oh how much i want to comment but i shall refrain - a short extract from todays MT:
Tuesday, February 13, 2007. Issue 3595. Page 4. News in Brief
Chechen War Called Success
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Sunday that Russia had succeeded in its latest war in Chechnya, defeating separatists and what he called their "emissaries from 50 states."
"We have scored a success in Chechnya," Ivanov said. "The problem has been solved."
Ivanov, speaking before an international audience of defense officials and diplomats at the Munich Conference on Security Policy, underscored the Kremlin's confidence that the second war in Chechnya since the dissolution of the Soviet Union had largely ended, and that the separatists' ranks had been shrunk by military operations and offers of amnesty. (AP)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Friday, February 09, 2007
more on confusion about new registration rules for foreigners
i am indeed fascinated by these new registration rules for foreigners in russia... here another article from the MT:
Friday, February 9, 2007. Issue 3593. Page 3.
Foreigners Confront Tighter Travel Rules
By Carl Schreck
Staff Writer
Foreigners registered in Moscow must inform migration officials of their whereabouts if they take a trip to another Russian city that lasts more than 10 days, a senior Federal Migration Service official said Thursday.
The change comes under a new law that also requires foreigners to alert migration authorities every time they enter or leave the country. The rules are sowing confusion in the foreign community, and Vyacheslav Postavnin, deputy head of the Federal Migration Service, tried to clarify them to a bewildered group of businesspeople Thursday.
A foreigner must hand over his registration papers to migration officials if he travels to St. Petersburg, for example, and stays there for more than 10 days, Postavnin told a briefing organized by the American Chamber of Commerce.
The foreigner's "inviting party" -- an employer, landlord, hotel or other Russian host -- must then register him with local migration officials and deregister him after he leaves for Moscow, he said.
"If he says in a hotel, then it will all be done automatically for him," Postavnin said. "He won't experience any problems."
Back in Moscow, the foreigner must re-register within three days of his return, he said.
The Jan. 15 law -- which requires foreigners to hand over their registration papers via their inviting party -- has been touted by migration officials as a simplification of the registration process. The inviting party is merely required to submit information about the foreigner's passport, visa and migration card to the local branch of the migration service or send it by registered mail.
But the law is steeped in vagaries, and Postavnin spent much of Thursday's briefing asking attendees to inform him personally about problems they encounter in registering their foreign employees.
One woman in the audience told Postavnin that during an attempt to register foreign employees at a migration office in Moscow, officials told her that for each foreigner the company must submit his passport, visa, registration, a letter from the company, and a letter from the local building-utilities administrator offices. Furthermore, she was told that both the foreigner and his landlord must both come down to the branch.
Another audience member said post office employees were refusing to handle the registration documents, while another said local migration officials had acknowledged that they did not know the new rules.
One audience member described the new law using the famous phrase uttered by former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin: "We hoped for better, but it turned out like always."
Postavnin promised that kinks in the system would be worked out "in the nearest future."
Postavnin did make one concrete clarification concerning foreigners currently in Russia with valid visas and registrations pre-dating the new law. If such foreigners leave the country, they will be registered under the new law upon return, he said.
This means that the foreigner's inviting party is required to inform local migration officials of the foreigner's arrival within three working days of his entry into the country.
Migration officials then issue a registration card that the foreigner carries at all times as proof of being in the country legally. The card makes obsolete the previous practice of placing a registration stamp in passports.
The inviting party is also required to inform authorities if the foreigner leaves Russia, and it has two working days from the day of departure to do so.
AmCham president Andrew Somers said he expected migration officials to clear up the confusion surrounding the law soon.
"I don't think that we'll have any negative long-term effects," he said.
Friday, February 9, 2007. Issue 3593. Page 3.
Foreigners Confront Tighter Travel Rules
By Carl Schreck
Staff Writer
Foreigners registered in Moscow must inform migration officials of their whereabouts if they take a trip to another Russian city that lasts more than 10 days, a senior Federal Migration Service official said Thursday.
The change comes under a new law that also requires foreigners to alert migration authorities every time they enter or leave the country. The rules are sowing confusion in the foreign community, and Vyacheslav Postavnin, deputy head of the Federal Migration Service, tried to clarify them to a bewildered group of businesspeople Thursday.
