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likely Moscow schedule and visa query

 
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geobly158



Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Posts: 5
Location: Melbourne, Australia

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 10:36 am    Post subject: likely Moscow schedule and visa query Reply with quote

Hi everyone!

I am an Aussie looking at heading to Moscow next year and I have been reading everything I can about different companies and experiences and so on, but still have a few queries.

I'm guessing the best option is going to be LL or EF at this point, particularly for accommodation purposes, but from what I've read so far I can expect lengthy transit stints day in day out and really long work days. Is that the general schedule?

Also I'm wondering about the visa - are trips to neighbouring countries feasible or am I reaching for the stars here?

Thanks!
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maruss



Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 1145
Location: Cyprus

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 4:03 pm    Post subject: welcome to Russian reality! Reply with quote

Moscow is enormous and many 'newbies'are shocked by the amount of time they often need to get from their place of work to where they live and back etc!
If you end up with split-shifts,which can often be the case,you may well not have the time- or the energy, to go home and rest between lessons- if you have an early start at say 08.30 or 09.00 for your first lesson, your last one may finish around 9 p.m. with a long gap during the day.I avoided it by never starting before mid-day and didn't mind finishing even around 21.30 on one day because I could lay-in every morning and recover!But it still wore me out travelling around on the metro in winter, with all the crush of people rushing around and the massive temperature variations between over-heated buildings and the bitter cold outside......I had colds on and off for most of my six months there,with a really nasty throat at the end when the temperatures began to rise!
Lucky people are those who live near where they work,especially if all the lessons are held in one place at the firms offices and you avoid having to travel around to teach at different locations...but of course the plum jobs go to those who have been there a while.The two firms you mentioned are probably the easier options to get into the place if you are still determined but also be aware that they pay a maximum of around 50.000 roubles per month and with around 70 to the euro at the moment you can work out what that really means for yourself....
You could get by on it,living modestly, but are most unlikely to save anything and if you enjoy going out at night to various clubs etc. it will not get you far.
As for going to visit other countries,although you should get a one year mutiple entry work permit from the above firms if they offer you a job,,which technically would allow you to do that and come back in again,having enough time off work and enough money to afford it may well prove to be deterrents.
Have no illusions about Russia,things there were never easy, even when times were better than they are now that there is a severe economic downturn and anyone with rose-tinted illusions will soon be hit by reality when they get there!
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maruss



Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 1145
Location: Cyprus

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 4:06 pm    Post subject: P.S...... Reply with quote

EF is a 'no-no!!'LL and BKC are the two which most people use to get in there!
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geobly158



Joined: 04 Oct 2016
Posts: 5
Location: Melbourne, Australia

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 11:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for your reply maruss! Can I ask who you worked for when you were there?

I have been to Russia before in last October and was lucky enough to visit a few local homes so I'm hoping I'm not totally naive, I just have my heart set on spending some more time there. I was looking at the LL Work/Study option where I understand you sort of spend half time teaching and half learning Russian. I am currently an upper high school English teacher and have a TEFL cert so I'm used to the planning and marking etc. but obviously I still want to be able to experience life in Moscow.
Can I also ask why EF is a no-no? Do they work their teachers much harder or something?

I also read a few good things about Modern English School..
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maruss



Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 1145
Location: Cyprus

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:02 am    Post subject: Glad to help if I can.... Reply with quote

I was last there in 2005/6 and worked freelance for two firms,one of which was Denis School and the other which I won't even mention because they are also a 'no-no!'.In those days you could earn good money and still could until about two or three years ago when all the political and economic problems started,mainly because of Putin and his regime.
I knew people who were making around $3000 U.S. per month or more then by having private students as well as a good supply firm for students but those days have gone and you cannot make even half of that nowadays, unless you are very lucky to land a teaching job in one of the top-notch international schools.But they are few and far between and understandably very picky about who they employ,demanding experience and qualifications etc!
Another problem is that some years ago they changed the visa rules and now even if you have a one year business visa like we used to in the old days,you cannot stay more than 90 days in Russia at a time and then have to be away another 90 days before you can come backagain!So firms who are serious like LL and BKC now get work permits for their teachers instead of business visas but these are only valid for that employer and if you want to leave and work somewhere else it is very difficult to get them to agree!Obviously they are paying tax and went through all the rigmarole to get it for you so that's understandable?
EF have a pretty grim reputation everywhere,their textbooks are crap too so other than as a supplier of a few freelance stds I wouldn't bother with them.
I understand your enthusiasm and interest-I had it too but have also experienced a lot and know a lot about Russia behind the facade of Moscow central etc.but that's another story.By all measn feel free to write to me:this is my e-mail address:[email protected]
Cheers for now and take care!Martin.
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maruss



Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 1145
Location: Cyprus

PostPosted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 2:37 pm    Post subject: Modern English,Kurkino/Krasnogorsk. Reply with quote

1)They advertise paying 1000-1300 roubles per academic hour,but then say that a standard week is 30 hours,which is quite a heavy workload.
Theoretically you could earn around 120.000 roubles per month at those rates but note that they also write that teachers salaries 'depend on their qualifications and experience' which leaves the field wide open.
2)There is no mention of accomodation so presumably you find and pay for your own?This can be an expensive minefield for a foreigner,even though rents have fallen in recent years because people simply can no longer afford the kind of prices they were charging previously!As you mentioned that you have already been there and stayed with a family etc. perhaps you are considering that option?It can be a viable solution but be sure that you know exactly what it involves and that you agree in advance with your hosts on what you will contribute towards your living expenses etc.Russian appartments tend to be small so will you have enough privacy when you need it?Don't underestimate this factor because at the end of the day,the place is theirs and if you finally choose to move out because you have found a better option for yourself it could mean losing their friendship too.Can they register you at their address or will the firm take care of this very important necessity,which is essential if you want to stay in Russia for more than two weeks as a tourist!Some people will not do it because of the hassle and also because they are afraid the tax office may suspect them of hiding income etc.
The firm has two branches,one in Kurkino, a new suburb north-west of the Moscow ring-road and the other in the satellite town of Krasnogorsk north-west of the city.Although these areas are often cited by locals as being 'nice' because of their supposedly cleaner air and environment etc.(Moscow is notorious for being unhealthily polluted) to most foreigners they appear as rather desolate and depressingly souless settlements consisting of high-rise appartment blocks more than much else.You can see for yourself on Google Earth where there are ample photos of these areas.
One final word of advice for now,if you are still even contemplating going all the way to Russia to work,it is a good idea to try to contact one of the ex-pat teachers who is already working for the firm you are interested in to get some first-hand info. and advice before you accept anything.There are ways of doing this and using this site and doing some research is one of them.(Usually they will be up-front and honest,although some may be in league with the firms directors and not tell you anything negative so be aware!)
My last remark is that I have some very close Russian friends who I know would do anything for me...and expect likewise in return.... and I love them to bits.......but as a nation they are awful,probably because they have been treated like slaves for centuries under the rule of psychopaths,criminals and tyrants and the current leadership is no exception,unfortunately,as their international behaviour is proving!
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