Uzbekistan

[highlander08 9]

Hello everyone I am currently talking with a lady from Tashkent Uzbekistan, And am interested in any info about travelling there as opposed to russia / ukraine. as it is close to afghanistan, what with all the political things and occasional kidnapping of americans in countries over that way. thanks for any advice on this.

[spectec 12]

I would read this government link http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1057.html You will need a visa.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hello everyone I am currently talking with a lady from Tashkent Uzbekistan, And am interested in any info about travelling there as opposed to russia / ukraine. as it is close to afghanistan, what with all the political things and occasional kidnapping of americans in countries over that way. thanks for any advice on this.

Uzbeks are not Russians, they are not slaviks, they are turkmen. Different culture/language. I cannot say a lot about them in terms of women or having them for wives. They are generally considered of inferior stock, not to be racist, just sayin' it like it is. Kazaks, Uzbeks, Tajiks. A lot of them are illegals in Ukraine and Russia, particularly in Moscow. Moscow residents have made a pretty good business of fake marriages to them so they can live in Moscow (in Russia you need special permission to live in Moscow, St Petersburg and some other cities) Alla has translated several marriage/divorce certificates which were obviously marriages of convenience. Pretty well accepted practice. We had a lot of them, and Moldovans, for laborers in Ukraine. The tradesmen...plumbers, welders, steel workers, electricians, carpenters, were all Ukrainians or Russians. Usually the engineers were Russian, or foreign, some Ukrainians as engineers, never an Uzbek as an engineer. The laborers moved piles of stone by hand, with shovels. Backfilled foundations with shovels. Just brutal work, and they worked long and hard for little money and volunteered to work extra, late into the night, moving materials and things, all by hand.

They are pretty openly racist there, it is NOT the USA.

On the other hand there ARE ethnic Russians and Ukrainians living there also. What is her background?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I would read this government link http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1057.html You will need a visa.

Um, yes, Thanks. Interesting read.

[highlander08 9]

Uzbeks are not Russians, they are not slaviks, they are turkmen. Different culture/language. I cannot say a lot about them in terms of women or having them for wives. They are generally considered of inferior stock, not to be racist, just sayin' it like it is. Kazaks, Uzbeks, Tajiks. A lot of them are illegals in Ukraine and Russia, particularly in Moscow. Moscow residents have made a pretty good business of fake marriages to them so they can live in Moscow (in Russia you need special permission to live in Moscow, St Petersburg and some other cities) Alla has translated several marriage/divorce certificates which were obviously marriages of convenience. Pretty well accepted practice. We had a lot of them, and Moldovans, for laborers in Ukraine. The tradesmen...plumbers, welders, steel workers, electricians, carpenters, were all Ukrainians or Russians. Usually the engineers were Russian, or foreign, some Ukrainians as engineers, never an Uzbek as an engineer. The laborers moved piles of stone by hand, with shovels. Backfilled foundations with shovels. Just brutal work, and they worked long and hard for little money and volunteered to work extra, late into the night, moving materials and things, all by hand.

They are pretty openly racist there, it is NOT the USA.

On the other hand there ARE ethnic Russians and Ukrainians living there also. What is her background?

She is good in english, fluent in russian, basic in french and german. I havent found out all details yet but it seems like she is Russian or Ukrainian. she went there for a husband and it did not work out. she has an 11 yr old son and 17 yr old son.

[eekee 182]

Going to Uzbekistan for a husband?????

[highlander08 9]

Going to Uzbekistan for a husband?????

thats where she lives, she looks Ukrainian / Russian to me.

Edited May 9, 2012 by highlander08

[AmyWrites 593]

Eh, I don't want to sound evil but I'm having a very, very, very difficult time, after living in Russia for long enough, believing that a Russian/Ukrainian woman would go to Uzbekistan for a husband. People here generally don't view them in a good light. IMO you should research this woman a bit more... nothing's impossible but it is rather strange... In my experience they're good people but folks here are pretty racist against certain groups (Uzbeks being one of those groups) and quite open about it. And "she looks Russian/Ukranian"... doesn't mean much, people here come in a variety of appearances. Hopefully you're Skyping and not just chatting with her, it's easier to get to know someone that way.

