I wanted to visit Russia and Ukraine anyway, but this conversation has made me update in favor of the importance of doing so. I've never come into contact with an alien before. I've heard, however, that ex-Soviets tend to have a more live-and-let-live style of interacting with people who look touristy than, for example, Brazil or Greece, so perhaps it will take an extra effort on my part to discover if there really is a tangible aspect of alienness.