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Most of the Eastern European immigrants I see around the Puget Sound area are Western Ukrainian or from one of the Stans, a couple of people from Belarus a woman from Crimea and a couple from Moscow. Dozens from Ukraine.
The ratio of Ukrainians to all the others has to be 10 to 1.
Ukrainians have big baptist communities over there ( overall a lot of Ukrainians immigrated to the US via the baptist church.)
And speaking of baptist church - I have to mention the "grey cardinal," a man in Poroshenko's shadow, who ordered the bombing of the civilians of Donbass, ( he ordered the so-called "Anti-Terrorist Operation",) the head of Ukrainian Service of the National Security, Alexander Turchinov, a.k.a. the "Bloody Pastor." (Yes he is a baptist, and yes he is preaching sermons in his church.)
I get around my neck of the woods pretty regularly and have been doing so for years. I'm seeing a slow rot in many places, especially when it comes to the small middle class areas of Puget Sound. I was at the prison in Shelton Wa just last week, it was not pretty. Slow rot, a general across the board degradation of the town. I see similar things from West Seattle to Clyde Hill, Shoreline and even where I live in Auburn.
This shabbiness is spreading. I think it's because the average American is assaulted from all sides, taxes, costs of children, low wages, costs of maintenance and repair and yes, a lack of understanding and situational awareness.
I don't think things are great in either Russia or America in all respects either. It does however seem to me that Russians are not confined to a single lane on the road of life.
No it's not, it's just in America the rot ( that is spreading along the whole West Coast by now) is more unexpected and shocking, ( although probably quite predictable.)
When I mentioned that I saw a lot of negative comments about the US lately on Russian sites, I meant it in practical sense of it.
The salaries in Russia are quite low across the line ( other than in Moscow and few other Russian cities.)
So I guess ( at least some) Russians used to look at the US as a desirable destination in the past to come to make money and then to depart back to Russia. I am talking abut the track drivers and such - i.e. the working people.
What they are saying now, is that the US is not a worthy destination for this purpose any longer.
Even though the salaries are much higher than in Russia, the COL in US eats up savings by now.
No it's not, it's just in America the rot ( that is spreading along the whole West Coast by now) is more unexpected and shocking, ( although probably quite predictable.)
When I mentioned that I saw a lot of negative comments about the US lately on Russian sites, I meant it in practical sense of it.
The salaries in Russia are quite low across the line ( other than in Moscow and few other Russian cities.)
So I guess ( at least some) Russians used to look at the US as a desirable destination in the past to come to make money and then to depart back to Russia. I am talking abut the track drivers and such - i.e. the working people.
What they are saying now, is that the US is not a worthy destination for this purpose any longer.
Even though the salaries are much higher than in Russia, the COL in US eats up savings by now.
The rot has many different reasons. Corruption is a big one. Seattles tunnel was voted down by the citzens. We didn't want the most expensive of 3 options that was selected. Christine Gregoire and the politicians in Olympia (some of whom own property or other assets on the waterfront) went ahead with it anyway. The cost will be paid for with taxes from all Washingtonians. The property owners will make 100s of millions. It will be tolled to pay for its maintenance. We could have gotten a cut and cover tunnel for less than half the cost of boring this one. Sadly money was paid, parties were thrown and hookers were provided and the taxpayers got screwed.
The state wants high property values so that it can tax the property and make more money. They don't care about how the rising number of elderly people are having a hard time paying the taxes even if they own the home outright. People are losing their homes because they can't afford to live in them. They also can't afford to maintain them. I know of this by first hand experience because I occasionally do work on the side and a lot of older folks are having a terrible time of it.
The state is okay with foreign investors coming here and driving home prices through the roof because it means more revenue for them and the dwindling numbers of homeowners who make a profit from it. For younger people it makes it next to impossible for them to buy a home.
Amaricans, especially young Americans have little or no alternatives when it comes to progressing and building a life. It's a very narrow lane they travel with virtually no options.
Ukrainians have big baptist communities over there ( overall a lot of Ukrainians immigrated to the US via the baptist church.)
And speaking of baptist church - I have to mention the "grey cardinal," a man in Poroshenko's shadow, who ordered the bombing of the civilians of Donbass, ( he ordered the so-called "Anti-Terrorist Operation",) the head of Ukrainian Service of the National Security, Alexander Turchinov, a.k.a. the "Bloody Pastor." (Yes he is a baptist, and yes he is preaching sermons in his church.)
Indeed these are not Russians that are moving in droves to the US lately but Ukrainians.
There are many in the Federal Way, Auburn, Kent, Covington and Renton areas. I know of at least 3 small churches within 5 miles of where I live. Marvel Food and Deli in Auburn is across the tracks from where my daughter lives and I know the owners are these types. Also the quality of their deli has dropped. A lot of the stuff they're now selling is fake such as the Belarussian sweetened milk in the blue and white can and very little other than Roshen candy. I'm not impressed by it anymore. Good bread though and smoked fish for the cats.
I think Turchinov is a truly disgusting individual but that offtop.
