Why a Belgian family moved to Yaroslavl, buying pickles from babushkas

48-year-old Olivier Bridou moved to Russia from Belgium with his wife Yaroslava and their two-year-old son Leo at the end of 2024. Yaroslavl Oblast became the family«s new home. First, the couple with their child settled in Rybinsk (in Yaroslavl Oblast), where they opened a street food cafe. Recently, they decided to move to the city of Yaroslavl.

In October 2025, 76.RU spoke with Olivier and Yaroslava about why they moved to Russia and what surprised them here.

«When will you show me your country?»

Olivier was born in southern Belgium, where he spent the first 30 years of his life. After that, he moved to Brussels. He was involved in various kinds of businesses. Most of them were related to catering and gastronomy. Olivier has Italian roots; his grandfather was a cook on a ship. The grandson decided to follow in his footsteps.

It was in Brussels, four years ago, that he met Yaroslava—the daughter of Russian emigrants. She was born in Russia, but her parents took her abroad when she was still a child. Her entire conscious life was spent in Belgium and other countries. She hardly knew Russia, but she speaks Russian quite well, as it was spoken in her family.

Olivier and Yaroslava met during lunch at one of the restaurants.

«At that time, we both worked in the wine sector. And that was the topic that brought us closer. We had something to talk about. From that moment on, we were never apart,» Olivier and Yaroslava said.

It turned out that Olivier had long wanted to visit Russia. After meeting Yaroslava, he almost immediately asked: «When will you show me your country?» For Yaroslava, Russia was also a mystery. At that time, about ten years had passed since her last visit to the country.

«Rybinsk – love at first sight»

«We first came to Russia together in January 2024. Literally within the first few days, we decided that we would like to live here,» Olivier and Yaroslava said.

The couple first visited Moscow, and then, in August 2024, during their second visit to Russia, they decided to go to Yaroslavl Oblast. And they literally fell in love with the Russian provinces.

«We really liked Rybinsk. It was love at first sight. We decided that this small town would be the perfect place where our new life in Russia could begin. For us, it seemed more comfortable than, say, immediately moving to a metropolis,» Olivier said.

In the end, in December 2024, the family finally moved to Russia.

«Here I feel safer»

Olivier admitted that he previously knew very little about the country he moved to.

«Many years ago, I had the impression that Russian people were very rich. They came to Europe with a lot of money and spent it. At the same time, I knew there were also very poor Russians. So it wasn»t entirely clear how things really were in Russia. When the Special Military Operation (SVO) began, there was a feeling that Russia was very unsafe. At least, that«s how European media presented the situation. But when we arrived here, it turned out everything was completely different. Here I feel safer than in any place in Europe. There is more order in everything here,» Olivier stated.

Russians, according to the Belgian, turned out not to be as stern as many Europeans think.

«There»s a cliché that Russians practically walk around arm-in-arm with bears, that they are all stern and drink a lot. But that«s not true. Russians are warm and open. Maybe a bit reserved, not talkative, but that»s not a sign of arrogance, but rather a feature of the mentality. It also seemed to me that many are unsure of themselves, shy. But they are sincere,« Olivier noted.

Olivier and Yaroslava were also pleasantly surprised by the attitude towards family values in Russia.

«Russians are more family-oriented people than Belgians. In Belgium, the family plays a much less important role,» they noted.

Most Belgians send their children to nurseries at 3–6 months so both parents have the opportunity to work. Moreover, the conditions in these institutions are much worse than in Russia.

«You have no idea how lucky you are! Our son here goes to a regular kindergarten near our home. And we are very happy that he has such an opportunity. There are very good teachers there. He really likes it. He has many friends there. Children sleep during the day, they are fed warm food. In Belgium, there is nothing like that: there are no beds, children don»t sleep during the day, they eat sandwiches brought from home. No porridge, buns, or soups. Here the conditions are fantastic, and moreover, at a price that is affordable for anyone. In Belgium, for a month of a child«s stay in a kindergarten, you need to pay 500 euros—that»s about 50,000 rubles (about $550 at current rates),« Yaroslava said.

According to the spouses, a huge plus of Russia is that the country«s infrastructure is literally created for children.

«Here there are a large number of playgrounds, restaurants have children»s areas. In Belgium, there is nothing like that. Only being in Russia did I understand that the future generation seems to have no importance for Europeans. There, not as much attention is paid to it; money is spent on something else. And here it is considered the norm, everything is concentrated around the future of children. We are very pleased to see this. We believe our son is lucky to grow up in Russia,« Yaroslava noted.

