Question by devushka: Would I be safe in Russia?
I want to stay in Russia for a year as a foreign exchange student.
I’m actually half Russian and half German. My father is an immigrant from Russia and he’s always telling me how proud he is that I’m Russian and how Russian my brothers and I look.
Anyway, I have blonde hair and blue/gray/green eyes (they look blueish gray, but then with like a “mask” of green over it) and with a bright yellow color around my pupils. I know Russians have blue eyes as well, so I’m not worried about that. I have blonde hair, which, in videos I’ve seen there are a LOT of Russians with blonde hair. So I shouldn’t be *too* worried about sticking out, eh?
I have a half-sister (my daddy’s daughter from a previous relationship) and she lives in Sochi, Russia. She wants me to go with her and work at the hotel she’s working at (we both want to become hotel mangagers and work in the hotel business, and she’s 22, I’m 14, going on 15 in 5 months) during the 2014 Olympics.
I’ve seen pictures of Russia and I love it so much! My Babushka and Dededushka live there and always send me birthday cards in Russian :] It’s so cool! The buildings are beautiful (at least the architectual ones, not the old run-downed ones). I’m also going with the program AFS, and they make SURE you get placed in a “safe” area, or one that does not have much crime. I’m learning on speaking Russian (my dad and sister have given me many books, including actual Russian books that help teach Russian kids the alphabet). I’m actually quite good with my pronounciation, especially with my rolled “r”s. Also, if I’m going to Russia, should I buy clothes there to fit in and bring some of my own???
My mom has been the most worried about me leaving (my dad thinks it’s a great idea, lol figures) because when she went to marry him, she went to Russia to live with him. She was blonde too, but she said they could tell she was a foreigner so they kidnapped her inside their car. They tried to knock her out (which they did) but she woke up and was able to jump out of the car. FYI, were not the “white” blondes. Were not those extremely pale ones with the bright blondeish yellow hair that super pale with little pink knuckles and eyelids. Were kind of tan (same skin tone as a Russian actually) and have brownish blonde hair. I didn’t want you thinking I was an albino or something :]
ALSO, (sorry for the long message) do you think the AFS program would be able to place me in a spot reccomended by me? I would love to be able to be placed in Sochi near my sister. It’d be so much fun, and she really wants me to learn the language with her. Of course, I would at least be able to read the alphabet (which I am currently working on) before I left.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Alex
i have brown hair and brown eyes my moms a Kazakh and my dads from russia i look more like my mom. but i was born in russia
Read all the answers in the comments.
Know better? Leave your own answer!
Sabrina says
im pretty sure that all that stuff about russia being a bad place is all stereotypes, so yes it is perfectly safe
Cossak says
No one cares here about your nationality only if you're not looking like a criminal in black sport wears,not shaved and from North Caucasus and no one will kidnap you if you'll not go in North Caucasus(Ingushetia,Chechnya,Dagestan)
Sochi is ok and pretty safe,been there many times.
So theres no point for your mum to worry about it 🙂
Karina says
Woah…I see you're really worried there. But really there's not that much to be worried about. My answer is yes, you will be safe. If you go to Russia you're not only gonna find white blue eyed women. I mean come-on…is that really the perception you have of Russia?? There are many many different people. There are actually tons of brunettes there, and they're still white, and suffer no prejudice at all. Russians as a race are not Scandinavians (so you dont have to be blond, blue eyes to fit in). Russians are a different race so you can really find any hair color and eye color and still be Russian. I have brownish eyes and light brown hair and I'm still Russian and never had any problems. Concerning the language and the fact that you're "foreign"…they've seen foreigners before. And plus you're HALF Russian so no problems at all there.
And that story about your mom… I mean I lived there my whole life and it never happened to me, or any of my friends, so it must have been clearly an exception.
good luck and enjoy
you will love it!
polynesian says
As short as possibke – yes, you will be safe
Dmitry says
The answer is only one – yes, it is safe.
Sochi – a great place.