Russia, buyer beware

Russia is an incredible nation that covers an area of over 10 million square miles, 10 time zones and stretches from the shores of the Baltic Sea in Europe to the Pacific Ocean in Asia up to the Behring Sea right to the tip of Alaska (insert Sarah Palin joke here). The Russian Federation is full of incredible jewels such as: The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Red Square in Moscow, The Kremlin, The Volga River, the wooden churches of Kizhi up north, and of course the crown jewel of Russia, St. Basil’s (the cathedral with the multi-colored onion shaped domes)! However, there are places you should avoid unless kidnappings, murder, land mines, and civil disorder are your cup of tea!

The number one place to avoid is the war torn republic of Chechnya. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the predominately Islamic republic declared independence from Russia, triggering not one, but two very bloody civil wars. Even though tensions have abated it is still considered dangerous due to spontaneous violence, kidnappings, and murders. Most foreign governments advise against travel to Chechnya plus the government forbids most all types of travel there by foreigners. Travelers should also beware of visiting the southern republics of Dagestan (which has taken Chechnya’s place as Russia’s battle zone), and Ingushetia (next door to Chechnya), all of which carry the same risks as visiting Chechnya. 

Although Chechnya has been the epicenter of fighting for over a decade and a half, the rest of Russia has hardly been immune to terrorism. Since 1996 there have been over 654 deaths from 18 different terrorist attacks by pro-Chechen forces, mainly in the nation’s capital, Moscow. The city suffered one of its most tragic events when in October 2002 a group of 40-50 terrorists stormed a crowded theater taking 850 people hostage. Tragically of those 850 people taken hostage, 129 were killed.

The bad blood between Russia and the people of the Caucasus is nothing new dating back to the late 18th century when Russia started to expand its empire throughout the region. Though the history is complex and spans over three centuries, the best way in my opinion to try to understand it is to read the classic 19^th century novel, Hero of Our Time, by Russian author and poet, Mikhail Yurivich Lermontov. I have read this novel several times in both Russian and English and am still stunned by the near exact parallels to today’s situation.     

In reality, these places make up only a tiny portion of this ginormous and beautiful nation. Most areas are very safe and full of welcoming people! So, now that I’ve pointed out the dangerous places in Russia, look for a more positive blog entry coming soon detailing where you should visit, especially if you are a first timer! Thanks for reading! Спасибо за внимание!