Mennonite historians and leaders in Omsk, July 2007 at the time of the Centennial Celebrations of the coming of Mennonites to Siberia
Left to Right: Jacob Penner, Germany (an aussiedler, meaning an immigrant from the former Soviet Asian Republics such as Kazakhstan); Viktor Fast, Germany (an aussiedler), Peter Epp, Omsk region and historian of the Omsk Bruederschaft, Victor Wall, Paraguay, head of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren, Paul Toews, Fresno Pacific University.
February 24, 2010 -
Please note that the special academic visa invitation from Omsk
State University for the Siberia Conference June 2-6 is no longer
available. To date we have been able to accommodate over forty
participants in this manner. This was a very special limited time
arrangement made with the North American conference organizers.
We can still possibly arrange tourist visas for late entrants who might additionally want to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow. It is very important to know that
North Americans and citizens of the European Union need a visa to visit Russia. This is not a simple process.
Marina and Walter Unger are delighted to assist the conference organizers, Royden Loewen, University of Winnipeg and Paul Toews, Fresno Pacific University in travel arrangements for all who attend.
The conference agenda is entirely organized by Loewen and Toews with Omsk State University, under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
We assist with travel arrangements, which are rather complicated. Nonetheless this will be a rich and wonderful opportunity for many non academics as well to attend the conference along with a range of pre and post conference tours.
The documents in our Download page are important for us to get you to the conference and for us to understand what your choices are prior to and after the conference.
Our first important task is to get the invitation from Russia which allows you to apply for a visa from the Russian Consulate or Embassy here in Canada or in the US
Important facts
1. Passport - please check the expiry date. Your passport must be valid for 6 months from your departure date June 2010 from Russia. PASSPORT MUST BE VALID UNTIL Dec 2010.
If you need to renew your passport please do so immediately.
We need to have the main two passport pages scanned and sent to us by e-mail attachment. It you
do not have a scanner, your local photoshop can scan and send it for you.
2. Visa Invitation Form - this must be completed fully.
Here is the link to the online invitation form in Word format.
Please download this form, fill it out and return it to us as an attachment
For your dates of travel please enter - Arrival 22 May Departure 20 June - the visa issued cannot be longer than one month
#8 Country: Canada - if you live in BC visa will be issued in Ottawa
- if you live in AB, SK, MB or Ontario visa will be issued in Toronto
US - Washington DC or San Francisco
#12 Only four places can be listed. If you don’t know what places you will visit put down all possibilities Moscow, St Petersburg, Omsk and Slavgorod (Uzbekistan is not Russia).
#13 Ibis Hotel, Lenina 22 str, Omsk
There may be a need for some of you to renew your passports. Because of this we are sending the documents to Russia in stages.
Those of you who must renew your passports please email us your scanned documents by the end of Jan, 2010
3. Travel Architecture
A: Pre conference visits to Moscow and St. Petersburg:
Please contact Marina Unger for options.
Please let us know which are of interest to you.
B: Academic Conference in Omsk June 2 - 6
Conference Cost
per person sharing a room $785.00USD $860.00CAD
single supplement $225.00USD $240.00CAD
- participants arrive June 1
- three days of events and papers June 2,3,4
- two days of daytime visits to Mennonite villages east and west of Omsk June, 5,6
C. Slavgorod Extension June 7 - 11 This tour is now fully booked
We will be using an Omsk travel partner to take people down to Slavgorod in an 18 passenger van. It will be a long day's trip both ways. Conference visitors will be housed in Mennonite homestays. Slavgorod resident Alexander Weiss will organize village tours for two days. You will return by van to Omsk to fly home via Moscow.
D, Silk Road Extension June 7 - 18 Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva-Urgench
The Siberia 2010 adventure will be rich and memorable. It will offer you fascinating new research papers and a visit to an important part of our heritage.
Warm regards
Marina and Walter Unger
Marina Unger, Travel Organizer: toll free 1-800-387-1488 ext 2827 or direct office line 416-915-2827 e-mail: marinau@vision2000.ca
Vision 2000 Travel
1200 Sheppard Avenue East Suite 201
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2K 2S5
We can still possibly arrange tourist visas for late entrants who might additionally want to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow. It is very important to know that
North Americans and citizens of the European Union need a visa to visit Russia. This is not a simple process.
