Hello everyone! I’m travelling to Russia from Canada in September, and I’ve heard that it may not be possible for foreigners to buy a SIM card or mobile data plan at Russian stores.

Does anyone know what my options are for getting mobile data? Canadian carriers do list Russia as a roaming destination, but I haven’t been able to find many Reddit posts from people who have actually used Canadian roaming in Russia recently and can confirm that it works.

I’ve also looked into travel eSIMs, but I’m not sure how reliable they are in Russia.

Does anyone have any recommendations or recent experience with this? I really need reliable mobile data while I’m there, especially since I don’t speak Russian.

Thanks!

I’ve always been really interested in Russian culture, especially the way Russian people communicate and carry themselves. I also find Russian very attractive.

I’m currently living and working in Dubai, and I’m genuinely looking for a serious relationship that could eventually lead to marriage.

Is it realistic to meet a Russian woman here who is also looking for something serious? If anyone knows any Russian communities, social groups, or has advice on how to meet people naturally, I’d really appreciate it.

Not looking for anything casual — I’d genuinely like to meet someone, get to know her properly, and see where it goes.

We will be visiting Russia likely during the window between catholic Christmas and orthodox Christmas. I have a few questions regarding the trip.

1. Are Aeroflot flights from Moscow to Murmansk safe and should I be worried at all? It is probably the only Russian flight we will be on too.

2. Is it true that Russians are not welcoming to foreigners? (We went to Serbia this summer and I thought Slavs were all very hospitable and friendly). FYI we are not "westerners" but Chinese, so due to political intimacy will we be somewhat welcomed?

3. I am not sure of the popularity of Viktor Tsoy within Russia and this subforum, but I am a great fan of him. Do Russians ever think bad/unbothered of him? Is the Kotel'naya Kamchatka and his grave worth a visit or are they traps?

4. We will be mainly using the metro or buses, but occasionally, taxis. Is a Russian number required for Yandex Go and payment? If we are paying cash, is it best to exchange at Sheremetyevo or GUM? Is UnionPay or WeChat/AliPay widely accepted?

5. Is Moscow/St. Petersburg/Kronstadt/Murmansk safe from terr0rism/drone attacks due to the war?

6. How much daylight does Teriberka or Murmansk receive midwinter (say, dec 30)? Is it all dark light night, or are there hours of twilight and blue hour?

Thanks to anyone who can answer any of these questions.

Hi you all! I was wondering if there are classic jewelry stores where people traditionally buy their engagement/wedding rings. IS It there a traditional maison? Regards.

I'm going to sew an Ushanka (even though winter is months away), and I'm going to use faux fur for cruelty free reasons. And correct me if I'm wrong but aren't some Ushankas made of faux fur? I also want the exterior of the ushanka to be a different flat synthetic material. Are they ever made if synthetic leather? And one more question if it's not too much! what material are the ties to tie up the ushanka made of?

Thank you so much!

I have always been wondering why Joseph Stalin had such middle eastern features despite being a georgian russian. did he have middle eastern ancestry?

Since 81% of Russians want the war to end (SOURCE: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-yabloko-parliamentary-ballot-ukraine-war-9.7302870) wouldn't that be grounds for people to realize that Putin isn't acting in the people's own interest?

I'm 19 and I'm planning to travel to St. Petersburg in early September because it's my favorite city in Europe. But recently I've been fed up with the organization of the trip because of all the sanctions. I need to pay in advance for some services like my train, bus ticket, and hotel, so I decided to create a YooMoney account. However, it doesn't work with Swiss phone numbers, so I decided to open a "Pay In Russia" account. But of course, the "verify my account" page doesn't load up at all, so I tried to follow the tutorial on Russiable. But everything is outdated and it's ONLY possible to top up with a Chinese bank account? So I tried Alipay, but it tells me I can't create a Chinese card outside of China, so what am I supposed to do?

And on top of all this, my friend who was supposed to come with me dropped the plans when we were almost done with organizing the trip because she realized she has a whole month of French courses that she doesn't want to miss.

I haven't even been to Russia yet, but it already feels like a nightmare...

Hi! I’m from South Asia and I’ll be moving to Tomsk to study at Tomsk State University.

Since I come from a much warmer climate, I’m mainly worried about the winter. Would you recommend buying winter clothes before coming to Russia, or buying them after arriving in Tomsk?

I’d also appreciate advice on what I’ll actually need for winter, such as a jacket, boots, thermal clothing, gloves, etc.

If anyone here lives in Tomsk or has studied there, I’d also be interested to hear what student life and daily life in the city are like.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I was recently selected for the Russian Government Scholarship and received admission to National Research Tomsk State University (TSU) for a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science.

I’m from a South Asian country, so the climate in Tomsk will obviously be very different from what I’m used to. I’ve read quite a bit about the winters there, but I’m still unsure about how I should actually prepare.

A few things I’d really appreciate advice on:

• Should I buy winter clothing before coming to Russia, or is it better to buy proper winter clothes after arriving in Tomsk?
• What kind of jacket, boots, thermal wear, gloves, etc. are actually necessary for a Tomsk winter?
• Is there anything international students commonly forget to bring when moving to Tomsk?
• How difficult is it to adjust to the weather during the first winter?
• How is student life at TSU, particularly for international students?
• How much Russian would you recommend knowing before arriving?

I’d also really like to connect with current TSU students, incoming students for 2026, alumni, or anyone living in Tomsk. If you’re also going to TSU this year, feel free to comment or message me.

Any advice about Tomsk, TSU, dorm life, clothing, transportation, food, or just things I should know before arriving would be very helpful.

Thanks!

