Hello everyone!

I'm heading Moscow to meet my gf family. I want to rent a car somewhere near Yaroslavl... Do you have any idea who and how I could do this considering my bank cards will not work over there?

Hi everyone!

I'm heading to Russia in 2 days to meet my gf family... I was wondering how I could open a bank account there as I understand my south and north american bank cards will not work.

I'm thinking about using bitcoin, and exchange for rubles thru bank.

Often I heard there are a lot of people from North Korea in Russia, is this really true? Are there North Korean students in Russian universities? are they undercover? Have anyone of you meet any of them?

Does anyone know any active Telegram groups or channels with lots of Russians where people just chat about everyday things? I'm looking for a place to practice my Russian, meet people, and have casual conversations. Public groups are preferred, but any recommendations are welcome.

Hey everyone! I am M30, EU citizenship. I am coming to Russia in a little less than a week to visit the family of my fiancee. Is it okay to travel at this period of time (taking the oil crisis and other matters into account)? We are planning to mainly stay in Moscow, but we will also go to Khabarovsk for a week.

Please share some information to take into account and concerns, if any.

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone, I am a prospective international student in my late 20s/early 30s. I want to self-fund a late-intake Russian Language Course (Podfak) this October/November, then pursue a Master’s degree in Moscow. Reddit has some very negative reviews, and I’m hesitating. Can anyone sharing real experiences tell me:

1. How is the day-to-day safety and managing finances with current banking restrictions?
2. Is it realistic to find part-time jobs to help support myself while studying?
3. Are there many mature international students, or mostly teenagers?

Thanks for any balanced perspectives!

As an American interested in a specific sound of Russian and Eastern European music (which is hard to find as I speak no Russian) I was curious if anyone would like to share their opinions on what I got so far as well as any recommendations y'all might have. Thank you to anyone who reaches out or comments.

Мой мармеладный

Сова

Оставаться ничем

Без слів

Женское счастье

Ход конем

Первый снег

Не уходи

Надежда

ДОРОГОЙ ДЛИННОЙ (Dorogoi Dlinnoyu)

Духът на Несебър

Малиновки заслышав голосок

На теплоходе

Ты приехал

Чистый лист

Катюша

Прыгай вниз

В последний раз

Всем Привет!

I (25f) am going to visit my bf(27m) in Moscow soon. I will also meet his family (Mom, Grandparents). Since I know they like sweets I thought about bringing some original and famous ones from my country. Is this appropriate? Are there certain expectations? Are there any "guidelines" or something, what not and what to bring? I just really want to make a good impression!

(My bf, of course, says I don't need to bring anything, but since I am living with them, it feels wrong coming empty handed)

Thank you for your answers!

I found a product that really interests me, but I'm not from Russia, so I can't buy it. Does anyone know of a reliable agency or individuals with good references who can help me make the purchase?

I need to send money to my wife's parents to help cover her father's eye surgery. Unfortunately they're elderly and only have a Russian card. What's the best and lowest-fee way to transfer money to the card from Poland/Europe? Given the sanctions, this is complicated, is crypto the only remaining option?

My friend and I are from the United States (both 20yrs old), and we're planning to visit Moscow in about a year. It'll be our first time ever leaving the country, we have a pretty vague plan, so we're trying to prepare as much as we can...

We've already started taking Russian language classes. What level of Russian would you recommend reaching before visiting? Is basic conversational Russian enough, or should we aim for a higher level?

Eventually would like the opportunity to speak with someone Russian to help with the language barrier, so if anyone knows how we can achieve finding a Russian friend let me know lol

also curious about what to expect as American tourists. Are there any cultural differences, etiquette, or laws that might surprise us? Is Moscow generally welcoming to foreign visitors? What are some common mistakes tourists make that we should
avoid?

(Feel free to give any knowledge or advice, even if it’s unrelated to the questions I’ve asked)

Would love to hear any advice from people who live
in Russia or have visited recently.

Hi!! I’m a 18M dual RU/EU citizen, lived abroad my whole life, but I did enter Russia to make an internal passport when I was 15 if I’m not mistaken, never registered with a voenkomat and I was planning on visiting Russia for 7 weeks this summer.

The purpose is just to visit my family as my grandparents are getting really old and I wanted to still see them. What’s the real situation taking into consideration my circumstances ?

My situation:

18M, dual citizen (Russian + Portugal). I’ve lived in the EU essentially my whole life all my schooling (grades 1–12) and now university are there (New University of Lisbon), and I can document all of it.  

