Moscow and St. Petersburg

The difference between European and Russian culture are so great that you could write many books about them. We have highlighted a few main points to aid your relations with the locals.

Hospitality: Food and hospitality are practically one and the same in Russia. If somebody has guests, there will be plenty of food provided at every moment of the visit. The range of food offered is seen as a measure of one’s hospitality. ‘Nu, chem. fas kormili?’ is roughly translated as ‘Now, what would you like to eat?’, and you will hear this frequently if you visit any Russian families. Once the meal begins, you may not refuse any food or drink offered as this will cause offence. The host and hostess will continually offer more and more food, and you can pay a large compliment to the chef by going to refill your plate before the host or hostess has a chance to offer you more. If you miss a course out, you will quickly hear short, mock-offended statements such as ‘not eating today?’ or ‘what’s wrong with my carrot salad?!’ It is customary to fill a guest’s plate even if he/she has insists that they are full. Even if this is the case, you will still be expected to clear your plate.
It is normal to share things such as cigarettes, food or drink with others, even complete strangers with whom you may share a train carriage.

Etiquette: If you are lucky enough to be invited into a Russian family’s home, bring them a gift. Wine or cake is suitable for this. Flowers are also popular, but make sure that the bunch contains an odd number of them, as even numbers of flowers are given at funerals. Be prepared to take your shoes off at the door.
Men visiting Russia will find that traditional gallantry such as holding doors open for ladies is not only appreciated but expected. Standing up to offer women your seat in public transport is also included in this. It is also customary to offer a hand to women to help them get off public transport.

Women Rule! The women in Russia do not simply dominate certain professions (doctors, teachers, sales people), they also dominate Russian life. Talk of emancipation in our countries does not even cover the situation in Russia. Women perform heavy physical labour, and also take care of the children as well as working. After retirement, many babushkas (grandmothers) look after their grandchildren.

Hotels
The dejurnayas (maids) are typically Russian. They keep the room keys and are the people to go to if you have any problems with your accommodation. They will do your laundry and ironing, sometimes prepare small buffets and call plumbers or electricians if their services are needed.

Public transport
The best, fastest and cheapest mode of transport for exploring Moscow and St. Petersburg is the extensive metro network. At the entrance you can buy a ticket for 10 or 20 train rides. It is efficient and cheap. The costs are around 140 roubles for 10 journeys in Moscow and 160 for 10 in St. Petersburg (prices are approximate and subject to change). All attractive areas and tourist sites in the cities have a metro station nearby. These days, the names of the different stops and stations are given in English. In every carriage you will find a Metronet timetable on the wall with the station names. These are also given in English.

In general
Remember at all times that you are guests in a foreign land, where other customs apply. Their behaviour is not strange or foreign, yours is!

Restaurants: Moscow has a large variety of restaurants and offers very varied, good quality cuisine. Cafes, bars and restaurants are plentiful everywhere in the city. Restaurants in the centre of Moscow accept credit cards, and usually have English menus and English speaking waiting staff. Smart clothing is compulsory. You can find both Russian and European food in Moscow, and there are also smaller Georgian and Armenian cafes and restaurants which serve good quality, often spicy food. There are many small coffee shops where you can enjoy a cup of chai (tea), coffee, other drinks and buterbrods (sandwiches). Caviar is Russia’s most famous culinary offering, and traditional Russian pancakes with caviar (ikras) are delicious. Besides this, salads and rich soups such as borsch, solyanka or shi are also typical things to find on Russian menus. Elki-Palki (pronounced Yolki-Palki) is a chain of restaurants which serve many traditional Russian dishes. They offer excellent service, English menus and low prices. Another popular restaurant is Drowa, where you can choose from a broad-ranging Russian buffet and eat with a great view over the nearby Red Square. The same variety is available in St. Petersburg.

Meals: Breakfast in Russia consists of bread with cheese, sausage, jam or eggs, and there is always a warm dish served such as a plate of porridge or an omelette. You can also try blini or oladi, the famous Russian crepes with honey or sour cream. Caviar is Russia’s most famous offering to world cuisine, but don’t buy it on the street as it is often not genuine. Traditional Russian pancakes with caviar (ikra) are delicious, as is chicken Kiev or beef stroganoff. There are also many delicious salads and thick soups such as borsch or shi on Russian menus. A great souvenir from Russia is a small tin of caviar

Drinks: We advise against drinking the tap water. Mineral water (mineralnaja woda) and other soft drinks are widely available.

