Real stories of our emigrants - life, problems, work in Chile without embellishment. My wife and I did not get to Chile right away. She and I studied at the same “University of Automotive and Transport Logistics” in the city of Omsk. I am a native Omsk resident, my wife came to study from Kazakhstan, but after our wedding in the 5th year of university, she became a “legal Russian”. Having completed our studies, we began to live and work in Naberezhnye Chelny. I am at the Kamaz plant, my wife in the logistics center of an international company from Spain, which has its offices and divisions almost all over the world.

Having worked in Naberezhnye Chelny for almost seven years, we have already settled “reliably” there. We then had a nice apartment, a dacha on the picturesque bank of the Volga, a car, a daughter, and we thought that life was good, why look for something better.

But, in mid-2004, my wife was made an unexpected offer at work, which we simply could not refuse. Although, all our friends and acquaintances advised us to think carefully before making this “bold decision” to a tempting offer to my wife to become the deputy of their logistics center in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires! And here we are in Argentina! We were given a wonderful apartment by my wife’s company, I found a job as a taxi driver with great difficulty, my child was enrolled in a school for foreigners: “Green School”. By the way, she was given such a brilliant education there that this is probably our main achievement in Argentina.

We lived there for almost 6 years, and then our life again took a unique “loop”. Due to the crisis, it was decided to close the Argentine logistics branch and the wife was offered two options to choose from. Either return to Naberezhnye Chelny, or become an employee of their Chilean branch in Santiago, but no longer a deputy, but a simple head of a department. Although with the same excellent conditions, because Chile had already conquered and surprised the whole world with its economic successes.

We chose Chile at the family council and already in 2010 we lived on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Our daughter entered the University of Santiago with great success and just in the “specialty of her dreams”: “organization of tourist recreation”, so, in my opinion, this is approximately correctly translated from Spanish into our Russian language. Everything seemed to be going well, except for one thing: I could not find work there for a long time in my specialty and was “content” with temporary earnings, which then incredibly depressed me.

So, as far as I remember, I literally suffered until the beginning of 2011, when unexpectedly I finally got lucky! And it was, in short, like this:

• One evening I was watching television news and saw that specialists from all over the world had arrived at one of the hotels in Santiago to organize the next global supercar race: “Paris-Dakar”, which, as it turned out, had long ago been moved from troubled Africa to the countries of Latin America and Chile too!


• But that’s not the main thing, friends. I saw a group from Russia leaving the hotel and my former friend and colleague at the Kamaz plant, Serega Fedyaev, giving an interview! You don’t have to be an oracle to understand that I immediately got ready and rushed to this hotel and met not only Sergei, but also about 15 people from our dear KamAZ! It was an evening that radically changed my entire subsequent “Chilean life.”


• When they found out about my problems, they immediately gave me the perfect solution! It turned out that they come once a year, walk the entire route, and prepare the KamAZ trucks for the race.


• And 20 kilometers from Santiago, our Kamaz representative office in Chile has been constantly operating for a long time, where our trucks are sold throughout Latin America! And our KamAZ trucks have been the undisputed winners of the Latin American Paris-Dakar rally for many years, and the demand for them there is incredible.


• And I, as a long-time Kamaz pro, and having lived in Latin America for a long time, having mastered, in addition to English, even the language of Spain, was also “just a lucky find” for them. And these are not my words, but all, every single person, members of that “Kamaz team”.


• And, it’s hard to believe, but the very next morning Sergei and I were at the Chilean auto center: “RusKamaz” and, after an hour of talking with the director and chief engineer of the center, I was invited to work with them on a permanent basis!


• It's already 2014. I still work there. I really like this. And I’m not the only one there from Russia. There are a lot of us. And all this is probably called: “The real stories of our emigrants - life, problems, work in Chile without embellishment.”

My wife has long been the deputy of her “who shook our whole lives” logistics center. My daughter, having graduated from university, is currently working as the head of the guides and entertainment department at a huge resort, which is more like a small town, only fabulous!

There she constantly meets with Russian tourists and tells them our “Latin American success story.” And I already fell in love with almost everything I saw in Chile. And Chile is so huge that it will surprise us for the rest of our lives. There will also be some left for our grandchildren.

What kind of work do you need to do in Chile to live happily, is Chilean cuisine really spicy, and why can’t you surprise anyone here with an iPhone? - in an interview with our compatriot Anna Prosyannikova-Mitryanina.

- Anna, tell us how you got to Chile?

- The first time I visited Chile was in 2008 as a tourist with my future husband, whose family moved to this country from the post-Soviet space in 1996. The main purpose of this trip was to make my cherished dream come true - visiting Easter Island.

At that time, we did not even consider Chile as our country of permanent residence. In 2009, after a short stay in Belarus, we ended up here. The day of our arrival coincided with Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 18, and now it is a double holiday for us.

- What do you do for a living?

- Being a foreign language teacher by profession - English and German - I work in a completely non-humanitarian field. I've been with Oracle Chile, one of the world's largest companies dedicated to driving innovation by simplifying IT, for two and a half years, where I serve as a senior technical support specialist for Sun systems. Since the company is American, they follow the motto that you can learn anything, of course, if it’s not designing spaceships, and besides, I had experience working in an American company, where, by the way, I met my husband.

- What was the most unusual thing during the adaptation period?

- Definitely earthquakes! Especially after the first acquaintance with this natural phenomenon took place on February 27, 2010, when the strength of the tremors reached 8.8 points on the Richter scale. This earthquake was one of the 6 strongest in the world recorded by seismologists. In the two and a half minutes it lasted, I realized how fragile a person is in the face of the elements.

