These instruments work differently from our 'western' ones, and I'll do my level best to explain...
The gyro keeps the instrument's 'globe' level with the local horizon - whereas 'western' instruments use a system of pivots and levers on the outer gymbal to cause the movement of the gyro to appear in a 'reverse' sense.
In the Yak, in level flight, the aircraft symbol is just about on the horizon line. There is brown above and blue below.
Now we pitch up into a 20deg ANU atitude. The horizon 'globe' remains static, under the influence of its gyro, but the aircraft rotates around the 'globe' in pitch. Now look at the instrument, and you will see there is MORE blue and LESS brown visible - draw yourself a little diagram if this is tough to comprehend. You are 'looking at' more 'sky', and you can 'see' less 'ground', as you would expect.
There are good technical reasons for designing your gyros like this, and they are more capable instruments (eg for aeros).
First time I flew with one, it took about two or three minutes maneouvreing looking out and in, before (with good bloke in other seat) I ventured into IMC. I found the IF easy, and quite natural, and had no problems the next day getting back into a 'western'-equipped aircraft.
HOWEVER, I wouldn't have liked to try my chances at recovery from UPs without a lot more time to get used to it, and even then, I think there would be a big danger of recovering to the inverted.
Yaks are top fun, too!