Spirits: World famous Russian vodka is available in restaurants and is ordered per gram. 50 grams is roughly equivalent to one shot and is always served with zakuskas (small snacks). Never buy vodka in the street, on the market or from small kiosks, as you never know exactly what you are buying! Russian champagne is widely available, sold in ‘sweet’ and ‘semi-sweet’ varieties. A third typical Russian drink is kvas, a drink made using yeast, bread, water and various spices. It is delicious and very thirst quenching.

Coffee and tea: Tea is a popular drink in Russia and is served with lemon. Coffee, cocoa and milk are also widely available in Moscow.

Russia has an area of 6.56 million square miles. Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is still the largest country in the world. It takes up 11% of the world’s total land area, almost as much as the United States and Canada combined. It extends across both Europe and Asia, stretching for 7,000 miles from Europe in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the East. It is so large that it spans eleven time zones. When people in Moscow go to bed, people in Vladivostok, situated on the east coast, are just waking up. A flight from Moscow to Vladivostok takes 8 hours.

Russia is split into two unequal parts by the Ural Mountains. Most of Russia’s population live in the smaller half to the west of the mountain range, where the most fertile farmland can be found as well as the most important Russian industries. The larger region to the east of the Urals is generally referred to as Siberia. Although Siberia is the same size as the United States, it has just a tenth of the American population. Most people are discouraged by the harsh weather conditions which hinder the region’s development. Although it is rich in natural resources, the area remains little more than a wilderness of thick forests intersected by countless rivers. For the majority of the year, Siberia is covered in ice.

Russia’s immense size means that the country has many different climate systems and landscapes. Most of the country is flat with the exception of the mountainous regions in the Caucasus (east of the Black Sea) and in eastern Siberia. Russia has four different types of landscape. Along the northern border and mostly inside the Arctic Circle you can find the Tundra. This is a treeless, windy wilderness which endures immensely cold winters. Apart from moss and lichen, very little grows here. South of the Tundra we find the Taiga, a broad stretch of land filled with conifer tress which spans the whole of central Russia. The most common trees are larches, pines, firs and spruces. The needles which fall from the trees make the ground very acidic and therefore unfarmable. Just as in the Tundra, much of the ground is permafrost, and the ground is frozen to a depth of over half a mile in some areas. The top layer melts in summer, creating mosquito-infested marshland. South of the Taiga you find the Steppes, a narrow strip of grassland. The fertile black ground here, known as Chernozem, is excellent for agriculture. Further south of the Steppes, the landscape consists mainly of desert. This sandy ground allows little to grow, unless the ground is flooded by the River Wolga.

The majority of Russia is closer to the North Pole than the equator, so it mostly has a very cold climate with much snow and rivers and lakes which are frozen for months at a time. In the north of Siberia, the temperature can drop as low as -70°C, making it the coldest place in the world. Western Russia has shorter, less harsh winters in which temperatures rarely drop any lower than -15°C.

Moscow by numbers
Moscow has an area of 417 square miles, including suburbs. The city’s border is defined by a 42-mile long ring road. Moscow is situated on the Rivers Moskva and Yauza, in the centre of European Russia. The city stretches over a distance of 25 miles from north to south and 20 miles from west to east. It is the largest city in Russia and is the political, economic and cultural centre of the largest country in the world. A quarter of its 12 million inhabitants are made up of children, youths and the elderly.

St. Petersburg by numbers
St. Petersburg is the second largest Russian city, with an area of 235 square miles (556 square miles including suburbs). The city is built on around 44 islands in the Neva Delta which are linked by no less than 550 bridges. It has direct access to the Baltic Sea. The city is 37 miles long from north to south and 19 miles from east to west. It is home to around 5 million people, of which more than a fifth is retired.

Population
The full name of the country is the Russian Federation. It is divided into republics, provinces and districts. These divisions roughly define the traditional homeland of the largest ethnic groups. The Slavs are the biggest of these groups, accounting for 82% of Russia’s population. Their mid-Europeans ancestors were the original colonists of western Russia, although they are now spread across the whole of the country. There are around 100 other ethnic groups, each with their own dialects, cultures, traditions and manners of dress. The Tatars, with a head count of 5 million, are the largest of the groups. The Aleuts, a group of mainly fishermen, are the smallest group with less than 500 people. The total population of Russia is 141 million (117 million in the European part), 54% of whom are women.