A foreigner must hand over his registration papers to migration officials if he travels to St. Petersburg, for example, and stays there for more than 10 days, Postavnin told a briefing organized by the American Chamber of Commerce.
The foreigner's "inviting party" -- an employer, landlord, hotel or other Russian host -- must then register him with local migration officials and deregister him after he leaves for Moscow, he said.
"If he says in a hotel, then it will all be done automatically for him," Postavnin said. "He won't experience any problems."
Back in Moscow, the foreigner must re-register within three days of his return, he said.
The Jan. 15 law -- which requires foreigners to hand over their registration papers via their inviting party -- has been touted by migration officials as a simplification of the registration process. The inviting party is merely required to submit information about the foreigner's passport, visa and migration card to the local branch of the migration service or send it by registered mail.
But the law is steeped in vagaries, and Postavnin spent much of Thursday's briefing asking attendees to inform him personally about problems they encounter in registering their foreign employees.
One woman in the audience told Postavnin that during an attempt to register foreign employees at a migration office in Moscow, officials told her that for each foreigner the company must submit his passport, visa, registration, a letter from the company, and a letter from the local building-utilities administrator offices. Furthermore, she was told that both the foreigner and his landlord must both come down to the branch.
Another audience member said post office employees were refusing to handle the registration documents, while another said local migration officials had acknowledged that they did not know the new rules.
One audience member described the new law using the famous phrase uttered by former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin: "We hoped for better, but it turned out like always."
Postavnin promised that kinks in the system would be worked out "in the nearest future."
Postavnin did make one concrete clarification concerning foreigners currently in Russia with valid visas and registrations pre-dating the new law. If such foreigners leave the country, they will be registered under the new law upon return, he said.
This means that the foreigner's inviting party is required to inform local migration officials of the foreigner's arrival within three working days of his entry into the country.
Migration officials then issue a registration card that the foreigner carries at all times as proof of being in the country legally. The card makes obsolete the previous practice of placing a registration stamp in passports.
The inviting party is also required to inform authorities if the foreigner leaves Russia, and it has two working days from the day of departure to do so.
AmCham president Andrew Somers said he expected migration officials to clear up the confusion surrounding the law soon.
"I don't think that we'll have any negative long-term effects," he said.
Monday, February 05, 2007
article by MT on new registration rules...
from today's Moscow Times (i shall refrain from commenting, but it just goes to show how crazy life in russia is...):
Monday, February 5, 2007. Issue 3589. Page 1.
Registration Rules Stir Up Confusion
By Carl Schreck and Natalya Krainova
Staff Writers
Thinking of jetting up to St. Petersburg for a week to see White Nights this summer? If you're a foreigner and you want to spare your employer from a possible $30,000 fine, you'd better make sure the government knows you're leaving town.
According to a new law that came into effect Jan. 15, foreigners are now required to hand over their registration papers to migration officials -- via their employer or other sponsor -- every time they leave the country and re-register upon subsequent entry into the country.
But the law is steeped in vagaries. Visa agencies say foreigners could incur heavy fines for their employers if they neglect to inform them of even a short trip out of town.
Hotels, for their part, say the amount of documentation on their foreign guests has become unduly burdensome. At least one St. Petersburg hotel has stopped admitting foreigners altogether.
The new law says a foreigner's "inviting party" -- an employer, landlord, hotel or other Russian host -- is required to inform local migration officials of the foreigner's arrival within three working days of entering the country.
The inviting party is also required to inform authorities if the foreigner leaves Russia and it has two working days from the day of departure to do so.
"The foreigner has to be stricken off the Federal Migration Service register, because he can't be registered with the Federal Migration Service if he is not in Russia," said Zalina Filimonova, spokeswoman for the Moscow branch of the migration service. "That's pure logic."
The law has been touted by migration officials as a simplification of the registration process. On paper, after all, the inviting party is merely required to submit information about the foreigner's passport, visa and migration card to the local branch of the migration service.
Migration officials then issue a registration card that the foreigner carries at all times as proof of being in the country legally. The card makes obsolete the previous practice of placing a registration stamp in passports.
