»... I allowed me to write that text to show that it's not black or white, it's more grey«

von kennerderlage 

Kommentar beim Moon of Alabama von einem gewissen Alfred. Lesenswert!

Well, real life: I am German, married to a Russian woman from South-Ukraine. In 1991 she woke up and had an ukrainian passport, which she never wanted as a natural born Russian (like 95% in south-east Ukraine).

Since her parents still live there, we visited South-Ukraine quite often - it's a 2.000km drive from Germany. When you pass the Dnipro-River, the area where the Russians live starts - and Ukrainian government didn't even invested a cent into infrastructure there. Every single road, building, factory is from former SSSR.

The war started, and than my wife got the opportunity to get a Russian passport, since we still have her old apartment over there. So I applied for a visa for Russia, and we drove from Germany via Latvia/North Russia to Crimea into South Ukraine. More than 4000km...

Russian roads are on one level with German roads, I didn't expect that. Only, there are speed radars every single f*cking kilometer - so whatever you thought about crazy Russian driver, that must be long ago - you simple cannot drive faster than allowed.

We made a one week vacation in Crimea, and that island is simply God given.

Than we crossed into South Ukraine. I, as a German, was interviewed by FSB, that screening took 5 hours. But finally I was allowed to enter, because Family is a high value in Russia and they understood that I do not want to let my wife go alone.

We were a week in her hometown. 50% of people left, since Ukrainian announced an offensive. But reality is, that it was Russian earth, and it will be Russian earth. People are waiting to come back to normality. It won't be like before, since all Ukrainian shops and services already left. All Pro-Ukrainian left, and they probably will never return but enjoy living on social welfare money in Germany (which soon will end due to economic situation, but that's another story).

I very much like that area. As already mentioned, I was there before several time - but never thought about moving there. Since I already -thanks to ma wife- can communicate in Russian, I think about moving there. Let's see what future will bring.

Anyway, I allowed me to write that text to show that it's not black or white, it's more grey - you can cross the border if you have a reason, evil Russians are not hunting or killing you, and don't send Westerners into prison. They are afraid of Ukrainian partisans, and there are many checkpoints which they call »blokposts« - but as soon as the understand you are a foreigner (from the accent), they start to be friendly; well, friendly is maybe the wrong word while a kalashnikov is pointing to you, but ok...

My wife successfully applied for a Russian passport, in a month we will drive there again to fetch that passport. I am now married to a Russian, and that is something I am proud of.

Nationalgesinnte Ukrainer werden davon anders denken — aber wie sagte man schon im alten Rom? 

 

Audiatur et altera pars!