Looking at the dates on this thread, this topic revives itself once a year, with little or no success. Just pipe-dreams. Since the interest seems to be within the "teen groupies," I would say that you need to "get REAL." Stop deceiving yourselves just to sound "committed."
Consider that (1) you have an absolutely overly- romanticized and unrealistic concept of the individual planning efforts, documents, insurances, permits to travel etc needed according to age grouping, etc., airplane changes in one ot two coiuntries with possible over-night stays between airports, temporary versus more stubtantial lodgings, FOOD, etc.. I hope no one thinks that they can do it solo and to go there, certainly not by yourselves alone , but rather go in a group with adult chaperones, dealing with a language and alphabet that no one understands and a hotels system that has 2 price levels (meaning more expensive for YOU per night) and with potentially no airconditioning. And then there is the transportation. Russia is HUGE. One of their administrative regions is as big as the entire country of Belgium! Also the length of time you wish to stay may be cut short if the relatively newly-instituted "Migration Cards " are in effect. You must use legally RUBLES, not dollars or euros. If you try to illegally exchange dollars for Rubles in some black-market arrangement, you are breaking the law, plus probably getting no-good out-of-date, devalued rubles in exchange (poetic justice)! So considering traveling by yourself is inordinately silly and OUT. Will you then go with an organized group (say from the USA to the Urals? I think there is NO interest in such.) And I believe that no parent will let you go alone! You simply cannot imagine the distance that you will have to travel. I am older and thus have traveled alone several times, but not as far as the Urals. AND THEN, there is NUMBER 2: the cost in USD dollars. Are you capable of spending possibly a basic , very basic $5,000.+ for round trip travel, etc, perhaps for no more than 2 weeks per each person, since its the high season and you will be perceived as more affluent. The answer is NO, I don't believe that any of you have the money. You will need to wait until you are older, join a Baltic cruise (including St. Petersburg), with a clleared vision of what the trip entails by professionals. BUT, by that time, the enthuasium for the dead and buried family will hold NO interest for many of you to make such sacrifices time-wise or financially, being occupied with your own home and children. Then there are those that say they will study a year in Russia! Self-deception ? Smoke and mirrors? Will you be willing to give up a comfortable daily home commute to, say, a state-supported school,such as Tulsa State University ? Even if one of the teens here is even accepted, IMO they will not finish, finding it too demanding and thus having learned a expensive and tough lession. I have been on Russian campii and spoken with students. They impressed me as MOST willing to achieve, the competition is fierce, something not often encountered her. I will follow certain students in the forum and their Russian aspiration/dreams, as they post them on here to see who (if any) actually make it to Russia to the Urals as a memory visit and/or to school. I think that our teens are too comfortable to last out either venture. AP
