Interesting Look at Russia

[ecocks]

Among the TEFL teaching community there has been a dramatic drop in opportunities in Russia.  As some of you may be aware, earlier this year British Council was shut-down in Russia due to government harassment and legal issues concerning their tax status.  Visa regulation problems, similar to Ukraine's in that many teachers were working for cash. living without registration and doing periodic "visa runs," have become quite common.  This has affected many non-teachers as well.  maybe some of you, like Matlock and a couple of others, might comment on what you are hearing from your old haunts and buddies in Moscow?

Over the last several months, even before sending their troops into Georgia, the visa restrictions were growing increasingly tighter and more complaints were surfacing among expats reporting increasing difficulties at work.  Teachers are sometimes working 90 days at a time, leaving for 90 days then returning again, all visa dodges to get in and out. Racism and xenophobia there is apparently several steps more pronounced than here (see the RT and other links below). This last weekend it was commented on that the Russian thread on one of the main TEFL sites had only one posting in the previous week.  Job ads have dropped at a time when normal schools are hiring up for the fall academic season. 

Racism reports (2007 broadcast from RT)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/s4dgQ4LWVVo&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/s4dgQ4LWVVo&rel=1</a>

A view from St. Petersburg

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wQde-vHlLh8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wQde-vHlLh8&rel=1</a>

Vanguard TV (Is this really a legitimate broadcast group?)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/j59BiLwdNO8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/j59BiLwdNO8&rel=1</a>

[P-N]

The British Council charges for lessons and examinations all over the world making £ millions.  It is also supported with £ millions from the British Government.  Surely it is the right of every country in which they sit to recieve tax on the monies earned in that country by any organisation native or foreign.  Hardly a level playing field for the other language centres who pay tax.  Where does the money the BC make go? 

Having been into the BC here - I cannot say that it actually does what it preports to do - spread the Culture and Arts of Britian.  There was not a Brit in the place, employed or otherwise other than myself, so how can (and no offence) a middle aged set of women from Odessa (who may or may not have visited Britian for a very limited time period) promote a culture or the arts of a country of which they have no in depth knowledge of whatsoever?  The materials held there (outside of the money making ones) are, being kind, no better than what can be found on the internet.

The whole BC debarkle started with the strained politics relating to Litvinenko, then "tit for tat" diplomatic expulsions and extradition requests being denied by both Russia and Britain respectively.  The tax issue is just (and probably the most legitimate) of the issues.

As for visa restrictions getting tighter - they are (at last) getting tighter in the UK, have got tighter in the USA, are tight in Australia and have been with regards to work opportunities for well over a decade.  If Russia is tightening it's visa controls, then they are following a common global policy.  If, in the UK, (and the chances are slim with our poor system) people were found to be working and breaking registration procedures etc. the public would be demanding they be made to leave (should the public ever find out).  How many times do we ALL write on here - be legal or face the chance of being the example?

Nothing gives the right for an expat to find work in Russia any easier than in any other country.  For the past 15 years the Russians have been taught English by native English speakers, so there must be every chance that they have competent teachers of their own by now to some degree, negating the need for as many foreign teachers.

If these expat teachers cannot get visa's to work in Russia, then what prevents them teaching somewhere else.  If they do not want to teach somewhere else and like Russia so much, then it cannot be that bad a place to be, despite the YourTube links (and the issues therein have been discussed numerous times in numerous threads).

[rjm]

I left Moscow 5 years ago as things were becoming more difficult visa wise and that has certainly been accelerated 100 fold since then.

You cannot even stay in Russia now continuosly with a Business Visa (irrespective of its validity) and must leave every 90 days (probably where Ukraine got the 90 day idea from) meaning that its practically impossible for freelance workers and in particular teachers to operate in Russia now.

Most people I used to know in Moscow have left now, most went before the tighter regulations and the rest followed as soon as they were introduced.

Getting a Work Permit is very very tough and without this working in Russia is almost impossible hence the dwindling expat population there!

Among the TEFL teaching community there has been a dramatic drop in opportunities in Russia.  As some of you may be aware, earlier this year British Council was shut-down in Russia due to government harassment and legal issues concerning their tax status.  Visa regulation problems, similar to Ukraine's in that many teachers were working for cash. living without registration and doing periodic "visa runs," have become quite common.  This has affected many non-teachers as well.  maybe some of you, like Matlock and a couple of others, might comment on what you are hearing from your old haunts and buddies in Moscow?

Over the last several months, even before sending their troops into Georgia, the visa restrictions were growing increasingly tighter and more complaints were surfacing among expats reporting increasing difficulties at work.  Teachers are sometimes working 90 days at a time, leaving for 90 days then returning again, all visa dodges to get in and out. Racism and xenophobia there is apparently several steps more pronounced than here (see the RT and other links below). This last weekend it was commented on that the Russian thread on one of the main TEFL sites had only one posting in the previous week.  Job ads have dropped at a time when normal schools are hiring up for the fall academic season. 

Racism reports (2007 broadcast from RT)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/s4dgQ4LWVVo&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/s4dgQ4LWVVo&rel=1</a>

A view from St. Petersburg

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wQde-vHlLh8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wQde-vHlLh8&rel=1</a>

Vanguard TV (Is this really a legitimate broadcast group?)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/j59BiLwdNO8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/j59BiLwdNO8&rel=1</a>

[ecocks]

Yeah RJM, that confirms what I have been hearing and also the implication of the single post in a week on the TEFL site phenomenon.  One of my clients told me their school in Moscow just lost a teacher due to this new implementation of the 90/180 day rule.  It seems for at least the short-term that TEFL teachers have dropped Russia much lower on their list of desirable places to visit and companies are having tougher times than ever before arranging legal work status.  I also was looking at resumes I received while on vacation and, SURPRISE! I have three from former Russia-based TEFL teachers.