I hope you know, CuriousAboutRussia, that Russians need travel permits to travel within Russia. With nine time zones and how big it is, it makes sense.
Your visa gives you permission for an exact town and an exact housing address. Your visa may not be for the entire country. You should be very careful about travel outside your visa approved area. Find out what is and what is not allowed before you leave.
Also.
"Just like in many European countries, upon arriving in any new dwelling, you must be registered with federal migration service (FMS) within 7 business days of arriving. Most hotels are accredited with the FMS and arrange registration automatically and without fee on the day of arrival. It is worth insisting to be registered at least in the first city you visit. The proof of registration is a separate piece of paper , keep it until you leave Russia as it may be requested at the border control."
This is a great example of information that's out of date and/or distorted. I don't think its mean spirited or malevolent in nature just not up to date or factual.
The USSR did have propiska as did Tsarist Russia. It doesn't appear to be enforced today though. I have never had to deal with it.
This is a great example of information that's out of date and/or distorted. I don't think its mean spirited or malevolent in nature just not up to date or factual.
The USSR did have propiska as did Tsarist Russia. It doesn't appear to be enforced today though. I have never had to deal with it.
"A propiska (Russian: пропи́ска, IPA: [prɐˈpʲiskə] (listen)) was both a residency permit and a migration-recording tool, used in the Russian Empire before 1917 and in the Soviet Union from the 1930s. Literally, the word propiska means "inscription", alluding to the inscription in a state internal passport permitting a person to reside in a given place. For a state or third-party owned property, propiska meant a person was included in the rental contract associated with a dwelling. Propiska was documented in local police (Militsiya) registers and certified with a stamp in internal passports. Residing anywhere for longer than a few weeks without a permit was prohibited."
Correct, and since you COULD stay anywhere you liked for few weeks at a time (i.e. visiting relatives, going on vacations, exploring another city,) no permission was needed to travel.
P.S. I can see that not ALL info in this text is correct by the way;
For example;
"In the USSR, there were some so-called "cooperative" apartments, owned on a mortgage basis, but they were scarce and getting one was very difficult. These were the only apartments which passed down to children by inheritance; in normal apartments, when the last dweller died, the apartment was returned to the government"
Not true.
This was actually the opposite; these types of apartments couldn't be passed to children - only money invested in them could be returned to children; the apartment was still a property of an organization that was in charge of construction in the first place, after the people that invested money in that apartment would decease.
The "regular" apartments, that the government was giving to anyone was usually passed on to children, since they were registered there together with their parents. (That's why so many people ended up as private owners of them after the Soviet system was over.)
Now when it comes to the current rules and regulations - the "propiska" ( i.e. legal permanent residence) is still indicated in Russian passport. But if Russians ( or anyone else) want to live elsewhere, they need to register at the new address within 90 days. This "temporary address" won't go in their passports, it will be just a card, an insert in their passports that they will have to show if stopped by the police.
There are many in the Federal Way, Auburn, Kent, Covington and Renton areas. I know of at least 3 small churches within 5 miles of where I live. Marvel Food and Deli in Auburn is across the tracks from where my daughter lives and I know the owners are these types. Also the quality of their deli has dropped. A lot of the stuff they're now selling is fake such as the Belarussian sweetened milk in the blue and white can and very little other than Roshen candy. I'm not impressed by it anymore. Good bread though and smoked fish for the cats.
I think Turchinov is a truly disgusting individual but that offtop.
I personally like Marvel Food and Deli, it’s a good store. Also the Baptist’s aren’t one big United church where they answer to one big figure head like the Catholic Church or something, some are very strict and conservative, others are more open minded, some speak Ukrainian others in Russian. I haven’t gone to a Baptist church in a long time but what I can say is Turchinov doesn’t represent all Baptists. But yes it seems most immigrants are either Baptist, Pentecostal or irreligious, very few Orthodox. And on the east coast a lot of Jews.
I hope you know, CuriousAboutRussia, that Russians need travel permits to travel within Russia. With nine time zones and how big it is, it makes sense.
Your visa gives you permission for an exact town and an exact housing address. Your visa may not be for the entire country. You should be very careful about travel outside your visa approved area. Find out what is and what is not allowed before you leave.
Also.
"Just like in many European countries, upon arriving in any new dwelling, you must be registered with federal migration service (FMS) within 7 business days of arriving. Most hotels are accredited with the FMS and arrange registration automatically and without fee on the day of arrival. It is worth insisting to be registered at least in the first city you visit. The proof of registration is a separate piece of paper , keep it until you leave Russia as it may be requested at the border control."
Lol, uh no, wrong, try not to post incorrect information.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DKM
There's a lot of disinformation on this thread. I advise anyone caution about thinking of living in an uncivilized country like Russia thinking its as great as its proponents on here want to believe. I had the privilege of living there for a time. The following link is sadly true.
I do not know about great, but it is not bad as some also make it out to be, especially if you have an independent source of income. I lived there and enjoyed the hell out of it and visit there frequently enough.
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