An American journalist, Alex Wilson, is sent by his employer, The American Post, one of the largest newspapers in the world, on a long-term assignment in their Moscow office. In addition to his job there as an editor, Alex starts a blog, where he tries to answer important questions about Russians, Russian culture, and the mythical and elusive Russian soul, such as: Why is useless junk stored on the balcony? Why is there a package in every Russian home that contains other packages? And why do you have to bully people to avoid fights?