How long did it take for your body to adapt to life in another hemisphere?

- Almost immediately I had to change my ideas about solar “relationships”. Solar activity here is very high: after all, Santiago is located at an altitude of 520 meters above sea level, so You always have to use sunscreen with SPF 30 and above, hide your eyes behind sunglasses, and your hair under a hat so as not to fade or dry out.

There were cases when After one day of relaxing on the beach, the tan became a first-degree burn. An ocean holiday in Chile is not Rio de Janeiro! The scorching sun and the cold open ocean, where the maximum water temperature in summer reaches +15 degrees, so everyone swims in the pools and most do not know how to swim.

It’s still unusual to celebrate the New Year when it’s summer outside.

- How did you cope with the language barrier? How many Chileans speak English fluently?

Upon arrival in Chile, I had a basic knowledge of Spanish, which needed to be improved in order to integrate into society. And my first education helped me a lot with this. I learned Spanish on my own, using all the methods: self-teaching classes, reading periodicals, watching films with subtitles and direct live communication with native speakers, i.e. full immersion. My husband, who speaks Spanish fluently, provided me with great support.

In everyday communication I am accompanied by 3 languages: English when working with clients, I speak Spanish with colleagues and acquaintances, and at home I speak Russian.

But “fluency” in English is a very pressing issue in modern Chilean society. The level of proficiency among graduates of private schools is very good, which graduates of public educational institutions cannot boast of. In order to correct this situation, The Ministry of Education annually allocates tens of thousands of scholarships for everyone who wants to take a language course both in Chile and in English-speaking countries, opportunities are provided for free to take the TOEFEL and receive the corresponding certificate.

In what sector of the economy is the majority of the country's population employed? Which professions are considered prestigious and are the highest paid and which are the opposite?

The market economy makes it possible for approximately 70-80% of the population to be involved in small and medium-sized businesses in almost every economic sector - agriculture, winemaking, timber processing, fishing, all types of transportation, healthcare, education, services, tourism.

All those who work in the mining sector, especially in copper mining, can be called record holders in terms of wages. Their year-end bonuses are calculated in very high amounts. For example, the amount of bonuses in some companies reached $30,000 in 2012. And as an indicative consequence: in the city of Antofogasta, all new cars were sold at local dealers' showrooms within a month.

Specialists in the field of healthcare (doctor, surgeon), education (teachers at universities and private schools), IT (programmers), international relations (export-import), winemaking (emologists) earn decent money.

How much do you need to earn in Chile in order to feel comfortable (not to live in luxury, but not to count every penny)?

I would call Chile a fairly expensive country to live in. The minimum salary is about $450, but there is no queue of people willing to go to work for this money and, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, the unemployment rate in the country is currently only 6%. This is easy to explain: it will be quite difficult to live on $450. For comparison: renting a one-room apartment in the center, where students, low, middle class and emigrants from neighboring Latin American countries live, will cost at least the same $450. The Chilean peso itself is a very strong currency and the Central Bank has to restrain its growth, as this stimulates exporters.

The concept of average salary does not exist! Your salary depends on your education, work experience, and knowledge of foreign languages.

But the question of how much you need to earn to live comfortably is quite complex. It all depends on the person himself and exactly how much money he needs for this. A big role is played by the area of ​​residence, location of work, housing (owned, you have to pay rent or interest on the loan (approximately 4% per annum), the number of children.

For example, the cost of gasoline is almost $2 per liter, travel on the metro and public transport is $1.5, and if necessary, you can cross Santiago along toll roads for $13 one way. Approximately for a family of two adults, without children, with their own housing, it is required about 1800$ per month.

Life here is much more comfortable than in the post-Soviet space, but you have to pay for this comfort, so the more you earn, the better, although even if you don’t have enough money for something, but you really want something, the banks are very They will quickly come to your “help” with offers to take out a loan.

Anna, what do you think, if a typical Chilean won a million dollars in the lottery, what would he spend it on first?

A typical Chilean, and not only a typical one, would immediately call all his relatives to celebrate this event somewhere on the ocean shore, with good wine, beer, baking meat and sausages on the grill. Then they would all go together to the stadium to watch a football match of their favorite team.

Chilean cuisine. Is everything really “with pepper”? Please tell us in more detail about what everyone who finds themselves in Chile must try.

It’s so good that you asked me about this and I have the opportunity to dispel this stereotype! Chile is the name of the country, and chili is the hot pepper, and there is no connection between them.

According to one version, and there are several, “chile” means “cool, cold.” This name was used by the Indian tribes living in the south of the country to call the cold and strong winds that blew from the ocean in winter.

In the indigenous Mapuche language, trih or chi is a small bird with yellow spots on its wings that squeaks in a similar manner.

There is also a version that this name was given to the leader of the Cacique tribe, who ruled the Aconcagua Valley before the Incas conquered it, and all this happened much earlier than the arrival of the Spaniards.

And here Chilean cuisine with its national dishes is quite bland for my taste, although the food selection here is excellent. You should definitely try seafood (mussels, loco, oysters) and various types of fish. And what kind of fruits are there - chirimoya, tuna, sweet cucumber! A special ode is dedicated to avocado, the preparation of which is numerous: in salads, in the form of pasta with crispbread, with fish, and with meat.

Can the women of Santiago be called fashionistas? How do Chileans generally feel about fashion and brands? Do they consider it important to get the latest iPhone model and “shop around” at the seasonal sales of fashion houses?

