Cold War

Since the Cold War Russia has taken soldiers from a few countries in Africa including Angola, The Republic of Congo and Mozambique to train them to fly and crew helicopters. Now despite the war in Syria and disagreements of global energy relations, Saudi Arabians are joining them. Transplanted to the icy plains of Russia from the heat of their homelands they join tiny ethnic minorities that come from outside the old Eastern Bloc. Just 0.0003% of Russians come from of full or mixed-African heritage and likely fewer still from Saudi ancestry. Most train for six years, arrive without speaking the language and are sent by their army. For others furthering their education and career away from home is an opportunity not to be missed, despite an often difficult and from time to time even hostile environment.