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Useful information about
Russia and the Urals
Time:
Ural
time is GMT+5. The time
difference between Moscow and Perm (Ekaterinburg,
Solikamsk as well) is +2 hours. When it’s 2 p.m. in
Moscow, our time is 4 p.m.
Money:
All
payments in Russia are officially made in rubles (1 ruble = 100 kopecks). Currency
can be easily exchanged at banks and hotels. Some money
exchange offices are open 24 hours.
Credit
cards:
Most banks and shopping centers
accept
Visa, MasterCard and Union cards. Automatic teller machines are
common
and convenient
in towns
and cities only.
Public
Holidays:
January 1 New Year
January 7 Russian Orthodox Christmas
March 8 International Women’s Day
May 1 The Day of Spring and Peace
May 9 Victory Day
June 12 Independence Day
August 22 National Flag Day
December 12 Constitution Day
Electricity:
Electricity is 220volt/50hz.
Taxi:
Taxi fees are usually negotiated
with the driver in advance. Do not use gypsy cabs.
Crime and
Safety:
It is enough safe in
Russia. Following some simple rules will help you to
avoid most dangers. When traveling in Russia never leave
your bags unattended. Try to exclude night walks along
through remote districts and parks. Don’t flaunt your
valuables. In bars, pubs and trains never drink alcohol
with unknown people.
Water:
You
are recommended to buy only bottled water in Russia,
readily available in any hotel's shop or in neighborhood
stores.
Climate:
Climate
ranges 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 the Arctic coast.
Passport & Visas:
Citizens of
most countries must obtain a visa prior to arriving to
Russia.
When you go
through passport control into Russia, you will give the
border official a filled-in migration card. You should
be given the card back, and it should be stamped. You
must carry this card with you at all times in Russia,
and you may be asked for it when you leave. Also take a
copy of your passport and visa to carry them with you.
Russian Cuisine:
Russia has a rich culinary
history and offers a wide variety of soups, dishes made
from fish, cereal based products and drinks. In addition
to meat culinary, vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, berries
and herbs also play a major part in the Russian diet.
Primordial Russian products such as caviar, smetana,
buckwheat, rye flour, etc. have had a great influence on
world-wide cuisine.
Russian specialities include:
-
Pelmeni (ravioli)
-
Blini (crêpes)
-
Borshtsh (red soup/beetroot soup)
-
Shtshi (cabbage soup)
-
Manti (meat stuffed pasta)
-
Vareniki (dumplings)
-
Russian salads
Drinks:
Vodka, imported liquors (rum, gin, etc),
international soft-drinks, local soft
drinks, distilled water. Beer in Russia
is cheap and the varieties are endless
of both Russian and international
brands. Traditional Russian drinks: kvas
(sour-sweet non-alcoholic naturaly
carbonized drink made from fermented
dark bread) and mors (traditional wild
berry drink). Almost all Russian
traditional drinks are original and are
not present in other national cuisines.
Emergency
numbers:
Fire 01, Police 02, Ambulance 03. |
