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xxatti
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 33
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 Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject: Violence in Russia (the truth) |
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| I've read so many threads, and Im so confused. There is so much contradicion about violence in Russia. Some say it's overblown, and others say it's not. Im sure there is some stuff going on, but the question is how much, and is it as bad as people say it is? I hear about police corruption, skinheads, foreigners getting attacked, especially people with tan or dark skin. But most everything I have read about violent acts, etc. has been by a third party or someone who had a friend of a friend who was assaulted, etc. Can somebody please clear this up once and for all. And if anyone has had 1st hand experience of anything bad happening to them in Russia, would you please post up. Im particularly concerned about Moscow and St Petersburg, as those are the places I'd be if I eventually go there. |
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mediashark
Moderator
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1599
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| Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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It really depends on your or your friend's lifestyle, how street smart and where he/she will live. As a very foreign looking person living in Moscow for 2 years, I have not encountered a single skinhead.
Attacks do occur, but they are rare. They target dark skinned or Asian looking people travelling alone at night in deserted metro or streets.
of course, one should probably be more wary of drunks, men on the prowl for a hooker (ladies take note), football fans and grumpy babushkas than skinheads. |
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xxatti
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 33
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| mediashark wrote: | It really depends on your or your friend's lifestyle, how street smart and where he/she will live. As a very foreign looking person living in Moscow for 2 years, I have not encountered a single skinhead.
Attacks do occur, but they are rare. They target dark skinned or Asian looking people travelling alone at night in deserted metro or streets.
of course, one should probably be more wary of drunks, men on the prowl for a hooker (ladies take note), football fans and grumpy babushkas than skinheads. |
Well, Im no stranger to big city life. I know how to be aware of my surroundings and not put myself in compromising situations. Not to mention Im 6'1'' and quite muscular, which can often intimidate some people from messing with me. Im sure I might go to a bar or disco one night, but naturally I wouldnt be walking down any dark alleys or taking deserted metros after dark. It's just that you dont want to be in a place where it bad enough that you have to stay inside with the doors locked after dark because there are bands of people attacking foreigners for fun. |
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Sam29
Just Starting
Joined: 10 Sep 2005
Posts: 8
Location: Puerto Rico
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:53 am Post subject: |
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| As a dark skinned (arabic looking latino) guy that plans on visiting Moscow someday (my best friend lives there), this is also a concern to me. I live in Puerto Rico where, even though there is racism, it is a very passive form that does not go beyond ethnic jokes (not that that is all right, of course). However, hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan (USA) or the skinheads is something unheard of here, so this sort of thing worries me a bit. |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| I don't any of you need to worry. If you are dressed well (as most western people), no one is going to think you came from Chechnya or Middle Asia. Some mitia officers might stop you and check your documents. But you should be OK. There are lots of various tourists and all kinds of people living and visiting those 2 large cities. You are not alone. Buy yourself a belt-vallet and keep your passport with valid registration and money in there. Overall, the big cities are quite safe right now. I was kind of afraid to go there, but it was very safe in quiet. I told myself before I went that I won't go to any small, poorly lighted streets and will stay in the center. In the end, I went everywhere any time of the day and never had any problems in St Petersburg. |
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Vic
Talk Show Host
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
Posts: 298
Location: Moscow, Russian Federation
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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What Mr.Spice and Medishark said. To add:
Last August I was in St.Petes (3rd time in my life) with a friend from Canada (tall, muscular, 36years old) and we inadvertainly did a trial run of the "don't do's" in his guidebook (which, by the way was bs) I kinda wanted to prove to him that everything written there was bs anyways. We were going back just as a football match (Zenit UEFA cup match) ended from that startion (Sportivnaya, I think it was), which ended after 23, took the pretty much empty metro (other than handfulls of some football fans, which he did talk to - one asked the time, and he answered in english and then they asked a couple quick questions about where he was from and stuff, I kept quiet - nothing happned in the end). We were going to my friend's place, who lives on Ul. Engelsa (metro Udel'naya - a residential area) from there we walked 10 minutes down unlit streets, and then go up to the 5th floor in an unlit pod'ezd. After that day he pretty much did the same over and over for the time he was at my place in Moscow and now feels safer here than he does in Ottawa.
So, don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine!
Vic |
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snoof777
Frequent Guest
Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:48 pm Post subject: well said ! |
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| Vic wrote: | What Mr.Spice and Medishark said. To add:
Last August I was in St.Petes (3rd time in my life) with a friend from Canada (tall, muscular, 36years old) and we inadvertainly did a trial run of the "don't do's" in his guidebook (which, by the way was bs) I kinda wanted to prove to him that everything written there was bs anyways. We were going back just as a football match (Zenit UEFA cup match) ended from that startion (Sportivnaya, I think it was), which ended after 23, took the pretty much empty metro (other than handfulls of some football fans, which he did talk to - one asked the time, and he answered in english and then they asked a couple quick questions about where he was from and stuff, I kept quiet - nothing happned in the end). We were going to my friend's place, who lives on Ul. Engelsa (metro Udel'naya - a residential area) from there we walked 10 minutes down unlit streets, and then go up to the 5th floor in an unlit pod'ezd. After that day he pretty much did the same over and over for the time he was at my place in Moscow and now feels safer here than he does in Ottawa.