In theory, the entire process can even be done at the post office, with a post office receipt serving as confirmation of a foreigner's registration.
But the new procedures could prove to be quite a hassle for foreigners who travel often -- either internationally or within Russia, said Yekaterina Elekchyan of Your Lawyer, a legal firm specializing in visa and work-regulation issues.
"On the one hand, it's easier in that the landlord doesn't have to physically go down to the DEZ," Elekchyan said, referring to the local building-utilities administrator offices that were obligatory stopovers for foreigners' landlords under the old registration rules. "But for a foreigner who enters and leaves the country quite often, it's not very convenient to have to turn in documents every time."
Foreigners must turn in their registration card when they leave for another region, Filimonova said. Then, upon arrival, the inviting party must register the foreigner with local migration officials within three days and inform them of his departure no later than two days after he leaves.
Under the law, the inviting party is fully responsible for registering the foreigner. According to information posted on the web site of the Moscow branch, fines for breaching the rules run up to 4,000 rubles for a Russian citizen hosting a foreigner and up to 800,000 rubles ($30,000) for employers.
One large Western-managed company informed its foreign employees recently in an internal memo that they would have any fines deducted from their salaries if they did not inform the company of their international travel plans.
Federal Migration Service spokesman Denis Soldatikov said Friday that authorities would not be "hunting" down violators. "But if people are found in violation, they will be fined," he said.
Inexplicably, Soldatikov contradicted the deadlines and procedures given in the law itself. He said the inviting party must inform authorities of a foreigner's arrival within 30 days and departure with 10 days.
Soldatikov -- in another contradiction of what the law says -- also insisted that a foreigner does not have to turn in the registration card upon leaving the country.
Alexei Filipenkov, deputy chairman of Association of European Businesses' visa task force, said the law is so muddled and riddled with holes that it is impossible to enforce. "Nobody knows what is going on," he said. "I ask one migration official what to do, and he tells me one thing. On the same day I go to another official, and they tell me something completely different. Nobody knows what is going on because the rules are constantly being changed."
One group that is already lobbying for changes in the law are hoteliers.
One large Moscow hotel said it has had to hire two employees to deal exclusively with filling out the increased paperwork for foreign guests, and because the local branch of the migration service is understaffed, the employees themselves must sit down and enter the data into the migration service's system.
"Until our employee sits down and enters every single form in to their system by manually typing, no one is registered," said an executive from the hotel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing company policy.
Soldatikov, the migration service spokesman, denied that hotel employees might be entering information into the migration service's database. "Access to those computers is restricted," he said.
Soldatikov said hotels had no grounds for complaint and that the system had changed little for them.
One small hotel chain in St. Petersburg, however, has stopped accepting foreigners for fear that a single violation of the new law could result in a hefty fine.
"Fortunately it's not high season yet, and primarily Russian citizens are on business trips," Marina Slesareva, deputy head of the Rinaldi chain, told Komsomolskaya Pravda. "It's scary to think what will happen in the summer. Not one single branch of the Federal Migration Service can tell us what to do under the new rules."
Monday, February 5, 2007. Issue 3589. Page 1.
Registration Rules Stir Up Confusion
By Carl Schreck and Natalya Krainova
Staff Writers
Thinking of jetting up to St. Petersburg for a week to see White Nights this summer? If you're a foreigner and you want to spare your employer from a possible $30,000 fine, you'd better make sure the government knows you're leaving town.
According to a new law that came into effect Jan. 15, foreigners are now required to hand over their registration papers to migration officials -- via their employer or other sponsor -- every time they leave the country and re-register upon subsequent entry into the country.
But the law is steeped in vagaries. Visa agencies say foreigners could incur heavy fines for their employers if they neglect to inform them of even a short trip out of town.
Hotels, for their part, say the amount of documentation on their foreign guests has become unduly burdensome. At least one St. Petersburg hotel has stopped admitting foreigners altogether.
The new law says a foreigner's "inviting party" -- an employer, landlord, hotel or other Russian host -- is required to inform local migration officials of the foreigner's arrival within three working days of entering the country.
The inviting party is also required to inform authorities if the foreigner leaves Russia and it has two working days from the day of departure to do so.