The Russian folk are friendly and hospitable, and will happily show you the highlights of their country.

Russians are free to practise whatever religion they desire. In 1997, a law was passed which officially recognised the Russian Orthodox Church as the leading faith and also encouraged respect of other religions in Russia, namely Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism.

The Russian Orthodox Church
In 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated its 1,000 year anniversary. In 988, Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev baptised his people in the River Dnepr, and was later declared a saint. The church is now enjoying a period of revival after years of Communist oppression, and its following currently numbers around 50 million. The rise in church attendance is proportional to the rise of Russian nationalism, as the church is seen as an integral part of being Russian. Deserted, neglected churches throughout the country have been restored and churches and monasteries which had been converted into museums were returned to divine service. There are currently 25,000 active churches, whereas in 1988 this figure was just 7,000. In 1917 there were 50,000 churches in the country, but the rise of Lenin, who followed the Marxist belief that ‘religion is the opiate of the masses’, was disastrous for religious life in Russia, and Lenin’s successor Stalin was even more anti-religious. He tried to smother the religion entirely until 1941, when he decided that religion may help to increase patriotism and help motivate the Russians in the Second World War. In 1950, Khrushchev closed 15,000 churches, and the 1970s saw the Russian government sharpen their anti-religious stance, and from 1975 onwards it became illegal to hold religious services at home. This was characteristic of the KGB’s desire to keep the whole of society under control. However, Gorbachev’s famous Perestroika reforms gave the church more breathing space and the relationship between church and state began to improve from 1985 onwards.

The Russian Orthodox Church is very traditional and the atmosphere in the churches is very formal. Priests dress authoritatively and the scent of candles and incense fills the air. Old women keep the buildings clean. The churches have no seating or images, but there is a lot of iconography. The Virgin Mary is widely worshipped. The services and texts are in a Slavic dialect, the same text used from the time that the bible was first translated into Slavic. The singing in Russian Orthodox services is particularly unique and the texts are sung without musical accompaniment; there are no organs in Russian churches. The choirs often perform their breathtaking a capella artistry during the services. They bring church music composed by people such as Piotr Tchaikovsky to life every day. The liturgical texts which are sung in the Russian Orthodox services are centuries old, most of them dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries. Easter is a very important religious holiday in Russian Orthodoxy, and Christmas is held on the 7th of January (the church still uses the Julian calendar which the state stopped using in 1918).

The churches are decorated with icons, mosaics and frescos (murals painted onto wet plaster). The various subjects depicted have a fixed place in the church’s traditional decoration. For example, images of the Last Supper are always painted on the west wall of the church. Every church has an iconostasis (‘icon wall’) which separates the main area of the church (the ‘ship’) from the altar. The iconostases consist of a number of rows of religious icons. The bottom row has a gateway (known as the ‘Beautiful Gates’ or ‘Holy Doors’) which are opened during the service to give worshippers a glimpse of the altar. Above the gateway there are icons of the four evangelists, to the right of the gates an icon of the patron saint of the church and to the left the Virgin Mary.

In general, the churches are open to the public, although visitors are expected to make sure they do not disturb the worshippers and also to dress appropriately. A headscarf is compulsory for women (in churches outside Moscow and St. Petersburg). Permission must be asked to take photographs in churches, and sometimes you must pay a fee to do so. Taking photographs during services is forbidden, as is taking photos of priests/monks.

Climate: European Russia has a moderate climate with cold winters from November until March, and warm summers. The spring and autumn are relatively short. St. Petersburg averages 126 rainy days per year. The northern location of St. Petersburg is responsible for the so-called ‘White Nights’, when the sun does not fully go down.
Moscow has a moderate climate with warm, sunny summers. The sun shines here longer per day than in Europe. The average temperature in January is -15°C and in July it is 20°C. In the winters, temperatures can drop as low as -20°C, while the heat can reach 30°C in summer. The average temperature in St. Petersburg is -8°C in January and 18°C in July.

