Study Russian outside Russia

[Ian]

Dear Otto,
I am not sure that something would happen in St. Petersburg, but it is certainly true that people of Asian appearance are stopped by the police very regularly and attract some unwanted attention.  I had a very positive study abroad experience in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Almaty is very racially mixed and people are very used to seeing people of all different backgrounds (with the one exception being people of African background).  I am currently in Kazan and can't say I have seen the same racial profiling I have seen in St. Petersburg, but at the same time it isn't as diverse as Almaty.  I don't think L'viv would be a good idea if only because it is really a center of Ukrainian language and not Russian.  
Best,
Ian 

> Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:58:06 +0200
> From: O.F.Boele at HUM.LEIDENUNIV.NL
> Subject: [SEELANGS] Study Russian outside Russia
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> 
>  
> Dear Seelangers,
> 
> I have just advised a Chinese-Dutch student of ours not to go on our
> study-abroad program in St. Petersburg because of the high level of
> racial violence in Russia and his own medical history (he suffers from
> haemophilia). Can anyone suggest a good alternative? Is Minsk safe?
> Would L'viv be an option? Or have I been too rash in advising this
> student against Russia?
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> Otto Boele
> University of Leiden
> 
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