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Author Topic: Kovylkino - Ковылкино (Republic of Mordovia)  (Read 3908 times)

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Offline ChrisE

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Kovylkino - Ковылкино (Republic of Mordovia)
« on: September 24, 2011, 11:48:51 AM »
I need some help here. I have recently met a new lady online where the relationship has gone so well that it now has been decided that I will definately visit. So I need some information-lots of it! I am planning on going around Dec 28th or 29th, and hope to stay about 9 days this trip.

First, is there any source of locating rental apartments in Kovylkino? If not, how about a hotel? I have had no luck searching, but maybe someone with much better Russian skills than mine would have some luck and could point me in the right direction?

Next I was wondering if there is a source to find out the train routes, schedules, and fares from Moscow to Kovylkino.

Is there a travel agent or some sort of ground support in the town to get set up with a sim card for my phone, transportation, etc? I doubt I will need it as my lady probably can arrange most, but just in case. 

Does anyone know of a reliable agency in the US for obtaining a Russian visa at reasonable rates? I have found one visa service on the web, but their service charge is 50% of the visa price.

Lastly, at least for now, I am curious as to finding a source for information about permanent residency requirements in Russia, and the laws concerning things such as property and business ownership, etc and any info a possible future expat would need to know.

Offline sparky114

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2011, 12:35:48 PM »
Well i would think that your closest entry point would be Saransk :coffeeread:
Today is only one day in a life of happiness

Mark

Offline ChrisE

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2011, 02:52:13 PM »
There is a couple reasons to flying into Moscow instead of the couple airports that are a little closer. First, it's about 250 USD cheaper going to Moscow, which more than offsets the possible difference in rail fare. Secondly, there are a LOT more flights available, without huge layover times involved. The average layovers I saw have been in the range of about 10 to 18 hours, and some even much longer. Besides, if she meets me in Moscow, I would love the chance to see the city a little. Plus, it might be a bonus being locked in a small room on a train for 9 or so hours with a beautiful FSUW!


Offline sparky114

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2011, 12:25:25 AM »
There is a couple reasons to flying into Moscow instead of the couple airports that are a little closer. First, it's about 250 USD cheaper going to Moscow, which more than offsets the possible difference in rail fare. Secondly, there are a LOT more flights available, without huge layover times involved. The average layovers I saw have been in the range of about 10 to 18 hours, and some even much longer. Besides, if she meets me in Moscow, I would love the chance to see the city a little. Plus, it might be a bonus being locked in a small room on a train for 9 or so hours with a beautiful FSUW!

Then my Friend you have answered your own question  :biggrin: you meet in Moscow and if all things go well she sorts the train out for you  :coffeeread:


As far as is concerned with your first post , yes you can get a temporary residency post if you get work there! (not easy) otherwise it is the 90 days in any 180 rule so you can only spend alternate 3 month periods in the country

Today is only one day in a life of happiness

Mark

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2011, 12:19:57 PM »
Travelers from the USA typically have fewer point of entry options than travelers from Europe and given the location of Saransk, Moscow seems to be the best choice.

You can purchase a SIM card for an unlocked phone, or even a cheap phone, in almost any sizeable city however Kovylkino is not so sizeable so perhaps safer to get it in Moscow where the choices are unlimited.


Offline sparky114

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2011, 01:43:03 PM »
Travelers from the USA typically have fewer point of entry options than travelers from Europe and given the location of Saransk, Moscow seems to be the best choice.


I am sorry Mendy but i do not believe that you are right in this case, You guys have equal if not at sometimes better choices than we do, having been around here for more than a few years i have talked to guys taking the jump from the states and many of them have done the journey

In the not so distant past the US guys have learnt to use the Euro Hubs to hop through, Frankfurt Vienna etc to great effect so i think that those guys need to look out of the box.

This Journey is not always best following the easy route  :coffeeread: just because it suits
Today is only one day in a life of happiness

Mark

Offline ChrisE

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #6 on: September 26, 2011, 08:42:01 AM »
Sparky,
  All the US flights now go through the Euro hubs except for a very few, and those direct flights all go to Moscow only, and are very expensive being at least 3 times the price. I am sure there must be flights directly from the US to Eastern Russia going in the opposite direction I need to go, but those don't help me in this situation. So as it stands, Moscow is my only good entry point even if it means a long train ride.

