Questions tagged [russia]
Country in northern Eurasia, largest country in the world, covering more than 1/8 of the Earth's inhabited land area.
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How to avoid drinking vodka?
This summer, I spent some time in Moscow and St. Petersburg; I also visited a friend and his family. Their custom was to drink a lot of vodka during the meal. We, the guests, also had to drink some ...
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Personal security during a business trip to Moscow
In the next few weeks I’ll be traveling to Russia for about a week on business.
While there, I'd like to spend some time, although it won’t be much time, seeing as much of the city and culture as ...
user74177
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What to do if I overstayed my e-visa for Saint Petersburg/Leningrad Oblast
I failed to leave Saint Petersburg in time because my flight would have had to stop in Moscow, which is not allowed with the e-visa I have (see also this question). Now I'm not allowed to leave the ...
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Will Wi-Fi passwords in Russia be in Cyrillic? How do I type them on a Latin keyboard?
I'm about to travel to Russia, and I made sure to book only accommodations that offer Wi-Fi to its customers, but a question came to my mind.
As Cyrillic is the standard alphabet in Russia, is there ...
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What exactly is a marshrutka (маршрутка)?
Hеllo аll,
Recently I was in Nizhny Novgorod (Нижний Новгород). I spoke with some Russians and they told me that there are two types of buses in Nizhny Novgorod - "normal buses" and marshrutky (...
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Is it possible to enter Russia by train 1-1.5 hours before the visa validity period starts?
A friend of mine is taking the Train from Finland to Russia. She has now paid and sent the Tourist visa application, with the requested validity being from 3 to 16 August.
Now she's considering ...
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How to use public transport in Russia with limited knowledge of Russian?
I will soon make a small trip around Russia and visit some larger cities in Western Russia. I will arrive by train and further plan on traveling by public transport. I have, however, no knowledge of ...
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If I've visited Crimea, what country do I list on my customs declaration form?
On returning to the U.S. I must fill out a customs declaration form, which includes listing the countries that I have visited prior to arrival in the U.S.
If I was in Russia and visited Crimea after ...
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Do Russians smile at each other?
I'm planning to go to Russia. In my culture, smiling is really common even to strangers. I've heard that Russians don't smile or laugh unless it's something funny or something that makes them happy. ...
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Refused boarding to New Zealand because I couldn't demonstrate I'm an NZ citizen. What are my options?
I bought tickets through a travel agent in New Zealand for my daughter, who is citizen of New Zealand as well as Russian, and myself.
We travelled to Russia using Russian passports but the travel ...
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Moscow (DME) airport arrival 23:55. My Russian visa becomes valid at midnight
I am flying from Munich to Moscow on Lufthansa and the scheduled arrival time for my flight is at 23:55 on August 7th. However, the entry date on my Russian visa is August 8th. So I have a 5 minute ...
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Luggage was stopped by customs (we learned about it after our flight)
We have returned from Russia 4 days ago (Moscow-St.Petersburg-Prague).
After we've arrived to Prague, we learned that our luggage didn't come in our airplane and was lost.
Today we've received ...
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What time zone do trains in Russia operate on?
What time zone do trains in Russia operate on? Does it make a difference between long-haul trains, electric commuter trains or international trains?
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Why are there yellow dot stickers on the front doors of businesses in Russia?
In both Moscow and Saint Petersburg, I’ve seen many/most businesses with a yellow dot sticker on the front door. Right in the center, around 10cm or less in diameter. What does it mean and why is it ...
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Where this picture was taken ~100 years ago?
It probably was taken in Russia/Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania during Russian Civil War by one of my ancestors.
I'm sure this place exists today - I saw it on the poster few years ago.
But place was not ...
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How easy is it to get in and out of Russia by illegally crossing its border?
I'm unsure whether my question is on-topic here, but it's about travel and border crossing, so I've decided to try.
I'm writing an article about Russian borders, focusing on illegal crossings in both ...
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Is it safe for a foreigner to travel to Russia these days? [closed]
In the light of all the recent happenings, and especially the Brittney Griner detention, is it safe for a foreigner from a western European country to visit Russia as a traveler? The question is ...
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Why does Nizhni Novgorod have visa restrictions?
When filling out a form for a Russian visa, there is a specific question asking if I will be flying directly into a city called Nizhnii Novgorod from outside of Russia. I am not, but I think it's ...
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How much Russian do I need to know for travelling within Russia?
Or alternatively - how well-spoken (and widely-spoken) is English?
I intend to visit St. Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk and Vladivostok.
I feel like I might have the most troubles in the latter two ...
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What is the best way to obtain visas for the Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian Railway?
I'm planning on taking the trans-Siberian / trans-Mongolian from Moscow to Beijing via Ulaan Bataar next year and I'd like some advice on how best to organise the visa situation.
I'm a British ...
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Visiting Russia as an Arab. Am I going to be hassled?
I was chatting with a friend after I saw his photos in Russia (Petersburg). He is a white British dude who has been to many, many, many countries. On the other hand, I am a pure Arab who looks like a ...
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Why am I not allowed to buy alcohol at the store after 11pm in Russia?
While in Moscow, I went to the store around 11:30pm to buy some beer, and the cashier checked her watch and said no.
Why am I not allowed to buy alcohol at the store after 11pm in Russia?
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Can a person be arrested/detained if a prohibited item is found in the carry-on luggage while transiting?
Recently, while returning from St Petersburg to New Delhi via Almaty in Kazakhstan, our family had a rather bizarre experience. Before querying anything, I would like to sum up the situation -
Event ...
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What meals are available on Russian trains?
When travelling by rail in Russia, are dining cars present? What quality of food would one expect on a train diner as compared to those one would find in Europe? I am especially keen to know if ...
