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        General Information
                Geography
                Language
                Religion
                Time
                Electricity
                Communications
        Passport and Visa
        Money
        Customs
        Public Holidays
        Travel
                Transport
                        Flight
                        River
                        Rail
                        Urban
               Accommodation
          Moscow   (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)
        St Petersburg (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)
        Regions of Russia (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)
        Adventure Travel in Russia  (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)
        Social Profile
                Food&Drinks
                Nightlife
                Shopping
                Sport
                Social conventions
                Tipping
        History (you will be redirected to another page  of this Server)
        Climate
        Note!
Links to Russia related WEB Sites (Weather forecast, photo tours ...)

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Geography: The Russian Federation covers almost twice the area of the United States of America, and reaches from Moscow in the west over the Urals and the vast Siberian plains to the Sea of Okhotsk in the east. The border between European Russia and Siberia (Asia) is formed by the Ural Mountains, the Ural River and the Manych Depression. European Russia extends from the North Polar Sea across the Central Russian Uplands to the Black Sea, the Northern Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. Siberia stretches from the West Siberian Plain across the Central Siberian Plateau between Yenisey and Lena, including the Sayan, Yablonovy and Stanovoy ranges in the south to the East Siberian mountains between Lena and the Pacific coast including the Chukotskiy and Kamchatka peninsulas.   
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Time:

Kaliningrad: GMT + 2
Moscow, St Petersburg: GMT + 3
Mineralnye Vody, Nalchik: GMT + 3
Volgograd: GMT + 4
Irkutsk: GMT + 8
Tiksi, Yakutsk: GMT + 9
Khabarovsk, Okhotsk, Vladivostok: GMT + 10
Magadan, Sakhalin Island: GMT + 11
Anadyr, Petropavlosk: GMT + 12

You must add 1 hr. from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in September

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Communications:

Telephone: IDD is available. Country Code: 7. When dialing the Russian Federation from abroad, the 0 of the area code must not be omitted. Outgoing international code: 8-"wait for a tone"-10. Most international calls made from large cities can be dialed directly, but in smaller cities and towns it may be necessary to go through the international operator and these should be booked well in advance. Telephone booths for international phone calls are available at main post offices. International calls can be booked by dialing 8-"wait for a tone"-194. Some Moscow hotels have telephone booths with IDD.

Fax: Services are available in numerous business centers and hotels.

Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes over ten days and is not safe enough. There are mailboxes and post offices in every hotel.       

Internet services: Available in  business centers and modern large hotels.

Mobile phones for rent: You can rent a phone in some large cities.

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PASSPORT & VISA

Note: Whilst in the country, visitors must carry ID at all times. Rather than carry original documents, it is advisable to carry photocopies of passports and visas, which will facilitate replacement should either be stolen.   

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Currency exchange: Foreign currency should only be exchanged at official bureau and all transactions must be recorded on the currency declaration form which is issued on arrival. It is wise to retain all exchange receipts. Bureaux de change are numerous and easy to locate. Large shops offer their own exchange facilities.

Credit cards: Major European and international credit cards, including American Express, MC, Visa and Diners Club, are accepted in the larger hotels and at foreign currency shops and restaurants. But cash is preferred.

Travelers cheques: cash is preferred.

Exchange rate: 1 US Dollar = 6,14 Rbl  (29.05.98)

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is prohibited. All remaining local currency must be reconverted at the point of departure. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival. You can buy legal permission for export of additional currency for about 1% of full amount in almost every bureau de change.

Banking hours: Monday to Friday.    

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CUSTOMS

On entering the country, tourists must complete a customs declaration form which must be retained until departure. This allows the import of articles intended for personal use, including currency and valuables which must be registered on the declaration form. Cameras, jewellery, computers and musical instruments should all be declared.

Prohibited imports: Military weapons and ammunition, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, pornography, loose pearls, fruit and vegetables and live animals.

Prohibited exports: As prohibited imports, as well as annulled securities, state loan certificates, lottery tickets, works of art and antiques (unless permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture), saiga horns, Siberian stag, punctuate and red deer antlers (unless on organised hunting trip), and punctuate deer skins.      