Yes, you can! Last year, the largest shopping center in Latin America, the Costanera Center, was opened in Santiago, which serves as a mecca for all shopping lovers, where the doors of stores of leading American and European brands are open to you on 7 floors.

The iPhone and other technological advances such as 3D TVs, tablets, etc. are perceived very naturally by Chileans. For them, this is more a necessity of life than a boast, and on top of that, these things are affordable. The functions of smart things are very actively used here. For example, all bank payments are made over the Internet; using smartphones, you can make purchases from a digital storefront at a metro station (Wi-Fi in the metro is free), which will be delivered when you arrive home; You can get information about traffic jams and which gas station has the cheapest fuel...

At what age do Chileans usually start families? Do young people live with their parents? How many children are there on average in a family, and how strong are family ties in general?

Chilean society is quite liberal (although 70% of the country's population professes Catholicism), and there is no social pressure here - at what age should one learn, get married, have children, etc. and so on. Approximately between 25 and 35 years.

When a young couple starts their own family, they usually live separately from their parents. The number of children depends on income, as I said earlier.

But they can boast of strong family ties. Friends, first of all, are your relatives and friends. The tradition of joint family dinners on Sundays is maintained, all important events are celebrated with the family, and they all go on vacation together.

Are Chilean women emancipated (perhaps this was somehow influenced by the presidency of Michelle Bachelet, who became a brilliant example of success for many women) or do they follow a patriarchal structure in society - wife-housewife, husband-breadwinner?

The Chilean woman is not only emancipated, her rights are very strongly protected by law. The movement for the emancipation of Chilean women was founded in 1935, and in 1949 they received the right to vote in elections.

The economic development of the country over the past 15 years has given women the opportunity to realize themselves in various fields of activity. Today, women occupy the positions of ministers, senators, heads of mayor's offices, judges, and police officers.

By nature, a Chilean woman is more independent and active compared to Slavic women. She will not sit idly by waiting for a breadwinner with a mammoth, especially when there are children in the family, and will make every effort to ensure that her children do not need anything.

A young middle-class couple will not be able to lead a decent lifestyle (this means having an apartment, a new car, beautiful clothes, meeting friends, entertainment, traveling), adhering to a patriarchal way of life, when the woman does not work, but only takes care of the house.

- What would you classify as the favorite entertainment of Chileans?

Spending free time at the mall is one of the favorite pastimes of most families. There you can shop, go ice skating, play slot machines, watch a theater performance or the latest film release, or relax in a restaurant or cafe. During the holiday season, of which there are usually two - winter and summer - they try to go to the ocean or to the mountains. And the male half of the population are ardent football fans.

One of the heroines of our project said that in Venezuela, for example, the height of beauty and the dream of many women is silicone breasts. What is the situation with the canons of beauty in Chile?

I would not compare Chile and Venezuela)))) The canons of beauty in Chile are closer to European ones: Natural beauty, fair skin and light brown hair, and a slender figure are valued. An example is Cecilia Bolocco, who became Miss Universe in 1987.

Regardless of social class, women take care of themselves - hairdressers and beauty salons are not empty.

What would you consider to be the main values ​​of Chilean society? Are they similar to Western ones (money, career, comfort) or do they still have their own specifics?

The main value of Chilean society is maintaining family relationships. They are very sensitive to children and the elderly and try to spend all their free time with their family. On weekends, moms and dads with their kids can be seen riding bikes or playing catch in the many parks and recreation areas.

But overall, I would call Chile “America in miniature,” where money, career and comfort play far from a secondary role.

- Please describe your usual working day and day off.

My day starts at 6.30 am. I have to be at my workplace at 8.30. I am very lucky, because my office is located only 6 km from my house, but it is advisable to leave home 40 minutes in advance, because, firstly, you can get stuck in a traffic jam (the population of Santiago is almost 7 million inhabitants), and secondly, 3 of the 6 km of the route are a mountain track passing through a tunnel. Even if you really want to, you can’t get there on foot.

I work until 18.30, on Friday until 17.30. Total - 44-hour work week. I do Pilates with a personal trainer twice a week and go jogging twice, so I’m home around 8:30 p.m. After a light dinner I read or watch a movie. At 23.00 - lights out.

I try to spend my days off as varied as possible. For example, there is a theater in our area and, as a resident of this area, I can purchase tickets to various cultural events at a big discount. Most recently, we had the pleasure of attending a theatrical performance at the Moscow Theater. Chekhov, taking place as part of the annual theater festival.

We love to go trekking and go to the ocean. Maintaining family traditions, once a month and on holidays we go out of town to an amazing place called Curacavi, where my mother-in-law lives. Knowledgeable people find it similar to Pyatigorsk.

Anna, is there something in any area of ​​the country (politics, economics, society) that you still cannot accept and understand?

This is probably a democratic way of life)))) It is still sometimes unusual for me that people take to the streets to openly express their opinion about this or that problem, organizing demonstrations or marches. No one is afraid of this, and it is not perceived as if there is something unsettled in the country.

- How difficult is it to emigrate to Chile?

It's still easy. Citizenship can be obtained after 5 years of residence in the country, and with a Chilean passport you do not need a visa to 137 countries. But I would recommend everyone to hurry up, because Chile is changing its emigration laws, making them similar to the laws on emigration to Canada and Australia.

- What would you advise or what would you warn against for those who are determined to do this?