Best time to travel: Both cities are great tourist destinations in the summer months (April-September). In both places there are cultural events happening throughout the year. The legendary ‘White Nights’ are the best time to visit St. Petersburg. It is very interesting to visit Russia during the winter, with genuine snowy scenes. The nature also has a certain charm then, and the Russian Winter Art Festival also takes place in Moscow during this period. Operas, ballet, theatre and re-enactments of folklore tales characterise the festivities. You can also ride on a troika, which is a traditional Russian sleigh pulled by three horses. Christmas and the New Year are celebrated with public festivities such as music, stalls selling warm drinks and traditional Russian food on all the big squares and parks in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Russia has a history which stretches back over a thousand years. It begins with the period of Russian sovereigns centred in Kiev. Bloody civil wars between various Russian rulers weakened the area. The Tatar-Mongols overran the country in 1237 and ruled the Russian people for 240 years, although they maintained some autonomy. Moscow played a central role in the unification of the Russian countries into one state and the overthrow of the hated Mongols rulers. With the forming of the united Russian state at the end of the 15th century, Moscow became the most important political, economical and commercial centre of the new country. It also later became the centre of Russian culture. Amazing literary works were created, and painting and sculpture blossomed. This saw the printing of the first Russian books in 1564, which in turn encouraged the development of higher education, resulting in the founding of the Slav-Greek-Latin Academy in the 17th century.

The extensive Russian Empire was ruled by the Romanov tsars from 1613 until 1917. The Russian people have united on several occasions to defend Moscow from invasion, as Moscow is seen as the heart of Russia. They liberated the city from Polish invaders in 1612 and drove out the foreign invaders. The city also played a major role in the 1812 war against Napoleon. In the battle of Borodini, the French troops were dealt a blow from which they could not recover. Since this time, no foreign invading force has ever set foot in Moscow. In 1712, Peter the Great gave capital city status to St. Petersburg, which he had ordered built. However, Moscow remained the centre of Russian life and culture in the eyes of the people. Moscow remained immune to the westernisation which St. Petersburg received, maintaining its pure, genuine Russian spirit. After the Russian Revolution which began in St. Petersburg, Moscow was reappointed as capital in 1918, but now of the Soviet Union. After the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, enormous changes have taken place and Moscow has been touched by this influence. A large amount of the city was renovated in 1997 in honour of the country’s 850th anniversary.

In 1914, Russia became entangled in the First World War, on the side of Britain, France and the United States. In 1917, Russia found itself in crisis; its people were starving and furious with the tsar and his generals for their ineptitude on the battlefield where thousands were dying each day. The Russian Revolution began in March of 1917, and workers in St. Petersburg, then the capital city, went on mass strike. Workers in other cities began to follow their lead. Troops were deployed to combat the situation but they mutinied and forced Tsar Nicholas II to vacate his post. Under Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik Party, the first communist government took power in the country. The teachings of Karl Marx were central to the ideology. Marx believed that a country must not be divided into a rich minority who owned everything and a poor majority who worked for the rich. Instead of this, the state must own all of the land and industries so that everyone can profit from the fruits of the country’s labours. In 1922, the Russian Empire made way for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In 1924, Lenin died and Joseph Stalin took control of the party and the country. He became a ruthless dictator who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Every person who opposed his views was murdered or sent to concentration camps in Siberia. Tens of millions died during his reign of terror. Stalin wanted the USSR to become an important military and industrial country and ordered the construction of many large factories and iron ore and coal mines. As a result, the USSR was in a much better position at the outbreak of the Second World War than the First. When the German army invaded in 1941, it got as far as Stalingrad (now known as Volgograd). After a long, bloody battle the Germans were forced to withdraw, hotly pursued by the Red Army until the eventual fall of Berlin in 1945. Along the way, they liberated Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Poland from Nazi rule, and also had control of eastern Germany. However, Stalin was determined to spread the communist ideology across Europe, so he refused to leave these countries.