"The foreigner has to be stricken off the Federal Migration Service register, because he can't be registered with the Federal Migration Service if he is not in Russia," said Zalina Filimonova, spokeswoman for the Moscow branch of the migration service. "That's pure logic."
The law has been touted by migration officials as a simplification of the registration process. On paper, after all, the inviting party is merely required to submit information about the foreigner's passport, visa and migration card to the local branch of the migration service.
Migration officials then issue a registration card that the foreigner carries at all times as proof of being in the country legally. The card makes obsolete the previous practice of placing a registration stamp in passports.
In theory, the entire process can even be done at the post office, with a post office receipt serving as confirmation of a foreigner's registration.
But the new procedures could prove to be quite a hassle for foreigners who travel often -- either internationally or within Russia, said Yekaterina Elekchyan of Your Lawyer, a legal firm specializing in visa and work-regulation issues.
"On the one hand, it's easier in that the landlord doesn't have to physically go down to the DEZ," Elekchyan said, referring to the local building-utilities administrator offices that were obligatory stopovers for foreigners' landlords under the old registration rules. "But for a foreigner who enters and leaves the country quite often, it's not very convenient to have to turn in documents every time."
Foreigners must turn in their registration card when they leave for another region, Filimonova said. Then, upon arrival, the inviting party must register the foreigner with local migration officials within three days and inform them of his departure no later than two days after he leaves.
Under the law, the inviting party is fully responsible for registering the foreigner. According to information posted on the web site of the Moscow branch, fines for breaching the rules run up to 4,000 rubles for a Russian citizen hosting a foreigner and up to 800,000 rubles ($30,000) for employers.
One large Western-managed company informed its foreign employees recently in an internal memo that they would have any fines deducted from their salaries if they did not inform the company of their international travel plans.
Federal Migration Service spokesman Denis Soldatikov said Friday that authorities would not be "hunting" down violators. "But if people are found in violation, they will be fined," he said.
Inexplicably, Soldatikov contradicted the deadlines and procedures given in the law itself. He said the inviting party must inform authorities of a foreigner's arrival within 30 days and departure with 10 days.
Soldatikov -- in another contradiction of what the law says -- also insisted that a foreigner does not have to turn in the registration card upon leaving the country.
Alexei Filipenkov, deputy chairman of Association of European Businesses' visa task force, said the law is so muddled and riddled with holes that it is impossible to enforce. "Nobody knows what is going on," he said. "I ask one migration official what to do, and he tells me one thing. On the same day I go to another official, and they tell me something completely different. Nobody knows what is going on because the rules are constantly being changed."
One group that is already lobbying for changes in the law are hoteliers.
One large Moscow hotel said it has had to hire two employees to deal exclusively with filling out the increased paperwork for foreign guests, and because the local branch of the migration service is understaffed, the employees themselves must sit down and enter the data into the migration service's system.
"Until our employee sits down and enters every single form in to their system by manually typing, no one is registered," said an executive from the hotel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing company policy.
Soldatikov, the migration service spokesman, denied that hotel employees might be entering information into the migration service's database. "Access to those computers is restricted," he said.
Soldatikov said hotels had no grounds for complaint and that the system had changed little for them.
One small hotel chain in St. Petersburg, however, has stopped accepting foreigners for fear that a single violation of the new law could result in a hefty fine.
"Fortunately it's not high season yet, and primarily Russian citizens are on business trips," Marina Slesareva, deputy head of the Rinaldi chain, told Komsomolskaya Pravda. "It's scary to think what will happen in the summer. Not one single branch of the Federal Migration Service can tell us what to do under the new rules."
Monday, January 29, 2007
the trans-siberian railway
again, a few comments on the trans-siberian railway by an adventure travel site:
The Trans-Siberian Railway
This week long, non-stop 10,000km [6,000mls] or so ride travels from Moscow to either:
- Vladivostok on Russia's Pacific coast.
- via Mongolia to Beijing.
- via Manchuria and Harbin to Beijing.
This is reputedly one of the world's great train journeys but does not necessarily deliver a comfortable or fascinating experience for everyone.
TS train downside:
- there are no showers, except for a few lucky 1st class travelers.
- conditions will be cramped.
- dining car food will be abysmal.