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Jan 1 '97 New Year.
Jan 7-8 Russian Christmas.
Mar 1-7 Spring Festival.
Mar 8 International Women's Day.
Apr 2 Day of Unity of the Peoples.
Apr 28 Russian Orthodox Easter.
May 1-2 Spring and Labour Day.
May 9 Victory in Europe Day.
Jun 12 Russian Independence Day.
Aug 22 National Flag Day.
Aug 31 National Language Day.
Nov 7 Anniversary of the October Revolution.
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TRANSPORT
Approximate flight times:
From Moscow (Russia):
to Almaty (Kazakhstan) is 4 hours 15 minutes,
to Baku (Azerbaijan) is 3 hours,
to Bukhara (Uzbekistan) is 3 hours 45 minutes,
to Dzhambul is 3 hours 45 minutes,
to Kiev (Ukraine) is 1 hour 30 minutes,
to Minsk (Belorus) is 1 hour 30 minutes,
to Odessa (Ukraine) is 2 hours,
to Samarkand (Uzbekistan) is 3 hours 45 minutes,
to Yerevan (Armenia) is 4 hours 30 minutes,
to Bratsk (Russia) is 6 hours 45 minutes,
to Donetsk (Ukraine) is 1 hour 30 minutes,
to Irkutsk (Russia) is 7 hours,
to Khabarovsk (Russia) is 7 hours 30 minutes,
to Kharkov (Ukraine) is 1 hour 15 minutes,
to Mineralnye Vody (Russia) is 1 hour 45 minutes,
to St Petersburg (Russia) is 1 hour,
to Lvov (Ukraine) is 2 hours 15 minutes,
to Volgograd (Russia) is 1 hour 30 minutes,
to Yalta (Crimea-Ukraine)is 2 hours 15 minutes.
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Rail: The 87,090km (54,432 miles) of track are a vital part of the infrastructure due to the poor road system. The largest and busiest rail network in the world is predominantly for freight traffic. Only a few long-distance routes are for travel by tourists, and reservations must be made on all journeys. Children under 5 travel free. Children aged 5-9 pay half fare. Rail travellers are advised to store valuables in the compartment under the bed or seat and not to leave the compartment unattended.
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Urban: Public transport in the cities is comprehensive and cheap. Many services are electric traction (metro, tramway, trolleybus). Stations on the Moscow metro are always elegant and often palatial. Fares are standard for the various modes. Taxis are also available; they can be hailed in the street, hired at a rank or booked by telephone. It is safer to use officially marked taxis which should not be shared with strangers. Ask for the fee in advance and bargain (taximeters are always turned off or show much more then you really must pay).

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Accommodation
Hotels: There are approximately 2500 hotels in the Russian Federation, of which around 100 specialise in accommodating foreign guests. Some hotels meet international standards, whereas others are very basic. Direct reservations by clients are on the increase. Several new hotels have beend in Moscow and St Petersburg, partly as joint-ventures, e.g. the Aerostar (4-star), the Olympic-Penta (all rooms with bathroom, air-conditioning, radio, TV, IDD) and the Novotel at the Moscow airport. The Pullman Iris also offers 4-star comfort. St Petersburg's Grand Hotel Europe is one of the first 5-star hotels in the Russian Federation. The Hotel Helen is a Russian-Finnish joint-venture, 20km (12.5 miles) from the St Petersburg airport.
Bed & Breakfast: Several companies provide bed & breakfast accommodation with English-speaking families in Moscow, St Petersburg and other cities.   

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MOSCOW  (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)

ST. PETERSBURG  (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)

OTHER REGIONS OF RUSSIA  (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)

ADVENTURE TRAVEL IN RUSSIA  (you will be redirected to another page of this Server)

SOCIAL PROFILE

Food: The kind of food visitors will eat from day to day depends on which city they are visiting and the time of year. Breakfast is often similar to the Scandinavian, with cold meats, boiled eggs and bread served with Russian tea. Kasha (porridge) is a staple breakfast dish, made with milk and oats, buckwheat or semolina. For the midday and evening meal the food is often more traditional, again depending on the region. One of the more famous Russian dishes is borshch, a beetroot soup served hot with sour cream, and the sister dish of akroshka, a kvas soup served cold. Several dishes which are now often seen as international but find their origin in Russia are beef stroganov (beef stewed in sour cream with fried potatoes), blini (small pancakes filled with caviar, fish, melted butter or sour cream), aladyi (crumpets with the same filling and jam) and especially ikra or krasnaya ikra (black and red caviar). The local chicken kiev should not be confused with Western imitations. Tsipleonok tabaka is another chicken dish: the meat is roast on a spit. Whole roast suckling pig and roast goose stuffed with buckwheat, roast duck stuffed with apples and shashlik (shish kebab) are served at parties and for special occasions. A vegetable variant of shashlik also exists. Local dishes well worth trying include kotlyety po Pozharsky (chicken cutlets), pirozhky (fried rolls with different fillings, usually meat), prostakvasha (yoghurt), pelmeni (meat dumplings), rossolnik (hot soup, usually made of pickled vegetables) and shchi (cabbage soup). Stuffed cabbage leaves and sweet peppers are filled with boiled rice and minced meat. Mushrooms in sour cream are very popular. The great variety of salads available include winter salad and vinegret (made of diced vegetables). Desserts include morozhenoye (ice cream), ponchiki (hot sugared doughnuts) and vareniki (dumplings containing fresh berries, cherries or jam).    

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Nightlife: Theatre, circus, concert and variety performances are the main evening entertainments. Tickets are available in advance or from ticket booths immediately before performances. The repertoire of theatres provides a change of program almost nightly. In the course of one month, 30 different productions may be presented by the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Company. Details of performances can be obtained on arrival. Visitors should apply to the service bureau of their hotel. Dancing takes place in many of hotel restaurants and night bars, as well as in the main local restaurants. Moscow alone boasts 69 casinos, including the Cherry Casino and Gabriella. Discotheques include Night Flight and Arlekino, which also has a restaurant. The Russkaya Troika restaurant in the Orlenok Hotel has a cabaret show. All of these establishments arefrom .    

