In Sergiev Posad, the History and Architecture Museum is closed. When I was there, they were stripping the last bits out of it. I asked when it would be open and got a non-committal answer implying the distant future. They've also rebuilt the bus station and now the buses wait at the proper platform rather than hang around in the yard while a mob of passengers try to work out which bus they want.
In the monastery there is a great shop (near the main gate against the wall) where priests can buy all they want,including hats, mitres, robes, plastic "gold" bits for sticking on to the covers of Bibles etc. It's worth a look just to see how the Orthodox church can make a good show on a small budget. I don't know if they'll sell the hats to non-priests, but if they do, a flashy mitre would make a cracking souvenoir for only GBP25!
A MacDonalds has opened in Yeroslavl, with the taste and sensitivity to local culture for which MacDonalds is famed. They have put up an enormous column with a great big M on it not far from the war memorial. Mmmm, nice.
Transport prices at the beginning of 1999 between Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg are 100 roubles platskartny with a student card - a Russian student card, and 480 foreigner price. From St. Petersburg to Moscow, foreigner price is 820 roubles, but if you buy a ticket from the Intourist counter at Moskovsky Voksal for the Intourist train, it only costs 277. This price is not available at the central Railway Ticket office.
Barry Coombes, UK (Apr 99)
Ufa, Bashkiria (or Bashkortostan) - all basic town transport (except the grey minibuses called "route taxis") are free. It is paid for by a tax on those who work in the town. I can't speak about the airport buses, but the ordinary buses, trams and trolleybuses in town are free.
There are some wonderful museums, including the Bashkiri folk arts and crafts museum, the museum of the national artist M.V. Nesterov and best of all, a wonderful little house museum to the writer Aksakov, born 29/9/1771, museum opened by dedicated enthusiasts 200 years later, converting the house in which Aksakov had lived and worked back from the chemists' shop which it had been under communism. Aksakov was not one of their heroes. At present they have no material in English and no English speaking guide, but would welcome help if anyone would translate anything for them. For Russian speakers, it's a gem.
Ufa is home to the Bashkiri state opera and ballet theatre, the Bashkiri state puppet theatre, the Bashkiri state academic drama theatre and the Bashkiri republic Russian drama theatre. They were closed when I was there, as their season opens at the end of September.
Two monuments are worthy of note, one for it's stunning beauty and the view over the river behind it. The monument to folk-hero Salavat Yulaev is superb. Sculptor: C.D. Tavacnev. Done in the sixties, I seem to remember Salavat Yulaev was a Bashkin people's hero who gathered up Bashkiris and other folks to fight the Czar in the war of 1773 - 1775. The monument overlooks the river from a height. It is near the television centre. Two policemen have a post there, to stop bored young people from climbing on it.
In Victory Park stands a monument to A Matrosov and M. Gubaygullin, who, in the second world war, threw themselves over some enemy guns and thus saved many lives. The view behind it is magnificent over river and well-kept large-scale parkland (suitable for riding)
The nearby series of monuments to the dead of the second world war is moving because of the enormous scale of the tragedy. Thousands died and each village and town has its numbers of dead. Many died of starvation, others in fighting or as prisoners.
Mrs. Veronica R. Bradney, UK (Mar 99)
As of February 1999, Russian visas no longer list the destination cities. These are only listed on letters of invitation, so you should bring a copy with you, just in case.
A PDF version of the Russian Visa application is available through an ad on the Russian Washington DC consular web site at http://www.traveldocs.com/ru/visa.htm. If your stay is less than three weeks, registration of your visa with the local police is not required (and in some cases even discouraged by the police) in many of the larger cities.
The Metro in Moscow is now 3 roubles.
The Russian VAT of 20% is not recoverable upon departure from Russia. However, it is usually only collected by restaurants and shops at the upscale hotels.
ATM's are available at the American Express office at 21-A Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Ulitsa, the Marriot Grange Hotel at 26 Tverskaya and there are several along the Novy Arbat.
Stephen Chiusano, USA (Mar 99)
In Moscow they have changed the metro ticket. Formerly special tokens were used, now credit-card size paper tickets have to be bought (good for single and up to ten rides). The price per ride is 3 roubles.