I would put knowledge of foreign languages ​​in first place. If you do not know Spanish, a good command of English, German or Japanese is preferred. Western European and American education is valued.

It should also be remembered that there is a class division in the country, and moving for permanent residence to a country with a capitalist structure is like a litmus test. will show you which class you belong to.

I would also like to add that Chile is a very diverse country, as is its 7 climate zones. In the north, you will meet representatives of the Aymara Indian tribes, living according to the traditions of their ancestors, and in the south, burgher Klaus, who speaks Spanish with a slight German accent, will sell you apple pie. Santiago is sometimes compared to California, and the resort town of Zapallar - to the Cote d'Azur, but everyone who comes here will find a place here that is similar to their homeland. Therefore, when I go on my next vacation to the Chilean south, I find myself in Belarus for a while.

Education in Chile in 2020 is one of the best in South America. The standard of living in this country also compares favorably with many of its neighbors on the continent. For Russian and Ukrainian tourists, you can safely stay in the country for 30 days during one trip.

Despite the fact that in society Chile has gained fame as a very unkind and undeveloped country, education in Chile has a fairly high level. Chile is a country with a unique education system. In 2020, this state has a voucher system, which involves financing educational institutions from the state budget. Moreover, funding is provided to both public and private schools.

Education in Chile reaches a fairly high standard among other countries. The literacy rate in this state is 95%. The remaining 5% do not receive education solely based on personal wishes and needs.

The Chilean education system is divided into several types, such as:

1. Preschool level.
2. Basic education.
3. Next stage.
4. Higher education.

Each type is regulated by different authorities. Higher education is subordinate to the educational council, and the first three types are controlled by the Ministry of Education.

Preschool education involves the education of children under six years of age. According to the law, it is not mandatory. The decision whether a child receives it is made solely by his parents.

The preschool level is divided into two groups:

1. Nursery.
2. Children's room.

The first accommodates children under two years of age. This type of education in Chile can begin quite early. The nursery accepts children from the age of three months.

In the children's group, basic training is provided in the main areas.
Basic education is compulsory for children over the age of six. It is at this age that they first go to school. Children in schools receive a basic level of training in basic subjects. The duration of training is eight years. This level of education is divided into two subgroups according to age, such as:

1. From six to ten years.
2. From ten to fourteen years.

The subsequent stage of education lasts four years. It is a preparation for entry into higher education institutions, which include colleges. Such institutions train children in a narrow specialization chosen by the child himself.

The subsequent level is also compulsory for Chilean children. State authorities provide education even for low-income children. Every year, the Chilean Ministry of Education funds educational institutions.

Higher education in Chile involves three stages of study, such as:

1. Training Center.
2. Professional Financial Institute.
3. University.

Vocational training centers are institutions aimed at training specialists in a specific field. Having graduated from such an educational institution, the child already has a certain specialty in which he will be able to get a job in the future. The duration of training at the centers is two years.

If the child plans to further continue his education, he can enroll in vocational institutes. Upon completion of this educational institution, the title of highly qualified technician is awarded. Only after completing this stage does the child have the opportunity to study at universities.

University is the final stage in a child's education. It provides the opportunity to obtain three degrees of education, such as:

1. Bachelor's degree.
2. Master's degree.
3. Doctor degree.

Higher education in Chile is quite expensive, so not all citizens of this country can afford it. In connection with this situation, the government of the country envisaged the creation of an education loan system.

Also, if a child studied well during the school course, he is provided with free education with a monthly stipend.

Medicine

Chile is known not only for its official, but also traditional medicine. Most tourists who visit this country prefer traditional methods of treating various diseases.
Despite the fact that traditional medicine has become quite popular, official medicine in Chile is also at a very decent level.

In the country you can find both public and private medical institutions. But private ones are much more common than municipal ones.

The medical system provides for the possibility of insurance, both in private clinics and in public ones. This choice is provided for different segments of the population with different incomes. The fee for health insurance in a private clinic is several times higher than in a public clinic.
The level of medical care in this country is quite high. To see a doctor, you do not need to take a referral from your local physician. You just need to contact a government medical institution at your actual place of residence.

The pharmaceutical industry in Chile is also very developed. In this country, pharmacies are located quite close to each other, so tourists have no problem finding them. Most pharmacy kiosks operate 24 hours a day.

Despite the fact that life in this country is relatively inexpensive in 2020, the cost of medical care is strikingly expensive. For one visit to a doctor you can pay up to seventy US dollars, and an X-ray examination will cost twenty dollars.

Staying for inpatient treatment in a public clinic will cost a Chilean citizen two thousand dollars. This amount includes not only consultations with medical professionals and patient care, but also the cost of the medications themselves.

Prices

Prices in Chile in 2020 are relatively low compared to European countries, but also quite high compared to countries in South America. Therefore, life in this country cannot be called relatively inexpensive for.

The national currency of this state is the Chilean peso. The table shows prices in Chile for basic products and services. For comparison, prices are also presented in the national currency of Russia (rubles).

The average cost of one pack of cigarettes is 1,900 pesos. This is approximately 110 rubles. The cost of gasoline per liter is 40 pesos.

One of the most distant and mysterious countries in the world for Ukrainians is Chile. The first thing that comes to mind when you remember this word is not country at all, but, of course, pepper. But even here you can “throw a bridge”, because extremely hot chili may just be a “relative” of the name of the country of Chile, which, as they say, comes from the word “limit”.

There is also a grammatical feature that the Chileans observe: the country of Chile is feminine, and the state of Chile is neuter.