After the Second World War, a dividing line was drawn through Germany which became known as the ‘Iron Curtain’. The countries under Russian influence lay to the East of the Iron Curtain. These countries became collectively known as the Eastern Bloc. Once united against a common enemy, the US and USSR became fierce rivals, both convinced that their political system and industrial prowess were superior. Both sides began to invest astronomical amounts of money into weapons in an arms race to become the most powerful country in the world. This ‘Cold War’ lasted until 1985, when Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR. At this time, Russia’s progress was much lesser than the other industrialised nations in the world. So much money had been spent on the arms race that there was little remaining for anything else, such as modernisation of factories or the construction of new factories. Shortages of food and supplies were prevalent in much of Russia and the Eastern Bloc. Gorbachev called a halt to the Cold War and began negotiations with the US, freeing up money to invest in industry. Gorbachev allowed free elections, resulting in the Eastern Bloc countries voting against communist governments under heavy Russian influence. Encouraged by this, republics inside the USSR requested independence and an end to communism. The Communist Party were not pleased with this and led a coup to unseat Gorbachev in 1991 in an attempt to restore the party’s control over the USSR. The coup failed due to Boris Yeltsin, the president of the Russian Republic, who convinced the army not to support the rebels. At the end of 1991, the discontented republics declared themselves independent and the USSR ceased to exist. Eleven of the former republics formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which was headed by the Russian Federation. The new countries of Georgia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia initially decided not to join this union, although Georgia did join later.

The transfer to capitalism caused many problems. Many factories which had worked well under communist rule now had to compete against modern international companies, which severely threatened their future. Many workers lost their jobs as a result of this. Aside from industry, other institutions and services had to adapt to the new capitalist system. A stock exchange was established in Moscow, with offices in other cities. New banks were founded which specialised in loans for businesses. A new national telecommunications network was installed in order to allow the businesses to communicate with each other by fax and through computers. Business schools were created to teach capitalist management. It is a little early to say, but with a little time and money Russia has the potential to become one of the leading industrialised lands in the world.

Upon arrival, you can get Russian roubles from a cash machine. Take it easy on the first day in Russia, as the different culture and climate can be tricky to come to terms with. Let the country gently sink in and you will be guaranteed to enjoy beautiful Russia.

To obtain a Russian Tourist Visa you will require several documents including an Invitation Letter from a Russian travel agent. This invitation letter will be provided by Shoestring once you have booked your tour. To issue the Invitation Letter, our Russian agent will need your full name as well as the number and expiry date of your passport. We therefore kindly ask that you provide this information at the time of booking your tour. If this is not possible, please send these details to us by email at your earliest convenience after booking.

The Russian Visa itself can be obtained from the Russian Embassy. Please make sure that you allow plenty of time to apply for the visa.

Russia has 220 volt mains electricity, although in some train and hotel bathrooms the current is 110 volts. A European adapter will fit the sockets, although the pins can sometimes be too thick. A world adapter can prove useful.

Anyone who has a good standard of hygiene should not encounter any health problems whilst on holiday. We include a few points to pay attention to.

Drinking water: The quality of tap water varies between cities in Russia. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the water is not fit for drinking. Mineral water is widely available.

First aid kit: The hotels in the cities usually have a first aid kit behind the counter. Outside the hotels you must search much harder to find one. Although there are plenty of chemists in Moscow and St. Petersburg, we advise that you bring a small first aid kit which includes plasters, a thermometer, iodine, pain killers, sun cream, tweezers, and insect repellent such as DEET, an itch relieving cream and medicines to combat fever, diarrhoea and constipation. If you must take regular prescription medicine, bring an exact description of the medicine in English (not the brand name, the dosage and ingredients are needed). Bring double what you need for the trip and store the two supplies separately so you have a backup supply.

Miscellaneous: In summer, people with contact lenses can suffer irritation of the eyes through dust. This is common in both the city and the countryside. Bring glasses as a backup. Sanitary towels are available everywhere in Russia.

Vaccinations: Information about vaccinations is subject to change. Furthermore, your requirements are influenced by previous vaccinations, possible reactions to certain medicines, pregnancy, age etc. For advice, always contact your doctor before travelling.

Further advice
Give your body time to adjust to the new surroundings. Avoid stress and do not meticulously plan everything. Take it easy on the first day, and once properly rested you will be in the best state to take in the new experiences and you will have plenty of energy.

Ensure that those at home know in which country you are and how long you are planning to stay away. You may fix a date when you will contact them again. Making telephone calls from Russia is generally not a problem. Provide the people that will pick you up from the airport with your flight times and numbers. Shoestring will not provide flight and/or travel information, hotel names and telephone numbers to third parties. Any information on delays may be retrieved at the airport information number.

