Support The Moscow Times!

Moscow Too Cold For Consular Services, But U.S. Embassy Presses On

Arthur Bondar / Instagram

The Embassy of the United States in Moscow will restart normal operations tomorrow after temperatures in the city dropped too low for consular services.

Earlier today, the Embassy announced in a message online that it had been “obliged to cancel all appointments for routine American Citizen Services due [to] a flood in our building.” The flooding would also halt consular services for Russian citizens, another message stated.

The origin of the flood will be familiar to Moscow residents. Extreme freezing temperatures in the city had caused the Embassy’s pipes to burst, spilling water into places it wasn’t meant to be.

As a result, the Embassy would “only be able to provide services in genuine emergencies,” the official message read.

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending for American citizens and Russians seeking a U.S. visa – the U.S. Embassy has foiled Mother Nature’s plans. Its consular section and American Citizen Services will reopen for normal operations tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.

“I just got that notice from the consular chief here,” spokesperson Maria Olson told The Moscow Times.

At press time, Mother Nature could not be reached for comment.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more