You've got mail in FSU...

[chernoble]

Ok hi everyone.  I feel the previous topic I was in is diverging off-topic so I wanted to make a new post with my continuing adventures in the "Finding love in Russia" chapter of my life 

Anyway the questions I have this time involve communication.  I sent some Christmas cards to addresses of women I found after I subscribed into one of the marriage sites just wishing them happy holidays and everything since I know Russians see Christmas as their most important holiday of the year.  But I am having some worries over the fact I wrote the addresses given to me in English letters and I know the street names and buildings in Russia are written in Russian not English.  My major concern is I have heard many Russians do not understand English so does this apply to Russian postal deliverymen too??  Can the Russian post office workers convert the English names to their Russian equivalents?  Do other people here send letters to their loved ones in Russia with the recipient's address written in English?  Is this something I don't need to worry about and am making a big fuss over nothing?

Also I want to ask in case a girl does not receive my letter is it alright for me to call her to tell her about it or just email instead so she knows shes got some mail from America?  All of my holiday cards need a signature so if they don't sign it after 3 delivery attempts its going to be an inconvenience to have to pick them up in the main post office at the city.

[Serebro]

 since I know Russians see Christmas as their most important holiday of the year. 

Christmas isn't the most popular holiday of the year in Russia.
Many Russians don't celebrate it at all.

But I am having some worries over the fact I wrote the addresses given to me in English letters and I know the street names and buildings in Russia are written in Russian not English.  My major concern is I have heard many Russians do not understand English so does this apply to Russian postal deliverymen too??  Can the Russian post office workers convert the English names to their Russian equivalents?

Of course it can.

Also I want to ask in case a girl does not receive my letter is it alright for me to call her to tell her about it or just email instead so she knows shes got some mail from America?

Call her or e-mail her...what is the difference?!

[chernoble]

Well they put next to their phone number that they do not want to be called without permission!

And what do you mean by the "of course they can" statement??

[Bruce]

New years is all that really matters with 8 o f March (women's day) number two.  Forget about Christmas.

[Simoni]

Bruce is correct.  New Year's is the BIG holiday.  They start celebrating it a week early and continue 2 weeks after.  It's so important that Marina, who flew to the FSU for a visit, is returning early just to spend it with me.  It's believed that whatever you do on New Year's Eve you will do the rest of the year.  So you can see why that holiday is SO important.

Woman's Day (march the eight is indeed the second most popular holiday.

Christmas follows the orthodox calendar and is celebrated on Jan 7.  But like New Year's, it's the evening of Jan 6 when it's truly celebrated.

Marina tells me that the degree of celebration has increased the last few years.

As for as cards, send New Year's cards and not Christmas.   But it's too late.  US airmail to the FSU typically takes 21 to 30 days.  And yes, the Russian post office can process cards addressed in English.  But remember they read block printing and not cursive.  An FSU girl has to learn to write a cursive signature when she arrives in the US.

Email is likely the best way to communicate, followed by telephone calls.   And my belief is that long letter writing campaigns is a wast of time.  Just write a half dozen letters and then get over there.  You won't know if you hit it off with a girl until you see her in person.

[tim 360]

Christmas?  Nah.  It is New Years that is # 1.  Also, their Christmas is 2 weeks after ours...Orthodox.  So you might have mailed those a bit early.

Serebro's "of course it can" is right on the money.  The Russian and Ukrainian Post Offices can actually translate an address written in English and deliver it to the correct address.  

I am not sure where you get your info from chernoble but you have alot to learn and I would encourage you to read the archives here.  Cheerio, tim360

[chernoble]

US airmail to the FSU typically takes 21 to 30 days.  And yes, the Russian post office can process cards addressed in English.

Thanks for the info.  But its not a problem for the distance.  I can if necessary send US Postal mail that takes only 8 business days so no prob for new years.  Or for emergencies I can use the private 3 day one.

I just hope I didn't mess up and make myself look bad to these girls when they receive an early Christmas card (I just made complete cultural misunderstanding, crap! ).  I thought Russians loved Christmas because of the religious aspect and besides I read Russian govt recognizes Dec 25 as Christmas so  I thought it wouldn't matter either way.  I think I'll send some New Years Cards then and I'll prepare early for the March 8 "I Love Russian Women Day" 

[Gator]

Cher,

You are jumping in and getting your feet wet.  Do you now understand that you have so much to learn?

I thought Russians loved Christmas because of the religious aspect

There you go again, thinking without knowing anything, just as you did with AWeb.

My opinion is that most Russians are not religious.  This does not mean that they are heathens.  It reflects more the fact that religion was suppressed during the long Soviet period.

they put next to their phone number that they do not want to be called without permission!

Duh, why would you even think about calling?  "No" means "No."   While Serebro has a gentle heart, I would say that most RW would be hostile to someone who called them unannounced.  Email first, inform them that you intend to call, wait a few days, and then call.  Good luck! 

Be sure to include a short (less than one page) and simple description of yourself in your card with a photo.  You may want to bounce a draft of your New Year's message off of the RWD members before sending it.