In the family, Olivier and Yaroslava communicate in French. But their son Leo already speaks more Russian. Moreover, he is gradually becoming a patriot of Russia.

«The number of Russian flags we see in the city is amazing. We wondered, where did we last see a Belgian flag. Our son already knows the colors of the Russian flag,» Olivier and Yaroslava smile.

Transport and utilities surprised them

In everyday life in Russia, the foreigners also saw many advantages. For example, in their opinion, a big plus is the affordability of utilities.

«In Belgium, after COVID, the prices for electricity, gas, and water sharply increased. These amenities in the country are becoming a luxury. Families look to see if they can lower the temperature by half a degree to pay less for heating. Not everyone can afford to fill a bathtub with water due to the cost of the resource. Now many companies are going bankrupt because it»s expensive to pay for utilities,« Olivier stated.

Compared to salaries in Russia, real estate is also cheaper.

«We are now looking at dachas (country houses) for within a million rubles (about $11,000 at current rates). In Belgium, you can»t buy anything even for 10 million. Houses and land are very expensive there. And here, for a reasonable amount, you can rent an apartment, buy a dacha, go there on weekends, and just relax,« Olivier marvels.

In Russia, the Belgians also noted the good work of public transport.

«Everything is perfectly organized. Trains always arrive on time. In Belgium, it»s simply a disaster. There, trains are late not by minutes, but by hours. The price for travel in Russia is much lower if you look proportionally to salaries. Taxis are about 10 times cheaper. And the transport itself is newer and cleaner,« Olivier emphasized.

They liked salo and kholodets

A separate topic is food. Especially since this sphere is particularly close to Olivier and Yaroslava. They admitted they are used to quality products. And in Russia, according to the couple, such can be found. Among the local dishes that Olivier especially liked are salo (cured pork fat) and kholodets (meat jelly).

«In Italy, there is a similar product—guanciale (cured pork cheek). But there it»s one product, and here you can find different types of salo. There are also different types of kholodets. And they are all very tasty,« the Belgian noted.

Guanciale is cured pork cheeks.

The couple also discovered Georgian cuisine in Russia—khinkali, shashlik, and other dishes. There are practically no such restaurants in Europe. The best pickles, in Olivier«s opinion, are also made in Russia.

«I like buying lightly salted pickles from a babushka at the market, she makes them herself. They crunch amazingly,» Olivier shared.

Of Russian dishes, he only didn«t like buckwheat. At the same time, Olivier and Yaroslava noted that there are many good local wines in Russia.

They brought a part of Belgian culture

Of food, the Belgians only missed one thing in Russia—familiar Belgian-style fries.

«In Belgium, they are considered a national dish, just like Belgian chocolate. They are eaten several times a week. But in Russia, this dish is made everywhere from frozen potatoes. And it»s very different from the Belgian version,« Yaroslava and Olivier said.

The couple solved this problem quite originally: they opened a Belgian street food cafe «Fritiki» in Rybinsk, where they prepare real Belgian fries and a few other dishes. Moreover, they use local products for this.

«We found potatoes from Yaroslavl farmers. They are fried several times. It turns out very tasty: the pieces are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Visitors say they»ve never tried anything like it before. This part of Belgian culture we brought with us,« say Olivier and Yaroslava.

They emphasized that they bet on quality.

«We have an open kitchen. Dishes are prepared right in front of the visitors. Everything is honest and transparent. We think that»s important,« say the spouses.

Olivier and Yaroslava recently decided to move to Yaroslavl and open another cafe here—on Respublikanskaya Street. They say it will be a space of Italian food, music, and art.

«Yaroslavl really energizes and inspires us. Rybinsk is smaller: at the moment we»ve taken everything we could from it. Yaroslavl is beautiful and dynamic. There is no dense development. The city breathes, and we like that. You can feel that the locals are more creative and open to new ideas and projects,« Olivier and Yaroslava explained.

According to the couple, doing business in Russia turned out to be easier than in Belgium.

«Here everything is better organized and more understandable, clearly prescribed on how to act. In Russia, there are lower taxes, it»s easier to find staff. Moreover, in Belgium, many niches are already occupied. Here, there is an opportunity for growth and development in any sphere. You can feel that the economy is rising, a lot is being developed: roads are being built, other facilities, public transport is being updated, and so on. Everything you take has a great future in the country,« believe Olivier and Yaroslava.

The family does not plan to move anywhere from Russia. However, they do not rule out the possibility of moving to another city. They say: «Russia is so big, we»ve hardly been anywhere yet.«