It really is true!

[randomness]

Once you've had to deal with OVIR, no other bureaucracy really compares.

(I mean, some of these folks were even friendly!)

Comments

[totient]

It took me a while of thinking that the (California) Office of Vital Records weren't so evil in my experience before I realized you meant ОВИР.

[obra.livejournal.com]

Bah. The Ukranians make OVIR look like a hippie commune these days.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the Ukrainians call theirs OVIR, too? Or is this one those things where "the official name's been changed, but everyone still calls it Atticus anyway" situations?

I ask because these three pages:

http://www.brama.com/travel/messages/4005.html (Ukraine)
http://www.forum.uz/showthread.php?t=22520 (Uzbekistan)
http://www.cilicia.com/2003/11/so-regarding-my-last-log.html (Armenia)

all still refer to OVIR.

Uzbek OVIR. *shudder*

(P.S. Have you been dealing with the fine upstanding officials in Kiev recently? My condolences.