But philological delights are nothing in comparison with the country itself, which is located along a narrow coastal strip in the southwest of South America, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. However, Chile also has access to the Atlantic Ocean - its geographical position is quite favorable, although quite remote from the major countries of the world.

Despite the fact that the country is a narrow strip, as said, it has many attractions that are not found in other places: one of the most famous and driest deserts in the world - the Atacama Desert - in Chile. One of the highest mountains in the world, Ojos del Salado, which means “Salty Eyes,” is an extinct volcano with a peak of 6893 meters. By the way, Polish climbers were the first to conquer this peak in 1937. Moreover, at an altitude of 6393 meters, the highest mountain lake is located there. In the end, the Tierra del Fuego archipelago also partially belongs to Chile, and on the island of Navarino from this archipelago there is the southernmost (after 900 kilometers - only Antarctica!) settlement of the Earth - the village of Puerto Toro, in which 36 people live - fishermen and their families.

Chile is a Spanish-speaking country. Of course, there are people there who speak English, but not in the outback - just like here. But Chile accepts emigrants from different countries, so if you delve into the genealogies, you can find a wide variety of roots, including European ones. Chile is a country of mixed races: the majority of the inhabitants here are mestizos. That is, the descendants of Indians and Spaniards or other European peoples, Italians, Germans - there are also many of them in Chile). The result was a truly explosive mixture: bright, beautiful, dark people with an explosive temperament and cheerfulness, despite adversity. A completely new nation has emerged - Latin Americans. Although the Chileans themselves say that people living in the north and south have completely different mentalities. However, as everywhere else. It is curious that, despite all their temperament, Chileans are law-abiding and conservative, they love home and privacy. And it would seem...

Indigenous peoples are Indians. Mayans, Incas, Quechuas and many others, who were mercilessly exterminated by the Spanish conquerors, who for many centuries were the enslavers of Chile. Later the Basques began to come here. True, the Spaniards did not find gold or precious minerals, so agriculture began to develop in Chile. And only in the 19th century copper deposits were discovered, which in the 20th century and now is the main component of the Chilean economy.

Chile can be called a “country in reverse.” In the south (don’t forget - then there’s only Antarctica!) it can be +12, in the north it can reach 30. But in general the climate is comfortable: +3 is already a terrible, cold winter... December-January there is summer (southern hemisphere !), and in the spring, like everywhere else, Chile boasts amazing nature. Even the arid Atacama Desert blooms at this time.

Despite all the fears that any unexplored land conceals, the nature of Chile is peaceful and welcoming. After all, even the most formidable animals in this country are the puma and the wolf. There are also chinchillas, llamas, deer, otters, nutria... You can also find ostriches in natural spaces.

The country knew a lot of political upheavals, its governments changed: either a dictatorship reigned, or democrats came to power. The bloodiest period occurred during the 1973 coup, which brought great human casualties. People were herded into stadiums, where they died without water and food, tortured and shot. The military junta of General Pinochet, which came to power, killed more than 30 thousand people in a short time, including the death of the very popular singer Victor Jara in Chile, who protested against the arrival of the junta: his hands were first cut off so that he could not play the guitar, tortured, and then completely killed.

It was only almost 30 years later that a special reconciliation commission made political life in the country less acute. But Pinochet’s rule, which at one time overthrew the unsuccessful socialists of Salvador Allende, although it tried to bring the country out of a deep hole, was unable to do this. Until now, approximately 20 percent of Chilean residents live below the poverty line, although the country’s GDP is very good and is in the top twenty countries in the world. But the division between rich and poor is too great. By the way, the return to democracy promised by Pinochet at the beginning of the coup after the first positive changes also did not happen - the dictatorship lasted for almost three decades.

And Pinochet, more than 30 years later, already at a very old age, was tried for bloody crimes against the people. There were several attempts, and the last one was successful. True, the elderly dictator, suffering from senile dementia, never got to the point of sentencing: he died. And even his death showed the split in society: half rejoiced, half mourned...

Chile is an amazing country, despite all its difficulties. It has an inexplicable attraction for travelers and writers. We all remember Jules Verne’s story “The Children of Captain Grant,” in which he described Patagonia. So Patagonia is also part of Chile...

Well, note: Easter Island is also Chile...

Alexandrina Kruglenko,
non-profit project
​Photo from the website Vinsky Forum and open
​online sources

Two years ago, Anastasia Polosina made a decision that radically changed her life. As a result, she now has two summers and autumns a year, and two languages ​​in everyday use. And life takes place in opposite hemispheres, Southern and Northern. We are talking about moving to Chile. Anastasia shared the story of her move, talked about the pros and cons of living in Chile, as well as the difficulties she had to face.

Moving to Chile

It was interesting to try myself in a new coordinate system

I’ll be honest, I thought for a long time and weighed all the pros and cons of such a decision, since I’m not one of those who cut from the shoulder. She carefully checked her readiness, asked herself: “Are you ready?”, but for six months the answer turned out to be somehow unconvincing. Why? Because it was scary. Leaving my family on the other side of the globe, as well as voluntarily putting a pause on my career in the fashion world, which I had so diligently built, became the main stopping factors in my case. But I never had the popular desire to “get away.”

Moving to Chile as a fact and immersing myself in a new world did not frighten me. It seemed more like an exciting adventure, and I was interested in trying myself in a new coordinate system. In addition, I had an idea of ​​where I was going - before moving, I had been to Chile several times, so terra incognita in my case had clear outlines and a map of the area.