But to answer your question, apparently it's not very safe, but enough that common sense and trying to not be an obvious tourist should make it safe enough. Have a close friend there who got very ill there and the lack of medical care made it a lot worse, and this was because he drank some water or something. He says people tried to scam him pretty much always. So, don't drink the water, and don't eat food sold on streets. But he said that he never felt unsafe in the sense that he thought he'd get mugged or attacked.

Edited May 9, 2012 by AmyWrites

[Neonred 3,573]

My wife was originally from Kyrgyzstan, not far from Tashkent. My wife and her family are Russians. Long story, but grandma ended up there when fleeing from the Nazi attack and blockade of Leningrad and grandpa was "relocated" there by Stalin.

As for travel there, my wife says it is not a good time to go there but you will not likely be targeted. We have several friends here in our city that are from Tashkent and they travel back every year and don't think there is any extreme danger.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

My wife was originally from Kyrgyzstan, not far from Tashkent. My wife and her family are Russians. Long story, but grandma ended up there when fleeing from the Nazi attack and blockade of Leningrad and grandpa was "relocated" there by Stalin.

As for travel there, my wife says it is not a good time to go there but you will not likely be targeted. We have several friends here in our city that are from Tashkent and they travel back every year and don't think there is any extreme danger.

My MIL was born in that area, her family had been evacuated, but they moved back after the war.

Other than mentioning that was the area her mother was born, Alla has not much else good to say about the area. Yeah, Amy, um, they are not so politically correct in that part of the world.

[eekee 182]

thats where she lives, she looks Ukrainian / Russian to me.

And what Ukrainian/Russian woman in their right mind would move to Uzbekistan for a man? And I say that as an American who moved to Russia and not even for a dude. And shouldn't you, er, know her backstory and what country exactly she is from before you go and book plane tickets to Tashkent?

Edited May 10, 2012 by eekee

[highlander08 9]

And what Ukrainian/Russian woman in their right mind would move to Uzbekistan for a man? And I say that as an American who moved to Russia and not even for a dude. And shouldn't you, er, know her backstory and what country exactly she is from before you go and book plane tickets to Tashkent?

i havent booked any tickets for anything just getting advance advice.

[highlander08 9]

Ok I'll admit im a bit naieve on history in other parts of the world,, but why the Russian feelings towards the people in uzbekistan, I see they are mongolian ?

[eekee 182]

Ok I'll admit im a bit naieve on history in other parts of the world,, but why the Russian feelings towards the people in uzbekistan, I see they are mongolian ?

People from that part of the world are viewed similarly to illegal migrant workers in the US. They do menial labor or run little grocery stores. There is also a lot of anxiety surrounding their overwhelming presence in Russia, since they, being Muslim, reproduce at a much higher rate than the ethnic Russian population. Also, often just the men come, work, and send money to their families, so they are seen as a threat to women in terms of rape/sexual assault. That's why it seems weird that a Russian/Ukrainian women would move to Uzbekistan for a man; Russian women are taught to AVOID them and view them as lesser.

Edited May 12, 2012 by eekee

[mendeleev 68]

People from that part of the world are viewed similarly to illegal migrant workers in the US. They do menial labor or run little grocery stores. There is also a lot of anxiety surrounding their overwhelming presence in Russia, since they, being Muslim, reproduce at a much higher rate than the ethnic Russian population. Also, often just the men come, work, and send money to their families, so they are seen as a threat to women in terms of rape/sexual assault. That's why it seems weird that a Russian/Ukrainian women would move to Uzbekistan for a man; Russian women are taught to AVOID them and view them as lesser.

Let me second that. My wife, who grew up in Soviet times, got her advanced degree in Tashkent. It was different in the 1970s, when the Soviet Union was whole. There may have been racism even then, but it may not have been so pronounced. But now when we are in a city strange to us, like Moscow or St Petersburg, and she sees someone from Central Asia, she will take us out of our way to avoid that person if we aren't in a crowd.