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Shopping: Most consumer goods are now available in Moscow and St Petersburg. A wide range of goods such as watches, cameras, wines and spirits, furs, ceramics and glass, jewellery and toys may be bought, shops now take payment in Roubles only. A system of queueing is used in local shops for choosing goods, for payment and for collection, so allow some time for souvenir hunting. Palekh and Kholui lacquered boxes make attractive souvenirs. Traditional and satirical Matryoshka dolls (wooden dolls within dolls) are widely available. Khokhloma wooden cups, saucers and spoons are painted gold, red and black. Dymkovskaya Igrushka are pottery figurines based on popular folklore characters. Engraved amber, Gzhel porcelain, Vologda lace and Fabergй eggs and jewellery are highly sought-after. Most tourist shops are closed Sunday, but food shops are usuallyevery day. Antiquities, valuables, works of art and manuscripts other than those offered for sale in souvenir shops may not be taken out of the CIS without an export licence. Shopping hours: 0900-1700 Monday to Saturday. Department stores and supermarkets are throughout lunchtime. Stores which are24 hours a day are becoming more common.     

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Sport:
Hiking trips are available in the Caucasus, at Teberda-Dombay (west) and at Baksan Elbrus (north).
Skiing: There is skiing in the same areas. As for the big cities, Moscow has a ski jump in the Vorobyevi Hills and a tourist agency can organise days of cross-country skiing, with poles and boots provided, at Suzdal.
Skating: Many towns and cities have artificial ice rinks for the summer but during the hard winters frozen lakes and rivers ensure plenty of room for Russians and visitors to skate side by side. St Petersburg's Central Recreation Park is a favourite among skaters and it also has a ski centre.
Horseriding: An equestrian sports centre has been laid out at Bitsa Forest Park and there is also riding at Sokolniki, Moscow and a cycle track at Krylatskoye to the northwest of the city.
Fishing: The Veselovskaye Reservoir in the Rostov-on-Don region is noted for pike, perch, carp, bream, gudgeon, bullhead and roach.
Spectator sports: Almost every provincial city has a football team and larger cities have several clubs organised within factories, unions and government offices. International events include the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament and the Izvestia Hockey Prize. Russia's ethnic diversity is reflected in the wide variety of local traditional sports. Martial arts are a recent import and are steadily gaining popularity. For more detailed information about sports activities, refer to the Adventure Holidays in Russia feature.   

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Social conventions: It is customary to shake hands when greeting someone. Visits to homes and cities can be organised  and visitors will find that, although the people vary from region to region and from city to city, they are welcoming and hospitable. Company or business gifts are well received. Each region has its own characteristic mode of dress, some quite unlike Western styles, and visitors should be aware of this contrast. Conservative wear is suitable for most places and the seasonal weather should always be borne in mind. Smoking is acceptable unless stated otherwise. Avoid ostentatious displays of wealth; it is advisable to keep expensive jewellery, watches and cameras out of sight and take precautions against pickpocketing.

Tipping: Hotels in Moscow and other large cities include a 10-15% service charge. Otherwise 10% is customary.    

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Northern & Central European Russia: The most varied climate; mildest areas are along the Baltic coast. Summer sunshine may be nine hours a day, but winters can be very cold.
Siberia: Very cold winters, but summers can be pleasant, although they tend to be short and wet. There is considerable seasonal temperature variation.
Southern European Russia: Winter is shorter than in the north. Steppes (in the southeast) have hot, dry summers and very cold winters. The north and northeastern Black Sea has mild winters, but heavy rainfall all the year round.    
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Note:
Carry copy of ID at all times.
Incidents of violent mugging, theft and pickpocketing in all cities, especially St Petersburg and Moscow, continue to occur. Be vigilant and dress down. Be particularly wary in Moscow of groups of young children/vagrants. Keep expensive jewellery, watches and cameras out of sight. Use officially marked taxis which you should not share with strangers. When travelling by train, store valuables in the compartment under the bed/seat. Do not leave the compartment empty. Ensure the door is quite secure from the inside by tying it closed with wire or strong cord. Do not accept food or drink from strangers as it may be drugged.   

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Links to Russia related WEB Sites

http://www.glasnet.ru/glasweb/eng/v-tour.html   - Virtual tour of Russia

http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~mes/russia/photo.html - wonderful collection of illustrated materials about Russia

http://www.valley.net/~transnat/   - "Russia on the WEB" a comprehensive collection of Russia-related links

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This information rewieu based on Columbus Press Ltd. " World Travel Guide"    www.wtg-online.com

Please, do not hesitate to contact us for any further information.

Questions or problems regarding this web site and our tours should be directed to incoming
1998 Pilgrim Tours.
Last modified: 11.06.98.