Job Discussion Forums

popema · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 4

Hi!

I'm an Englishman teaching English in Moscow for a major language school for six weeks over the summer. They've told me that I have 4 days paid holiday written into my contract, so I'm researching the possibility of making a flying visit to Grozniy. It has been a long term dream of mine to visit Chechnya but up to now I haven't been able to realise it.

I wondered whether anyone had visited Chechnya recently or knows anyone who has? Is it safe for foreigners (particularly Westerners)? Does a potential visitor need to get extra documentation before visiting Chechnya?

It seems to be hard to get reliable information about Chechnya in Moscow. The average Muscovite seems to say that it's simply a bad place populated by bad people, which isn't a lot of help. I went into the Intourist office today and asked the woman there about travel to Chechnya. She seemed quite amused but said that she thought Chechnya was just like any other part of Russia.

The Home Office strictly advises against any travel to Chechnya, which I guess is something to keep in mind, although the Home Office seem to err very much on the side of caution in my experience.

I would appreciate any information that people have. But please, no posts about how terrible the wars were, kidnappings and beheadings of Westerners, etc, etc. I want information about what Chechnya is like TODAY.

Thanks,

Martin

GF · Joined: 08 Jun 2003 Posts: 238 Location: Tallinn

If you want to disregard Home Office warnings and what Russians you have asked have told you, then maybe you should have been keeping up with the news if this has been a long-term dream of yours. I recommend reading Russian newspapers (some are in English) at least as much as Western ones because many stories about incidents in Chechnya don't make it into the international press.

popema · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 4

Thanks for your message. I've been checking updates on the Internet about Chechnya (mostly in Russian - I can speak and understand Russian reasonably) but I hadn't thought of reading newspapers. I'll definitely buy a few on Monday and see what's written about Chechnya before I make a decision whether to go or not.

gondwana66 · Joined: 03 Jul 2010 Posts: 29

I'm interested. What is the fascination with Chechnya?
You surely know that Russians don't like Chechnyans so whatever is printed in the papers will be tainted by prejudice.
Gondwana
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