Vladivostok - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Be aware of the environment in light of bilateral relations. In 2012, this was a much more forgiving atmosphere. By 2015, there was a bit more anti-American sentiment. Having lived in Moscow, I found the people of Vladivostok to be much more worldly, open-minded, and accepting of other cultures than their counterparts in Moscow. Unlike western Russia, large portions of the population are of Asian descent and mixed families were common. That being said, foreigners (identified by language or appearance) will draw attention and not always in a positive way.
There were some issues with feral dogs at post, but the local government "resolved" this before the 2012 APEC Summit. They did not reappear in numbers even after three years, but may not be the case now. We did not have any issues in Vladivostok during my three years at post, but you would regularly see reports of bears and even tigers entering smaller towns and villages further north. - Jun 2017
Driving here is deadly. The city is very hilly, similiar to San Fransisco, but the streets are covered with snow and ice 5 months out of the year. This makes driving treacherous. Drunk people at night can be a nuisance, but during my time I never witnessed any real violence on the streets. - Apr 2012
Well, petty crime is a problem, but I have not had any acquaintances get robbed. The most dangerous thing in this town is the traffic, in my opinion. - Jun 2009
Yes - Apr 2009
