Russians don't do manicured lawns. Sure, there are some nice green, grassy lawns in Russia, but they are few and far between. Russians definitely embrace a more natural approach when it comes to public spaces, and most places are left to go more or less wild. With the quick onset of warm weather here in Vladimir--we had a few days with temperatures in the upper 80s--all the trees and flowers burst into bloom. Dandelions are everywhere, and people actually don't hate them. The grass in public spaces is long and shaggy and is full of other plants and wildflowers. Also, when these lawns eventually get mowed, the poor city workers usually use weed wackers to mow big swaths of grass--I've only seen a decent lawn mower once or twice in Russia.

For an American who is used to wide swaths of sterile, buzzed, fertilizer-soaked green grass, Russia's lack of manicured grass was a little bit of a shock at first. The shaggy, weed-filled public spaces definitely contribute to the feeling that the country is in disarray. But that is looking at it from an American perspective with American assumptions about aesthetics. Our acres of chemical-drenched fescue are totally artificial, and think of how much effort and money we expend to keep them maintained (I can't complain--lawn mowing was my source of spending money throughout high school). What's so wrong with dandelions, anyway?      
Here's a shot of my street: