Gedevanishvili's family deported from Moscow | Golden Skate

Gedevanishvili's family deported from Moscow

Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
Russia's anti-Georgian campaign hits Elene's family...

Original
Translation:

[size=+1]Georgian skater wasn't allowed back[/size]

Georgian figure skater Elene Gedevanishvili couldn't return to Moscow where she's lived and trained for the past several years. According to "Novye Izvestija", the skater was returning from Vienna, where she won a pre-season "Karl Shaefer" Competition.

Elene's mom was deported from the capital because of incorrect registration papers. As a result, the 16 year old athlete had to go as well.

Arriving in Georgia, Gedevanishvili received the Honor Medal from president Mikhail Saakashvili for her high athletic achievement; she's its youngest receipient ever. Saakashvili declared that the athlete will most likely move to Austria; Georgian authorities are prepared to do everything to ensure good training conditions for her there.

Gedevanishvili, a student of Elena Vodorezova, was last season's dsicovery, coming fifth in her senior debut at Europeans. At the Olympics, the skater who was even helped by the famous Tatiana Tarasova came tenth; she even skated in the last group for the free skate. According to media, behind the scenes Russian coaches and officials were seriously discussing getting Gedevanishvili to skate for Russia.
[size=-1]October 17, 2006[/size]

Verbatim:
Elena Buyanova (Vodorezova), Gedevanishvili's coach:


Elena's papers are in order, but given the situation she can't stay here without her mom; therefore, she had to go from Austria straight to Tbilisi. Lena herself wasn't deported. I don't know what's going to happen. He programs are ready. Propaply, she'll train in countries other than Russia, with other specialists. Then we'll see.
[size=-1]"Novye Izvesija", October 17, 2006[/size]

Verbatim:
Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgia's president:


Gedevanishvili is a great loss for Russia, and a great asset for Gerogia. While Russia welcomes home its spies thrown out of Georgia, Georgia welcomes home its champions thrown out of Russia.
[size=-1]"Novye Izvesija", October 17, 2006[/size]

From www.segodnia.ru
A few years ago, Elene Gedevanishvili's parents sold their house in Tbilisi and rented an appartment in Moscow so their daughter could train there, as Tbilisi did not have a rink.

Also, this site claims that Elene's and her parents' visas were not extended.
 
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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Wow. Thanks for the translation, Ptichka.

Is it your feeling from the original that the Russian authorities are singling out Gedevanishvili's family to make some sort of obscure political point, or did Elena and her mom just accidentally get caught up in some kind of red tape snafu by bad luck?
 
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Jul 11, 2003
Sad news. I don't think her coaches are going to travel to Tbilsi. Surely there must be some way she can get a clearance.

Joe
 

emma

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Oct 28, 2004
I don't read/understand Russian, but NPR today was talking about a kind of 'crack down' against Georgians in Russia...I only caught a few minutes so don't know many details.
 

SeaniBu

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Mar 19, 2006
I certainly hope that this presumably bad news comes out to be something in here favor:bow: :bow: Please!!! - some how some way. I think she is a talent on the horizon and was looking forward to more of her skating.

I would imagine her mom is feeling bad about the situation or is furious with the government's decision.

I would hope that in the future at the very least there can be some extra modifications to these types of situations regarding all athletes.

Good luck "Firecracker!":agree:

Thanks Ptichka.
 

Ptichka

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It's not anything against Gedevanishvili family personally, but neither is this a snafu.

Relations between Russia and Georgia have been worsening ever since the Rose revolution. It escalated when Georgia arrested (and later released into Russia) 4 Russian spies. Even since then, Russia cut off all road and air links to Georgia, and has started campaign against Georgians living in Russia. Here is a good overview: http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/2348.

I would hope that in the future at the very least there can be some extra modifications to these types of situations regarding all athletes.
Much as my heart goes out to Elene, her case is far from the worst. There have been allegations of people dying while in custody waiting for deportation (no medication), whole families uprooted... So, "fixing" this for athletes only would be rather a joke.
 
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John King

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Jul 26, 2003
Ptichka,what is the Russian translation for "This is a blatant violation of their rights!".Or "This stinks to high heaven!".
 

STL_Blues_fan

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Jan 24, 2004
Holy cow!

Somehow this does not surprise me. If anybody still thinks this is a democratic country, they need to have their heads checked. Putin is turning the country back to a complete totalitarian regime.

