Shome couple still in love with Russia

JAIPUR: "Contrary to popular notion, Russia, especially the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg are perfectly safe for tourists. Much like anywhere else in the world, if you don't bother anyone, no will bother you in Russia too," said Arun Shome, who spent 22 years in Russia as an employee of a multinational company. He had to abandon his trip to Sochi to see the Winter Olympics last year because of poor health.
"But this time, I will definitely visit Moscow with my Russian wife Ludmina to see the World Cup matches.
He has already booked the flight tickets and the couple is expected to fly out within a week. "Moscow is fine because I know every nook and corner of the city. But most of the important matches would be held in Kremlin and I don't want to miss the opportunity. The weight of Russian history is felt instantly when you visit Kremlin where Tsars, church leaders and dictators ruled the masses for centuries."
For the past few days, the Shome family had the steady flow of visitors who poured in several times a week, enquiring about the budget accommodation, the transportation and different cuisines in Russia. "Some of them are quite skeptical of visiting Russia during World Cup because of crime. Of course, crime in Russia is high. But Moscow is the most crime-less city. Well, if you don't do anything that involves drugs and hanging out with bad companies, you don't have to panic and that's what I am telling them," he said sitting in his small apartment in Garia in south Kolkata.
"Obtaining a visa for travel to Russia is also not difficult. You can get a visa in 10 working days. And there would be arrangement for stadium tours for those who want a glimpse of the venues around the World Cup," he added, but time in Russian language.
"Most of the time, we speak either English or Bengali. But sometime I love speaking Russia. For me, old habits die hard… means people often do not like to change things that they have been doing for a long time," he said, laughing.
From June 14, thirty-two nations will vie for the World Cup in the month-long tournament that will be held in a dozen venues in 11 Russian cities.