Cher, does the site where you purchased addresses denote a woman's religion?  Does it explain her level of English proficiency?  Is it a site with only active women (meaning you are not writing someone who is off the market)?

[wxman]

chernoble

The fact that you sent a card is what is important. So now they will receive 2 cards! I'm sure they won't complain about that. They know someone is thinking about them and will be recognized as a nice gesture not as a mistake.

[chernoble]

Ok thanks so much for that.  I feel full of life!  Remember I'm not doing this for myself but for the Rodina! 

Anyway I just put a short little message like "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" but taking in the fact they consider New Years #1 in Russia I'll have to shop around for another card tomorrow to denote the importance of that special once a year event.

It's believed that whatever you do on New Year's Eve you will do the rest of the year.

If they believe that, then I got to put I hope we can have a wonderful relationship and future next year! 

I got an idea for a draft below.  Tell me what you think please:

Dear [Given Name]

I want to wish you all the joy of this year to be limitless in the next and all the sadness to be washed away by my feelings for you.  I have nothing for you but warmth in my heart and I wish I could feel your joy as your celebrate this wonderful occasion.  Instead I hope the valiant Postal Service brings this note of my thoughts for you and lets you know of someone happy for you.  My only wish for the New Year is that you would share your wish with me.

From your admirer in America,

Chernoble
P.S. If you wish to know more about me you can contact me at [email address]

P.S. I'm also gonna include a small gift too like a postcard of my city or a little picture book they can look at pretty pictures with.  And fyi I'm using a good site bride.ru

[tim 360]

Chern,  I hope you don't mind---but don't put too much faith into cards or hometown postcards or picturebooks or emails.  Its cute.  The popular girls get plenty of those.  No doubt about it.  Some get a staggering amount.  There are many aspiring letter writers out there. 

If you really want to stand out there is no substitute for, "boots on the ground" incountry.  That is really where you will find out if there is "chemistry" or not.  There is no fantasy in that. 

I encourage you to read the archives of many experienced and savy posts here before you jump and pull the ripcord,  'prolly I'm not telling you what you want to hear,  but....fantasies can be tough,  Cheerio, tim360

[Phil dAmore]

 

But I am having some worries over the fact I wrote the addresses given to me in English letters and I know the street names and buildings in Russia are written in Russian not English.  My major concern is I have heard many Russians do not understand English so does this apply to Russian postal deliverymen too??  Can the Russian post office workers convert the English names to their Russian equivalents?

I doubt seriously the cards will be delivered at all.  Not because the Russian postal workers can't read English... it's because once they see the English and where it's from they will most likely open it to see what's inside and steal it.

True story: A friend of mine had a birthday and his mom sent a birthday card... just a card, nothing inside it. 3 weeks after it was mailed from England my buddy receives an open, empty envelope in his mailbox!

The Russian postal system cannot be trusted, period.  This is why FedEx charges $99 for a one-pound envelope to Russia when they do it for $39.95 or less to almost any other country.

[Lily]

I don't think it 's an issue. The postal workers have to be able to read Latin books, and to eventually convert addresses from Latin to Russian and vice versa. Even in the Soviet times it was in their job descriptions.

In the SU however the postal language in the country was French, therefore people observed some funny transliterations on the envelopes 

[chernoble]

I doubt seriously the cards will be delivered at all.  Not because the Russian postal workers can't read English... it's because once they see the English and where it's from they will most likely open it to see what's inside and steal it.

The Russian postal system cannot be trusted, period.  This is why FedEx charges $99 for a one-pound envelope to Russia when they do it for $39.95 or less to almost any other country.

Why would they do something like that??  Your talking about a postcard written in English addressed to someone they don't know.  This is not exactly something valuable like cash.  In fact they told me at the postal center not to put cash or valuables inside and I had no intention of ever doing so.  Plus this requires a signed signature so they would need some real balls to give a ripped open envelope to the recipient.

If you really want to stand out there is no substitute for, "boots on the ground" incountry.  That is really where you will find out if there is "chemistry" or not.  There is no fantasy in that.

Tim you know I have been reading the forums.  I have to develop a relationship first by email/letters before I can fly over there.  Plus they haven't responded to my email yet and another I mailed the postcards is to see if their addresses are correct and not a wrong address.

[I/O]

Just a point FWIW, way back when, mine and I did exchange a few air mail letters and cards. I beat the Russian posties fairly easily by completing the envelope, sealing it and putting the lot through an A4 size laminater, then trimming the excess down to the envelope size. Have you ever tried to open something laminated with your teeth?

Seemed to fix the problem and yes the Russian posties do like to get a little "Bootie" on the side, so they will open anything that looks like it might be worthwhile.

I/O

[chernoble]

Seemed to fix the problem and yes the Russian posties do like to get a little "Bootie" on the side, so they will open anything that looks like it might be worthwhile.

I/O

What?!  Don't postmen everywhere have an obligation to deliver the mail safe and sound through rain and snow?  I thought mailmen are supposed to treat mail as sacred holy items to be protected with their life! 

