Russian visa problem

[Maksim Hanukai]

Dear colleagues,

I'm having some trouble receiving a tourist visa to travel to Russia and was wondering if anyone can offer advice. I emigrated to the US from Baku in 1990 (I was 10 at the time). My family had refugee status and we all eventually became US citizens. I received tourist visas 3 times in the last 5 years without any problems. Now, for some reason, the Russian embassy rejected my 3-year Tourist Visa application because they want to see proof that I don't have Russian citizenship. I was never a Russian citizen in the first place, and have, moreover, provided them with copies of my US naturalization and refugee travel documents, but this does not seem like it's enough.

Has anyone had a similar problem before? Any suggestions about how to resolve it? I already have my flight booked for June 1 so this is a matter of some urgency.

Thank you,
Maksim Hanukai
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures
Columbia University
mh2623 at columbia.edu

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