'Nerves can not stand': the ordeal of Russians at the airport in New York continues

On the night of Tuesday, March 31, the Russian airline Aeroflot unexpectedly canceled several dozen flights planned for the period from March 30 to April 2, against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of the cancellation of flights to the United States, several dozen Russians “stuck” who are unable to return to their homeland.

Как already reported ForumDaily New York, most travelers who are in trouble are tourists who are temporarily in the United States. Many of them do not have the means to stay in the country, and some are already running out of visas.

The battle for the hotel

For passengers who are not able to independently find an overnight stay in New York, the Russian consulate paid the cost of the hotel for 3 days, checking them in pairs in double rooms. The Russians were informed that on April 3 they would be able to return to their homeland. However, these hopes did not materialize. Moreover, on the night of April 4, the Russian authorities completely suspended international flights, including all flights that were stopped for the return of Russians and foreigners. Among them was the New York-Moscow plane, which, according to diplomats, was supposed to remove at least 250 Russians from the United States.

«On April 3, we released the hotel and went to the airport to wait for the consul general. As a result, he told us that he knew nothing and could not do anything. For an hour and a half, he was telling us something unintelligible, having previously recommended flying to Geneva at his own expense on the principle: "maybe you can get there." For those who are running out of vital medications, he advised contacting American doctors. As a result, people with young children were resettled into some kind of Russian family. A couple of hours later, when the most desperate people remained at the airport, who really had nowhere to go, an Aeroflot representative came to us and said that he would call the ambassador for an overnight stay. Only in the late evening we were taken to a hotel on Long Beach - again for three nights. The accommodation was paid by the embassy, ​​but the food is at its own expense"- says one of the passengers, Marina Astvatsaturian.

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Initially, Marina’s flight was scheduled for March 30, but the date of the actual departure is still unknown to her. A woman flew to America to help her daughter with a newborn baby in Virginia. Now, having visited New York, which has become the center of the coronavirus epidemic in the United States, and having spent many hours in an airport filled with people, she can no longer return to her daughter's family - pediatricians believe that the risk of exposing possible infants to small children in this case is too high. Like other passengers, Marina filled out a form with her details on the Gosuslug portal and is now waiting for information on an available flight. According to preliminary data, it can take place on April 7 or 8. Meanwhile, the hotel’s payment deadline ended on Monday.

«I know that many are trying to ensure that the embassy extends the payment deadline for the hotel, but to be honest, I don’t even know if they succeeded. This nightmare has been going on for the eighth day, and, to be honest, my nerves could not stand it - I rented a room in the same hotel at my own expense. I don’t know if they will compensate me, but at least now I can rest in it alone. My neighbor was a beautiful woman, but you must admit that it’s still difficult to live in the same room as a stranger. In addition, journalists from Russia constantly asked us for an interview, and, given the time difference, communication with them took place at night. We just did not have the opportunity to get enough sleep. I know that some also rented rooms at their own expense", Marina shares.

Awaiting Flight

According to the Russians who remained in New York, some of their unfortunate comrades took a chance and took expensive tickets at their own expense through Amsterdam to Minsk, from where they hoped to get to Moscow by train. Passengers note that such a strategy could have worked a few days ago, but now Minsk’s communication with Moscow has also been suspended, and people who have chosen this option at their own risk (and sometimes spent their last savings on it) are forced to hand over tickets and wait for a central evacuation from Moscow.

Ulyana Ptashkina luckier than that. how previously wrote ForumDaily New York, her flight was originally scheduled for April 3, and the girl, seeing what was happening, did not prematurely move out of the apartment she rented in New York.

«Once, believing the promises, I almost left her, and the owners even found another tenant. But I informed in time that I did not plan to go anywhere. They had no right to expel me. But I really sympathize with those who are homeless, especially in the midst of a pandemic."She notes.

Among the relative "lucky ones" was a mother who flew in to visit a mother living in Arizona. Anna Lovyanikova. After spending 12 hours at New Kennedy Airport, she was able to fly back to Phoenix, and now she is watching what is happening from there.

«Yesterday I filled out a questionnaire for financial assistance on the website of the State Services. They promised compensation of 2400 rubles a day before the first available flight, that is, at today's rate, this is about $ 30. To be honest, I can’t imagine how I would have lived on this money if I hadn’t been able to live with my mother. For this amount, somehow you need to buy food, pay for housing and medical insurance, because to remain in America without insurance at the height of the epidemic is very risky.

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Among the passengers who were sitting with me at the airport were pensioners and families with young children and adolescents. I can’t imagine how they coped with this situation without housing and money, besides under such stress. We are constantly told about how important it is to take care of the health of our loved ones, but in practice I had to return to my relatives after 12 hours at the New York airport, which, of course, put them at risk. I do not know if I have an infection"- fears Anna.

Russian Ambassador to the United States Antoly Antonov, who two days ago claimed that “more than 2 Russians want to return home from the United States” because of the coronavirus pandemic, said on Monday evening that there are still not enough people willing to return even to send one flight to the United States writes with the BBC.

“It is important for every compatriot aiming to leave the United States for Russia, register on the appropriate section of the portal "Gosuslugi"- said the ambassador. "So far, only a few have done this, which is clearly not enough to send even one plane here."

According to the embassy, ​​now in one of the hotels near the airport to them. Kennedy in New York has 47 people who were unable to fly to Russia. On April 6, they all had to leave their rooms.

So far, several public organizations are providing assistance to Russian citizens. “47 people are in the hotel, another 27 are in different families, where we were able to accommodate them,” said Igor Kochan, head of the Russian Youth of America organization.

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According to him, no more than 90 Russians have applied for any help and information about a possible departure. Among them are schoolchildren who were in the country on an educational exchange program, as well as permanent residents of the United States.

As the chairman of the Coordination Council of the Organization of Russian Compatriots in the USA Elena Branson said, as early as Monday, April 6, all those detained in the United States should have received funds from the Public Services Fund.

“They all filled out the questionnaire, and there they will be informed when the flight is,” she said.

One of the passengers of the flight, canceled on March 31, who asked not to give his name, said that for several days in a row he had not been able to register and get through the contact numbers of the gosuslugi.ru website.

“I registered at the embassy and on the website, but no one contacted me,” he says.

Contact SMS message is sent only to the Russian mobile phone number, so that all citizens who have this number disabled or simply do not exist cannot receive information about a possible flight departure.

According to Igor Kochan, now activists in New York are collecting money in social networks to help compatriots.

“So far we have raised $ 1720 - and we will be able to pay for another day of hotel accommodation for those who need it,” he said, adding that all the funds were collected exclusively through a call on social networks.

According to him, each of the Russians stuck in New York will have to receive $ 30 in the near future as part of a program to help compatriots.

As ForumDaily New York wrote earlier:

• Cancellations of flights from New York to Russia began on March 31, then it was said that all flights scheduled before April 2 were canceled. Passengers of these flights were warned several hours before departure, so many of them were stuck at the airport, as they arrived in the city from other states, planning to leave for their homeland.
• ForumDaily New York talked to the victims. Many of them do not have money to stay in the United States, some expire on an American visa. You can read their story about the situation. here.
• The Russian Consulate in New York informed Russian citizens that diplomatic mission no funds to help to them, and suggested independently find housing in the United States. At the same time, diplomats promised that the costs could be partially compensated if people who lost the opportunity to fly from New York to Moscow could somehow fill out the relevant forms on the public services portal.