Travel Notes

Russian Airbus

The Russian aviation industry will participate in creating the super-Airbus of the 21st century, the A-3XX. Accor-ding to the first president of the ‘Airbus Industrie,’ V. von Tein, partner relations are being established bet-ween the consortium and the Russian aviation industry. The idea of a partnership was suggested by Airbus Indu-strie to the Ulyanovsk Avistar production complex, which consortium ex-perts have chosen as the most appropriate place for organizing the final assembly of the super-Airbus.

Siberian Solar Eclipse

Russian scientists and tourists are making preparations to observe a solar eclipse that will occur March 9 in most of Siberia and the Russian Far East, a news agency reported. The total eclipse will be the first in northern Asia since 1981, Itar-Tass said. Russia’s Academy of Sciences has an observatory in the Sayan mountains in southeastern Siberia. Tourists have already started booking the few available hotels in the Siberian cities of Chita, Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk.

Expat Alert

Russian police are increasingly requiring expatriates to produce passports and visas when stopped. Those who do not have their documents could spend some time in jail. “Whether you are a foreigner or Russian, you should have papers which can identify you,” said Alexei Ivanov of the Interior Ministry’s Passport and Visa Office. Foreigners should always carry their passport and visa when they travel about, as the police can stop anyone who “doesn’t look right.” A photocopy of a passport or work papers is usually not sufficient identification. Officials are not in agreement on whether walking around without identification is subject to a fine. It is left to the discretion of the police and their judgment of the situation.