Howdy neighbor! What do you make of the claims that the SMO is a farce? It sure seems real enough from just 1000 km North.
Also, what do you make of recent RU govt resentment towards Baltic States for choosing to implement citizenship requirements? I've been saying for years this is something that USA needs to do earnestly.
Assimilate or you don't participate!
It’s real. A friend of ours lost a loved one who was serving in combat on the Russian side. And it’s about some of the things people here are saying it’s about — we know someone who used to live in Avdeevka in Donetsk which has been bitterly contested the whole conflict, and she was telling us about the allegations of what Ukraine had been doing there before it made even the anon news because everyone there knew about it years ago.
Remember that there is a specific history to formerly soviet places. There are Russian people in places like Latvia who were 100% legal and legitimate to be there before the fall of the USSR, then one day it was different. They’re changing the rules out from under people who were born there. Russia certainly supports border control and rules — our family has required intervention from high officials several times to get through their process! This isn’t that.
Assimilation is a large and long standing problem in LV. Same as it is in say America with Hispanic immigrants. The laws that went into effect last year have been in parliamentary talks for over a decade.
Beware of the RU MSM though, same as any other. Baba isn't getting deported over here because she can't pass the language test requirements. It's mainly preexisting transients, homeless, and newer immigrants who refuse to take the language & civics testing.
I noticed when they had the annual mini Moscow event that the issue was brought up in a negative light, with TAS claiming poor old bababuška is getting the boot when that simply isn't the case.
Fantastic thread frens. Looking forward to hearing more reports from you, Anosha.
I was in Moscow nearly 25 years ago, the week that the sub Kursk went down in the Berends Sea. The western influence was minimal at the time, at least for a tourist (there were only two "Western" hotels - I stayed at the Marriot on Tverskiya Street). Going through immigration in Sherementyevo was an experience. I found the city and the Russian people incredibly fascinating.
We stayed in an apartment near the swanky hotels on Novy Arbat the summer of 2020 and laughed and laughed at the huge lightboard with Nike BLM ads running on loop. So much money and zero people interested in any way.
There are indications that the Russian government is marking the pandemic measures as a western thing that they’re not going to participate in next time around. Certainly the people are both more skeptical and less inclined toward the west than was the case in 2020!
There was social pressure to mask. There was tape on the floor of every public place. There was testing, and I know someone who got very sick only having been repeatedly tested and never vaccinated. There were government jobs that required vaccination, unfortunately.
That said, compliance was laughably less than in the west. Don’t believe the official vaccination numbers for a minute. Masks worn on the chin were considered fully masked in almost every situation. And I can’t recall a single time when more than a very few people paid any attention to distance at all.
The Russian language is quite difficult to learn, but it is possible.
👋🏻 available to discuss more. (I am an American anon who moved to Russia several years ago and am now a citizen there too.)
Howdy neighbor! What do you make of the claims that the SMO is a farce? It sure seems real enough from just 1000 km North.
Also, what do you make of recent RU govt resentment towards Baltic States for choosing to implement citizenship requirements? I've been saying for years this is something that USA needs to do earnestly. Assimilate or you don't participate!
It’s real. A friend of ours lost a loved one who was serving in combat on the Russian side. And it’s about some of the things people here are saying it’s about — we know someone who used to live in Avdeevka in Donetsk which has been bitterly contested the whole conflict, and she was telling us about the allegations of what Ukraine had been doing there before it made even the anon news because everyone there knew about it years ago.
Remember that there is a specific history to formerly soviet places. There are Russian people in places like Latvia who were 100% legal and legitimate to be there before the fall of the USSR, then one day it was different. They’re changing the rules out from under people who were born there. Russia certainly supports border control and rules — our family has required intervention from high officials several times to get through their process! This isn’t that.
100% concur. Thanks for the reply!
Assimilation is a large and long standing problem in LV. Same as it is in say America with Hispanic immigrants. The laws that went into effect last year have been in parliamentary talks for over a decade.
Beware of the RU MSM though, same as any other. Baba isn't getting deported over here because she can't pass the language test requirements. It's mainly preexisting transients, homeless, and newer immigrants who refuse to take the language & civics testing.
I noticed when they had the annual mini Moscow event that the issue was brought up in a negative light, with TAS claiming poor old bababuška is getting the boot when that simply isn't the case.
Mainly or only? The stories I have read have been specific and falsifiable when I read past the headline and initial packaging fluff.
Fantastic thread frens. Looking forward to hearing more reports from you, Anosha.
I was in Moscow nearly 25 years ago, the week that the sub Kursk went down in the Berends Sea. The western influence was minimal at the time, at least for a tourist (there were only two "Western" hotels - I stayed at the Marriot on Tverskiya Street). Going through immigration in Sherementyevo was an experience. I found the city and the Russian people incredibly fascinating.
We stayed in an apartment near the swanky hotels on Novy Arbat the summer of 2020 and laughed and laughed at the huge lightboard with Nike BLM ads running on loop. So much money and zero people interested in any way.
There are indications that the Russian government is marking the pandemic measures as a western thing that they’re not going to participate in next time around. Certainly the people are both more skeptical and less inclined toward the west than was the case in 2020!
There was social pressure to mask. There was tape on the floor of every public place. There was testing, and I know someone who got very sick only having been repeatedly tested and never vaccinated. There were government jobs that required vaccination, unfortunately.
That said, compliance was laughably less than in the west. Don’t believe the official vaccination numbers for a minute. Masks worn on the chin were considered fully masked in almost every situation. And I can’t recall a single time when more than a very few people paid any attention to distance at all.
The Russian language is quite difficult to learn, but it is possible.