[ART]_CONnected

Meanwhile (not just yet) in Russia 

WHEN SOMEBODY IS DOING A JOURNEY... 

...then he has a lot to tell“, as the proverb is saying. But there are some travel experiences I can well live without ...

Actually, this flight to Moscow should already has to be routine. In the last two years I have entered and left Russia for approximately 20 times without any problems. I had become acquainted all three Moscow airports and the different entry procedures. I was familiar with the visa requirements and I had never had any problems. The only variety was in the different waiting periods at the passport control. At Domodedovo Airport it took always very long. Unfortunately, this is exactly the airport where Austrian Airlines is flying to. But somehow one has to consume the accumulated air miles. Therefore my flight on 30 June 2015 was a fairly routine matter. Or so I thought…

Since March 2014 I am married and my wife is a Russian citizen. We both like Russia. That’s wonderful country with amazing places and we did not visited all of them yet. So as I have most of my business anyway in Russia that time, we have decided to apply for a residence permit for me. After countless appointments with diverse authorities, after submitting a vast amount of documents and various tests (such as lung x-ray and AIDS test) I got after six months my (temporary) living permit. But this living permission has to be stamped into my passport too. But before this could be done I had to leave Russia again, because in accordance with (normal) visa terms I was not allowed to stay there longer 90 days within 180 days. My wife applied for invitation and we waited for another two months. The fact that in the invitation my birth country was given as Australia instead of Austria didn’t dampen my spirit. And it was corrected amazingly fast. Got a private visit visa, went back, finally got this magic stamp at the migration service office, in another office my registration. So, after about eight month waiting time I got now more or less the same status as a Russian citizen, with (almost) all rights and obligations. So I actually thought, and this was also the information provided by the issuing authority…

Seen in this light this flight was no routine. i After all it was the first time that I would enter with my newly acquired living permit. So, in order to be on the safe side, I decided to read up once again on the entry conditions. Do I really need no visa? I called to the Consulate General of the Russian Embassy in Vienna. After I had described the situation to the officer (and after she had held consultation with the Consul General) the information: No, I don’t need any additional visa. Good. But in order to be on an even safer side, and not relying on a telephonic information I went to the Visa Handling Services, a branch of the Russian embassy, in person. After presenting all documents and the explanation of the situation there as well again I got this information: No, no visa is required. So maybe really only routine…

So I flew on June 30 from Vienna to Moscow. My time frame was quite tight, I was simultaneously working on the creation of two exhibitions - one that will be opening at end of July in Italy (ironically an exhibition about Russia) and one in Moscow, whose opening was scheduled for July 13. The flight landed at 13:45 local time in Domodedovo, right on time. The usual long queue in front of the passport control. But after 20 minutes it was my turn. The border guard scanned my passport, print out the form which you get at every entry (and which is required when leaving the country again), passed it over to me for signing, took a last look on the computer screen - and hesitated. Took the phone receiver, made a short phone call and told me that i have to wait. After some time, another officer appeared, took my passport and ordered me to follow him. Ok, so much about the routine…

I'm escorted to an office and handed over to the next official. He is thumbing through my passport for several times, is consulting various folders, is intently staring into the computer, is consulting further officials. And I've still no information on what's going on. And after about one hour he gave me the information that there was a problem because I had no visa. Well, that should be easily clarified. I am telling him about the information of the consulate in Vienna that with a living permission I don’t need a visa. But as it seems that my knowledge of the Russian language is not good enough (as are his English skills) I call my wife and pass on the phone to the officials. Well. Now everything should be well clarified. Or so one should believe. But somehow the impression arises to me that the officials do not know exactly how to handle this, what to do with me. Another officer (with lots of stars on the epaulettes) is consulted. And is disappearing with my passport to another office. Slowly the situation is becoming a little bit Kafkaesque…

After about another hour of waiting time (it is now around 16:00) I'm escorted to another office and handed over to the next official. This one is starting to fill in a reams of forms, to my already slightly annoyed ask what was going on I do not get answers. Instead she is asking a lot of questions, e.g. about my education, my employer (which I do not have as a freelance artist, leading to some confusion and on the document ultimately to "without employment"), where and when I had done my military service (the relevance of my military service in 1979 eludes my knowledge). But once again it doesn’t work out because of the language barriers. Someone from the Lufthansa office is called as an interpreter. The lady, however, is of little help. And then there is also an official of the Russian Foreign Ministry now on site. Victoria, my wife, is probably setting heaven and hell into motion. At least I learn for the first time in more details what they are accusing me of: Trying to enter Russia without a valid visa. 