[bgreed]

Now I have had no such problem with letters or even packages I have sent to my wife in Ukraine.  All have been delivered in about 9-10 days must be a Russian thing,

[Simoni]

Now I have had no such problem with letters or even packages I have sent to my wife in Ukraine.  All have been delivered in about 9-10 days must be a Russian thing,

Same experience here with packages and letters to Ukraine.  30 or more with 96 percent success; only one postcard was lost.  The postmaster told me that the mail contract with the US is BIG bucks and the locals there are threatened that they better take care of US mail to Ukraine.

[SANDRO43]

In the SU however the postal language in the country was French, therefore people observed some funny transliterations on the envelopes

You should have seen how Хрущёв was rendered in French newspapers (KROUSHTCHEFF), when Никита Сергеевич was in power .

[Lily]

What?!  Don't postmen everywhere have an obligation to deliver the mail safe and sound through rain and snow?  I thought mailmen are supposed to treat mail as sacred holy items to be protected with their life! 

With their life?  well, not to that extent 

The postpeople open the envelope because they just can do it, whereas a chance to get caught and punished is very little. The recipient is rather unlikely to file a well reasoned claim, and the court would last a long time, and again, the court resolution may be rather harmless for that people. Why not to open a nicely thick foreign letter at least out of curiosity? One can every time refer to a need to search for narcotics or something else.
 

[tim 360]

Same experience here with packages and letters to Ukraine.  30 or more with 96 percent success; only one postcard was lost.  The postmaster told me that the mail contract with the US is BIG bucks and the locals there are threatened that they better take care of US mail to Ukraine.

I have had no problem using regular USPS Airmail.  Nothing ever lost...yet.  Including small packages of little value.  Average is 7-10 days transit time each way.  This is for Ukraine (even small towns) and western Russia.  Mail to and from St Pete is very fast.

[KenC]

Over the years we have sent a number of packages to family in Russia and never lost an item.  Some of the boxes had been opened (for inspection) but the contents remained unchanged.  It typically takes 2 weeks for a package or letter to get delivered for us.
KenC

[chernoble]

With their life?  well, not to that extent 

The postpeople open the envelope because they just can do it, whereas a chance to get caught and punished is very little. The recipient is rather unlikely to file a well reasoned claim, and the court would last a long time, and again, the court resolution may be rather harmless for that people. Why not to open a nicely thick foreign letter at least out of curiosity? One can every time refer to a need to search for narcotics or something else.
 

But I sent my mail by USPS Express Mail.  I did not want to send a regular stamped envelope for this very reason.  The letter is sealed in a bigger envelope and needs a signature for delivery.  I just hope if they do open it they tape it shut without damaging the card.  Besides I can track the tracking number and check to see what happens.  And my letters are not that thick 

[Phil dAmore]

Why would they do something like that??  Your talking about a postcard written in English addressed to someone they don't know.  This is not exactly something valuable like cash.  In fact they told me at the postal center not to put cash or valuables inside and I had no intention of ever doing so.  Plus this requires a signed signature so they would need some real balls to give a ripped open envelope to the recipient.

A simple postcard of course can't be opened since it isn't sealed in the first place... my bad.

Requiring a signature for delivery (this would actually require a trip to the post office) works sometimes, but more often than not foreign correspondence is simply 'lost' in the system.  My mom has mailed me Christmas cards every year for the past 5 years and I have yet to receive any of them.

Mailing things from Russia has it's own peculiarities also.  If you wish to send a package you must first bring it unwrapped to the post office and they will wrap it for you.  While I'm sure this policy is grounded in some type of security reasoning, to me it just provides an opportunity for them to grab whatever is inside.

Folks will grab and sell anything... and I do mean anything... if they think they can get a ruble for it.  I've seen people stealing light bulbs from the common areas of apartments, and a bulb is one of the cheapest things you can buy.

As to why they would open anything else...  as stated in an earlier post, simply because they can with  no consequences.  Around here, people go into various lines of government work not out of desire to serve their fellow citizen but on how much they can grab for themselves.  You maybe think people join the police force to ensure public safety?  Nope, it's an easy cash grab.

I am told that the really good positions.. those of administrators and directors for things like the customs department... can be bought.  Why would someone pay upwards of $500,000 for a job?  Because it enables you to have your finger on everything that comes into, or goes out of the country.

To repeat: The. Russian. Postal. System. Cannot. Be. Trusted.

[Phil dAmore]

But I sent my mail by USPS Express Mail.  I did not want to send a regular stamped envelope for this very reason.  The letter is sealed in a bigger envelope and needs a signature for delivery.  I just hope if they do open it they tape it shut without damaging the card.  Besides I can track the tracking number and check to see what happens.  And my letters are not that thick

All well and good and I'm sure the USPS will do their very best.. but the sad truth is once it leaves the US it's pretty much out of their hands.

That's why for really important stuff... like airline tickets... I use FedEx despite the exorbitant cost.  With FedEx the package never leaves their custody.  From drop off to delivery (including customs clearances) they are entirely self-contained.