it as your mother (mother-country). We (in England) have a different attitude to our country, we would never dream of calling it "motherland". Your people feel nostalgic during three week Oxford summer courses of English. I lived in Russia away from my country for 9 years and I didn't feel nostalgic. We are on different terms with our country.

Russian speak - our country, Englishmen speak - this country. In Russian you can say "this country" only in very negative context: "It is impossible to live in this country".*

* quotation from the book Кочетков. В.В. Психология межкультурных различий. М., 2002)