[img]http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/04/22/world/CRIMEA-1/CRIMEA-1-master675.jpg[/img]
[i]The line outside the government office in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, where new Russian passports were being processed.[/i]
[quote=The New York Times]
SIMFEROPOL, Crimea — After Russia annexed Crimea practically overnight, the Russian bureaucrats handling passports and residence permits inhabited the building of their Ukrainian predecessors, where Roman Nikolayev now waits daily with a seemingly mundane question.
His daughter and granddaughter were newly arrived from Ukraine when they suddenly found themselves in a different country, so he wonders if they can become legal residents. But he cannot get inside to ask because he is No. 4,475 on the waiting list for passports. At most, 200 people are admitted each day from the crowd churning around the tall, rusty iron gate.
[b]“Before we had a pretty well-organized country — life was smooth,” he said, sighing. “Then, within the space of two weeks, one country became another.”[/b] He added, “Eto bardak,” using the Russian for bordello and meaning, “This is a mess.”
In Crimea now, few institutions function normally. Most banks are closed. So are land registration offices. Court cases have been postponed indefinitely. Food imports are haphazard. Some foreign companies, like McDonald’s, have shut down.
[b]Long lines snake outside the few Russian banks operating. (Some Crimeans waiting in line resorted to a Soviet-era tactic of volunteering to maintain epic lists — at one passport office the list stretched to more than 12,000 names.)[/b] President Vladimir V. Putin announced Thursday that he hoped to have Russian banks functioning normally in Crimea within a month.
...
[b]Crimeans are occasionally alarmed by armed men in uniforms without insignia who materialize at places like Simferopol’s train station, inspecting luggage and occasionally arresting passengers. Various people detained in protests against the referendum a month ago have not resurfaced.[/b]
When confronted, the uniformed men tell Crimeans that they are “activists from the people” who are “preserving order.”
[b]Natalia Rudenko, the founding principal of the capital’s one Ukrainian school, said city officials fired her shortly after a member of the self-defense forces visited, demanding to know why the school was still teaching Ukrainian and not flying the Russian flag.[/b] Ms. Yurchenko, the tourism minister, said the school could continue to teach Ukrainian, since the new Constitution protected the language, but it would need to add Russian classes.
[/quote]
[url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/world/europe/under-russia-life-in-crimea-grows-chaotic.html]Source[/url]
Welcome to Russia!
Welp, they wanted Russia and they got Russia.
[quote]When confronted, the uniformed men tell Crimeans that they are “activists from the people” who are “preserving order.”[/quote].
Why would those men say that, it's obviously bullshit. It's like how you know if a country's title is 'The People's Republic of', then you know that it actually isn't a republic for the people.
Future advice: be careful what you wish for.
Well, yeah. You don't convert an entire region into a functional, legal part of a different country overnight. Can you imagine if the state of Washington defected to Canada and all the residents had to be converted to Canadian citizenship, with all the associated rights and infrastructure?
It took longer for the US to launch a functional [I]website.[/I]
I'm really interested in reading this story about 3 months from now, if and when things have settled into relative normality. In the long run, we'll be seeing if people still feel they are better off than if they remained Ukrainian.
Real life Papers, Please
[QUOTE=Propane Addict;44618665]Real life Papers, Please[/QUOTE]
Too soon, wait for the suicide bombers first.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;44618656]Well, yeah. You don't convert an entire region into a functional, legal part of a different country overnight. Can you imagine if the state of Washington defected to Canada and all the residents had to be converted to Canadian citizenship, with all the associated rights and infrastructure?
It took longer for the US to launch a functional [I]website.[/I]
I'm really interested in reading this story about 3 months from now, if and when things have settled into relative normality. In the long run, we'll be seeing if people still feel they are better off than if they remained Ukrainian.[/QUOTE]
There's also issues like multi-national companies such as McDonalds and a German supermarket chain closing shop (to avoid repercussions from the rest of the world), Crimeans can't find many of their favourite brands anymore in the stores that are open, replaced by Russian equivalents, lawyers are fucked due to Russian law being adopted and so not only do they have to scramble to learn the new laws but they have to compete with fresh law graduates coming to Crimea from Russia. The OP doesn't even mention half of the changes that are mentioned in the article.
