student safety in St Petersburg

[Dustin Hosseini]

It would be nice if there were some hard, concrete evidence of the dangers
of Moscow and St. Petersburg presented rather than just a blanket statement
damning them.   I do agree with a previous poster - the news media outlets
do in fact blow things out of proportion.   We never hear any good that
comes out of these cities because what's reported isn't necessarily for our
own good.  

It's a bit odd that there has, to my knowledge, never been an article
published on the diversity of, for example, Moscow.  It isn't a city full of
'white' people where all the 'others' come in extremely small numbers:
Moscow is an extremely diverse city for what and where it is.  I have met
many Russians of mixed heritage - African and Russian as just one example. 

In terms of Moscow, I can say that there has been an increase in the number
of non-white 'minorities', and I myself observed this trend from 2005 to
2009.  While a majority of these were people of Caucasian decent, a number
were from places such as Africa.  And for what it's worth - during the few
years I spent in Moscow, I did not once observe any racial attacks on
'non-white' minorities - whether it was in the center, on the bus, in the
metro, or in the 'spal'nye rayony' of the city.  

In fact the only time that I myself experienced a racial 'attack' of any
kind was a comment in a supermarket from a disgruntled cashier to the effect
of "They all come over here from China acting as if it's their own..."  I
don't think I look Chinese, but maybe because I'm 'darker' than a white
person and was wearing glasses at the time did the cashier, a white middle
age Russian, stoop to make that comment.  

Do warn your students, to make sure everyone knows the facts and is covered
legally.  Perhaps advising students not to go around being 'loud Americans'
will solve part of the problem.  Out of sight (or earshot), out of mind.  If
you don't draw attention to yourself in Moscow or St. Pete, then you are in
a much better position of being safe overall.  

However, do not paint such a picture that scares students away from study
abroad in Moscow or St. Petersburg.  Acting sensibly, will in many cases, be
the best advice and solution to prevent many potentially dangerous
problems/incidents.  Honestly, if a student doesn't go around at 1AM in the
morning yelling at the top of their lungs because they are drunk, then all
will be much, much the better.   

Dustin Hosseini
 

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