The cultural heroes of the US are not mathematicians, computer scientists or programmers, but rather billionaires and celebrities. To put it bluntly, there are

The cultural heroes of the US are not mathematicians, computer scientists or programmers, but rather billionaires and celebrities. To put it bluntly, there are more people trying to become Steve Jobs than Steve Wozniak. Russia has a rich history of scientific and engineering that is a source of national pride. They put the first satellite in space, the first man in space, and they pushed frontiers of science in many regards. They are avid Chess practitioners and avid readers. Finally, being intellectual is a source of respect not social shame like in the US.