Safety:African-American considering traveling through Eastern Europe.

Hi Marc, Please don't be discouraged. My sister worked for the state department for several years and is now a consultant for a Russian firm in St. Petersburg. I emailed her about your concern and she emailed me back asking why you don't consider traveling with a tour group. Safety in numbers, I suppose. She did confirm that there is a serious problem in the former Soviet Union with racism. Two out of three minorities on her staff have left to go back to the states after less than one year. She strongly recommends not to travel on your own.

Marc, I was in Moscow in 2008, and can confirm your suspicions. I'm white, but I did notice what seemed like a disproportionate amount of non-whites being stopped by the police. Of course, I was also stopped and they tried to make me give a bribe, which I refused. However, I remember seeing a lot of Southeast Asians and darker toned people speaking with the police. Regarding the people themselves (not police) i'm not sure how they would treat non-whites. Generally, Russia outside of St. Petersburg is not set up for tourists, so maybe all non-Russians find it difficult! I was told by a Belgian business man who is in Moscow several times a month that, and these are his words, not mine, "All these Russians are racists. Just last week they took two black guys bodies out of the river." I suppose that in reality this is just hearsay, but it is also what his perception was. In regard of how to stay safe, I would stay in the tourist areas, avoid the police, and be very careful to follow the rules (which are often convoluted). Really, you probably would not have any problems, but I did feel like I should write you my experience- even though it only applies to Russia, in this case. Hungary is totally fine, and so are Croatia, Albania, and Turkey, from my experience.

It isn't really Hungary and many of the former Eastern Bloc states that weren't part of the Soviet Union that I am worried so much about. It is mainly the former Soviet Union, specially Russia and Ukraine. I am well aware of the police and how foreigners can be harrassed by the police. I am still concerned about the Neo-Nazis who seem to committ many acts of wanton violence in some of Russia's cities. Even if there has been a slight crackdown on it, it isn't enough. The number of attacks have been going up lately. My concern is: Will I be able to go to Russia without being victimised by skinheads? I ask because I am seeing many reports about foreign students of African descent being attacked in the street, almost with impunity. Many students don't feel safe leaving their universities. I know not all Russian people are racist. My concern is just about my safety. As a side note, one of my desires for travel is meeting the people, going off the tourist trail. I just want to do so without being the victim of near fatal crime. You suggested to stay only in tourist areas. For this reason, I wonder how the travel show hosts are able to go to certain places safely.

Marc, you'll probably get a much broader range of opinions and personal experience by posting this on the Thorn Tree message board at * www.lonelyplanet.com * (Eastern Europe and Caucasus section). The Thorn Tree has a huge number of members who routinely travel in places that are a bit "off the tourist tracks". ¶ Based on what I've seen on news reports, I'd probably avoid Russia at the moment, as the racist groups and number of attacks against minorities seems to be increasing. Good luck!

I am originally from Moscow, and go back to visit every few years, so I thought I would offer my take on the situation. From what I observed, Russia (at least the European half) was an extremely racially-homogenous country up until probably 10 years ago. I basically never saw anyone who wasn't white until I moved to the U.S. in the late 90s........However, in the last few years, this has changed a great deal - in my last couple of visits, I saw people of colour in everyday life and in the media (I'm not going to lie, it freaked me out to see a non-white person speaking perfect Russian). So the population IS becoming more diverse, but with that also come some outward displays of racism. Especially given the past racial homogeny, many Russians, I'm sorry to say, are pretty racist. Be advised that you will probably hear the n-word (unfortunately, most white people don't consider it inappropriate) in reference to people of African descent, though not to their face. In most cases - this excludes the police, who will harrass anyone if given the slightest reason - it comes out of ignorance rather than malice. Basically, you'll be safe, but I would say, stay closer to central, Western-minded areas where tourists hang out.

Looks like there isn't alot I can do. As for why I would want to go to Russia, well, for me it was kind of a childhood thing. I read about Russia in alot of books, about the food, the culture, the old buildings such as St. Basil, Kremlin. I also read of places in other parts of the former Soviet Union, such as Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus the Baltic states, Central Asia, Siberia, The Caucasus. Nothing is the same as going to those places. At the age of 13, when I got serious in reading about these places. At age 13, I never imagined myself as "unwanted" in any of those places. I only started thinking about the stuff when I read a National Geographic article about immigrants in Europe. I read about skinheads in Germany. I wanted to see if Russia had any issues with that. What I found is that Russia's situation was much worse.

Ed,, what you learned sounds VERY discouraging to me, and frankly,, Marc , I wouldn't go right now, I would wait,, time can change things,, unless you are planning on leaving the earth in next 5 years ( are you aged, or sick?) then just delay trip till things sound alittle nicer.

Mike in Tampa.... I tried to reply to you by PM...had a problem doing so. I wanted to thank you for that reply to me.That breakdown of your experience was awesome and very revealing as to the depths things can reach sometimes.I don't think I'll be so blindsided now although I can imagine a wide variety of situations...I'm amazed it went as far as it did and that you walked. Thanks for that heads up.

You are welcome Dutch! Have a great time.

Marc, Try posting your concerns on the Minority Travel section. I can relate to the "allure" you speak of. All of us travelers experience the same feeling/compulsion to visit a particular place. For me, it was the French and Italian countryside and the concentration camps of Europe. I was fascinated by the history,the culture, the foods, the music, the people and wanted to learn more about them. I don't want to discourage you but I would not travel alone to the Soviet Union. A lot of Russians stereotype American Blacks but if you really want to go, don't let that stop you. It didn't stop Condoleeza or Naomi. It may be necessary to go with a tour and then you will still probably notice some very hateful people. Ignore it if you can. Also you will notice some helpful and interested people. Then you will have the opportunity to share your mutual fascination. Try to affiliate with a university group if possible. When traveling abroad, I usually go with a tour group-one that allows a lot of free time where you can venture out on your own. As for neo/skinheads, I've seen them all over. Don't worry about them. At least they are broadcasting their views by their outwardly appearance while others do not broadcast but still have the same views. Be aware. Marc, it just a fact of life that there are ignorant racist everywhere even in your tour group. I've had a few unpleasant experiences traveling alone and they are hard to ignore, but the thrill and excitement of travel outweigh the irritation. I say learn a few words of Russian and go.