  I don't know yet if she can meet me in Moscow and take the ride back with me. It would be a huge inconvenience for her, and I hesitate to ask that of the lady and don't think it would be fair for her to go that far out of her way.

As far as the residency, I did not mean just to stay temporarily, but getting actual residency status such as the green card in the US or resident alien in Ukraine if I were to eventually marry the lady. I know there have been expats living in Russia, so there is some way to go about it. I was just wondering what the rules and procedures are.

Offline Larry

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #7 on: September 26, 2011, 09:59:24 AM »
Quote
I am sure there must be flights directly from the US to Eastern Russia going in the opposite direction I need to go

I'm not sure this is true.  I bought tickets a year ago to fly to the Far East of Russia, Khabarovsk and Blagoveschensk.  I expected to fly the closest route, from the US west to there, but the very few flights I found in that direction were staggeringly expenive.  I ended up buying a ticket from the US to Moscow to there, which took days and cost $4,000.

Offline ChrisE

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2011, 11:36:36 AM »
Seems to me that the best way to get to Eastern Russia would be to fly west, by way of California and over the Pacific. Since my sister lives in Alaska, and can see the lights from Russia from her yard, it would only make sense. My only guess is that maybe with China being in the way, there may be political issues about airspace. 

Offline cufflinks

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2011, 12:26:04 PM »
Seems to me that the best way to get to Eastern Russia would be to fly west, by way of California and over the Pacific. Since my sister lives in Alaska, and can see the lights from Russia from her yard, it would only make sense. My only guess is that maybe with China being in the way, there may be political issues about airspace.

Just took a ganger at google earth - Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia (Wasn't that the country in the comedy the Mouse that Roared?) looks like the real Dr. Zhivago country - small city sort of like a Manchester NH surrounded with lots of agriculture on the south western foothills of the URALs - so I would describe this as the center of Russia - less time zones to Moscow than to Vladivostok so makes sense Moscow is the hub - when I flew out of DME last year it was really quite interesting to see all of the exotic airlines and places you could only connect to via Mosocow the hub of the RU and Stans...  it is a big wonderful world and - Kovylkino not too far from Penza - would assume possible flights there and then a local train perhaps...  seems like the kind of place a Yank could open a Pizza shop steak Restaurant and trade Asian stocks and currencies over the net and make a nice life for themselves being lost to the rest of the world...  (Picture Romantic strain's of Lara's Theme to the fading setting sun over "Vorikino"...)

Offline ChrisE

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #10 on: September 26, 2011, 12:50:47 PM »
Cuffy, the talk about E. Russia flights was an "aside" to the topic at hand and not relavent to Kovylkino.

But the picture you paint is almost exactly the same as the one in my mind, and very beautiful. Yes, it would be the ideal place to set up a local shop and make a living from there, with some supplimental income from the web wherever it can be found. Who knows, maybe even winters in someplace warm such as Spain or Israel could be arranged as well. But I can imagine Kovylkino would be a great place to raise a family. Better family values thoughout, streets safe from gangs and open drug wars, kids not getting shot in the street or getting hit my stray bullets in their own home, good influences in the neighborhood, good education, and the list is quite lengthy. It's very much like the small town life I grew up with which unfortunately has all but disappeared in the US.

Offline Boris

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #11 on: September 26, 2011, 03:42:06 PM »
The last time I checked a direct flight from JFK to Moscow or Kiev was cheaper than going through a hub. The only problem with that is you have to fly Aeroflot or Aerosvit. Something I will not do again. My favorite is Austrian Air through Vienna.

