Russian tourists in Turkey: A controversial all‑inclusive experience

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, few places have welcomed Russian tourists with open arms. One such country is Turkey - a holiday destination loved not only by Poles but also by Russians.

It’s no secret that in these resorts, the Russian language dominates, and alcohol flows freely, leading to various incidents that are later commented on in social media.

Viacheslav Zarutskii, a Russian-born vlogger currently living in Poland, recently commented on the behaviour of Russian tourists. The Russians explained that mainly poorly educated individuals with low social status and blinded by Putin's propaganda go on all-inclusive vacations in Turkey. For them, drinking is the best "rest."

People who go on the cheapest all-inclusive holidays are not always, but usually, not very intelligent. These are ordinary workers, and in Russia, (...) they are "alcoholics who work." (...) During the day they work in a factory, in the evening in a taxi. And they drink - on Friday, Saturday, Sunday. (...) These are people who like Putin and are heavily influenced by propaganda - explains Zarutskii.

Zarutskii reminds us that only 32% of Russians have a passport, and around 100 million have no possibility of leaving the country. But Russians like all-inclusive vacations, and more and more people are interested in obtaining a passport and traveling abroad.

Some have to "tighten their belts" all year round to afford a one-week stay in Turkey. Therefore - when they finally go - they feel like "kings of the world." However, they are not interested in sightseeing. As the YouTuber explains, thanks to the all-inclusive vacations, Russian tourists don't have to limit themselves. They drink just as in Russia and operate on the assumption: "You can eat as much as you want, and if you don’t want, you can stash it away and take it" - explains the vlogger.

They paid money, and for every penny, every kopeck, every ruble, they want to relax. They will eat all that food, drink vodka, (...) they will even steal towels from hotels - says Zarutskii.

According to Zarutskii, the problem is the mentality of Russian tourists who have succumbed to propaganda because they spent their entire lives in Russia, where they heard: "God is with us, the whole world is watching us, and we are the kings of life."

During vacations, Russians want to show off, even in front of Poles. They want to show that they have power and are surprised that instead of respecting them, some people - call the police or express their dissatisfaction in other ways. From the video, we learn that someone in Turkey threw feces at Russian tourists.

In Zarutskii's opinion, Russians cannot understand that people from other countries are also resting in hotels and are disturbed by noise and drunkenness. - [Russian tourists] are the same people who sign contracts and go to war, saying that Russia is the number one country and Ukraine must be destroyed - summarizes the Russian.