Facts for visitors
Location1/3 of Russia is situated in Europe and approximately 2/3 of the territory is in Asia. The geographical boarder between Europe and Asia is the Ural Mountains - river Ural and the Caucasian Mountains in the south. total = 17,075,200 km2. Population143,420,309 |
Traveling within RussiaMoscow – St. Petersburg = 700 km. |
Land boundariestotal = 20,017 km. border countriesAzerbaijan = 284 km. |
Emergencies01 – fire brigade. 02 – police ("Militsiya"). You can speak in English, as they have a phone tracking system and will be able to locate you by your phone number (if you call from stationary phone). 03 – ambulance. If you come to Russian for an extended period of time, it is a good idea to get registered with an American Medical Center available in major cities. Distance fromLondon = 2907 km. GTM+3 /4 hours. |
Other facts:Climat Climatranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast. Terrain: broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions ReligionThe Russian Federation officially recognizes four faiths: Orthodoxy, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam. When to goMoscow, St. Petersburg an the rest of the cities in the European part of Russia are a year-round destination. Although some winter days can be rather cold and depressing for the Europeans. One of the pluses about winter is finding the museums less crowded and accommodation sometimes cheaper than during the high tourist season. Most foreigners prefer visiting Russia from May till mid-September. The only really ugly time of the year is March, when snow and ice turn to rivers of clack slush. If you go in winter, remember to bring good waterproof worm boots, really worm jacket with the hood and mittens. What to takeToiletries and pharmaceuticals. Suitable boots or shoes. Umbrella. Travel alarm clock. Clean and crisp bills (new banknotes are best if you can get them). Travel money holder/concealer (belt-type). Photocopy of passport and visa (just in case police stops you to verify your registration status). Warm hat, coat, clothes and gloves in winter. Appropriate-type film and battery for your camera. If using APS, be sure to bring enough film, as APS film is not sold in many shops in Russia. Heavy locks for luggage. A power converter and adaptor. Russian standard is 220 Volts AC, 50 Hertz. If bringing a laptop or other electronics from US, bring an RJ-11 adaptor for the Russian plug, preferably with two RJ-11 sockets. In winter, with temperatures plummeting to as low as -30, it is advisable to bring a very warm winter coat, while sturdy footwear is an absolute must, as some of the smaller streets around Russia are often littered with ice, which can make getting from A to B very difficult without decent footwear. It is also a necessity to bring plenty of warm layers, scarf’s, hats, while thermal underwear is also advisable. The summer in the Western part of Russia is comparable with northern European summers, hot but with frequent showers. So, don't forget a sweater and raincoat. Nights and evenings can get cold even in July and August, so bring enough warm clothes. People usually dress casually, but jeans are not really admitted for a visit to the Bolshoi Theater. In churches, you should always wear clothing covering your shoulders and wrist. In some Orthodox churches outside Moscow, females may be asked to wear a long skirt and a scarf. Shoes should be strong, light and comfortable, as you will have to walk a lot while touring. CustomsUpon arrival: Your visa and passport are examined. Your holiday voucher can also be checked. In case you have less than $1500 in cash you do not need any custom declaration and you proceed to the GREEN CORRIDOR (NOTHING TO DECLARE). When leaving Russia, you may take up to $1500 in cash with you without any certificate. When leaving Russia, you should enter the sum of money you are taking with you in your customs declaration before you cross the border. You may take more than $1500 (but not more than $10000) provided that you have documents for customs clearance showing that the money had been legally transfered or brought to the Russian Federation, or taken from the current account (in foreign currency), or purchased at the authorized bank of the Russian Federation. Money mattersCurrency The official Russian currency is Rubles (rub`li). One rouble ( o`din rubl') consists of 100 kopeek (1 kopeika - od`na (one) ko`peika). For exact rates you can use the online currency converters at http://www.xe.net/pca/ (pop-up converter) or http://www.oanda.com Travelers' Cheques is probably the most secure way of keeping your money: you are the only one who can cash the cheques and if lost they can be reissued - just write down the numbers beforehand and keep them separate from the cheques. The problem is that in Russia you can refund them only in banks, which are opened only from 9.30 until 18.30. The banks charge commission for refunding the cheques (about 2-3%) and for buying the cheques - usually 1%. The most widely accepted cheques in Russia are American Express and more rare - Thomas Cook. Please, note, that you cannot pay with travelers cheques in Russia, you can only withdraw money from them in banks. Also, the recent customs regulations make it necessary to declare the cheques