Safety of living in St Petersburg Russia during y2k crisis?

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We currently live in San Jose California. My wife is from Russia. She owns an apartment in St Petersburg and her parents live in a suburb about 20 miles away. We are thinking of moving or vactioning there beginning in fall of 99. I have been there before and banks and phones are not used very much by most people already. What worries me is the power and food distribution systems. Does anyone know how Russia will probably do during the y2k crisis?

jgcec@aol.com

-- jg chandler (jgcec@aol.com), July 29, 1998

Answers

I've twice visited St. Petersburg and I virtually certain that there is a nuclear power station in its vicinity, maybe within 30 miles. In my opinion, it would be egregiously imprudent to assume that the Russians have the resouces or the will to make sure that their nuclear facilities are y2k compliant.

CONCLUSION: St. Petersburg (and that matter the entire land mass comprising the former Soviet Union) is an extremely imprudent choice of residence on 1/1/00.

-- Edward H. Greenberg (edward.h.greenberg@jpl.nasa.gov), July 29, 1998.


My Father was born in the southeastern part of Finland about 70 miles out side of St. Petersburg [Pietra, Leningrad, etc.] His opinion of the region is that the populace is in general unable to do anything for themselves unless they are under direct military attack, as they were from August 1941 thru the next 900 days. Similar situation should arise now.

-- Yevgeny (nogo@aol.com), July 30, 1998.

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