Passport Control in Russia

While entering Russia, they had made us wait for an hour at the immigration. They took our passports and just made us wait. With kids. For an hour.

And just now while leaving Russia from St Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport, they asked me and Deepa to go to separate booths for immigration. Mine got done in two minutes with the officer carefully looking at my passport with magnifying lens and asking a few questions, while it took 25 minutes for Deepa and the kids. They were just made to stand.

The worst thing is that the passport control booths are like a maze. I can’t see what’s happening at Deepa’s booth. So I was just waiting for 25 minutes hoping they would not create problems or ask for any documents that I had.

Still so much like the old secretive ways of the Soviet. Hoping that the experience is not as bad in Prague.