- the scenery is mainly dull, tending towards endless forests and grassy plains, interspersed with the occasional log cabin, log village or vast lake. The train stops for 10 minutes a few times a day, leaving no time to explore, just time to aquire emergency supplies from the platform.
- As a consequence, life on the train is paramount, and this depends on various factors coming together. Is your car attendant cordial? Are your fellow passengers interesting? Does anyone snore? Do you mind living off fairly basic food for six days? Can you happily stare out of a dirty window looking at birch trees for hours on end? Is TV an integral part of your life? Do you have a good selection of books with you? Do you like vodka? And so on...
TS train upside:
- you can arrange to take a stop over at key points en route, for example attractive Irkutsk and nearby huge, mountain-hemmed Lake Baikal. Siberian timber buildings are often charming, colourfully decorated and carved.
- due to the fame of the train and the number of serious travellers on it there will almost always be someone interesting you can find to chat to for days, though a good companion and a monster picnic hamper [loaded with - you've guessed - vodka] would be a useful starting point.
- if you are actually going east/west for a purpose - such as for work in Japan or China - you will be saving the air fare.
Train Survival hints:
- don't drink the tap water. A samovar [hot water pot] in each carriage supplies sterile water.
- clean your window to improve views and photos.
- stand well clear when flushing the toilet, it can backfire if the train travels at speed.
- learn a few key Russian phrases to charm your surly attendants.
- take lots of vodka with you. You can buy some snacks, fruit, cigarettes etc during 15 minute stops at stations, but no alcohol, and you will be doing a lot of socialising!
The Trans-Siberian Railway
This week long, non-stop 10,000km [6,000mls] or so ride travels from Moscow to either:
- Vladivostok on Russia's Pacific coast.
- via Mongolia to Beijing.
- via Manchuria and Harbin to Beijing.
This is reputedly one of the world's great train journeys but does not necessarily deliver a comfortable or fascinating experience for everyone.
TS train downside:
- there are no showers, except for a few lucky 1st class travelers.
- conditions will be cramped.
- dining car food will be abysmal.
- the scenery is mainly dull, tending towards endless forests and grassy plains, interspersed with the occasional log cabin, log village or vast lake. The train stops for 10 minutes a few times a day, leaving no time to explore, just time to aquire emergency supplies from the platform.
- As a consequence, life on the train is paramount, and this depends on various factors coming together. Is your car attendant cordial? Are your fellow passengers interesting? Does anyone snore? Do you mind living off fairly basic food for six days? Can you happily stare out of a dirty window looking at birch trees for hours on end? Is TV an integral part of your life? Do you have a good selection of books with you? Do you like vodka? And so on...
TS train upside:
- you can arrange to take a stop over at key points en route, for example attractive Irkutsk and nearby huge, mountain-hemmed Lake Baikal. Siberian timber buildings are often charming, colourfully decorated and carved.
- due to the fame of the train and the number of serious travellers on it there will almost always be someone interesting you can find to chat to for days, though a good companion and a monster picnic hamper [loaded with - you've guessed - vodka] would be a useful starting point.
- if you are actually going east/west for a purpose - such as for work in Japan or China - you will be saving the air fare.
Train Survival hints:
- don't drink the tap water. A samovar [hot water pot] in each carriage supplies sterile water.
- clean your window to improve views and photos.
- stand well clear when flushing the toilet, it can backfire if the train travels at speed.
- learn a few key Russian phrases to charm your surly attendants.
- take lots of vodka with you. You can buy some snacks, fruit, cigarettes etc during 15 minute stops at stations, but no alcohol, and you will be doing a lot of socialising!
a few comments on Russia by a travel site
i just have to share these comments on Russia by an adventure travel website:
Why Travel to Russia?
This vast and diverse country, occupying the top chunk of a continent all the way from Poland to Japan - and a big chunk of world history too - demands travel attention. The architecture is both glorious and hideous, the history is monstrous, the art is sensational and the people can be touchingly friendly. Absurd Fabergé eggs? Extraordinary onion domes? Caviar crepe? Yes, please. A hard day's White Night in St Petersburg? Slamming vodka with your taxi driver? Da!Big, brutal, beautiful and intriguing, Russia is an enigma that's got to be sampled by any serious traveller.
