Almost everyone in the U.S.has met - or knows of - at least one so-called "Russian-American." Since the fall of the Soviet Union, scores of these hyphenated citizens have appeared in both big cities and small towns. What is a lot less known is the phenomenon of the "American-Russian."

This term refers to a U.S. citizen who has willingly left his or her country to live long-term in Russia. That term applies to the hybrid creature writing this article. 

Because of circumstances called "life," I chose to live and work in Moscow for 25 years and just recently returned home to my country of origin. I am representative of a new breed for sure; one that will grow in number as time goes on.  

Disillusioned with their lives in America or simply curious about life in Russia, this new breed could play a useful role in bridging the gap between Russia and America during these highly contentious and dangerous times, if the parties involved decide to utilize the insights obtained by these hybrid creatures. That's a big "if" of course.