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Russian history is legendary and often gory since Moscow's
establishment as a centre of political power during the 14th
Century. From the wrath of Ivan the Terrible in the
16th century to the manic tyranny of Stalin in the
20th century, bloody revolution has made its mark on the paws
of Russia.
Its people and famous sights are mainly condensed into Western
European Russia, but an Asian influenced culture exists to
the east. Despite its dour reputation, Russia is now opening
its arms to the world, and there is a stunning legacy of history
and culture to be explored - from the cultural capital of
Moscow, the 'gateway to Europe' with its infamous Red
Square and Kremlin to the Far Eastern untamed wilderness
of Asian influenced Siberian Russia, bordering China.
Russia is a nation in a state of change, still adapting to
the new regime with added uncertainties and the New Russia,
devoid of Cold War paranoia and Stalinist Terror, is making
its mark on the world. From the mysteries of the Orthodox
Church to learning to love the courageous people who 'love
to suffer', there is never a better time to discover the mighty
Russia.
Climate
The climate is varied because of its immense size, but on
the whole, in Russia winters are long and harsh, and summers
are short and relatively cool. Average temperatures in Moscow
are 9°C in January and 18°C in July. During winter,
the Arctic Ocean is frozen right up to the coast and acts
much as a snow-covered, frozen landmass. Although the summer
(July/August) is the warmest time, it's also the wettest,
so spring (May/June) and early autumn (September) are the
preferable season to visit European Russia. Winter should
be avoided by all but the foolhardy, with frozen temperatures
you are sure to have never experienced the likes of! However,
it is a highly evocative time to visit Moscow and
St. Petersburg, where you can dash around in traditional
furs (or layers of fleeces for the ethically minded) and warm
up with multiple vodkas!
Dress
Older Russians are still very conservative in their attire.
Younger people in the European cities are adopting a more
Western-style of dressing. If you go to Russia during the
winter, bring very warm clothes, including hats and gloves
and thermal underwear is a must. During the summer, bring
waterproofs as rain often attacks suddenly. In addition, pack
a well-insulated pair of boots with good treads. Jeans and
trainers can be acceptable casual wear. For social gatherings,
however, "informal" dress usually means the same
clothes worn to work.
Language
More than 100 languages are spoken in Russia, and some of
the ethnic republics have declared their own local state languages.
The Russian language, however, is the most commonly spoken
in business, government, and education. Russians speak their
native tongue almost exclusively- in 1989 only 4.1 per cent
of Russians throughout the former USSR could speak another
of the languages of Russia. The government has helped many
smaller ethnic groups develop their own alphabets and vocabularies;
however, through educational policies, it ensured the widespread
use of the Russian language. In the major cities and around
tourist spots you will probably find enough people who speak
English to get by, but a phrase book is an essential.
Food
Russian recipes represent a rich collection of tradition
from old times to present day, reflecting the spirit of the
Russian people. Food is generally quite bland, heavy on meat,
potatoes and pickled vegetables - and portions are very small.
The entres called zakuski are often the more interesting
parts of the menu. If you get the chance, Georgian cuisine
(a former USSR nation) is more exciting and spicier to
eat. Bread has always been the central role in the Russian
diet - usually dark, heavy rye bread. Soups are a speciality,
especially in winter, famed bowls include shchi and
borshch (beetroot and meat soup), served with a spoon
of sour cream. Vodka is the national drink (meaning
'water' in Russian) and drunk before, after and during almost
every dish - also used in the sauces themselves. A bottle
of the spirit costs less than a bottle of wine!
Cash
Currency is the Russian Roubles (RUR). Approximate conversion
as of 2002:
UK £1 = 44 UR
US $1 = 30 UR
1 euro = 25 RUR
1RUR = 100 kopeks
For up to date currency information, check the Currency
Converter.
Prices vary enormously, with massive inflation during High
Season (May, June and September) in the big cities. Moscow
is one of the most expensive cities in Europe to visit, with
a minimum of $50 a day to be spent on budget travel. You can
expect to spend only a fraction of that if you heading out
into the Eastern wilderness. Everything has inflated rates
for tourists, more expensive trains, museums and plane fares.
If you have a Russian friend or can make one quick, its better
to get them to buy tickets for you.
Cash is the preferred method of payment, cash machines can
be found in Moscow and St. Petersburg but few outside of here.
US Dollars are the best currency to bring to exchange cash,
traveller's cheques are recommended as the safest method.
Avoid the many hustlers on the black market.
People
Most of Russia's 150 million people are congregated in the
West. The majority of these are of Russian descent, ethnic
groups include the Tartars, a Muslim group found to
the east of Moscow, and the Orthodox Christian Chuvash,
the Turkish Bashkirs and the Karelians in the
North. The Chechens are a fiercely independent group
seeking total independence from Russia in the South, the Cossacks
in the North are a fierce group who suffered massacre under
communism, renowned for their military traditions.
Heath
Stick to bottled waters, tap water is suspect in some parts.
No injections are needed when visiting the main cities of
European Russia, however if you are planning on going trekking
in the Eastern wilderness, its advised to immunise against
tetanus, diphtheria, polio, typhoid, hepatitis A &
B, encephalitis and TB. The biggest problem in
winter, however, is likely to be frost bite and
hypothermia, for which, arctic dress and many layers is
a safeguard.
Travel
Air travel has a poor reputation as being unsafe,
but is no worse than elsewhere in Eastern Europe and other
developing countries but should generally avoided unless you're
trying to cover vast distances quickly. Routes from Moscow
and St. Petersburg to Europe, however, are highly safe.
Buses are the cheapest way to travel between towns
and are not subject to inflated 'tourist tax'. The Russian
train network is extensive, although fairly slow, and
a great way to travel and meet locals. If you're planning
a long trip, travel 1st class for sleeping or 2nd class during
the day. A 4th class known as 'hard' class is an unreserved
spot on a wooden bench. The national network works on Moscow
time, bear this in mind when reading timetables. A 2nd class
train fare from Moscow to St. Petersburg will set you back
around $30 US. Russian railway lines carry the heaviest freight
traffic in the world. The most frequent traffic on a single
line occurs on the western Siberian section of the Trans-Siberian
Railway, where trains run frequently. To relieve some
of the traffic, parallel lines were built in western Siberia
and northern Kazakhstan. A new line, the Baykal-Amur Mainline
(BAM), was built through Siberia and the far eastern region
to the north of the present Trans-Siberian Railway, but travel
connections from West to far East are few and far between.
Moscow and St. Petersburg have an underground metro
where you can see fantastic, elegant stations, artworks in
themselves, and hear top class musicians busking whilst travelling
at cheap prices. The trains are modern and user friendly. |
