
STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL ADVISORY - U.S.S.R.
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U.S.S.R. - WARNING
 December 24, 1991

Summary.  Americans are advised to defer travel to the
Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic because of unsettled conditions.
Travelers to the Republic of Georgia should avoid crowds and
demonstrations.  Travelers to Azerbaijan, the Armenian-Azeri border
area, Nagorno-Karabakh, Moldova and Central Asia should check with
Intourist or the State Department prior to their travel, for
information on possible closed areas.  End summary.

Russian Republic:  Although the state of emergency has been lifted,
the Department of State recommends that American citizens defer all
travel to Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic, located in the
Northern Caucasus mountain region of the Russian Republic, because
the political situation there remains unsettled.

Republic of Georgia:  The Department of State advises American
citizens traveling to the Republic of Georgia to exercise extreme
caution until further notice.  Armed confrontation between
government and opposition forces continues in Tbilisi.  Americans
should avoid the downtown area of Tbilisi and refrain from
participation in events or attempts to photograph them.

Ethnic and Political Unrest:  Ethnic clashes in a number of regions
of the Soviet Union are not uncommon.  While Soviet citizens have
been injured or killed in some instances, the violence has not been
directed at American citizens or other foreigners.  The Soviet
government has on occasion temporarily closed affected areas to
foreign tourists, requiring changes in Intourist package tours.
Areas that have seen conflict in the past year include Azerbaijan,
the Armenian-Azeri border area, Nagorno-Karabakh, parts of Georgia,
Moldova and Central Asia.  Americans planning travel to an area that
may be experiencing unrest should check with Intourist or the State
Department's Office of Overseas Citizen Services (202-647-5225)
prior to their travel, for information concerning closed areas.

All travelers to the Soviet Union, including those en route to or
>From Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia, must obtain a Soviet visa before
entering Soviet territory.  Travelers who do not have a Soviet visa
cannot register at any hotel and will be required to leave the
country immediately, via the route by which they entered the country.

"Tips for Travelers to the U.S.S.R.":  Americans planning a trip to
the Soviet Union may wish to obtain a copy of the State Department's
"Tips for Travelers to the U.S.S.R.," which can be ordered for $1.00
each from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C.  20402.  This pamphlet provides information
about passport and visa requirements, recommended inoculations and
vaccinations, health precautions, customs and currency regulations,
crime and personal security and other matters of general interest.
The pamphlet also contains specific information for dual nationals
of the U.S. and U.S.S.R.

Crime and Personal Security:  Crime has increased dramatically in
the Soviet Union.  The U.S. Embassy in Moscow and the Consulate
General in St. Petersburg have reported increasing numbers of
muggings, robberies and pick-pocketings, burglaries, sexual
assaults, and beatings of American citizens visiting or resident in
the Soviet Union.  Travelers should exercise the same caution --
even in social encounters -- that they would in the United States.

Health Precautions:  Medical care in the Soviet Union does not meet
western standards.  There is a severe shortage of basic medical
supplies, including disposable needles, anesthetics and antibiotics.
 Tourists in frail health are strongly advised not to visit the
Soviet Union.  The "Tips for Travelers to the U.S.S.R." contains
additional information on health care in the Soviet Union.

 No. 91-250

This replaces the advisory issued November 26, 1991 to reflect
armed violence in the Republic of Georgia.