Marina and Walter Unger are delighted to assist the conference organizers, Royden Loewen, University of Winnipeg and Paul Toews, Fresno Pacific University in travel arrangements for all who attend.
The conference agenda is entirely organized by Loewen and Toews with Omsk State University, under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
We assist with travel arrangements, which are rather complicated. Nonetheless this will be a rich and wonderful opportunity for many non academics as well to attend the conference along with a range of pre and post conference tours.
The documents in our Download page are important for us to get you to the conference and for us to understand what your choices are prior to and after the conference.
Our first important task is to get the invitation from Russia which allows you to apply for a visa from the Russian Consulate or Embassy here in Canada or in the US
Important facts
1. Passport - please check the expiry date. Your passport must be valid for 6 months from your departure date June 2010 from Russia. PASSPORT MUST BE VALID UNTIL Dec 2010.
If you need to renew your passport please do so immediately.
We need to have the main two passport pages scanned and sent to us by e-mail attachment. It you
do not have a scanner, your local photoshop can scan and send it for you.
2. Visa Invitation Form - this must be completed fully.
Here is the link to the online invitation form in Word format.
Please download this form, fill it out and return it to us as an attachment
For your dates of travel please enter - Arrival 22 May Departure 20 June - the visa issued cannot be longer than one month
#8 Country: Canada - if you live in BC visa will be issued in Ottawa
- if you live in AB, SK, MB or Ontario visa will be issued in Toronto
US - Washington DC or San Francisco
#12 Only four places can be listed. If you don’t know what places you will visit put down all possibilities Moscow, St Petersburg, Omsk and Slavgorod (Uzbekistan is not Russia).
#13 Ibis Hotel, Lenina 22 str, Omsk
There may be a need for some of you to renew your passports. Because of this we are sending the documents to Russia in stages.
Those of you who must renew your passports please email us your scanned documents by the end of Jan, 2010
3. Travel Architecture
A: Pre conference visits to Moscow and St. Petersburg:
Please contact Marina Unger for options.
Please let us know which are of interest to you.
B: Academic Conference in Omsk June 2 - 6
Conference Cost
per person sharing a room $785.00USD $860.00CAD
single supplement $225.00USD $240.00CAD
- participants arrive June 1
- three days of events and papers June 2,3,4
- two days of daytime visits to Mennonite villages east and west of Omsk June, 5,6
C. Slavgorod Extension June 7 - 11 This tour is now fully booked
We will be using an Omsk travel partner to take people down to Slavgorod in an 18 passenger van. It will be a long day's trip both ways. Conference visitors will be housed in Mennonite homestays. Slavgorod resident Alexander Weiss will organize village tours for two days. You will return by van to Omsk to fly home via Moscow.
D, Silk Road Extension June 7 - 18 Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva-Urgench
$1550.00US
per
person
sharing
single
supplement
#220.00US
Services included:
1/ double
accommodation at hotels with breakfast
2/ transport
a/c
mini
van
for
all
over
itinerary
3/ airport
–
hotel
–
airport
transfers
4/ sightseeing
tours
as
in
the
program
5/ English-speaking
escorting
guide
6/ entrance
fees
to
monuments
and
museums
7/ Folklore
show
in
8/ domestic
air
tickets
within
Kazakstan:
Urgench-Tashkent
Price
does not include:
- Omsk/Moscow flights
-
lunches and dinners
- visa
fee
-
Photo, camera in the museums and monuments
of architecture
- tips
to escorting guide and driver
The Siberia 2010 adventure will be rich and memorable. It will offer you fascinating new research papers and a visit to an important part of our heritage.
Warm regards
Marina and Walter Unger
Marina Unger, Travel Organizer: toll free 1-800-387-1488 ext 2827 or direct office line 416-915-2827 e-mail: marinau@vision2000.ca
Vision 2000 Travel
1200 Sheppard Avenue East Suite 201
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2K 2S5