Quote: (08-26-2012 05:26 PM)Antipodean Wrote:
Quote: (08-26-2012 03:41 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:
Quote: (08-26-2012 03:11 PM)Antipodean Wrote:
Having just been in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Volgograd, Samara, Moscow, St Petersburg, Minsk in recent weeks, I agree with the above opinion.
That's good to hear.
Are you going to drop some data about Volgograd and Samara? Not much info on here regarding those two cities so a couple of data sheets would increase our knowledge greatly.
I don't feel qualified to offer full data sheets on them as I was only in each for a few days.
My lack of Russian language was quite an impediment (as Hooligan Harry had warned it would be)
Tried pipelining but logistics prevented hookups for various reasons, though I had quite a bit of interest after I had left each city.
You really need to start messaging at least 2 weeks before arrival.
For example, after a week, 50% of my messages had not even been opened. (Using RussianCupid)
There are many very attractive women in these cities, but as well as the language barrier I sense a nationalistic arrogance thing with Russians that is not evident in Ukraine.
Previous references here to "industrial shitholes" seem somewhat harsh, as I found these places to have fully functional infrastructure. Good roads, public transport systems, nice parks, modern buildings, significant amounts of new construction underway. Modern shopping malls with much the same goods as in the US or western Europe.
My accommodation in Volgograd was poorly located, which caused me frustrations, and the city is spread out rather than having a densely populated center. More suited to having a car to get around. I was there 3 days.
In Samara there is a long sandy beach frontage and promenade along the edge of the river Volga, with thousands of people using it.
Nicer than some of the oceanfront rocks and pebbles they call beaches in parts of southern Europe!
I was there 7 days and had an apartment lined up to stay longer, but it fell through at the last minute.
Of the two, I would pick Samara.
Any questions? I'll try to answer.
Samara sounds damn good. From all the info i have gathered here in the forum, the FSU is the best for women.... but you must have very good russian language skills, among other things. But is that enough for a Latin or black guy to do well? In Russia IMO NO. In the rest of Eastern Europe i would say YES...there it is based more on your game and bank roll, whatever race you are. I still might do a tour of Russia next year. If Omar Shariff, an Egyptian actor, passed as Dr. Zhivago in that classic movie about Russia in their revolution....who knows I might do well there, unless times have changed too much.