Also it is interesting to note that over the last several years the ethnic Russians have included Georgiansm Tadjiks and Roma on their target list. Sort of brings into question some of their "rescue" rhetoric.  Perhaps they should conduct a counter-operation or two in St. Pete or Moscow before venturing southward.

[Packman]

The visa regulation changed in October of last year. 

Indeed its very difficult to receive such a work permit and many foreigners are leaving Russia.  The Russian gov't promotes a nationalistic ideology.  It promotes the ideology while at the same time likes to appear to put a break on these people.  Basically some of the less extreme nationalists are used for Kremlin purposes.  Like the "Nashi" take over of the Estonian embassy last year.  While there may indeed be a fair share of skinheads and nationalists here in Kiev.  The upside here at least is that its not a state sponsored ideology.

[JonathanCampion]

Whenever I was in Moscow it always seemed to me that the majority of foreign businessmen were there on business trips and didn't actually live there. I got the impression that the expat community was pretty small. Are foreign companies pulling out of Russia because of the political situation, or is business and investment still growing?

[P-N]

I could not say how many expats lived there.  When I lived there, there certainly "seemed" to be more expats there than here.  That said, the expat community was extensively (although obviously not entirely) based in Moscow.  At the time (on ExpatRU), there seemed to be quite a number living in Moscow, including (seemingly) Mattlock, Packman, myself and others which are now in Ukraine and in this forum.

The expat haunts in Moscow were well known and well frequented too, which also may have given a false impression as to the numbers living there.

[BritKyiv]

Well remember all those expats living in Moscow were working for MI6 
So maybe now they can all come to Kyiv/Ukraine, but we dont want anymore of those illegals here.

Only because Ukraine has EU integration aspirations, do they allow things to be more laxed, unlike the Ruskys.

Lets face it, most people now assume that Ukraine is the final frontier.

[P-N]

Well remember all those expats living in Moscow were working for MI6 

There is no "Sssshhhhhhhhhhh" icon to push 

[BritKyiv]

How many people can feel that "Iron Curtain" coming down again around Russia?

Maybe this is a great opportunity now for Ukraine to clearly identify its future path away from the Bad Bear up north.
Lets start building a  F****** BIG fence along the Russian border to just remind them , they are NOT wanted here also.

There... just messed up my chances of getting another visa to Russia, dont want another one anyway

[Packman]

Well remember all those expats living in Moscow were working for MI6 
So maybe now they can all come to Kyiv/Ukraine, but we dont want anymore of those illegals here.

Only because Ukraine has EU integration aspirations, do they allow things to be more laxed, unlike the Ruskys.

Lets face it, most people now assume that Ukraine is the final frontier.

Sorry, it was the CIA in my case!

[ecocks]

How many people can feel that "Iron Curtain" coming down again around Russia?

Maybe this is a great opportunity now for Ukraine to clearly identify its future path away from the Bad Bear up north.
Lets start building a  F****** BIG fence along the Russian border to just remind them , they are NOT wanted here also.

There... just messed up my chances of getting another visa to Russia, dont want another one anyway

LOL - You love the idea of those fences.

Yes, that "Iron Curtain" tension is returning.

[MWDabbs]

Russia has not learned anything from the last Cold War.  Making it difficult for people to live in Russia who are trying to help Russian citizens become more productive is as self-defeating as anything could be.  But, Russia has at least a century-long history of that kind of thing.  Russia has not won a war for which it did not receive considerable outside help in the past 100 years.

Russian-Japanese War 1904?  Stalemate
WWI?  Russia beat itself, with the help of Germany.
Russia vs. Poland 1920's?  Stalemate
Russia vs. Poland 1939?  Only with a LOT of help from Germany.
Russia vs. Japan pre-1941?  Stalemate
Russia vs. Germany/Axis Powers?  Only with lots of help from the West.
Russia vs. Czechoslavakia 1960's?  With the assistance of four countries from the Warsaw Pact.
Russia vs. China 1969 Border War?  Stalemate.
Russia vs. Afghanistan?  Lost.
The Cold War?  No.
Russia vs. Chechnia?  Another case of Russia kinda beating itself.

Well...we do have one very recent exception...but everything considered, that's likely to be more of a case of winning the battle, at the expense of just about everything else. 

I'd have thought Russia's economic/financial strategy was going pretty good for its interests.  But, it's obvious that serious miscommunication occurred somewhere in the western training programs.  The "Customer Service with a Vengeance" seminars should not have been interpreted as actually threatening war against customers.

[Packman]

Why do you think they want "little Russia" (Ukraine) back?  They don't have the agricultural production Ukraine does!

[ecocks]

In addition to the Ukrainian breadbasket, there are also the Black Sea oil reserves, year-round shipyard/port facilities, industrial capacity and geological resources which are sadly under-utilized and just seeing the beginning of the benefits of the FDI capitalization efforts. Then there would be the ability to (re-)establish their presence more assertively in the economic and finacial life of the region. Oh yeah, and those 45 million or so people, a 35% boost to their labor and population pool.

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