As Ptichka stated, Elene and her family got out safe and they should consider themselves lucky. With the nationalists skin heads running around and attacking foreigners (and going unpunished) Elene is better off training somewhere else.

At least Georgia's president is aware of her dilema and with his help, Elene should be ok.
 

hockeyfan228

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Jul 26, 2003
Somehow this does not surprise me. If anybody still thinks this is a democratic country, they need to have their heads checked. Putin is turning the country back to a complete totalitarian regime.
Patriot Act? Guantanamo? Senate passing a law that subverts the Supreme Court ruling against lack of due process for alleged terrorist suspects? Minutemen? New nativism?

While it doesn't mean we shouldn't be critical of other regimes, I think we have to look at our own issues as well.
 

Ptichka

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Patriot Act? Guantanamo? Senate passing a law that subverts the Supreme Court ruling against lack of due process for alleged terrorist suspects? Minutemen? New nativism?

While it doesn't mean we shouldn't be critical of other regimes, I think we have to look at our own issues as well.
While noone is more critical of the current regime than I, the last time America did anything close to what Russia is doing now was the Japanese internment camps during WWII.
 

STL_Blues_fan

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Jan 24, 2004
at least we still have the freedom of press that's why we hear about those things. In Russia, most of the media is goverment controlled. If a journalists dares to report the truth, they are playing with their lives - late Anna Politkovskaya is the latest journalist who was gunned down in her own apartment lobby.

I will take Bush over Putin any day. And I am a very liberal Democrat.
 

skateskate

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Sep 13, 2006
Actually Elene's mother is a Geogian citizen. She lived in Russia illegally without a registration, which every foreigner must have. So she was asked to return back to home to legalize the documents correctly.
 

SeaniBu

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Mar 19, 2006
Actually Elene's mother is a Geogian citizen. She lived in Russia illegally without a registration, which every foreigner must have. So she was asked to return back to home to legalize the documents correctly.

That makes perfect sense then. I would think the other issue would be that the Russian gov. would make it impossible for the docs to clear and she wanted what was best for her girl. Can't argue with that either, but hey, Illegal is illegal, you do something you know is illegal and there is no way around it, then you have to expect that is going to happen.

Kinda sticking her and her child's neck out - and then again - she wanted what was best. Well hind sight is (can be) 20/20. Quite a risk.
 

Ptichka

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Actually Elene's mother is a Geogian citizen. She lived in Russia illegally without a registration, which every foreigner must have. So she was asked to return back to home to legalize the documents correctly.

1. No one argues that the family is Georgian, not Russian.

2. All media reports I've seen say that Elene's papers had some mistakes in them - "неправильно оформлена регистрация". There is a big difference between that and not having one's registration at all. Please site the source of your information.
 
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SeaniBu

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Mar 19, 2006
Glad you cleared that up Ptichka, that makes her mom seem like a much more sound minded individual.

I must fault myself for not reading more throughly, I believe skateskate "must have" meant to say "Valid registration" for the comment of "to legalize the documents correctly" was made indicating there were docs where as the mention of "without" could not be valid itself, if the last comment was made.

I am at fault for quickly perpetuating that misunderstanding without thinking it through.:banging:
 

skateskate

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Sep 13, 2006
I'm very sorry for my post. Ptichka, your remarks are totally correct.
I meant exactly "some mistakes" in documents. If you have such docs it makes you living illegally in foreign country, even if it's not your fault. My english is not good and I wasn't able to describe it correctly. :(
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Even so, I am glad to say, "Welcome to the Golden Skate!" :) and thanks for posting this information. We are always pleased to hear the views of international skating fans.

PS. Your English is fine. :agree:
 

SeaniBu

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Mar 19, 2006
:agree: I second that skateskate, English is my native language and I don't do so well :laugh: - don't feel bad and keep posting. Like I said, I think it was my fault for the way I interpreted it.:agree:
 

Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
I'm very sorry for my post. Ptichka, your remarks are totally correct. I meant exactly "some mistakes" in documents. If you have such docs it makes you living illegally in foreign country, even if it's not your fault. My english is not good and I wasn't able to describe it correctly. :(
No problem. It's just that when Americans here about people being in the country illegally, they usually assume that people either sneaked into the country, or came on something like a guest visa and stayed for good. I think there is a world of difference between that, and some paperwork someone does not file correctly.
 
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