And the ton of kids having to learn russian instead
such a supprise, abruptly anexing an area from a country so completely will leave the normal economy, goverment, and social service networks completely fucked
[editline]22nd April 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;44618656]
I'm really interested in reading this story about 3 months from now, if and when things have settled into relative normality. In the long run, we'll be seeing if people still feel they are better off than if they remained Ukrainian.[/QUOTE]
but their news agency (Russia Today) says that 105% of crimeans support being part of russia
[QUOTE=Ignhelper;44619877]And the ton of kids having to learn russian instead[/QUOTE]
Except half of Crimea's population are Russians and Ukrainians along with crimean Tatars know Russian too?
Propaganda, guys, move along
[QUOTE=Antdawg;44618628].
Why would those men say that, it's obviously bullshit. It's like how you know if a country's title is 'The People's Republic of', then you know that it actually isn't a republic for the people.[/QUOTE]
Many pro-Russia activist groups like to call themselves "People's X". They really really seem to want the glory days of Soviet Union back. Which Crimea is experiencing right now.
Okay, a little bit of initial administrative turmoil and stuff is understandable but
[quote]
Crimeans are occasionally alarmed by armed men in uniforms without insignia who materialize at places like Simferopol’s train station, inspecting luggage and occasionally arresting passengers. [B]Various people detained in protests against the referendum a month ago have not resurfaced.[/B][/quote] and
[quote]Natalia Rudenko, the founding principal of the capital’s one Ukrainian school, said city officials fired her shortly after a member of the self-defense forces visited, demanding to know why the school was still teaching Ukrainian and not flying the Russian flag.[/quote]
are pretty fucking scary.
From Russia with love.
The fuck where they expecting? I mean, Soviet Union 2: Oppression Boogaloo isn't titled as such for no good reason.
Well no shit, it's been just a month since the referendum. There's bound to be a mildly chaotic period but it's gonna get back to normal soon.
What is normal these days?
Well, that's relatively normal
Honestly, I'd be more surprised of a Russian occupied territory [i]wasn't[/i] operating exactly as this.
Well, what did they expect? I mean, Russia is theoretically right because lot of Crimeans are Russian... But hey, you don't invade your neighbors randomly forgetting every treaties of the last 30 years. If everybody acted this way, Mexico should invade Texas and California!
[QUOTE=mfreyrie;44621743]Well, what did they expect? I mean, Russia is theoretically right because lot of Crimeans are Russian... But hey, you don't invade your neighbors randomly forgetting every treaties of the last 30 years. If everybody acted this way, Mexico should invade Texas and California![/QUOTE]
There is a little more to it than population. Ukraine gained Crimea when it was part of the USSR in what was considered to be a meaningless exchange. Many Russians, including apparently some living in Crimea believe Crimea should have been returned to Russia when the USSR broke up.
If you want to start a political blog you need to look a little closer.
[QUOTE=Ignhelper;44619877]And the ton of kids having to learn russian instead[/QUOTE]
Most Crimeans already speak Russian.
I was under the impression that Ukrainian to Russian was like to the US's North and South.
[QUOTE=Senscith;44622254]I was under the impression that Ukrainian to Russian was like to the US's North and South.[/QUOTE]
They're probably as close as Portuguese is to Spanish, interesting thing is the Spanish speakers can't understand Portuguese but the Portuguese speakers can understand Spanish even if they don't speak it fluently.
That time, in another place
[img]http://cs540109.vk.me/c540104/v540104697/1598d/uv-m4Jba0b4.jpg[/img]
-snip-
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44620983]Okay, a little bit of initial administrative turmoil and stuff is understandable but
and
are pretty fucking scary.[/QUOTE]
Scary, but it sucks too, since the Crimea will [I]never[/I] return to Ukraine, at least not in the near future.
[QUOTE=Technopath;44622322]They're probably as close as Portuguese is to Spanish, interesting thing is the Spanish speakers can't understand Portuguese but the Portuguese speakers can understand Spanish even if they don't speak it fluently.[/QUOTE]
Not exactly true. My dad knows Spanish and can understand Portuguese at a very basic level because of the similarities between the languages.
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