Contact person
In case of an emergency it is important for us to have details of someone we can contact on your behalf. You have entered a name on the booking form. It is possible that this person is on holiday during your trip. If so, enter a second person so that we are sure to be able to get in touch with somebody.

What you need to bring on this trip to Russia is partly dependent on the time of year that you travel. If you go during the summer, an umbrella is very useful. Bringing a jacket and/or jumper is also a good idea, although you may not need them. The weather in St. Petersburg in particular is just as changeable as in Britain. If you visit Russia during the winter, you will require warm, windproof clothing and gloves, scarves and warm headgear. It is advisable to wear many layers. Warm and high reaching boots are practical in winter due to the deep snow. For a trip to a theatre, concert or restaurant, you should wear smart clothing.

Some points to watch out for
When visiting churches it is not permitted to wear shorts, short skirts, open tops or sleeveless T-shirts. Further important items include good, comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses, sun creams, swimwear for Russian saunas, a cap, long trousers, a jumper with long sleeves, toiletries, a first aid kit, a camera and spare batteries, an alarm clock, writing equipment, books, your valid passport and visa, all relevant travel insurance details and documents, copies of your passport, visa and travel insurance details, your plane tickets, a diary with important contact numbers and addresses and a travel guide. A small backpack or shoulder bag is useful for your daily hand luggage. For storage of money and important documents, a thin money belt worn under your clothing is invaluable. Make sure that your luggage is not too heavy. We find that 12 kilos is usually the most that you will need.

The amount of spending money suggested is the minimum required to pay for your meals, drinks, optional excursions, entrance fees, airport taxes and tips. The amount you actually need of course depends on your own spending pattern; that is why souvenirs are not included. We recommend € 250-300 per week.

Be careful with your photo equipment when passing your baggage through the x-ray machines at the airport. The x-rays can damage film, although the airport attendants will deny that this is the case. Either carry them in a lead bag or have them checked by hand. Use of (video)cameras is usually permitted in museums or at tourist attractions, although you often have to pay a (sometimes rather hefty) charge to do so. The use of flash photography is not permitted in museums and churches, and you may not take photos of priests or monks. Photography of military or strategically important sites is also not allowed, such as bridges, ports etc. Russians also do not appreciate it if you take photos of the less proud side of their country (drunks, tumbledown buildings etc.). Russians generally do not object to appearing in photographs, but always ask their permission first. In Moscow and St. Petersburg you can buy all kinds of photographic equipment and accessories.

The streets in Russia are safe. Always carry your passport with the stamp from the hotel. The tight security in Russia means that you may be stopped on the street to have your documents checked. You must produce your passport which has been stamped at the hotel upon checking in. Many police hang around in shops and hotels, often in plain clothes although just as often in their unmistakable uniforms. The infamous Russian mafia doesn’t waste its time with tourists. Crime has risen quickly in recent years in Moscow and St. Petersburg as a result of economic circumstances. When getting into a taxi, go in a group. Never get in a car in which two or more people are already sitting. Bolt your compartment door on the night train when going to sleep. Valuable objects can be hidden on the luggage rack or in the cupboards under the lowest bunk. Theft occurs, particularly in the metro or in big crowds. Don’t be conned by the gypsies who beg in the larger metro stations. When in the stations or in a crowd, simply hold your belongings safely and tightly and do not show aggression. Keep an eye on your belongings in Russia as you would in Britain. Keep your money, passport and other important documents in a money belt worn under your clothes, or leave them behind in the hotel safe. We recommend also that you bring a second wallet for your daily money, so you don’t have to walk around every day with all of your cash. Despite these recommended precautions, Russia is certainly not a country where you should feel unsafe.

A country as large as Russia has multiple time zones. Moscow and St. Petersburg are 3 hours ahead of GMT. The summer daylight savings time in Russia runs from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October.

Although it may not seem so, most Russians earn very low wages. In comparison with the average Russian, we are very rich. As long as you do it discreetly, nobody will refuse a tip. If somebody does refuse a tip, leave some money behind.

The tour guide in St. Petersburg will expect a tip at the end of the trip, assuming he has offered a satisfactory service. Shoestring pays them a wage that matches wages paid by other travel agents, although this is rather low. Our guideline is around € 1 per day per person.