Crimean border: a 168 kilometre arc of torment

Even some three and a half years ago the crimean border was unremarkable territory — bored motorists in a hurry to rush it quicker to eat at the nearest roadside cafe. But in february-march 2014, it has acquired a special, one might even say sacred meaning, becoming the first line of defense of the Russian world, and then the state border of the Russian Federation. "Armyansk", "Perekop" and "Dzhankoy". These three road border crossing – the only "Window" of crimea to Ukraine.

All the other Kiev regime, warning nailed. The smaller the Ukraine know how to actually "Suffer" under the "Occupation" of the crimea – the quieter sleeping lord, Poroshenko and turchinov. If you are a citizen of Russia living in the crimea and arrived on the peninsula from the "Mainland", and you need for some reason to get to Ukraine, i do not expect that any state authority you will be able to provide a definitive official answer to the question of how to do it. You will spend up to the line beyond which ends the territory of the Russian Federation.

Then begins the "Dark realm", which is to visit only focusing on the informal advice of experienced people. The fact is that from the point of view of laws of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the status of the border at the perekop fundamentally different. Moscow considers its state between Russia and Ukraine. In Kiev – it's much more difficult.

Formally under ukrainian law is the administrative border between the kherson oblast and the autonomous republic of crimea, in practice, however, cross it can be much more difficult state. Especially if you follow from the crimea. Citizens of "Independence" the ukrainian border guards released in crimea is calm enough – the main thing that the hands were properly executed civil documents. Need to be careful ukrainians who move to the peninsula children not accompanied by both parents.

Minors in this case, you need to have a special notarized permission from one parent (if they follow the other), or both (if they are lucky, for example, a grandmother), as well as foreign passport. Undeclared money you can have in the amount of not more than 10 thousand euros. To carry to the crimea officially to 50 kilograms of "Social" products with a total value of less than 10 thousand hryvnia (about 20 thousand rubles). The alien from the territory of Ukraine in the crimea is almost impossible to get.

First, you need to get in local law enforcement special permits. Second, a special permit is granted either in the case of attending the funeral (or the grave) close relatives or in the implementation of the special powers according to international treaties. To visit friends, on holiday or on a business trip overseas (in his opinion) people in Kiev do not miss – whether citizens of russia, usa, China or even papua new guinea. It is worth mentioning the fact that the ukrainian legislation strictly prohibits, as residents and guests of crimea to use the services of the airport simferopol, kerch crossing or sea ports of the peninsula.

All of this is illegal crossing the border of Ukraine, citizens of "Independence" threatened administrative, and foreigners – criminal liability. However, to catch "Violators" of the ukrainian secret services rarely. Recently, approximately $ 200 was fined a student from kharkov, taking off after crossing the Russian border with Ukraine from simferopol to Moscow, capital of Russia – on vacation in warm countries, and from there a direct flight to Kiev. Citizens of Ukraine, it is often in the crimea and facing the necessity of leaving "The mainland", shared with us his own experience of communication with ukrainian border guards (personal data of people, for security reasons we are not fully specified).

Igor, 27 years old freelancer from odessa: "From simferopol several times i flew to Moscow and siberia for family reasons. When he returned, i had a feeling that the ukrainian border guard either knows something, or suspects. I have been asked many clarifying questions, trying to bring down honest conversation. However, in my passport there were no marks that i left crimea, and i reluctantly let go. " ivan, 49 years old, entrepreneur from Kiev: "I myself am from crimea to go to Russia on the continent is at risk.

Once needed, but i still tried and got away with it. My friends left at the airport of simferopol car, and they flew through Moscow abroad. Returning, i forgot to remove from the baggage a kind of sticker. As a result, the guards they passed the sbu.

They had courts, had with them some conversation. About how things ended – not spread, but the nerves they spoil much, that's for sure". *** as to the Russian border, the ukrainian guests need to remember that they have only 90 days to return, or to determine its status in the Russian Federation – for example, to apply for a temporary residence permit, citizenship, patent. The only serious restriction on the Russian customs is the prohibition on the transportation of meat, sausages, fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as "Product" batches of clothing, footwear and equipment.

