Thread: Otchestvo

If a Russian form asks me to put my patronymic down should I write "Philip"? It's not really the same, but a middle name's the closest English has to a patronymic.

Didn't we have a discussion not some time ago where you were asking if it would be OK for you to make a patronymic? I think the discussion was called 'Patronymics for Foreigners.' Anyhow, from what I remember of it, some people said it would be rather precious of you to make a patronymic, and others said it would be just fine for you to use your actual middle name. As for myself, I don't even have a middle name at all and I don't think I would bother making a patronymic, not that's it hard, but 'Prasanovich' would just sound kind of weird...At any rate, it's not something I would lose sleep over. If you're a foreigner, you're a foreigner, heh...

Calm down Pravit, given that this is in the travel section, I think this is a very legitimate question, and is being posed differently. As a foreigner to Russia, you must fill out Visa apps where they ask you to list information. Now, matching a visa name to a passport IS VERY IMPORTANT if you want to get into the country without hassles. Now to answer the question, i dont have my passport on me but on my left over departure, entry cards, i didnt put my middle name, i just left the patronymic question blank. Worked fine.

so:

Imya:Edmund Philip
Otchestvo:
Familia:Woodfield (Voodfield i suppose?)

or
Imya:Edmund
Otchestvo:
Familia:Woodfield

or
Imya:Edmund
Otchestvo:Philip
Familia:Woodfield

what would a Russian border guard prefer?

what would a Russian border guard prefer?

I doubt he'll be concerned either way if he knows you're a foreigner. If you need to make a choice, I suggest the middle one (leaving отчество out); it's never caused me any problems.

That's really stupid thing when they ask foreigners to write their отчество. I think the form must have only one big field named “name” where a foreigner can write down anything he needs. What I can suggest is to write all attributes of your name. I mean don't leave “Philip” out. If I was a Russian borderguard I would prefer the first variant. And if you are Woodfield then write “Woodfield”, not “Voodfield”.

How do you transliterate "woo" though? "yy"?

you dont transliterate on a visa form

Originally Posted by Tu-160

That's really stupid thing when they ask foreigners to write their отчество.

I was asked by a Russian policeman once to show my passport. When he saw it, he asked me why it wasn't in Russian...

[quote=Gollandski Yozh]

Originally Posted by "Tu-160":e9968c3c

That's really stupid thing when they ask foreigners to write their отчество.

I was asked by a Russian policeman once to show my passport. When he saw it, he asked me why it wasn't in Russian... [/quote:e9968c3c]

Well, what do you expect from police?

Originally Posted by Gollandski Yozh

I was asked by a Russian policeman once to show my passport. When he saw it, he asked me why it wasn't in Russian...

Hee hee. When I went to buy a train ticket, the train kassa biznatch refused to enter my passport info because it wasn't in Russian.

Originally Posted by drew881

you dont transliterate on a visa form

maybe you don't need to, i don't remember exactly, but on the final visa, they do transliterate: they put my middle name as 'уилльям'
so I guess Woodfield would be : 'у...' ach that's impossible!

I think I'll go with

Woodfield
Edmund Philip

because that is what I had to write on the British passport application for which says:

Surname:
Forname(s):

Clever FCO. But for some reason they (oh who am I kidding, David Blunkett) want me to put in my bank account details. This reminds me of a book called 1984.........

What form are you filling out that requires those details oddo? A British passport application?

RE the original question: it's entirely up to you. I've done both and not had a problem either way.

When I've entered my middle name in the otchestvo section it has appeared on my Visa, when I've left it blank it's appeared blank in my visa. In the first instance I've had to explain to those Russians who want a look at a foreign passport (out of interest) that my father isn't called Alexander and that our middle names aren't patronymics, and are essentially meaningless, and in the second instance I've had to explain to those Russians who want a look at a foreign passport (out of interest) that I do know who my father is, but that our middle names aren't patronymics, and are essentially meaningless

In neither case did any immigration official, or policeman, or whatever, appear to give the slightest hoot either way.

Oh, and I have never transliterated anything on any application form, and yet I have at least four different transilterations of my imya and familiya on different visas, so if you do choose to transliterate it yourself you realy needn't worry about the accuracy, so long as it sounds right.

on forms genrally is my nationality "British" "Briton" "English" or "Englishman" (in their Russian forms obviously but i can't be bothered switching keyboards just for that)

Nah, I was refering to this:

Clever FCO. But for some reason they (oh who am I kidding, David Blunkett) want me to put in my bank account details. This reminds me of a book called 1984.........