Rob de Raaij, The Netherlands (Feb 99)
Several of the kiosks in the metro stations in St Petersburg sell a small paper guide entitled "Plani Okrestnoctiyi 29 Stanstii". These cost almost nothing and show the streets around each of the important stations - very valuable stuff.
There is a great market next to the Dostoevsky museum close to the Vladimirskaya metro station where you can buy Valencia oranges, other fruit and fresh vegetables. They are expensive for Russian (80 cents for an orange) but it supplies a desperately needed vitamin C element to ones diet.
anon (Jan 99)
In Moscow, there is one bank whose ATM is still working. It is located at the Marriot Hotel on Tverskaya (Makakovskaya end). It accepts Visa debit and credit cards (and others too). However, it takes a while for your money to arrive.
Katharine Allen (Jan 99)
Credit cards and travellers cheques are no longer accepted anywhere in Russia (as they are tyring to stop the flow of money out of the countries). One must carry an adequate amount of US currency (US$30/40 day should be adequate, not including accommodation) which, if split amongst several hiding places, should suffice.
Stephen Ireland, Australia (Oct 98)
Crimea has adjusted its time zone to that of the rest of Ukraine - dropping its insistence of following Moscow time zone - so it is gmt+3 in summer. I also heard unconfirmed reports while in Odessa that from September 1st, 1998, a special permit is required for foreigners who want to visit both southern Ukraine, Odessa included, and the Crimea.
Panagiotis Antonopoulos (Sept 98)
Some ATM'S in Moscow are now accepting EC cards together with your PIN number - if you want to get roubles. Compared to most other possibilities of getting roubles, this is a cheap (compared to credit cards) and time saving (compared to travellers cheques) method. Also the rates are a lot better than the ones in banks or exchange kiosks.
Harald Schubert (Aug 98)
To register your visa in St Petersburg you cannot use the main office (listed with addres in the guide) and the office that they send you to is only open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and only for two hours each day (the hours vary). There is also a fee involved - about 175 rubles.
You also may want to note the subway closing on the red line going north between Lesnaya and Pl. Muzhestva. If you want to get to the Piskarovskoye memorial cemetery you have to get off the subway and take a short bus trip to the next stop, then take a bus/tram to the cemetery.
Khrisslyn Goodman (May 98)
The Russian Rouble has now been revalued and lost the last three zeros. A subway token that used to cost R1,000 now costs R1. A lot of products, museum entry fees, etc are marked in both old and new prices, although I'm not sure why they bother (it's pretty easy to work out).
Old notes are still in circulation - make sure you deduct the zeros from any pre 1997 notes (the year is printed on them.) A 1995 10,000 rouble note is the same as a 1997 10 rouble one.
Simon Britten (Apr 98)
Travellers Cheques are a big hassle in Russia. Very few places take them and you pay a premium to cash them. If you're not willing to go all cash, credit cards are much better, but all dollar bills must be recent and clean. The Russians are all concerned about getting stuck with an outdated bill that will no longer be honoured. $100 dollar bills must all be the new style with the big head but I've seen other bills rejected because they were 1990 or 1993 rather than 1995. I've also exchanged bills with Russian friends who had one with a tear in it that they said they couldn't use in Russia.
John Hogan - USA (Dec 97)
In St. Petersburg, the most convenient way to get around the city that I found was simply do what the locals do and stand curbside and flag a car down. Of course, it helps to know a little bit of Russian (as I do ) and it helps even more to be extremely daring. The going rate for a ride within the city seemed to be 10,000 to 15,000 roubles. On those occasions when my Russian failed me, I did well enough by writing down the price I was willing to pay and pointing to my map. The local economy was such that there were plenty of people willing to go a little bit out of their way for an extra rouble or two, and I never experienced any sort of unpleasantness getting around in this manner. A ride in a Lada with a Russian in a hurry is quite an experience, to say the least.
Joseph Turocy - USA (1997)
A good idea when travelling in a county where there is a lack of cheap accommodation/hostel facilities is to try and find the local university. There you can hook up with some students or the local English department, who will usually put you up, and, if lucky, give you a tour of the local town.
Peter Ebbutt - UK (Nov 97)
It is now easy to change travellers cheques in dollars in Vladivostok. There are at least three banks that accept them: Inkombank, Sperbank and Pervij Primorje Banks. There is an ATM machines that accepts VISA cards outside the Inkombank.