After I was outlining the situation from my perspective the Foreign Ministry official (who is holding, as it turns out later, the rank of consul general at the airport), he explains to me that there is probably a misinformation by the Russian Embassy in Austria. And he admits that an error has happened, is apologizing. He would give me right now and there an entry visa, but unfortunately, unfortunately, this would not be accepted by the Border Police. Well, fine.  Did I maybe land in a inter-ministerial power struggle (visa matters are settled at the Foreign Office, the Border Police is part of the secret service FSB). What next? I would probably be sent back to Austria. How, when, all that remains open. The Lady of the Lufthansa told me I need to take care and pay for the return ticket by yourself (but this is an „information" I know do be definitely wrong, because at the rejection at the border the airline with which you came must also provide the return transport with the next available flight). The catch here is that the border authorities do not let myself (or my wife) book a return flight. Instead, new forms and documents are prepared and presented to me for signature. A four-page document in Russian. And I have sign it without reading it, no explanations are given what it is about. The lady from Lufthansa has since disappeared. It is 17:30, end off her duty shift…

I refuse to sign the document. The officer is shrugging, tearing it up discards it. Was probably not so important. I have to continue to wait outside the office. From the border guards, who are deciding my further "destiny", I get no information at all. Then, around 18:00, a further official, this time with my passport, is coming, I to follow him. Hooray, something is going on! We are cross-cross various airport buildings. Where to - to the transit area where I have to wait for my flight the next day? To another office? Perhaps at the end the consul was successful and I got a visa, I am allowed to enter, to go to my wife…

I am sent into a room. Clack. The door is falling into the lock behind me, is locked twice. I look around. A room with about 15 sqm. Thick iron bars at the window. Glaring fluorescent lighting. Cowering, sitting, laying on the few metal chairs 18 men of different ethnicities, some more are lying on the ground, sleeping. Slowly it begins to dawn on me: I probably have landed in a kind of "pre-deportation detention cell". Locked in . And completely left in the dark not knowing what I am actually accused or what they further are planned to do with me. Slight panicked I call to my wife and describe my situation. She gives me the emergency number of the Austrian Embassy in Moscow. To the very helpful, but somehow sounding quite worried embassy staff I describe my situation. That according to information from the Russian Embassy ​​I do not need a visa. That the consul on the spot would have issued one. That I had  not eaten or drunk since ten clock in the morning. That I was locked up here without any information. There is only one broken toilet, the sink faucet not working. The embassy staff promises to try to figure out what is actually going on and how to improve my situation. But as it is now is already 19:00 it could take a while. I look for a seat, and prepare for a longer waiting period. That this waiting time will span for further twelve hours I had no idea then…

To be locked up is a completely new experience for me. Some claustrophobic feelings are creeping into me. Around 21:30 clock then the first "official" release of the officials: I'm going to be returned the next day with the Austrian Airlines flight at 0630. No justification, nothing written. At 22:30 the recall of the Austrian Embassy. The only thing they can tell me is about my returning in the morning. Anywhere else they too only hit walls. So far so good (or, actually, bad). It will be a long night. No chance to get some sleep. Constantly new "prisoners" are brought to or collected from "our" cell (and all my attempts to engage the officials in any form of communication are ignored), the glaring neon light that burns in the eyes, the hard metal seats and the high noise level are preventing any attempt to sleep. Quite apart from the nervous tension. And time does not move on. The clock hand is like glued…

At 06:30 I am finally called and, wordlessly escorted by an official, led to the boarding gate. I have to enter the aircraft after all other passengers. And finally there I get back my passport, along with two rather whimsical documents. The first one is a fine over 2,000 rubles. And the second one seems to be the deportation decision. The first official document that I hold in my hands. And there, in the first line, is written that I will be "returned" to Tajikistan. Although  I always wanted to go to Dushanbe, at this moment I assured myself fast that it is  the Austrian Airlines flight to Vienna I was sitting in…

After 24 hours I'm back where I started. A routine trip? Not really ...

So now we are waiting again. I will go on monday to the consulate again and see if they had time enough to learn about Russian legislation. And my wife, who was visiting in the last days all related authorities, beginning with the Administration of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking the two main Russian questions: “Who is guilty? And what to do now?” is waiting for their reaction to understand if there was just a fault in the system, and that it really became better in Russia, as her government is telling on the TV on a daily base. Or it is her turn to try out if it is easy to be an Austrian…