Downside:
- Accommodation is hardly cheap if comfort is an issue, though plenty of budget options are available.
- Hygiene can be a problem.
- Officials are often unpleasantly boorish.
[i think i would use a different adjective to describe russian officials...]
- Crime and corruption in the cities requires an ever-open eye.
[no shit, Sherlock...]
- Despite the size of the country, internal flights are unreliable and Russian airlines have the world's worst safety record.
[yipppiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee.............................]
Climate:
Best: May, June, Sept, Oct. July/August can be wet. Worst: Nov-March (winter is long, dark and extremely cold with short days, but the snow scenes will be stunning. Early Spring is muddy, slushy and falling icicles kill!)
Drinks:
Most of us know the varied pleasures of vodka, particularly drunk chilled and in one gulp, but Russia also does a fine line in local beers with lively flavours, good champagne, not such good wine, passable tea and effective coffee.
Russians love to press drinks on foreigners so prepare your excuses now. Or practice chugging.
Travel Health:
Do not drink Russian tap water, not even for cleaning your teeth.
[i don't agree with this for every city in russia - moscow is fine, but tap water in st. petersburg is indeed famous for its bacteria...]
Check you are up to date with all jabs, and consider including vaccinations for diptheria, typhoid, hepatitis A and B. A flu jab is also useful if you plan to travel to Russia in spring or autumn when the bugs are rampant.
[seems like they recommend you get vaccinated against anything possible...]
Foreigners usually prefer to be treated at private clinics, which are very costly. Get Insurance!
[definitely!!!]
Costs:
Moscow is now the most expensive city in the world, but elsewhere Russia can be good value if you don't mind slightly crude accommodation and eat/drink at local establishments rather than typical tourist places.
[sigh.......................................................................................................................thinking about my monthly rent......................................................................................................................]
Why Travel to Russia?
This vast and diverse country, occupying the top chunk of a continent all the way from Poland to Japan - and a big chunk of world history too - demands travel attention. The architecture is both glorious and hideous, the history is monstrous, the art is sensational and the people can be touchingly friendly. Absurd Fabergé eggs? Extraordinary onion domes? Caviar crepe? Yes, please. A hard day's White Night in St Petersburg? Slamming vodka with your taxi driver? Da!Big, brutal, beautiful and intriguing, Russia is an enigma that's got to be sampled by any serious traveller.
Downside:
- Accommodation is hardly cheap if comfort is an issue, though plenty of budget options are available.
- Hygiene can be a problem.
- Officials are often unpleasantly boorish.
[i think i would use a different adjective to describe russian officials...]
- Crime and corruption in the cities requires an ever-open eye.
[no shit, Sherlock...]
- Despite the size of the country, internal flights are unreliable and Russian airlines have the world's worst safety record.
[yipppiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee.............................]
Climate:
Best: May, June, Sept, Oct. July/August can be wet. Worst: Nov-March (winter is long, dark and extremely cold with short days, but the snow scenes will be stunning. Early Spring is muddy, slushy and falling icicles kill!)
Drinks:
Most of us know the varied pleasures of vodka, particularly drunk chilled and in one gulp, but Russia also does a fine line in local beers with lively flavours, good champagne, not such good wine, passable tea and effective coffee.
Russians love to press drinks on foreigners so prepare your excuses now. Or practice chugging.
Travel Health:
Do not drink Russian tap water, not even for cleaning your teeth.
[i don't agree with this for every city in russia - moscow is fine, but tap water in st. petersburg is indeed famous for its bacteria...]
Check you are up to date with all jabs, and consider including vaccinations for diptheria, typhoid, hepatitis A and B. A flu jab is also useful if you plan to travel to Russia in spring or autumn when the bugs are rampant.
[seems like they recommend you get vaccinated against anything possible...]
Foreigners usually prefer to be treated at private clinics, which are very costly. Get Insurance!
[definitely!!!]
Costs:
Moscow is now the most expensive city in the world, but elsewhere Russia can be good value if you don't mind slightly crude accommodation and eat/drink at local establishments rather than typical tourist places.
[sigh.......................................................................................................................thinking about my monthly rent......................................................................................................................]
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