You can think and weigh the pros and cons endlessly, but it’s like standing on the shore and peering into the sea below when you need to jump - at some point you still have to hold your breath, close your eyes and take a step forward.

Doubts about moving and unanswered questions

How comfortable will you feel in this country, not as a tourist, but as a resident? Will you be able to get used to a new culture, people’s habits, traditions? All these doubts are completely universal when moving to any country in the world, and the choice of destination does not change anything at all: Cote d'Azur, Cape Town or Hong Kong, you will still have to honestly look for answers to these difficult questions. Only the situation around changes.

On one brisk frosty day, I honestly asked myself what I would regret more in ten years, if He or the usual way of my life disappeared from my life? And everything fell into place. True, you won’t be able to come to terms with moving away from your family (I’m definitely a complete failure in this area), but if you have a fairly distant relationship with your family, then this has its own bitter plus - it will be easier for you. It's worth being honest with yourself here.

Ideal if you are in love not only with the man of your dreams, but also with the country where you are going. But it depends. My relationship with Chile can be characterized by deep sympathy and affection, which appears when, over time, you begin to look at another objectively, with all his shortcomings and advantages. I look at Chile more than soberly; I have never had the romantic dazzle of a newcomer, when everything seems wonderful, velvety and mostly pink. And this happens! And very often.

First time

At first, after moving to Chile, I was faced with trivial problems - where to buy what, and whether such and such a product or service even existed in the country. Maybe adaptation stress manifested itself in this form? It took quite a lot of time to create my basic circle of comfort in the form of addresses and familiar stores. Now, of course, I know where and what to buy, the usual routes have appeared. But that period of time when you are left without your usual things can be a little stressful, and the only way out in such a situation is to show as much curiosity as possible: walk around the city more often and explore its corners, read the local press and look for different sources of information about life in the city .

Circle of friends

It’s the same with my social circle - at first I was getting used to the new sensations of life in Santiago, to the new environment in general and to myself in this environment in particular, so I was in no hurry to make new friends. I wasn’t even a member of thematic groups on social networks! Only after a year and a half did the desire to expand the circle of acquaintances come. To a certain extent, it helps you feel better. It also helps to adapt to the environment if we are talking about local acquaintances. By the way, many young people come because of the Start up Chile program to support start-up projects, which is really attractive and has few analogues in the world due to its accessibility.

Ideas about Chile

As a rule, they don’t know anything about Chile. And all ideas about it are very stereotypical and extremely vague, among which Pinochet, Allenda, Easter Island, and wine pop up. I was like that myself - Chile seemed to me a country of endless prairies and gauchos, like Borges, and vineyards. The idea was vague, but somehow positive. Later I realized that I had imagined the northern Patagonia of Argentina, and everything coincided with the vineyards. I’ll say right away – it has nothing in common with the jungle, coconut palms, anacondas and Caribbean beaches. The north of Chile is a dry pre-desert zone, and the further south you go from the capital, the colder it becomes, but the greener it gets; in the south, volcanoes, lakes, forests and fjords rule the roost. But nothing to do with the tropics. The country stretches along the coast, but the ocean is almost everywhere icy due to strong undercurrents, and for the same reason the water is quite muddy - it is impossible to swim, but it is good to surf due to strong waves.

One of the huge, universal benefits of living in Santiago, and in Chile in general, is the proximity of the mountains and the ocean.

Moscow-Santiago

Chile is a small country with a rather conservative way of life. Just as I can seriously judge life in Russia only by my life in Moscow, the same is with Chile - I live in Santiago, and I have exclusively capital criteria by which I can evaluate the country.

In Santiago, personally, after Moscow, I miss, like air, the more active rhythm of life of the city and its inhabitants. Of course, this is a much smaller city both in area and in number of inhabitants (7 million), but still. On Sunday, almost all cafes and restaurants are closed, you are driving through the business part of the city, and even Starbucks is closed. There are few cars, almost no passers-by on the streets, and the rare few that come across walk at a leisurely stroll. Can you imagine something like this on Tverskaya?

Weekend and empty city

Sunday is considered a day to spend with family (we will talk about the family nature of Chileans below). There is even a saying “domingo-fomingo”, which plays on the words Sunday and boredom. Very accurate. When you want to go out for brunch on Sunday, you go to the same two or three places, since there is not much to choose from. Do you want a bar on the roof of a skyscraper? There is only one high-rise bar in the whole city, on the 25th floor, and that’s where we go – for good cocktails and a view of the mountains.

Diversity

What's also disappointing is the small selection of products. In Moscow, you get used to the fact that literally everything can be bought on the Internet with next-day delivery. You can also choose from a wide variety of stores, including virtual stores, but in Santiago you don’t always have to choose – this is due to lower demand due to the capital’s population of 7 million and the high cost of all imported goods, especially European ones, due to the enormous distance. I tried to order from foreign stores, but many products, such as cosmetics and medicines, require a certificate from a special department. It's nerves and time.

Once we were looking for yarn made from alpaca wool, the original inhabitant of the Andes. It seemed completely natural that there should be an abundance of such yarn in Chile, if not locally produced, then at least produced in Peru. But no. The choice is limited to five colors of poorly processed, harsh material. Although there are quite a few stores with yarn, since Chileans love everything knitted, the base mass is acrylic. I had to buy it in Moscow, in an online store with a huge selection and amazing quality, made in Peru, by the way.

Climatic features of Chile

I am pleased with the number of sunny days a year; there are most of them on the calendar. Even in winter and autumn. But there is also a fly in the ointment - strong temperature changes (up to 20 degrees) during the day, extremely dry air in the northern and central parts of the country, including Santigo.