Cyril, a businessman from sevastopol: "I left the Ukraine parents. From time to time they come to visit me. Twice mom did bring me homemade goodies. In the third she found a box of bacon and homemade sausage.

Although she argued that it is for personal use, was forced to return to the ukrainian check point and thrown away. Since then she has homemade food in such quantities does not carry". As for crimeans, their visit to Ukraine is a difficult and sometimes very dangerous quest. Those who at the time refused to ukrainian citizenship and officially passed the "Passport with the trident", no options in principle.

Their Russian passports for ukrainian forces – "False" and "Invalid". Those residents of crimea who are ukrainian passport in 2014 did not pass and did not burn the opportunity to visit Ukraine hypothetically is. These citizens often go to the trick: on the Russian border indicate a Russian passport and the ukrainian – ukrainian. But this trick can be punished.

If the Russian border guards are no "Extra" questions citizens are asking, the ukrainian security forces (or "Helping" them, the militants punitive battalions) following from crimea to Ukraine person can easily search. And in case of detection of a Russian passport – to break it or to transfer to sbu. Formally, the mere existence of a Russian document is not grounds for legal prosecution in Ukraine, but the border people are absolutely powerless. As reported by crimean media, over the coffee can just to make fun of, to try to persuade him to cooperate with the ukrainian special services against russia, threatening otherwise not to return the documents.

According to the internet newspaper "Sevas", some inhabitants of the peninsula had to go to the Russian border, leaving the passport in the hands of the ukrainian secret services. But it ends much worse for those who served in the beginning of 2014 in the crimea in the ukrainian power structures, was in the civil service or local councils, was on the referendum or afterwards a member of the election commission. Such people – tens of thousands. All of their personal data entered in the special lists, and if someone from them will appear on the border – he will have to wait for an immediate detention on criminal charges of "Desertion" or "Treason".

Even if you're in the army or the police did not serve in the election and did not participate is not a reason to relax. Ukrainian "Activists" track the social networking activity of residents of the crimea and transmit information about it to the sbu. For excitation of criminal case it is enough to mention the Russian status of crimea, to like photos of Vladimir Putin or post about the new russia, to repost the pictures with the st. George ribbon.

To be in development for the ukrainian military you can, even without knowing it not welcome by ukrainian border guards, customs officers and asabashvili professional and recreational visits to the crimea of the ukrainian people with the "Continental" residence. Are likely to complain about people going to renew documents or to solve some issues related to working abroad. Therefore, if the need still drove you to the ukrainian checkpoint in the district of perekop, it is best to say that you go visit relatives. However, crimeans, with all the difficulties, i would like in principle to recommend unless absolutely necessary for Ukraine not to get out – to ensure the safety of citizens of Russia in "The square", has evolved over recent years into a kind of SoMalia, unfortunately, is impossible.

*** and yet the residents of crimea for more than a year can not go to Ukraine by car. In april 2016 in the crimea was the deadline for replacement of old license plates, a ukrainian model for new Russian. Ukraine new crimean numbers are not recognized, and the winners of the Russian "Mainland" ukrainian border guards will be intrusive to wonder how they got to the crimea, after taking the car on a shtrafploshchadka. Today in the crimea with the ukrainian numbers goes to three categories of citizens: guests from the territory controlled by Kiev; citizens of ldnr, who arrived in the crimea through the kerch ferry and the local residents, whose car was until 2014 decorated by proxy or registered in other regions of Ukraine.

The second category of people, for obvious reasons, it is better not to appear in the ukrainian checkpoint, and the third on the Russian (formally, to resolve the legal conflict, they are the violators of the legislation of the Russian Federation). Official railway, aircraft, marine and bus service of Ukraine with the crimea interrupted. Therefore, the crimean people have just three ways a visit to "Independence": a trip with someone from friends who can drive into the crimea by car with ukrainian numbers; ukrainian taxi drivers, gaining passengers in simferopol and dzhankoy; bus. To buy tickets for the minibus from sevastopol or simferopol to Kiev, dnepr, kherson, zaporozhye, nichol.