Self-reported depressive symptoms were compared between two samples of schoolchildren - one in Russia and one in the U.K. Self-reported symptoms were significantly higher in the Russian sample on both the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS). Age and gender effects were found for the Russian sample on the DSRS but not the CDI, with younger children and girls scoring more highly. The possible explanations for the elevated self-report of depressive symptoms in the Russian sample are considered.