Warnings

Scott and I are registered with the U.S. State Department as Americans living abroad so we get periodic emails when there's something large scale happening in or around our part of the world that might put U.S. Citizens at risk. Something like, oh, you know, Russia sending troops to Crimea and the resulting U.S. sanctions imposed against Russian officials. 

Below is a copy of the email we just received today. 

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UNITED STATES EMBASSY MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Security Message to U.S. Citizens: Large Rally/Concert in Red Square and Possible Other Locations in Russia

March 18, 2014

U.S. Embassy Moscow notifies U.S. citizens and family members that Russian government authorities will permit a large-scale “mass rally-concert” entitled “We Are Together” to take place in Red Square at 18:00 today, March 18.  The event will express political support for residents of Crimea and with President Putin’s policies there.  Tens of thousands are expected to participate.  It is possible that similar rallies will take place in other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.  Such large gatherings may cause significant traffic and mass-transit disruptions.

A larger-than-usual police presence will likely be evident in and around downtown Moscow to monitor the events.  U.S. citizens should carry their identification and show it if requested to do so by legitimate authorities.

Please note the following guidance from the U.S. Department of State’s Country Specific Information for the Russian Federation:  “U.S. citizens should avoid all public demonstrations, whether properly authorized by local officials or not, and avoid any large crowds and public gatherings that lack enhanced security measures.”

U.S. citizens are reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.  Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates.  Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security. 

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So I'm in Moscow (of course) and Scott's in Yekaterinburg for work today and tomorrow. We live within walking distance of Red Square. How nice. 

Actually I'm really not afraid for either of us per se (and I don't plan on going out tonight anyway), but it's certainly not a very safe feeling that America's State Department is worried about us little people. 

Ukraine: history in the making

I would be remiss if I didn't record some details and thoughts about what is happening in Ukraine right now. Things are very tense and new developments are literally unfolding each day. It's pretty amazing that we live on "this side" of the news right now.

As of today, March 5, 2014, Ukraine's president Yanukovych was impeached and he is hiding out in Russia somewhere. Likewise, the prime minister has resigned, and there is a tiny new government forming. This is after months of pro-Western, peaceful anti-government demonstrations which then later turned violent in Kiev. Four days after the Sochi Olympics closed (February 27), "armed men" seized control of key government buildings and suspended operations at the airport in the Crimea region, where Russia just so happens to keep its Black Sea Fleet. And the plot thickens. Putin then "asked" Russian parliament for permission to officially send Russian troops to Crimea and roadblocks have been set up so the region is totally cut off from the rest of Ukraine. The official reason for this invasive action was to "defend" Crimea (and I believe all of Ukraine) and its Russian-speaking ethnic majority.

Now, from inside my little Expat bubble, it's difficult to truly gauge how "regular" Russians are reacting to all of this. There have been quite a few demonstrations right near where we live -- both supporting and protesting Putin's actions. Nothing violent. I believe some of the demonstrators are being detained by police or military, but I don't think anyone has been arrested. 

This whole turn of events has been fascinating for me because here in Moscow we don't have a TV and my slingbox (streaming tv from the USA) is not working so I'm relying on video clips, social media and web articles to stay up to date. Further, I can't eavesdrop on conversations in the grocery store of Starbucks like I normally would ( ;-) ) because the Russian is too hard to catch and decipher. Who knows if I would really hear representative opinions, since I spend all my time in the very center of Moscow, where the population is certainly not "average." 

All that said, my sense is that people are intensely interested in the outcome of each move that Putin makes, because if Ukrainians can mobilize and affect change in their government, most certainly something similar is possible in Moscow. Lastly, I think the younger (educated?) Russians do not support Putin's actions on principle and the older, more traditional Russians think of Ukraine (and for sure the Crimean Peninsula) as still the "property" of Russia like it was during the Soviet Union (and therefore are in support of Putin). I hear that the Russians in Crimea are calling the Kiev protestors "fascists" for their overly Western-thinking. 

That's all for now. Oops, wait, the US and John Kerry just offered Ukraine's government $1 billion in aid. And the European Union is ponying up $15 billion to help stabilize the government and the economy against Russian sanctions. 

Okay, now that's all. Stay tuned!