student safety in St Petersburg

[Graham Hettlinger]

Colleagues,

African American students (and other minorities) in St. Petersburg and 
Moscow definitely face safety issues that white students do not. We do 
not do these students a service when we tell them that cities like St. 
Petersburg and Moscow are like any large city in the US - they aren't. 
Students of color may well encounter much more overt forms of racism in 
these cities than they are used to experiencing in the U.S., and at 
times, these strains may be quite aggressive. Students of color bound 
for these cities should receive an extensive orientation, during which 
study-abroad staff talk at length about potential dangers stemming from 
racism and ways to avoid these hazards. Ideally, in my view, these 
discussions should be held with all students present, so that white 
participants learn about the issues that minority students face and are 
ready to support their peers if problems do occur. Perhaps even more 
importantly, study abroad programs need to help minority students 
connect with Russians while abroad. This, I would argue, is one of the 
most important factors in determining how these students fare: when they 
have genuine Russian friends (usually found through a host family or a 
Russian university) who spend extensive time with them, the likelihood 
of these students encountering serious safety problems declines greatly. 
To be sure, this does not mean such students will not encounter 
difficulties and challenges, but in addition to helping minority 
students avoid potentially dangerous situations, Russian friends provide 
a vital means for these students to process the less threatening but 
still unsettling racist interactions they will likely experience.

I would add that while minority students should be given a complete 
understanding of the challenges they will likely face, these students 
should not by any means be discouraged from studying abroad in cities 
like St. Petersburg. Minority students have often commented to me that 
studying abroad in Russia was among the most rewarding experiences of 
their lives, despite the considerable challenges. It is essential, 
however, that these students be both well-prepared and well-supported.

Best wishes,

Graham Hettlinger
Associate Director, Summer Study Abroad
Georgetown University


Rozov, Mr. Aleksander wrote:
> Perhaps, the best advise would be to proceed with caution. Students should avoid venturing into the remote parts/neighborhoods of the city, otherwise known as "Spalnie Rayony" especially in the evening and at night.
> Other than that, Saint Petersburg is just like any other metropolis. It is relatively safe, and although racial crimes do occur, they do not occur as frequently as the media portrays them at times, blowing it out of the proportion. 
> In short, Saint Petersburg has a lot of "monority groups" working, visiting, and studying.... So your students wouldn't be feeling isolated.
>
> Hope that was helpful   
> ________________________________________
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Sibelan Forrester [sforres1 at SWARTHMORE.EDU]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:03 PM
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> Subject: [SEELANGS] student safety in St Petersburg
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I recall a discussion on this list a few years ago about safety issues
> for minority American students studying abroad in Russia, and would like
> to ask for any comments on the current situation for foreign students in
> St. Petersburg. Can I tell my student's parents that she can be
> reasonably unconcerned if she behaves sensibly? Anything else an advisor
> should pass along?
>
> Please send replies to sforres1 at swarthmore.edu
>
> I'll be happy to summarize for the list if there is sufficient interest.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Sibelan
>
>
> Sibelan Forrester
> Swarthmore College
>
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