when you enter Russia. Credit Cards. There're many cash machines in Moscow, St. Petersburg and major Siberian cities, and a lot of shops and restaurants accept cards in the big cities. However, as soon as you go to smaller towns, you'll find it hard to use your credit card. If you don't know where to look for an ATM, go to any big and expensive hotel. However, it's better if you withdraw your money in the cash machine, which is at some bank's office, in that case if your card gets swallowed you'll deal with the problem faster. Usually banks charge 0 to 1% commission if you withdraw money with the card of the other (foreign) bank, but your bank - the issuer of the card - will take from $2 to $5 US for this operation. In most of the cases you'll receive rubles, some ATMs dispense dollars as well. Visa, MasterCard are accepted almost in any ATM, Visa Electron and Cirrus / Maestro - more rarely, and AMEX and Diners Club owners might have problems cashing the cards. Important! You need to present your passport for any currency operation at exchange offices and banks! Lost & Stolen Credit Cards Emergency Numbers: AMEX offices in Moscow: (495) 933-6636 (from 9.00 to 17.00), and in St. Petersburg (812) 329-6060 (from 9.00 till 17.00). Amex, Visa, MasterCard, Diners', JCB cards center in Moscow: (495) 956-3556 (24 hours a day). CommunicationRussia’s country code is 7. St. Petersburg’s code is 812, Moscow’s 495. You will be able to make long-distance calls from all hotels but their prices will be more expensive than other options. Payphones are located throughout Moscow and St. Petersburg. Most of them accept prepaied telephone cards. You can find payphones at every metro station. Cellular Service – European cellphones work here (double check with your service provider before leaving home) You cal also rent a telephone at Megaphone, Beeline and MTS. The best way to find out if your phone will work on Russian networks is to contact your local service provider, which probably has a roaming agreement with one of the Moscow operators. In general, GSM subscribers should not have any trouble roaming in major Russian cities. It may be harder for Americans and Asians to get service. In addition to GSM 900/1800, a common European standard which is widely available throughout Russia, CDMA has just been introduced in St. Petersburg. GSM 400/1800 will soon be available in selected regions. There are also two main analog standards supported in Russia, D-AMPS and NMT-450. In Moscow, St. Petersburg and other wealthy cities, coverage on both GSM and analog standards is usually very good. The networks are expanding into more and more regions but don't count on amazing service outside of big cities. E-mail and Internet access – can be found at all business centers at the hotels (where it can be rather expensive). Internet cafes are springing up everywhere, and a few are open 24 hours. One can find an Internet café even in small medieval towns as Rostov the Great and Suzdal. Direct Dialing Access Numbers AT&T MCI BT Direct Canada Direct ElectricityElectricity throughout Russia is 220 volt/50 hz. The plug is the two-pin thin European standard. Be sure to bring your own converter as most places in Russia do not carry them. ToiletsInexpensive toilets are scatters all over the central part of nearly all main cities of Russia, marked with the Latin letters WC. There are also inexpensive toilets at bus and train stations. All the toilets at the museums are free. HealthTalk to your insurance agent if you feel you run any health risks that might be exacerbated by overseas travel. You can buy an insurance rider that will cover you in the event of a need for evacuation, which can cost from $10-100,000. The American Medical Center offers a low-cost Traveler's Medical Access Plan offering full access to their medical services in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Women travellersYou are unlikely to experience sexual harassment on the street. It is customary for Russian men to open a door for a woman or help her with her coat. Russian women dress up and wear lots of make-up on nights out. If you wear casual gear, you might feel uncomfortable at dinner in a restaurant, o tar a theater or the ballet. Moscow and St. Pete are as safe, as any other large European city. As any tourist in any city of the world, you should observe elementary safety rules: keep your money and documents in a belt bag, not take night walks alone. Visiting Moscow as a tourist can still be considered safer than visiting New York. Beggars, especially gypsy children, will occasionally bother tourists. You should ignore them and walk away. Robberies and thefts have been reported at airports and train stations and metro stations during rush hour. It is always best to be in a group of 2 or more. In a restaurant or club, do not leave money or personal belongings in your jacket, especially if you have placed it on the chair where you are sitting. At the same time, make sure that you do not leave your wallet, mobile phone, camera or passport etc... on the table, as these present an easy target for thieves. Avoid showing off any expensive jewelry and also make sure that any photographic equipment is hidden from view. Dangers
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