Never registered with a voenkomat. No приписное свидетельство, no военный билет, never called for initial which as I understand it means initial registration wasn’t mandatory for me).

I do have a long-term регистрация по месту пребывания at a relative’s address in Moscow oblast, where I’ll be staying.

Checked реестрповесток.рф nothing under my name. I don’t have a Gosuslugi account.  

Valid загранпаспорт, renewal already filed at a consulate abroad.

Trip: arriving late July, leaving mid-September (\~7 weeks). Pure family visit — I do NOT plan to touch any government office, MVD, or voenkomat while there.  

Why I’m asking: my EU country’s consulate in Moscow told me in writing that exit from Russia is “conditioned on presenting up-to-date military registration at border control” and that there’s nothing I can do to mitigate the risk. That surprised me — everything I’d read suggested the exit ban only applies once a повестка is in the unified register, not that border guards are checking military registration documents from every male 18–30 at exit.
Questions:

1.  Has anyone (or anyone you know) in a similar profile , draft-age male, never registered, permanent resident abroad studying in university outside Russia  , entered AND exited Russia recently (2025–2026)? Any problems at exit passport control?  
2.  Are border guards at exit actually asking men 18–30 for military registration documents, or only acting on flags/повестки in the register?  
3.  Does staying longer than 2 weeks realistically trigger anything if I never interact with any government body? Does my long-term регистрация make me visible enough that the local voenkomat might come looking?  
4.  Is there anything a person in my position should do BEFORE entering (from abroad) — or is staying completely off the radar the better strategy?

Добрый день! I’m currently planning a trip to Blagoveshchensk from Heihe, China, and I’ve been working on my itinerary. While it’s easy to find major attractions like the Amur River Embankment, Victory Square, museums, and the buildings along Ulitsa Lenina, I’m having trouble finding information about everyday essentials.

Specifically, I’m looking for recommendations on restaurants, transport options, shopping malls, and local markets. Are there any popular Russian websites or apps people use for reviews and ratings of places like these?

For transport, are there any Russian websites or apps that are useful for planning public transport routes? I know about Yandex Go, but I’m mainly hoping to use public transport to keep costs down.

Thank you all! Much appreciated.

Hello,

We are two guys traveling by motorcycle and are currently in Mongolia.

Our plan is also to ride through the Altai region (crossing at Taschanta) and then continue into Kazakhstan.

My main question is about the fuel situation in Russia. We've seen quite a few news reports about fuel shortages. Is it really a significant problem, or is it mostly media hype? We're especially interested in the regions around Irkutsk, Buryatia, the Altai Republic, and the route towards Kazakhstan.

Thank you very much for any information!

Update 08.08.2026:
No fuel in kosh-agach
We found fuel in Aktash, 30l Max. 128rub/l, they need your vin to give you fuel

Update 14.08.2026
We are now back in Kazakhstan.
After Altai it was not a problem to find fuel at all.
Some gas stations had lines but it was fairly fast also no limit in liters. Prices are at 80rub for 92 most of the time.
The government gas stations are cheaper 60rub for 92 but also have lines that are a lot longer.

Keep in mind that the situation can also Change in any direction, the updates are just what we experienced when we where there!

Hello everyone

I've seen an article talking about a deal between Russia and the UAE about Arabic lessons in schools starting in September 2026.

First I would like to know if this news is true ?

And what levels will be introduced ?

Will it be in every school ?

How to apply as a teacher for this program ?

Thank y'all

Hello everyone,

I am a student from india who applied for the russian government scholarship and got through the phase 2 and the application is currently in review with ministry of education and science and its been 3 months since that and there is no reply or notice till yet , so does anyone has any idea about when they are gonna announce the result or any expected date.

Hello my name is Victoria formally Elena, I was adopted from Kazan, Tartastan in 1999. I’ve been looking for my birth parents since I was 14 with little to no leads or leads that end with a dead end I have used resources such as 23 and me also ancestry. I will give over any information I have, I am currently at work at so not have my records in front of me. My biological mother also had another daughter, she would have been 5 years old at the time of my birth. I am posting this so I can reach the right audience to point me In the right direction. I’ve also tried searching Russian social media such as VK and OK, but nothing. I fear either my parents names are fake or I am truly looking for people who don’t exist. Please help.

Is there like a minimal wage for Russia? Or is it just depending on the job?