Paal Skogholt (Nov 97)
Tourists stand out in St Petersburg and stall-holders can spot you a mile off. They come at you from all directions trying to sell you portraits, soviet memorabilia or traditional dolls, which come in every conceivable design from traditional dolls to Santa Claus to The Beatles.
Entry to the Hermitage seems to change as often as the value of the rouble. A year before you had to pay, despite flashing an ISIC card. This year the ISIC card got us free entry, but only after some debate. Pre-paid tickets with guides give you a good history of the museum and its exhibits but they are expensive - when you can get in for free and explore at your own pace.
Paul Hillman (Nov 97)
Yeltsin announced in August that, from January 98, the rouble will lose 3 of its digits off the end. That means that 1,000 rubles will become 1 rouble. Be aware of obsolete 1991, 1993 and 1995 notes.
Kerry Just - Japan
You can change money at the Russian/Mongolian border at Naushki - low commission.
Simon Bristow - UK ( Oct 97)
The Hermitage is now free for ISIC holders.
The Church of Resurrection of Christ is now open, highly recommended.
Simon Bristow - UK (Oct 97)
If you are travelling on the Trans Mongolian Railway from Beijing to Moscow, the cheapest way is to buy your ticket in Beijing a week or so before hand. This should cost about US$200 one way for a sleeper in a four berth cabin. It helps if you can speak Mandarin and there are separate lines for foreigners. They mix up males and females and you might find yourself in a berth with some interesting people who can't speak English. Pre-booking on the No 3 train will cost you about US$400 from any agency, but saves you heaps of hassle, especially if you can't stand hanging around a crowded railway station for hours or days to get your ticket. The train is extremely popular so pre-booking is the only way to guarantee a specific departure. When getting on the train at Beijing they make you weigh your luggage and get your ticket stamped or they won't let you on to the platform. You can see why - hoards of Chinese pushing and shoving, trying to get through a narrow doorway carrying their life possessions on their back. Don't break your journey or it will cost another staggering US$200 for the ticket. This is only worth it if you intend to spend lots of time exploring the inner depths of the Russian Federation (it was near freezing in Siberia by mid September, even though it was still 23 C degrees in Moscow). Skip Mongolia unless you're into Dinosaurs or horseback riding.
You must get a Mongolian Visa (US$30 in Beijing) even if you're just transiting the country. One of my cabin mates got the wrong advice from his travel agent and was detained at the border for six hours while they processed his application. Food is provided at the Chinese end. It's fairly basic and the crew are surly. The Russians are much more efficient and clean. Take pot noodles with you and try and get roubles at the border or you will starve. I was fortunate enough to meet a Russian on the train who spoke English and was willing to change my US dollars into roubles.
Siberia is not the frozen waste land people think. It's teeming with life,people, animals, insects (lots of mosquitos) and trees. The train ride is popular, fascinating and you never know who you'll meet.
Colleen Poulter, New Zealand (Feb 99)
I took the ferry from Kerch, Ukraine into Russia. You can get a bus in Feodosia, that goes to various locations in Russia, via the ferry. I didn't know this, so took a taxi to the ferry from Feodosia, walked on the ferry and to my good fortune, saw a bus drive on that was going to the very place that I needed to go. Good think too, because when you reach the end of your 20 minute ferry crossing, there is no town, no money changers, no traffic hardly, nothing but the border patrol. Don't think you'll find transportation there. Have it before you get on the ferry. It's an excellent way to enter Russia/leave Ukraine - totally low-key.
Claire Bouchard (May 98)
You can't buy a specific seat on the train unless you're buying it from the start point of the trip. Otherwise it is just general seating and you are seated by the Provodnik. You must present your passport to buy a ticket - this was a problem since I always bought four tickets, not wanting to share my cabin with others, especially men. But one passport gets you one ticket I had to rely on the kindness of the ticket agents to sell me four tickets, without producing four passports. Even then the Provodnik can still seat someone in with you if they want. I was fortunate in that that never happened.