Heating

The lack of central heating is a pain for any Russian, as is the ridicule of the Chileans about how cold it can be for you, aren’t you Russian? Central heating in Santiago is only theoretically available, but it is too expensive, so no one turns it on, it is not even considered by people as a possible option in winter. They are saved by a variety of heaters: gas, paraffin, electric. It is difficult to understand the essence of the problem until you experience it yourself.

Climate Features

It would seem that it is colder in Moscow. But imagine winter temperatures of plus 10 in a city-basin, surrounded on all sides by mountains, on which precipitation from the ocean also settles. I compare by clothes: what I wore in Moscow at a slight minus, here I wear at +10. And late in the evening I'm still cold. I have a theory about this - the same temperature in different climates feels different. In addition, you always know that even in cold weather you can run to your home, office, car or subway. In Santiago, in all rooms, just like on the street, you don’t take off your coat in a restaurant.

Smog

In winter, Santiago's geographical location - a city surrounded by mountains - leads to smog, which in the absence of rain can become a real problem. Last year, which turned out to be particularly dry, there was no rain, and for several weeks the city was suffocated in a shroud of smog. Restrictions are often imposed on the circulation of cars around the city based on license plates (cars with license plates 2 are not allowed on Monday, cars with license plates 5 on Wednesday, etc.). When mentioning moving to Chile and the long summer, they rarely talk about such a “bonus”.

The Great and Terrible Chilean Earthquakes

When I talk about life in Chile, almost always the first thing people ask about earthquakes is how is it shaking? Shaking. And quite often. Just last week there was a shock with a magnitude of 6.5, to be honest, I slept through it, and, as usual, I learned about it only in the morning from the news (for comparison, a shock of the same magnitude a couple of days ago in Japan caused a disaster, and 7.5 and completely destroyed Nepal last year). If you want to live in an earthquake-resistant country with peace of mind, then Chile is for you. Earthquakes of even large magnitude are felt here as a second vibration, as if a subway car passed underground. No objects falling from shelves or giant cracks in the roads like in disaster movies.

All buildings in Chile are built to strict earthquake resistance standards, perhaps this is one of the secrets of such prosperity. Any Chilean will tell you that walls must be flexible and move in time with the vibrations of the earth.

But the most interesting thing is the reaction of the Chileans themselves to the earthquakes - they love to flaunt the fact that they did not even notice the shock, or, if they did notice, then “they continued to drink as they drank.”

Wine

By the way, about the last one. Chileans drink quite a lot. Of course, red Chilean wine. Most often, the choice falls on Cabernet Sauvignon, less often Merlot (from white - Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc). At any holiday, you barely have time to notice how bottles of dry red replace each other. Chile has a real cult of nationally produced wine, and this has to be taken into account. I can now even drink two glasses of wine in an evening, which was completely impossible before, and I have become much better at understanding wines. The benefits are obvious!

The most stable country in Latin America

Chile has the reputation of being the “Switzerland of South America,” which is, of course, funny, but partly true. Although the economy has slowed down, in comparison with most of its neighbors on the continent, Chile does differ in a number of indicators:

– low crime rate (no kidnappings or other passions, more and more annoying little things, like theft of bags and phones);

Low corruption (if you try to bribe an inspector, you will be imprisoned and deprived of your rights, no options);

More stability (this is why there are many emigrants in Chile from neighboring South American countries like Argentina, Peru and Colombia).

Moving to Chile also means encountering high prices, sometimes higher than European prices. I'm not kidding: prices in supermarkets and stores for many goods differ little from Russian prices, and many are even more expensive. It's good that in Chile most food products are nationally produced, from vegetables to cheeses. By the way, a Chilean will always patriotically prefer his own, native. Except for meat. Beef of national origin is noticeably more expensive than equally high-quality counterparts from Paraguay, Argentina or Brazil.

Food in Chile

Food in Chile is a little specific. A great love for soda, which often replaces water, is combined with the habit of consuming huge amounts of white bread, meat, and local flour dishes, such as empanadas or sopapillas. The passion for bread and cola is rivaled only by a tender affection for mayonnaise. Among sweets, the favorite is boiled condensed milk dulce de leche; this product is added to most sweets - from cakes to hastily concocted magdalenkas.

About meat

Barbecue, called asado in Chile, can be called a local religion. At any holiday, meeting of friends at someone’s home, there will always be asado. Chileans consume the most meat per capita, but they never bother – they don’t marinate the meat or prepare sauces for it. So they say: “Good meat has no use for this.” But it is possible to buy locally produced vegetables and fruits (except exotic ones) all year round. I always bring amazing local avocados home to Moscow, because you can’t find them there. Plus, Chile is home to many superfoods like chia seeds, making it easy to eat a balanced diet. There would be a desire!

Light breathing or carefree

On birthdays or Christmas, the host of the celebration will never bother with ready-made dishes; the Chilean solves the problem of preparation simply - he goes and buys carrot sticks, semi-finished pies, liters of cola, a mountain of chips and the like. For a Sunday lunch with the family, a Chilean housewife might indulge in a dish like fried fish and rice. Chileans (may they forgive me) rarely cook well, even the mothers and grandmothers of older generations, and even less often set themselves such a task. It is already significant that in the evening families do not have a full dinner; as a rule, it is replaced with an onse afternoon snack, which consists of sandwiches with ham, cheese, or optionally with mayonnaise and avocado. By the way, small Chilean Hass avocados, the color of ripe eggplant, are already a good reason to think about moving to Chile.

