Many fans will travel to Russia in the days ahead. Here are a few tips they should keep in mind.
Locally-made products are often sold on the Russian roads, and in most cases, they are of excellent quality. You can also come across improvised grill restaurants, but you should be extremely careful since the conditions of food preparation in such venues often deviate from the usual standards. Small restaurants with the inscription “STOLOVAJA” written in Russian Cyrillic (столовая) can also be found everywhere in Russia and they are cheap, while the food is very tasty.
The Russians generally do not cheat their customers, but you should think and act reasonably with your money. For one hundred euro, according to the latest exchange rate, you will get about 7,100 roubles, but changes are frequent, sometimes several times a day. If you withdraw money at an ATM, Russian banks (VTB, SBERBANK…) will generally not charge you any additional commissions, but your Croatian bank will. Before the trip, check how much the commission is in order not be shocked.
To avoid any other worries, it is desirable to have a travel and health insurance with you. Although the Russian healthcare sector is at the world class level, there are incredible quality differences at some locations, so do not even think about going to Russia without insurance.
A litre of fuel costs less than four kuna, so this will be an extremely positive surprise for your wallet. At most gas stations, you have to pay in advance for as much petrol or diesel as you want to buy. Only then should you come back to the car and actually pour the fuel into the fuel tank. Do not be surprised, this is the usual procedure in all the states of the former Soviet Union. You pay first and only then fill the tank.
The Russian Federation has excellent rail and airline connections. Metro systems in Sankt Petersburg and Moscow are fantastic and inexpensive. Travelling by train is a great experience and I would recommend it if you have the opportunity. The tickets are not expensive given that the distances travelled are large; just remember the Trans-Siberian Railway… There are several classes of rail travel, from the LUX to the “plackart” where all the passengers sleep in an open type of railway car with no compartments, which is a level not reached even by the Croatian Railways. Scents and flavours felt there cannot be described, so try it for yourselves. Good luck!
If you were wondering how much money to bring to Russia, the amount should certainly not be below a thousand euro. I suppose you already have the tickets, but do not allow yourselves to be left without any money. Of course, you do not have to have all in cash, you can also take the credit cards that you can use in Russia in many places without any restrictions (including petrol stations, supermarkets and restaurants). The most popular ones are Mastercard and Visa (Maestro and Electron can also be used), while American Express and Diners Club International are not as widely used. Amex is generally accepted in larger hotels and more expensive stores, but be careful when you see the blue label on the entrance. McDonald’s, if you like it, also accepts Amex and Diners, so enjoy yourselves. However, it often happens that they forget to remove the label at the entrance, so before trying to pay with Amex or Diners – ask. You can withdraw cash from these cards at some bank’s ATMs, but you should find detailed information about it on the internet. If a card is stolen, contact the phone number listed on the back of the card to block it from being used.
It is a good idea not to use Croatian SIM cards for phone calls and the internet. If you want to save money, buy Russian Megafon, Tele 2, Beeline or MTS. I recommend Megafon because it has a good signal and good coverage with the 4G network. SIM cards are cheap, about thirty kuna, but you need a passport to buy them! Before you go to Russia, make sure your cell phone is not blocked for other networks.
Russian hotels (gostinyica – гостиница) can be harsh. If you have booked a more expensive one, do not worry because they follow the accepted standards. But, the cheaper ones, including hostels, are sometimes Spartan and are often far away from city centres, sometimes as much as 50 kilometres. But, like Spartans, you will endure. For the matches played by the Croatian national team, almost all the hotel capacities have been filled and only empty garages which you are certainly not interested in are left available.
While driving on the roads, you should follow traffic regulations due to frequent police controls. Although Russia is a vodka country, alcohol must not be consumed before driving, and the permissible concentration of alcohol in the blood of the driver is 0.00. Do not play “the Russian roulette” on the road because you can easily finish where you do not want to be – in a Russian prison! If you do end up there, you are entitled to help from the Croatian Embassy in Moscow, located at the Korobejnikov Pereulok 16/10 and which, in addition to Russia, also covers Belarus and Kazakhstan. The Ambassador is Tonči Staničić, but for all emergencies, you need to call the emergency phone: +79151419095, which is available even outside of office hours, i.e. from 0-24 hours. You can also send an email to [email protected]. If you cannot call that number, you can always call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Zagreb. In Kaliningrad, we have a consulate at the address Pl. Pobedy 10A, Office 616-618, and the Honorary Consul is Stefano Vlahović (Phones: +74012593395, +74012593397). Working hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12 pm. The Embassy can help you in many ways, but do not expect they will lend you money, because they will certainly not do that. In fact, if you lose your passport or someone steals it, you will be charged the costs of issuing a travel document to leave Russia?!
You can also end up in jail, pay a large fine or be expelled from Russia if you desecrate Russian monuments or in other ways violate the local laws (for example, by drinking alcohol at a public location). Prostitution in Russia is illegal, although ladies of the night will certainly keep watch near your hotel or hostel. But be extremely careful and, if it comes to that, practice safe sex. Do not forget that Russia is a conservative country and not Thailand! The sexual and romantic relationship between two women or two men are not forbidden in Russia, but holding hands will be considered unusual, and there are laws prohibiting gay propaganda. FIFA has already warned Russia that it would punish its fans if they chant anti-LGBT slogans.
Take care of your belongings, especially when you go out to clubs or enjoy any other kind of nightlife. Leave more valuable things in a hotel safe (carry a copy of your passport with you since checks will be frequent). Nightlife in Russia is great and you will never forget it.
And finally, the Russians are truly Slavic souls and a friendly nation. Try to learn a few words and their traditions, and a little bit about their history. Avoid commenting on the political situation with Ukraine or the European Union. Behave reasonably and decently, and enjoy the hospitality.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES IN RUSSIAN
Okroshka – refreshing cold vegetable soup, the best cure for hangovers
Golupci – minced meat in cabbage; sarma
Pirogi – dumplings with minced meat, cheese, cabbage, apples…
Lavash – strudel-like dough, usually with meat inside, e.g. kebabs
Shauma – kebab
Chak – a Tatarian sweet speciality with honey
Caviar – famous Russian fish speciality that can be red or black. In Russian, it is called the “ikra” and the best one comes from Astrakhan sturgeon and Kamchatka salmon
Blini – pancakes that are usually stuffed, in addition to jam and cheese, with ham and caviar
Kvass – traditional Russian drink produced by the fermentation of rye flour and sugar with some alcohol; it is sold on the streets from tanks; it is drunk cold and by children as well
Vodka – you know all about it; it is produced by the distillation of grains or potatoes, grapes or soy; the names comes from the old-Slavic word for water; the direct translation to Croatian means “little water”
Tea – you do not have a lot of choices; you can buy black or green tea; forget about fruit teas in Russia!