Claire Bouchard (May 98)
I travelled to St Petersburg from Tallinn by train. There is now only one train per day - it leaves Tallin at 2010 (arrive St. P at 0654) and leaves St P. at 2310, arriving Tallin 0816. I shared a coupe with Estonian citizens on both legs of the journey - both of these chaps were frequent travellers and were quite amused when I locked the door shut. One of my travelling companions told me that the only other person he had seen do this was a Russian. Apparently security is good on this train service because it only stops in Narva in North Estonia. There are also at least four guards on this train - there was certainly one per first class carriage. Russian customs were dreadful when entering Russia and awful when leaving - but at least they did not bother with the currency declarations.
Colin Viney - (May 98)
Since the curtailment of Black Sea ferry services, transport options between southern Ukraine and the Balkans have become somewhat limited. In Odessa, I found what I consider to be an important option :
Hydrofoil services run by TRANSKRUIZ run Thursdays and Sundays along the Danube from Izmail in Ukraine to Silestra in Bulgaria, and then come back again. The trip takes 5 hours upstream and presumably less downstream. The cost in the upstream direction is 74 Ukrainian grive (about US$40). The most useful currency on the boat is Bulgarian lev; you might as well give away your excess griven because they won't buy anything. Most of the trip is through Romania, but no Romanian transit visa is needed. Quite apart from the importance of the connection, this journey provides an opportunity to see the lower reaches of the Danube, passing close by the port cities or Reni (Ukraine), Galata (Romania) and Braila (Romania).
Izmail is reached by ovenright train from Odessa, and the hydrofoil service connects with this train. The connections at the other end, particularly to Sophia and Varna, are equally good.
There are Transkruiz offices at the port in Izmail and at Room 3, Ekaterynynska 39, Odessa. There are probably offices at the Bulgarian end as well (Silestra? Varna? Sophia?) but you would have to check this.
Another way of making the connection is by bus from Odessa to/from Varna a couple of times a week, but this bus is frequently full and a Romanian transit visa is required. Transkruiz in Odessa can provide information on and bookings for this bus.
Terry Deague - Australia (Nov 97)
If you want to visit Siberia, flying from Moscow to Yakutsk by a very comfortable plane, travel by Sakha Diamons: new airplanes (A-310) every two days from Moscow. Yakutsk could be a good starting point to reach Transiberian trains, travelling by boat (July/August) or by truck (Winter) on the river Lena.
Daniele Massazza - Italy (Nov 97)
It is not possible to take a train directly from Vladivostok to Harbin. Tickets are not for sale.
There are no passenger trains. The tourist agencies attach their wagons to cargo trains, but alas, they do not leave on any schedule. The easiest way to get from Vladivoistok to Harbin as far as I have managed to figure out is to take the bus from Vladivostok to Gradekovo. It leaves from Vladivostok at 8 am and gets in to Gradekovo at 1.15 pm. From Gradekovo you can get a train to Suifenhe in China. The train leaves Gradekovo at 4 pm. You can take a train the whole way, but that includes an overnight stay either at Ussurijsk or Gradekovo, and at least two changes. From Suifenhe you can get a train either to Mundanjiang or Harbin.
Paal Skogholt (Nov 97)
On Sundays, Khreshchatyk is closed off for the pedestrians, Badminton players, small girls on in-line skates, street theatre performers, and saunterers. The result in Spring is charming.
An annex over the south aisles of St Sophia contains various pictures and relics of churches which have ceased to exist. In particular, it contains some frescs and mosaics from St Mykhayl of Golden Cupolas, above all the great mosaic of the Eucharist, which I think is the finest in Kiev.
St Mykhayl has now been rebuilt, though I do not think it is yet open to the public. It provides a splendid counterpart to St Sophia, though since it is too new to appear in any maps or guidebooks it is very confusing for the traveller.
There are two art galleries that are both housed in sugar barons houses, lovingly restored by the new government, which would be well worth a visit in their own right. The Western and Oriental collection is now open, and though I did not see any Oriental art or Byzantine icons, it has some excellent Western paintings -including a Van Dyck, a Velasquez of an Infanta, and a very nice early Flemish "Virgin and Child with Donor".
The Historical Treasures Museum now also contains a carefully restored collection of Ukrainian Jewish silver objects, accumulated and left to rot by the Soviets. There is now only one gun-toting guard, who sits at the top of the stairs by the Scythian gold rooms. He still looks bored.
