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Northern and Central Asia Topics specific to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea
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  #1  
Old 13 Apr 2013
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Russian language issues? Immigration and internet

I hope to be traveling west from Vladivostok by early June this year.My Russian language speaking is absent.I know the alphabet and a few words.It will be an adventure. My questions are:

1.When I fill out forms at the border crossings,do I always use English letters? Will I encounter times when I need to input on a keyboard that only has Cyrillic? How will the J and W of my VIN be displayed?

2.When I use wifi in hotels,I doubt I will see any English.How can I input passwords if required for a secure connection,?

Doug
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Old 13 Apr 2013
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Originally Posted by doogle View Post

I hope to be traveling west from Vladivostok by early June this year.My Russian language speaking is absent.I know the alphabet and a few words.It will be an adventure. My questions are:

1.When I fill out forms at the border crossings,do I always use English letters? Will I encounter times when I need to input on a keyboard that only has Cyrillic? How will the J and W of my VIN be displayed?

2.When I use wifi in hotels,I doubt I will see any English.How can I input passwords if required for a secure connection,?

Doug
Its not really English letters, as the same letters are used by the French, Germans, Italians, Swedes, Dutch, actually pretty much half the world - and because the English definitely didn't invent it ... the Romans did. So it tends to be called the latin alphabet.

Usually logins and passwords are in latin script. Keyboards in Russia are switchable between Cyrillic and Latin letters.

Fill out forms in Latin script if its easier for you ... they can all read latin script. Russian car registrations even only use cyrillic letters that also exist in latin script - so even domestic registrations can be written in the latin alphabet without transliteration. You will not see Russian cars these days running registration plates that have uniquely cyrillic letters. They only use letters that exist in the latin alphabet as well - makes it easier when they travel abroad.
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Old 14 Apr 2013
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Originally Posted by colebatch View Post
Its not really English letters, as the same letters are used by the French, Germans, Italians, Swedes, Dutch, actually pretty much half the world - and because the English definitely didn't invent it ... the Romans did. So it tends to be called the latin alphabet.

Usually logins and passwords are in latin script. Keyboards in Russia are switchable between Cyrillic and Latin letters.

Fill out forms in Latin script if its easier for you ... they can all read latin script. Russian car registrations even only use cyrillic letters that also exist in latin script - so even domestic registrations can be written in the latin alphabet without transliteration. You will not see Russian cars these days running registration plates that have uniquely cyrillic letters. They only use letters that exist in the latin alphabet as well - makes it easier when they travel abroad.
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Old 14 Apr 2013
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Just to add to what Walter said - when I travelled there last year I was in pretty the same boat as you - I had no problem with either the forms (3 three borders crossings in and out) or Internet or much else for that matter.

I actually found more English in Russia (and central Asia generally) than I did on a recent trip to Mexico.
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Old 14 Apr 2013
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Originally Posted by craig.iedema View Post
Just to add to what Walter said - when I travelled there last year I was in pretty the same boat as you - I had no problem with either the forms (3 three borders crossings in and out) or Internet or much else for that matter.

I actually found more English in Russia (and central Asia generally) than I did on a recent trip to Mexico.
I like what I'm hearing.

I went through Mexico 2 years ago and had little trouble-other than ordering food.But I had a little better understanding of Spanish.
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Old 14 Apr 2013
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Russia seems daunting when you have never been there before. But once you have a bit of a feel for how they do things, get a bit used to the alphabet, and you unwind the stress level a bit, you will find its a load of fun.

Getting thru the borders are one of the very few administrative hassles you will have. The rest of the time you are free as a bird.

Getting thru Russian borders is pretty straight forward and these days the border guys are totally straight when it comes to foreigners entering on motorcycles - its still a bit of a bureaucratic process but its loads better than it used to be and loads better than many of the surrounding countries. You may have hassles from border people wanting bribes in Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and possibly Mongolia ... but it hasnt been a problem in Russia for about a decade now.
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Old 15 Apr 2013
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agree, login/pw for wifi is mostly in english/latin/roman/ oh whatever, normal script.

at the border there's a couple of forms to fill in, and often there's someone around to help you - they might speak enlish (Renglish?) a bit of german or even french, so you'll end up getting sorted either which way. just be patient and it'll work itself out.
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Old 19 Apr 2013
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Originally Posted by colebatch View Post
Russia seems daunting when you have never been there before. But once you have a bit of a feel for how they do things, get a bit used to the alphabet, and you unwind the stress level a bit, you will find its a load of fun.

Getting thru the borders are one of the very few administrative hassles you will have. The rest of the time you are free as a bird.

Getting thru Russian borders is pretty straight forward and these days the border guys are totally straight when it comes to foreigners entering on motorcycles - its still a bit of a bureaucratic process but its loads better than it used to be and loads better than many of the surrounding countries. You may have hassles from border people wanting bribes in Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and possibly Mongolia ... but it hasnt been a problem in Russia for about a decade now.
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Originally Posted by reallybigtruck View Post
agree, login/pw for wifi is mostly in english/latin/roman/ oh whatever, normal script.

at the border there's a couple of forms to fill in, and often there's someone around to help you - they might speak enlish (Renglish?) a bit of german or even french, so you'll end up getting sorted either which way. just be patient and it'll work itself out.
Thanks for the responses.I've been unable to log in to HU recently.Hopefully I have that worked out.
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