Offline mendeleyev

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Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Kovylkino - Ковылкино (Republic of Mordovia)
« Reply #13 on: September 27, 2011, 08:59:43 AM »
МОКША hotel in Ковылкино:

ул. Советская 9
ООО "Меридиан" - Гостиница "МОКША" ИНН 1323125665, КПП 132301001, ОГРН 1101323000382

Телефоны: 8(834)534-07-06, 8(834)532-15-66




Hotel website photos: http://www.hotel-moksha.lact.ru/fotogalereya-523671


Photos of the town:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/24281755

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/57889781

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/43742867

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/43742874


There are a few YouTube videos on the town:

School:
Farming:
Some really off key singing at school:

Offline TwoBitBandit

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #14 on: September 27, 2011, 11:04:53 AM »
I am sure there must be flights directly from the US to Eastern Russia going in the opposite direction I need to go, but those don't help me in this situation. So as it stands, Moscow is my only good entry point even if it means a long train ride.

When I went to Novosibirsk this summer I flew San Francisco -> Beijing -> Novosibirsk (and took the same route back).  There was a lot of variation as to which search engines had those flights available and could book them.  Kayak.com didn't show the flight.  Orbitz showed it but wouldn't let me book it (giving some kind of error).  I eventually used Travelocity.  Some other search engines didn't even show that option.  The ticket was about $400 more expensive than the equivalent ticket coming through Europe, but I gladly paid it because I saved about ten to fifteen hours of travel time.

You don't need a Chinese visa to transit through Beijing if your stay is less than 24 hours, don't plan to leave the airport and have ongoing tickets.

Since Novosibirsk is the "capital" of Siberia I probably had better luck than with smaller cities there (like say Irkutsk or Barnaul), which probably don't have direct flights to Beijing.  If I was going to Omsk, Barnaul or Irkutsk, the western or eastern routes would probably be a tossup because I'd probably have two layovers.

Offline ChrisE

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Re: Kovylkino - Ковылкино (Republic of Mordovia)
« Reply #15 on: September 27, 2011, 07:52:25 PM »
Thank you very much Mendy, I knew you would find some great information! Somehow you always can find information on even the most remote or obscure villages in Russia! This is really fantastic. I even recognize the street in the photo, as my lady sent me a photo of her standing very near to that exact spot. What are the odds of that?

The farming video really brings back some memories from when I was growing up. I can't wait to see all this myself soon, as I am tentatively planning on going about Dec. 28 and staying about 10 days this time around.

Offline mendeleyev

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Re: Kovylkino - Ковылкино (Republic of Mordovia)
« Reply #16 on: September 28, 2011, 10:49:35 AM »
Glad to be of assistance.  :)

Offline cufflinks

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Re: Kovylkino, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
« Reply #17 on: September 28, 2011, 06:52:13 PM »
I am sure there must be flights directly from the US to Eastern Russia going in the opposite direction I need to go, but those don't help me in this situation. So as it stands, Moscow is my only good entry point even if it means a long train ride.

When I went to Novosibirsk this summer I flew San Francisco -> Beijing -> Novosibirsk (and took the same route back).  There was a lot of variation as to which search engines had those flights available and could book them.  Kayak.com didn't show the flight.  Orbitz showed it but wouldn't let me book it (giving some kind of error).  I eventually used Travelocity.  Some other search engines didn't even show that option.  The ticket was about $400 more expensive than the equivalent ticket coming through Europe, but I gladly paid it because I saved about ten to fifteen hours of travel time.

You don't need a Chinese visa to transit through Beijing if your stay is less than 24 hours, don't plan to leave the airport and have ongoing tickets.

Since Novosibirsk is the "capital" of Siberia I probably had better luck than with smaller cities there (like say Irkutsk or Barnaul), which probably don't have direct flights to Beijing.  If I was going to Omsk, Barnaul or Irkutsk, the western or eastern routes would probably be a tossup because I'd probably have two layovers.

TB2 - Now that sounds like an epic trip - considering back in my u boat days in either country I would have been shot on site...  how did you find Novosibirsk to be this trip  - If I recall there was a guy there from Minnesota who opened a popular chain of Pizza shops - married a Local Novo lass and fully expatriated with no regrets...  of course I am told not much difference between Novosibirsk and Minnesibirsk er I um mean Minnesota (my Grandparents lived there and I went to gradeschool there for a while when I was younger - in the winter all i remember is massive amounts of snow... )