So, don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine!
Vic |
i agree and well said ! |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 12:09 am Post subject: |
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Vic - You can have a lot of fun with various experiments, but nonetheless shady and remote areasin St Petersburg are not safe. And comparing it to Ottawa is kind of ridiculous. I visited many neighborhoods when I was in St Petersburg in June include the one where I was born and lived in until 1995. You could see some clearly disturbed teenages and drunk guys walking down the street at night. One of my friends that lives in St Petersburg and does protection for a living said that one has to be very careful in those kinds of neighborhood cause many of those young guys can easily rob you and beat you for just a few dollars so that they can have a drink. And those guys looked like they could...
The center of the city is much safer and some of the remote areas look and feel very safe even at night.
But one has to be careful in Russia where the police is corrupt and often unhelpful. Not so in Ottawa. |
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Camrade
VIP
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 516
Location: Санкт-Петербург
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 7:13 am Post subject: |
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2MrSpice
I agree with you... cause everyone should just be careful in unknown areas. You shouldn't be afraid of everything around but still attention is important  |
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Celtibero
Just Starting
Joined: 15 Oct 2005
Posts: 5
Location: London
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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Priviat,
I am new to this forum and Im planning a trip to Russia in the near future. I am quite well travelled, male, early thirties and reasonably fit/strong. I am normally not afraid to travel and have been to some places where most people would think twice before going (mainly in Africa and Latin America).
However, Im a little worried about my trip to Russia/Moscow as I have been reading about violence and xenophobic attacks recently... Is this widespread? are Russians normally suspicious of foreigners? and do their suspicions extend to other Europeans?
Any tips/comments appreciated.
Spasibo |
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CHeburashka
Talk Show Host
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 218
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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You went to Africa and you came back alive  Not boiled in a kettle by any chance? Is your head now part of some macabre collection of 'souvenirs from the West'? Eaten by the lions? Got caught in a stampede?
I guess not.
'Visiting Africa' would sound a lot scarier to me than 'going to Russia'. After all, you are an experienced traveler. A guy i know married this woman in Colombia and stayed there. Everyone thinks he's crazy. He says we're all crazy, as he can spend all his free time on the beach, summer and winter.... While we wade through the mud and rain.
Last edited by CHeburashka on Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Celtibero
Just Starting
Joined: 15 Oct 2005
Posts: 5
Location: London
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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Hey,
Thanks for your prompt reply. I am not terribly worried but its just that I read in the news last week that some foreign student from Peru had been beaten to death by a group of thugs in Russia for no apparent reason... also, although some of my best friends in London are Russian, but i have to say I have also come accross some pretty rough types...
are you Russian? and how do you write your name in the latin alphabet?
Thanks,
Daniel |
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CHeburashka
Talk Show Host
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 218
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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I am not Russian, but i was there a couple of times. As soon as i learned to read the street signs the country seemed a lot less 'scary' to me. And most of those 'creepy' men in the streets were just going to their work, or shopping. I had one little incident with a drunk guy trying to provoke me in one of the small buses you find in the cities.
'Cheburashka' would be the transliteration into latin alphabet.
Guess tourists have a greater risk of getting into trouble anywhere in the world. You won't want to go travelling if you read all of this. On the other hand: statistics show most accidents still happen at home. So, better pity me, behind my computer :S |
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Celtibero
Just Starting
Joined: 15 Oct 2005
Posts: 5
Location: London
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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OK, noted with thanks "Cheburashka"
You have been to Russia twice... I am thinking about flying into Riga and then hop on a train to St Petersbourg and then onwards to Moscow.... do you think this is a good idea? I have not a clue about distances, train conditions, safety, etc....
would you recommend this? alternatively, if you are pressed for time, would you chose St peters over Moscow or viceversa?
Gracias |
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CHeburashka
Talk Show Host
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 218
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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This seems like a reasonable idea. The train should be safe if you take normal precautions on trains into consideration. (Not leaving valuables unattended etc.) I think there are already quite some posts discussing the different classes on the train. I recall even one with photo's. Have a search on the forum and look at http://www.waytorussia.net/Transport/International/Train.html
Personally i would choose 'kupe', 4 bed compartments. They're comfortable. Better than the 6-bed ones on European trains.
What do you consider 'pressed for time'? |
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