Eileen Cottis (May 99)
In Ekaterinburg is a complex of literature museums representing former homes of writers Mamin-Sibirayak and Reshchetnikov and displaying works of the fairy tale writer Bazhov. Bazhov's fairy tales are all based in the Urals and about Malachite mining, the goddess of Copper Mountain and the goat with the silver hoof, who leaves semi-precious stones wherever he steps. There is a theatre set to open there which will perform productions exclusively of writers of the Urals. It's a very nice complex and even if nobody has ever heard of the writers it's worth a visit for the architecture and antiques on display.
Between Ekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil there is a town called Nevyansk with a leaning tower built 325 years ago and it has an English mechanism for bell ringing that can play 21 melodies on 300 year old bells. You can even stand up in the tower with the bells going crazy all around you. This was the highlight of our trip to the Urals. It is actually on the territory of a factory, so theoretically one should contact them in advance, but there are tours frequently so it would probably be possible to just show up (in Russia things can always be worked out somehow). And about 10 miles away (ask the guide in the tower) there is a Russian Orthodox church that has never been closed. It has a whole different feel form the churches that have been rebuilt or changed back form the warehouses, swimming pools or movie theatres that they served as under communism. There aren't more than a handful of chruches in the country that have never been closed.
Also, in Nizhny Tagil, in the Ural Vagon Stroi factory (with a tank on a pedestal outside) there is a museum (two years old now) of the tanks they produced during the war. The museum is minor but it's attached to a garage where actual tanks are on display and one is open to be climbed in and all the buttons work and you can beep the horn.
Megan Corrigan (Nov 98)
I visited the spa of Krasnousolsk near the town of Krasnousolsky, Bashkortostan. The spa is located about two hours southeast of Ufa by car or regular bus service. The spa is a soviet-era sanatoria built for the rest and treatment of tovarishi with mineral water from the springs in the nearby Ousolka River. Treatments available here include various forms of hydrotherapy, mud baths, massage and exercise. The facilities are worn by western resort stands, but there is a newer dormitory with an indoor pool, sauna and gymnasium. A couple can stay for seven days in a double room with TV and shower for about US$350. This price includes three adequate meals a day in the cafeteria and an individual program of daily therapies. You many purchase salon services, sauna, hydro-massage and indoor pool use for nominal extra fees.
The springs history dates to the 16th century when the image of the Madonna and Child was allegedly found on a log floating in the small river flowing through a wooded valley. People soon began coming to Bogayvlenchisky - "View of the Image" - to bathe and drink the miraculous water. A religious shrine was established at the site and over the years the anniversary of the discovery was celebrated at Bogayvlenchisky.
In 1971 these celebrations came to the attention of soviet officials relaxing at the spa across the river. They decided to destroy the chasovnia to discourage the religious practice. According to local accounts, the shrine was blasted 25 m into the air intact before crumbling to rubble. The springs stopped flowing for three days before re-emerging at the surface. The Bashkortostan government is rebuilding the riverside chasovnia. A picturesque church is being built on a bluff overlook the springs. Interested travellers can make necessary reservations in Ufa at Dom Profosyuzov, 1 Kirova Street, (tel) 23-53-67 or 23-18-52.
Gary M Lane (Oct 98)
Sakha Republic (Yakutia) - A very nice open air museum is in Sotinsii. You can get there by car, but it is much better to go there by boat. The boat leaves in the morning (10 am) from the Yakutsk port. It takes about one hour and 40 minutes - prices for one way ticket are about US$10. The boat returns from Sotinsii to Yakutsk at around 5 pm. The museum, which is located near the Lena (about 20 minutes walk from the boat stop) has different types of Yakutian houses, a mill, a boat, an old style school, old Yakutian graves (people are not buried in the ground but are placed above the ground in a coffin). Inside they have a very nice collection of Yakutian items (saddles, furs etc). The price of the museum for foreigners is about 70 roubles (US$10) with guide. Without guide it is half the price. You have to pay extra for taking photos' or videos.
Another nice museum in Yakutsk is the "musical museum" located in an old Yakutia wooden house, behind the hotel Tigin Darkhan. The director of the museum speaks English and provides a very interesting lecture about the history of Yakutia and shamanism. Ask for directions. The opening hours are irregular so call and make an appointment.