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What's the best way to get sleep on a train in a sitting compartment?
In late December this year I'll be travelling on an overnight train in Russia. Unfortunately all of the tickets have already sold out for that particular train, with the exception of the sitting ...
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Where in Russia can I pay to shoot an AK-47?
I'm planning a trip to Russia in October (primarily Moscow and St Petersburg) and recently I read this question and liked the idea of being able to use military equipment, specially AK-47, as this ...
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Are there any retrocomputing museums in the former Eastern Bloc countries?
Before the COVID thing I was travelling in Eastern Europe and after I had to give up and come home in lockdown I got into retrocomputing channels on YouTube and started doing some coding on disk and ...
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Travel options to Russia
I'm helping a Russian friend finding options to return home from Europe later this month. With most air routes closed due to the sanctions, the best options I've found so far are flights transiting ...
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Can a 15-year-old travel alone to Russia from the USA?
I want to meet a friend in the summer, but I've been looking at sites and each one is either vague or says something different.
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Trans-Siberian Express: Stopping along the way?
I'm planning a trip on the Trans-Siberian Express. I've already received excellent advice on a related post, but I've got a couple more questions.
My plan is to head from Moscow to Beijing. It's six ...
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Vegetarian dishes on Russian trains (European part)
On Russian long-distance trains that include restaurant cars, should I in 2019 expect that I can buy full vegetarian dishes there? On those pictures of a 2015 menu on the Trans Siberian Express ...
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Are there still any trains from Kiev to Crimea?
Before Crimea changed hands you used to be able to take a sleeper train from Kiev to Simferopol. I have tried using the Ukrainian train website and the Russian train website neither return any results ...
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Food on the 54-hour Yekaterinburg-Irkutsk train?
Two days on the train. So what kind of food is available?
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How can I get an 'invitation' to Russia?
I understand that in order to get a visa to visit Russia you need an invitation before you can get a visa.
If you don't have family or friends that you are visiting and you aren't part of an ...
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Is it now feasible for an adventurous independent traveller to visit Chechnya?
Right now I'm drinking vodka with a Chechen guy who's staying at my hostel here in Tbilisi Georgia.
I told him I would like to visit Chechnya but it's too dangerous. He reacted like I imagine ...
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Moscow SVO airport, how to avoid scam taxis without pre-booking?
Is there anyway to tell scam taxis in SVO airport, Moscow without pre-booking? I can't pre-book due to the fact I can't use my phone abroad (receiving SMS messages/calls which is required to book a ...
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Is the border between Georgia and Russia open to citizens of other countries?
I know the one border between the Republic of Georgia and Russia that is not in a rebel province was officially opened in the last couple of years... but reports are conflicting as to whether people ...
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Former Gulag camps in Russia
I have already asked a simular question about Former Nazi camps and prisons in Europe, now I would like to know if there are any Gulag camps that I can see from the inside?
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Why is there a СТОП (STOP) sign along with priority signs on traffic lights in Russia?
If you drive around in Moscow you will see a plain white sign reading СТОП (STOP) attached to traffic lights at some intersections.
I've also seen priority road signs (which almost makes sense) ...
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Fast train between Moscow and Saint Petersburg?
I'm planning to go on holiday to Moscow Russia in April and would really like to see Saint Petersburg as well.
I've heard that there's a speed train which travels between the two cities, does anyone ...
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How does one visit a cult leader Vissarion?
This is perhaps a strange question but I'm curious if anyone knows more about it or if there's any chance someone here has been there. Somewhere in Siberia is a religious cult leader of the name ...
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Overview (map) of Russian long-distance river regular passenger ships in regions too remote for roads or railways
It appears many of the big Russian rivers have passenger ships going along the river, in areas where roads and railways do not reach. What I have found so far:
On the Yenisey river via ...
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A Russian girl is asking for 500 euros to get a passport in Russia. Is this a realistic amount of money for a passport fee? [duplicate]
I met a girl from Russia and she wants to see Denmark. I told her to meet first in Moscow to know each other better - anyway she asked me for 500 Euro for an international passport (she never had one ...
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What do I need to pay attention to when applying to an e-visa to Saint Petersburg?
I haven't found any clear information on this topic when I applied for such e-visa, and now I'm paying the price for a mistake I made. The e-visa for Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast is still ...
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How to register Russian tourist visa while on the Trans-Mongolian railway?
My partner and I will be starting our Trans-Mongolian adventure in about a week or so, but after reading the visa registration procedures from various resources, we're still a little confused about ...
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Are there currently any international ferries that travel to Saint Petersburg, Russia?
Years ago I was in Europe and decided it would be a great idea to go to Saint Petersburg by ferry since it is regarded as a beautiful city and is a port. I didn't mind departing from Finland, Estonia, ...
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Do non-CIS nationals have issues with visa checks on the Moscow-Dushanbe train?
Is it true that conductors (meaning train staff, NOT border police) on the Tajik train from Moscow to Dushanbe (which I'm going to take to Kazakhstan) check if you have the proper visa for the ...
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Do I need a visa if I go with a cruise line to St. Petersburg?
Last week I discussed with a friend if it is necessary to get a Russian visa if you travel with a cruise liner to Saint Petersburg in Russia? I think so, but my friend has the opinion that it is not ...
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What are the requirements for Russian citizens to leave Russia? [duplicate]
If they already have the documentation, visa, passport and air tickets, can they be stopped at the Moscow airport by their own Customs agents and be made to show proof of funds before being allowed to ...
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Is it safe for people of Indian descent to visit Russia?
I am an individual of Indian (person from India) descent. I have been asked by my company to travel to Russia later this year to carry out a market survey related to consumer durables. I will have to ...
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