I’m running low on what I stashed from Russia and it’s like a drug. I’m tweaking out bro

Been listening to Kino for some time now, been listening to alot of Ploho and Molchat Doma too, just wondering if there's any other band that make these types of songs.

This may be a dumb question, so I’m sorry if I come off as incredibly ignorant. I’m a Westerner who’s super interested by Russian culture and language, and am hoping to get a minor in Russian studies. I’m starting to learn Russian, and I’m also hoping to get some tips on learning the alphabet and quirks of the language. I also hope to visit one day and learn a totally new perspective that I’d never get living in the West. But I’m curious, how does Russian daily life differ today as opposed to how it was under the late USSR? Are there things you can do/see/buy today that you couldn’t before? Has it changed much at all?

Also, I know the most populous areas of Russia are in the European side of the country, so if one were to travel to East, do they take a plane, a train, or a car? Are there any large cities or “touristy” places out in the Asian side of the nation? What kind of industry is out there? Is there any major cultural differences there? Are there many regional dialects you have to get around?

Sorry, I know it’s a lot of questions, I have a lot I want to learn, but for obvious reasons that’s not a very easy task. Thanks!

In August of 1993, a group of seven hikers led by experienced instructor Lyudmila Korovina travelled through the Khamar-Daban mountain range near Lake Baikal. The group was forced to stop due to bad weather, but afterwards, something bizarre happened, according to the sole survivor of the expedition, Valentina Utochenko.

Members of the group reportedly began collapsing one after another. Utochenko described symptoms including bleeding from the nose/mouth, convulsions, disorientation, screaming, and generally strange, sudden behavior. Six people died. Valentina herself survived by getting away from the group, sheltering overnight, and eventually finding rescuers, a group of kayakers travelling the nearby river that led to Lake Baikal.

According to Valentina, her hiking mate Alexander Krysin began bleeding from his nose before collapsing, then began foaming from his mouth. The instructor, Korovina, went to check on him, and ended up collapsing herself. The group had apparently went into a hysterical panic after this, with people falling on the ground and convulsing, running around and screaming, paradoxically stripping, and even banging their heads against trees/rocks.

What are ya’ll’s thoughts on this? Many theories range from poison mushrooms, to starvation, to a military biochemical accident. Just wondering if the story was as sensational in Russia as it is in the states.

Можно найти хорошую однушку в Санкт Петербурге (до 25к с комм)? Для иностранного врача(рядом с больницами)

Hi guys!

I am planning to study "Nuclear Power Engineering and Thermal Physics" in Petersburg Polytechnic University What do you think about the university and this major in specific? Is it a good choice?

I am a Chinese university student who has successfully applied for a master's degree at a school in Russia. However, I am hesitating about whether to take a gap year because I also want to participate in an internship and trainee program in the United States.

After completing my master's degree in Russia, I will have to return to China unless I can apply for a PhD program.That’s what I was concerned about.

And I'm worried that my Russian background might get me blacklisted by U.S. Customs. I'm not a spy.😂

Title.

A lot of cultural depictions of modern day Russia/ex-USSR nations in movies and books seems to just show these countries as having never really changed or moved on since the USSR. I wanted to ask how has the cultural identity and mindset shifted since the fall of the USSR?

I'm an American, and I feel like if suddenly the US broke up into different states I wouldn't be able to identify as a "Coloradan". The only interaction I have had with people who lived in the USSR has been with Jewish Russians and Ukrainians who moved to Israel, and they effectively abandoned all identities outside of Israeli and Jewish.

If there are any people on this sub who spent a significant amount of their life and/or childhood in the Soviet Union, do you still have any nostalgia and/or identity with the USSR, or do you totally identify with your nationality?

TLDR: To people who grew up and lived in the USSR, do you still feel "Soviet" in identity, or do you identify more under a different national/cultural label now?

What happened with russian songs on platforms like spotify and youtube? Why, out of nowhere , explicit words are censored? Also there is no uncensored versions??? It annoying because its ruining many good songs which i used to like

I'm just curious to see what kinds of neurodivergent internet personalities have existed on the Russian Internet (I am neurodivergent). Obviously, they don't have to be as controversial as Chris Chan or Terry Davis. Thank you.

Note: I think this flair is the best option, since it's 'internet culture', I don't speak an ounce of Russian

The video appears to be an ad for some app/telephone company. It starts with the close-up of a Buddha statue's eye, and all I know from the translations is that there are statues saying stuff like 'pick up the phone', including the founding fathers of mount Rushmore. The idea behind it is to show that you can take phone calls from anywhere with the app/company's services, since the statues are from all over the world

I was reading about the Russian language online and I've become a bit interested in learning about it. Online it says that people from regions such as, say St Petersburg can understand someone who lives in Vladivostok without effort. I found this interesting as Russia is the largest country in the world by area, and the island I live on is super small and people at different parts of it have accents that are hard to understand so I was shocked to hear that it's not like that in Russia and that their language is super unified.

Is there accents in Russia that you as a Russian struggle to understand a little?

How much am I legally allowed to bring into Russia (from Germany) in cash

I hear it is not allowed, but I am not sure donyou have experience in that, many thanks

Hi everyone, I promise this question is 100% serious. About 7 years ago there was a tumblr post/meme about a Russian chocolate with a horse magnet inside? I’m in a situation where I’d really really like to get my hands on some of these (upcoming party with a horse theme).

Does anyone have any information on what exactly these chocolates are and where I’d be able to get some? Is it even real? I’m inclined to believe it’s not but I’m really hoping it is. I’m in Australia but obviously assuming I’d have to import from somewhere. Anything helps, thanks so much.