Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Rick · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:36 pm Post subject:

Thanks Casey, for putting things in perspective again. We often forget how foreigner-unfriendly our own countries can be when it comes to announcements, forms etc.

Paul Holmes · Lounge Wizard Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1071

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1599

that was the point of this thread--if a tourist just took some time to google Russia travel and dig around, he's likely to find the WTR site.

Dmitry, hope you can update the visa section of the site reagarding the new migration cards, and put in the direct translation where possible.

init6 · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 2:20 pm Post subject:

Paul, I definitely agree with you. But sometimes people just start to lay into Russia, as it were, about how "foreigner-unfriendly" it is when our own nations are often no exceptions. I didn't really mean the last part in a snide or condescending fashion, either.

It's just that I know some people get so intimidated by Russian (OMFG, it has a different alphabet!) that they won't even try to learn any. I know it's easier said than done, but I wish people would make a small effort to learn a little bit about the language of the country they're visiting, no matter what country that is.

But once again, the flight crew on most any flight should be able to help one fill in the migration card even if it's completely Russian.

Anja, do you recommend I continue to fill mine out in English? I did the first time because I didn't speak much Russian. I think sometimes I think I'll have an easier time because I'm here on a student visa, but I should know better by now. Laughing

Paul Holmes · Lounge Wizard Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1071

Casey, I think the problem is with Vladimir Zhirinovsky who scares Westerners with his ideals. He is a Russian version of Lyndon Larouche, but his impact has more power. New regulations like this migration card and increase standards for working in Russia. This twit is riding on nationalist movement which gives the chilli willi to foreigners. It is scary that so many Russians have voted for this "man".

Here are some facts
Zhirinovsky praised Adolf Hitler's ideology of National-Socialism in an Izvestia article. One of his books, "The Last Thrust to The South", advocates military aggression against Russia's Southern neighbors as a way of achieving political stability in the region. Vladimir Zhirinovsky made headlines by threatening to take Alaska back from the United States, nuke Japan, and flood Germany with radioactive waste.

In his April 26 interview to an Estonian newspaper, Zhirinovsky promised to take away independence of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. "You are standing in our way to the seaports", Zhirinovsky said.

In February, 1996, Vladimir Zhirinovsky hailed Pat Buchanan's victory in the New Hampshire presidential primary. He wrote a letter to Buchanan, saying: ``You say that Congress is 'Israeli-occupied territory.' We have the same situation in Russia. So, to survive, we could set aside places on U.S. and Russian territory to deport this small but troublesome tribe.'' Zhirinovsky called Buchanan a ``brother in arms'' and wished him a ``convincing victory'' in November's U.S. presidential ballot. Buchanan rejected Zhirinovsky's endorsement. Zhirinovsky then changed tone. "I thought you were really defending the interests of your nation," said the letter, the text of which was released by Zhirinovsky's office. "And you've turned out to be just like Clinton and other corrupt politicians, moved by greed and vanity, not by love for the fatherland."

On December 14, he told Radio Rossii, "NATO pilots are using the orthodox Serbs as practice for their military skills...There will be another June 22 [the date on which the German invasion of the Soviet Union was launched in 1941], when American soldiers will land on our air fields. They have already practiced in Ukraine. U.S. paratroops landed in Odessa. Novorossiisk will be next . . . They have been studying our airports under the guise of delivering humanitarian aid." He added: "These elections with their 43 parties are a myth to deceive you . . . There are only two parties: the LDPR and the rest." He accused the CIA of trying to kill President Yeltsin, as part of "a general, total war against Russia, which is being fought by the West, the USA, the CIA, Israel, and Mossad and our own fifth column."
In his 45-minute address, Zhirinovsky asked President Yeltsin to napalm all Chechen rebel bases and promised to do so himself by July 1 if elected.

dutchdragon · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 11:11 pm Post subject:

init6 · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:09 pm Post subject:

Paul, you're getting a bit off-topic. A diatribe against Zhirinovsky is not really addressing the migration card issue. Believe me, I'm quite familiar with him, and I get a kick out of him, to be honest. He's not a threat. The LDPR and Rodina don't have enough Duma seats to force legislation through and Putin, like him or not, is far too pragmatic a man to get off on a crazy nationalist tangent (although he gives them free reign to solidify support for United Russia, but that's another tangent).

Perhaps this can be split off, Rick?

Paul Varjak · Frequent Guest Joined: 30 Jul 2005 Posts: 37

I travelled to Nizhny Novgorod in October 2005 and St. Petersburg in January 2006. The new migration card was used for both trips.

I have a copy of the new migration card, can anyone tell me how to include its image here?

camarks · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:58 pm Post subject:

I traveled to Russia two weeks ago on Aeroflot. We had the new cards, but one has only to refer to the back of the inflight magazine for a pretty thourough explanation in English. Non-english speakers might be at a considerable disadvantage.

Paul Varjak · Frequent Guest Joined: 30 Jul 2005 Posts: 37

Schneeflocke · Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 12:17 pm Post subject:

JosephZ · Frequent Guest Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 27

I will be crossing the border into Russia from Estonia on a bus from Tallinn. Where do I get a migration card in Tallinn? Or will the passengers be given a copy on the bus?

Generation P · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject:

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6979

I filled mine out in English and didn't have any problems

Zach10791 · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 815

What is a migration card? Embarassed