I quite often receive messages about various outrages at Russian consulates general abroad. The main problems concern the issuance of international passports. Here, user puerrtto didn’t just send an angry letter, but put together a full report on how the consulate in Haifa operates.
*To get into the Russian consulate, you have to line up overnight. If you arrive at opening time, there’s a 90% chance you still won’t get inside before 1:00 p.m. (closing time). Around five in the morning, an energetic middle-aged woman starts taking down the names of those waiting by the gate. From that moment on, tensions rise, and it becomes very important to “hold your place in line” and not step away until 9 a.m. There are no facilities nearby, so if you need to go pee, you ask someone to save your spot. Men relieve themselves around the corner, either against the consulate wall or by the trash bin. Women have it harder: they go to a nearby construction site and hide behind concrete blocks. Unfortunately, at such an early hour all the office buildings are closed, and those in need have no other choice. *Read