Pedestrians cross roads without even looking from side to side, cyclists calmly occupy a lane of an already narrow roadway when there is a bicycle path nearby - because in the country the first and second are given absolute priority at the legislative and social level over poor motorists, it sits in the back of their minds.

Chileans are generally about slow life. They are not in a hurry, talk about the same thing for a long time, chronically forget what they promised, do not leave the house on weekends, since it is a family day, and if they come to visit, they stay until dawn until they chat to their hearts’ content.

In speech and even advertising slogans, the verb disfrutar (Spanish: enjoy) is often used. All you hear is - enjoy the trip, the tea, the time spent, or whatever. A small nuance, but it seems very eloquent to me.

Social hierarchy

Chile also has a very strong hierarchical structure of society. There is even an official division of people into social classes by letter. Here it is customary to close yourself in your own circles, and cases of “I made myself” are quite rare, since almost everything is determined from childhood - in what area did you grow up, in what school, and then go to college, this will be your circle of friends and career growth . And the whole system in Chile is built so that a person is born and lives in the same social class. For example, the second question a Chilean asks when meeting is traditionally about “what area do you live in and what university did you go to,” although for obvious reasons this is not always asked of foreigners.

Moving to Chile was a shock for me in this regard, that in society there is a conditional division according to external characteristics (skin color, hair, etc.) among the citizens of the country themselves. No one talks about this out loud, but it is very clearly visible. They say that in other Latin American countries everything is much worse in this matter - yet in Chile there is a huge percentage of the population with European roots, second only to Argentina.

Communal

Moving to Chile also has its financial pitfalls. If you live in a modern high-rise building, then an avalanche of utility bills goes to pay general bills aimed at maintaining the house - from cleaning the pool to the salaries of the concierge. This also includes the obligatory gym, swimming pool and parking in the houses. But the house is always clean, and it is difficult for outsiders to get into the house due to the fence and strict concierges, who perform not a decorative function at all, which was a novelty at first.

Medical insurance

I used to always wonder why Americans are so fussy about their health insurance? In Chile the situation has become clearer. If you don't have health insurance, your access to healthcare is zero. The employee chooses where contributions are made to public insurance Fonasa or private insurance Isapre. I will not dwell on this in detail; the topic of medicine deserves a separate article.

Examples

The reason for its presence is that if you are hospitalized in a private clinic without health insurance, the bill will be huge. According to our tariff, medical insurance fully covers only hospitalization (except for medicines and instruments) and 70% of the cost of consultations. Therefore, in addition to the average 200-300 dollars a month for insurance, each time you have to pay most of the cost of any consultation (for me it comes out to about 7,000 pesos), images, tests. Some procedures are not covered by insurance at all. In general, everything needs to be clarified individually and carefully read the text of the agreement, where there are always many pitfalls. The few public clinics have unrealistic queues and appointments for six months and even a year in advance (!), and besides, they are mostly visited by the poorest segments of the population, who simply have no other choice.

About the advantages of moving in general

The main change that can happen after emigrating to another country is the expansion of the boundaries of one’s worldview. It sounds terribly pretentious, but that’s exactly how it is. Every day tests you for adherence to the usual foundations. There is an opportunity to look from the outside at all the usual stereotypes, habits and prejudices with which you grew up; weed out the unnecessary and leave the useful. At the same time, you stop judging the habits and foundations of another country. Largely because you begin to understand that much is explained not by the harmfulness of the locals, but by a different environment and culture.

Ceremony

Moving to Chile made me more tolerant of otherness, but my rejection of some details remained. I still don't like the complete inability of the Chileans to say no, especially in business matters. They will evade and ignore, but will never say a polite and reasoned “no, it doesn’t suit us.” They won’t think about the fact that you are wasting your time and nerves. Over time, it became clear that Chileans are very afraid of appearing impolite and rude - refusing something is directly equated with bad manners. According to the logic of the locals, it is better to ignore you in the hope that they will understand everything anyway.

Life in the area

A pleasant plus of living in Santiago for me was the very concept of barrio life. This is when you leave the house and wander between neat houses with cozy gardens. In some areas, high-rise buildings are replacing houses, but never completely. New small cafes, tiny yoga studios, shops are constantly opening in Santiago, all this pleases the eye and breathes life into the city. Around one corner, Germans bake bread, around another corner, Brazilians sell acai. I made a huge number of foreign acquaintances – both Latin Americans and Europeans. This is a world-sized plus that I appreciate about moving to Chile. In Moscow, I didn’t even notice how few foreigners live here (if you don’t take into account the CIS countries).

Geography of the country

One of the huge, universal benefits of living in Santiago, and in Chile in general, is the proximity of the mountains and the ocean. But if the ocean only teases, since it is very cold, then with the mountains everything is different. You can wake up on Saturday and within half an hour you’ll be climbing another hill, the local passion for trekking is exciting. Or go to one of the many national parks in the south for a weekend camping trip. By the way, to see fabulous nature, you don’t have to go to Patagonia or the Atacama Desert. At a distance, the choice is already huge.

I have a great desire to travel around Chile as much as possible. Partly because the love for national tourism in this country is also contagious. I started going to the mountains and practicing. The Andes are the opposite, so moving to Chile literally obliges you to engage in outdoor activities. Every weekend I try to go to a new place for myself - it has become a kind of gambling hobby.

And I would be happy to write letters to you,