Russia, the mythical country that attracts Ecuadorians
Ecuadornews:
The variety of landscapes, climates and the kindness of its citizens motivate compatriots to travel to this nation. The journey takes between 14 and 16 hours, in addition to the time of the stopovers. It is the largest country in the world. Its extension exceeds 17 million square kilometers and sits on the European and Asian continents.
Itshelters a population of over 146 million people, making it the ninth mostpopulated nation on the planet. In addition, it has a great variety of climatesand has 11 time zones. With these characteristics, it is not surprising thatfor many Ecuadorians, this distant nation is a mystery.
“Cold”, “secrecy”, “order”, “Putin” and “global” were the words that were repeated in greater numbers when consulting 50 people on what terms come to mind when they think of Russia. For David Viteri (37 years old), an Ecuadorian based in Moscow since 2014, these descriptions are close to reality “but not in a bad way”.
He explains that, in effect, this country is totally different from Ecuador in cultural, gastronomic, architectural, political and economic aspects in which the power takes us a great advantage. And that is precisely why it impacts and makes Latinos fall in love. It is a country of marked cultural wealth, from which great writers, musicians, artists, philosophers, athletes and dancers have come out.
For him, the biggest challenge of a visit to Russia are the language and the weather, depending on the time of year. Although in the spring season, from March to May, the temperatures are warm, there are also months and areas where the temperature can drop to 70 degrees below zero.
This is the case of Russian Siberia, mainly from December to February, when it is winter. As for language, the Cyrillic alphabet used by the Russians makes this language totally foreign and incomprehensible to Spanish speakers. His alphabet varies a lot from Spanish.
However, the eventual lack of communication is not an impediment to walk through the busy squares and parks, and appreciate the exquisite culture of a country little known by Latinos. Russia has one of the best transport systems on a world scale, and the organization of its cities facilitates the mobilization of visitors, who can always count on the help of local inhabitants, who are ready to give their hands.
In a single sentence, Viteri describes Russia as a country “totally different from what we were told or imagined.” According to him, the journalist Julia Vélez, a native of Manabí. Along with 25 Latin American reporters, she traveled to Moscow in August, thanks to an invitation from the international news agency Sputnik and the Federal Agency for Collaborative Affairs with the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation.
The objective of the visit was to know the way of working of the news agency, as well as the Secretary of State Communication, in addition to touring Russia and several of its attractions. Velez says she never thought of visiting this country, and considers that distance is one of the main aspects that stop Ecuadorians from getting to know it.
Russia is 13,371 kilometers away from Ecuador, and the trip takes between 14 and 16 hours, depending on the plane, and without counting the time between stops. The cordiality of the Russians made the difference in Julia’s trip. “It’s kind people who, despite not knowing my language, nor I theirs, helped me whenever I needed it,” she recalls. “They are not as warm as Latinos, but they are kind and respectful of people who know how to respect their culture and customs,” adds Viteri.
The work of the Russian state to achieve closeness with the American countries has intensified in recent years to reform migration policies, which greatly benefit tourists. This is the case of our country. At the end of 2012, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ecuador signed a visa suppression agreement, which allows the free entry of Ecuadorian and Russian citizens without the need for a visa, as long as the reason for the trip is tourism and for a period of time no more than 90 days. Without a doubt, it is a country worth knowing.
Data: -At the end of 2012, the governments of Russia and Ecuador signed a visasuppression agreement, which allows the free entry of Ecuadorians and Russians,without needing the document, as long as the reason for the trip is tourism andfor a period no longer than 90 days. (I)
Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/sociedad/6/rusia-ecuador-turismo