While creating this blog I made a thorough search of the web for information on Africans in Russia. I found little, which consequently further convinced me of the necessity for the blog. While I discovered several sites, all now in the Blogroll, I failed to find to turn up a serious online community. By serious I mean a modern online community that takes advantage of web 2.0 networking technology. In this age of twitter, myspace, facebook and the like I started to wonder why I couldn’t find one. Is the reason that it already exists but I simply didn’t find it? Or maybe there’s no interest? Or maybe there is interest but no one has organized anything yet? Which explanation do you think is best? I think the last one.

So I have taken the first step by finding a free social network hosting service and have created the Africans in Russia Network. For Africans who live, used to live in Russia, or want to live in Russia. Here you can start a blog, tell people back home what it’s like in Russia, upload photos, exchange useful information, have a discussion, or do whatever you like.

Visit Africans in Russia Network

There is also an Afro-Russian group on Facebook

It’s an experiment in community building. Personally, I hope to use it to find more people to photograph and interview. Ultimately it will be what we make it. The possibilities are endless.

Michael Eckels

info[at]african-russia.net