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Old 12-11-2011, 09:03 PM
 
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if you are a non-white minority?

I've always wanted to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow, but the amount of skinhead neo-nazi violence against minorities seems to keep escalating in Russia. If I'm traveling with someone who doesn't look "white", what are the chances that we'll run into trouble over there? These skin head groups don't seem to care if you are a migrant or just a tourist, they verbally or physically attack and kill anyone who looks different.

A shame really, and here Russia wants to host the World Cup in 2018.

Last edited by fibonacci; 12-11-2011 at 09:11 PM..
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Old 12-11-2011, 09:23 PM
 
Location: Viña del Mar, Chile
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fibonacci View Post
if you are a non-white minority?

I've always wanted to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow, but the amount of skinhead neo-nazi violence against minorities seems to keep escalating in Russia. If I'm traveling with someone who doesn't look "white", what are the chances that we'll run into trouble over there? These skin head groups don't seem to care if you are a migrant or just a tourist, they verbally or physically attack and kill anyone who looks different.

A shame really, and here Russia wants to host the World Cup in 2018.

I am white, also I have never actually been to Russia, but I've looked into it quite extensively. The information I've seen it is all over the place, but one thing that you cannot ignore, is that the tension and problems are VERY existent. It is pretty hard to give you a "what are my chances of being any danger", but there is undoubtfully a risk, and it is something to keep in consideration. You might go and be the person saying "oh it is completely fine don't worry" or you could go an be the person saying "watch out!!". You have to assess how important that place is and the risks you are willing to take to see a particular place.

One thing to keep in mind, there are MANY places in this world, and all countries and cities have good times and bad times. Really ask yourself if that particular time is when you want to go.
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Old 12-11-2011, 09:31 PM
 
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Originally Posted by burgler09 View Post
I am white, also I have never actually been to Russia, but I've looked into it quite extensively. The information I've seen it is all over the place, but one thing that you cannot ignore, is that the tension and problems are VERY existent. It is pretty hard to give you a "what are my chances of being any danger", but there is undoubtfully a risk, and it is something to keep in consideration. You might go and be the person saying "oh it is completely fine don't worry" or you could go an be the person saying "watch out!!". You have to assess how important that place is and the risks you are willing to take to see a particular place.

One thing to keep in mind, there are MANY places in this world, and all countries and cities have good times and bad times. Really ask yourself if that particular time is when you want to go.
The reason I'm asking is because even the state department is issuing warnings now for Americans traveling to Russia to visit that are minorities. I guess they are having increasing problems with Americans who are of non-Caucasian decent being harassed or physically assaulted in Russia.
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Old 12-11-2011, 09:42 PM
 
Location: Viña del Mar, Chile
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Originally Posted by fibonacci View Post
The reason I'm asking is because even the state department is issuing warnings now for Americans traveling to Russia to visit that are minorities. I guess they are having increasing problems with Americans who are of non-Caucasian decent being harassed or physically assaulted in Russia.
It is everyone who is non-white, not just Americans. Yes, there is a problem, and travel advisories are usually quite truthful and address real problems. However insensitive as this might seem, if I was going to go to Russia, I would not go with a dark skinned person.
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Old 12-12-2011, 07:48 PM
 
Location: rain city
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I have personally witnessed random unprovoked violence against asians and middle easterners in the streets of Moscow.

In our company we had a very beautiful young black woman from South Carolina. She was all but prohibited from leaving the building alone. She was always assigned an escort.

There was, and may still be, a black disc jockey from New Jersey who worked the Moscow clubs. Really nice guy. He never used public transport, but had a car and a very burly driver (aka security guard).

One of my Fillipino friends was out with his wife one afternoon in Moscow, grocery shopping. He was jumped on the street and beaten up so badly he spent a week in the hospital.

There are a number of African students in Moscow who attend the international Friendship University. Whenever one saw them about in town they were always in large groups of 6 or 10. Still risky.

I could go on.

Moscow is unsafe for minorities. Period.

And besides, prices for the Wold Cup will be stratospheric. Moscow already has some of the world's highest hotel room rates. Tickets will also be out of this world. And then there are the ridiculous Russian visa hassles, the fact that there is almost no English in Russia, and for a minority cheap public transportation would be out of the question.

Meh, do something else more fun with your money. And safer.
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Old 12-13-2011, 04:37 AM
 
Location: in the southwest
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My white son and his biracial girlfriend spent a month traveling through Russia (TransSiberian) last summer and emerged unscathed, thank goodness.
Their favorite part of the journey was camping at Lake Baikal, but they did spend time in St Petersburg and Moscow.

It's scary to read these posts about the violence going on in Moscow, right now the nationalistic unrest seems explosive.
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Old 12-13-2011, 04:55 AM
 
Location: rain city
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Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate View Post
My white son and his biracial girlfriend spent a month traveling through Russia (TransSiberian) last summer and emerged unscathed, thank goodness.
Their favorite part of the journey was camping at Lake Baikal, but they did spend time in St Petersburg and Moscow.

It's scary to read these posts about the violence going on in Moscow, right now the nationalistic unrest seems explosive.
Russia itself, has any number of ethnic minorities, Russian citizens with a long heritage of Russian legacy. Numerous Siberian non-Europeans, a large Muslim population, far eastern asian Russians. Not to mention literally millions of migrants from CIS countries.

Muscovites don't like any of them. They are a terribly prejudiced people.
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Old 12-13-2011, 08:31 AM
 
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Russians might be "prejudiced" against darker skinned people (don't know, never been there and probably never will, Russian climate is too cold for me)but I wonder what would happen to white people strolling in the center of Lagos, Kinshasa, Mogadicu, etc. ? could they walk unaccompanied by a local for his own protection?
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Old 12-13-2011, 09:17 AM
 
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Seems quite ironic neo nazis have a strong presence in Russia considering the fact the Nazis slaughtered millions of Russians during WW2.
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Old 12-13-2011, 12:06 PM
 
Location: in the southwest
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azoria View Post
the ridiculous Russian visa hassles
My kid had to go to the Russian embassy no less than FIVE times before they were satisfied with his documentation (his girlfriend, who is French, had no problem.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by fibonacci View Post
Seems quite ironic neo nazis have a strong presence in Russia considering the fact the Nazis slaughtered millions of Russians during WW2.
Not sure these people even think about looking at previous history...Stalin did his share of purging, too, with his own countrymen.

Hasn't this been brewing for awhile? In years past I've watched dark-skinned French kids get hassled on the street by French cops.

The flames of nationalist sentiment can often be flamed within groups of poorer, less-educated people, who feel like they have to bear the brunt of the downturn but don't get any of the rewards when things are going well.
So often it is the immigrants who get the blame pinned on them.

Pigeonhole I see your point, although I wonder if it is fair to compare Mogadishu with Moscow. (I dunno, maybe it is!)

FWIW, I just talked to my kid and he said he heard tons of horror stories before they left, but that everyone in Russia was quite pleasant to them during the month they were there. But they were not in cities the entire time, perhaps that helped make a difference, I really don't know.
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