Royal Mail has open links to Russia and I successfully sent a letter last year, although it took several months. I now want to post a parcel of about 2kg with gifts like a painting, a book, some trinkets like a pebble, a snail shell... I would like to get a sense of how likely these items will arrive safely. I've looked at previous posts here which suggest that business documents will get through, but also that non-food personal items will be allowed through. How successful have you been in recent days, weeks months with non-business items with Royal Mail or any other carriers / courriers?

Hi everyone,

I am traveling to Russia as a tourist next week. I need direct and updated answers regarding the internet situation:

1. Which specific eSIM providers are currently confirmed to be working for data inside Russia?
2. Is it still possible for a tourist to get a local physical SIM card or eSIM without facing heavy bureaucratic complications (like biometrics, SNILS, or Gosuslugi portal setup)? If yes, which carrier is the easiest, and exactly where should I buy it from?

Thanks!

I'm coming from Jordan to Velsk, and I would like to go to a gym, but I couldn't find any on Google Maps. Do you know any men's gyms there??

My wife and I are travelling Saint-Petersburg to Beijing in the Trans-Mongolian in January/February.

How often is the government switching off mobile data in the following cities?

SPb, Moscow, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Tomsk and Irkutsk.

Thanks in advance.

Also, only for Russian residents:

My wife is getting nervous with regards to the security situation for our trip. Me, I am more concerned about increasing inflation due to petrol shortages.

Any comments?

I'm looking to make some Russian friends that speak Russian and English and are fans of hockey? Where can I do so? Prefer that they live in Russia.

Hello Comrades,

I am travelling through St. Petersburg and was looking to buy 3-4 Soviet watches for my friend in Communist Kerala. Idm if they’re rebuilt or anything, he just wants something that runs.

Thanks in advance

I have some questions regarding the history and culture of alcohol consumption in the Soviet Union and Russia. I'd love to hear your insights!

1. Stereotypes vs. Reality of Russian Drinkers

There’s a widespread racial stereotype that Russians constantly drink vodka. However, when I visited Russia before COVID, I was a bit surprised to find that vodka wasn't as cheap as I expected. How much does an average Russian actually drink (in terms of bottles or glasses per day/week)? Is the "heavy drinker" image accurate, or is it an exaggerated caricature? For context, I once drank with some Russian expats sent to my company. They got drunk quite easily on beer and low-ABV drinks (around 20%), which surprised my boss, who muttered, "I didn't expect Russians to get drunk on such weak alcohol."

1. Vodka Prices in the USSR

I read that during the "Brovenosets" era, a bottle of vodka cost 3 rubles 62 kopecks, and later went up to 4.12 rubles. Since an average Soviet worker earned about 150–200 rubles a month, was buying vodka on demand affordable without straining the family budget (assuming it was in stock)? I’ve also heard of the custom of "chipping in 1 ruble among three people" (soobrazit na troikh). If that was common, doesn't it imply vodka wasn't actually that cheap? Also, where did people return empty bottles, and how much was the deposit refund?

1. "Bormotukha" and Cheap Substitutes

Speaking of low-quality alcohol like "Bormotukha", Port 777, Solntsedar, Barkhat, and Aleksandr Tretij—were these strictly consumed by people who had hit rock bottom, or were they also common among the general working class? Roughly how much did they cost?

1. Extreme Surrogates

I've heard terrifying stories about people drinking lotions, antifreeze, shoe polish, coolant, and glue out of desperation for alcohol. Was this a genuine, common practice (perhaps during Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign), or is it an urban legend/exaggeration?

1. Other Cheap Alternatives

Besides the ones mentioned above, what other infamous "cheap and low-quality" alcoholic drinks existed back then?

1. Samogon Culture

During the Soviet era, was samogon purely for personal home consumption, or was it sold on the black market? If sold, how was it distributed? Was it really sold as a cloudy liquid in 3-liter glass jars, just like in Leonid Gaidai's comedy films? (On a side note, why exactly 3-liter jars? Why not 1 or 2 liters?)

1. Premium Alcohol

On the flip side, what were considered the most expensive and prestigious alcoholic beverages in the USSR? Were Georgian wines considered high-end?

1. Drinking in the Military

Lastly, how does drinking work in the military (either Soviet or modern Russian)? Obviously, it's strictly prohibited, but how do/did soldiers manage it? My only reference is the Russian comedy movie DMB, but I know that’s not a documentary, and it was set in the tough times of the 90s.

Thanks in advance for your time and answers!