# Forum About Russia Travel and Tourism  Otchestvo

## Oddo

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.

----------


## Pravit

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...

----------


## drew881

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.

----------


## Oddo

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?   ::

----------


## joysof

> 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.

----------


## Tu-160

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”.

----------


## Oddo

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

----------


## drew881

you dont transliterate on a visa form

----------


## Gollandski Yozh

> 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...   ::   ::   ::

----------


## translationsnmru

[quote=Gollandski Yozh] 

> 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?

----------


## Линдзи

> 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.

----------


## waxwing

> 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!   ::

----------


## Oddo

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.........

----------


## scotcher

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.

----------


## Oddo

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)

----------


## scotcher

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.........

----------