Jolanda Hogenkamp, Russia (Aug 98)
In Tomsk the old wooden houses make the city an interesting stay for a day or so. Here are the names of those streets that have the finest pieces of old Siberian wooden architecture : - Prospekt Frunse - Tatarskaya Ulitsa - Ulitsa Schischkova - Krasnoarmeijskaya Ulitsa.
Thomas Stopp (Aug 98)
The best part of the whole trip was going in the Altai. Although the Altai seems best known for rafting and mountain climbing, I hired a guide and stayed in small villages with relatives of the guide and went on day hikes in beautiful rolling hills, seeing petroglyphs, burial mounds, local people and culture. It was great. We also camped for a few days in an ideallic spot, a valley with clear streams and quiet countryside, at a bee keeper's hut. People came to this valley from their nearby villages, to cut grass, tend bees, work on a local maral deer farm - everyone was on horseback and a horse ride for a day was arranged for me. This was great - I was able to see how people really lived out in the countryside. The hospitality of the guide's family was extraordinary.
Claire Bouchard (May 98)
Russkij Ostrov is now opened to foreigners and well worth a visit. The ferry leaves from the same place as the ferry across the bay.
Paal Skogholt (Nov 97)
Dnipropetrovsk is a city of around a million inhabitants. Although industrial and with few apparent tourist attractions it is, nevertheless, an important place in Ukraine and its Tourist Guides were glad to welcome us their 'beautiful city'.
Kherson is the last main town on the river approaching the delta, it has many attractions including islands inhabited by local fishermen and others with a welcome for tourists.
Kremenchuk, between Kiev and Dnipropetrovsk , is a calling point for River Cruises in summer.
JF Sanderson - Britain (Oct 97)
The State Hermitage in St Petersburg, was as breathtaking as presumed although present restorations mean that much of the ground floor of the Winter Palace is currently (September 1997) closed to the public. The area affected includes rooms 1-69 and the main and secondary entrances. The current entrance is the Intourist one and the cloakrooms are nearby. The map and room numbering is accurate in the main, although also currently out of bounds are rooms 298-302 (winter Palace floor 2). Room 244 (floor 2) has now been reopened, but it houses a series of Russian captioned sketches, not Flemish art. The interior of this room is especially impressive since renovation. Rooms 143-146 on floor 2 now hold a marvellous selection of French Impressionist work selected from the Hidden Treasures Revealed collection.
It is now US$3.80 for ISIC holders to get into the Russian Museum. This is a shame, as large areas of the collection cannot be seen as renovations reach their final stage and it therefore represents poor value for money.
Photographs are now no longer officially allowed at St. Isaac's Cathedral, a ban which is strictly enforced inside with plenty of eagle-eyed staff on the look out for camera bags. However, there is no staff on the roof so the spectacular roof-scapes can still be captured on film.
I read that the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was due to reopen following renovation on August 19th.
Peter Jenkins - UK (Sept 97)
You can't get into the Lazuras Monastery wearing shorts, nor can you take photos inside. The best time to go is after a service - you can get great photos of the monks and nuns leaving the pavilion. The place is swarming with all types of beggars ( fill your pockets with apples or buns to give to the kids) and don't be shy to get in the line with the local women to buy bread from the old Monastery bakery. Its great bread and while you're standing in the queue you can reflect on how you're standing in the same place that they fed the starving thousands bread made from a sawdust base during the siege of Leningrad by the Germans that lasted for almost 1,000 days.
Kerry Just - Japan
Once an ancient provincial capital, Tver has some quite interesting churches to visit, of a different style. A stroll along the banks of the river at sunset is very nice and combined with a side trip to the part and nearby sports ground will give you a good impression of what the locals get up to. Some of its quite amusing. Of course the Volga river is the main attraction and there are boat rides leaving from the jetty 3 times a day in the Summer. We heard from friends who did a half day ride that it was fun and a good experience. You'll see lots of old ferry liners coughing and spluttering their way up and down the Volga doing tourist tours. The old weekly market down by the train station is an experience in itself. Crowded, noisy, smelly and colourful. You'll need plenty of film in your camera. The covered in warehouse sells all kinds of produce, dried meat, oily fish, and delicious honey. The ladies who carry in the honey pots from their own farms don't like their photos being taken but they will give you a sample taste of a spoonful dripped on to the back of your hand.
Kerry Just - Japan
