DEMOVERSION

RUSSIA

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THIS GUIDE IS A DEMO VERSION!

A N D R E F . A N J O S@G M A I L . C O M

TO GET ACCESS TO THE FULL VERSION OF THE GUIDE WITH TIPS, PHOTOS, LOGISTICS AND EXCLUSIVE INFORMATION FROM THE CITIES OF MOSCOW, KAZAN, ST PETERSBURG, NIZHNY NOVGOROD, VELIKY NOVGOROD AND PETERHOF.

CONTACT:

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Milione is my idea of an easy and quick travel guide

informing about the places I’ve been unitil now.

This name is inspired on the Marco Polo’s book “Il

Milione”, about his adventures towards Asia.

For this quick guide, I share basic information

about the cities of Moscow, Saint Petersburg,

Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Veliky Novgorod and

Peterhof.

WHYTHIS GUIDE?

I’m André, originally from Brazil, born to be a global

citizen. Have lived in 6 countries (India, Egypt, Serbia,

Ukraine, Switzerland and South Africa) and explored

other 20.

Until now, visited Russia twice and got impressed with

the rich culture, history and the people I met there.

And as I understand better the Russian language, the

more access I have to a new world still unknown for

non-Russian speakers.

My purpose is to help others discover different

cultures, places and perspectives. Through this quick

guide, I hope to help you discover a little of Russia.

ABOUTTHE AUTHOR

Russia is a mix of Europe and Asia. Its roots come

from where is nowadays Kiev, the capital of

Ukraine. By that time, named Kiev-Rus, expanded

towards Moscow through migrations and wars.

Under the Mongolian domination for over two

centuries followed by more than 300 years of czarism

and 69 years of Soviet regime, the Russian territory

became a nation while isolated from the rest of the

world; combining its Slavic roots with Central Asian

ethnic groups conquered by the Mongolians.

Even nowadays, Russian territory hosts more than

50 ethnic groups like Tartars, Kazakhs, Uzbeks,

Ossetians, Mongolians, Chinese, etc.

Such isolation contributed for the birth of a

particular culture still unknown for non-Russian

speakers. There is a whole world operating in

Russian language and it’s such a waste to ignore it:

literature, cinema, music, internet, ballet, opera,

etc. That is what makes Russia an interesting

destination!

R U S S I A (РОССИЯ)

If you need a visa for Russia, the first thing you need to

obtain is an invitation letter in Russian language from a

licensed organization. Check with the Russian

Consulate or Embassy what kinds of visa are available

for your purpose of travel. Rules are not consistent!

Hotels and tour operators can provide you an

invitation letter, but normally they require to book with

them during your stay. Pay attention to the

agreements you do regarding to the invitation letter!

Your visa will be valid as long as specified in the

invitation letter.

For invitation letter: check the company Way to Russia.

and detailed information about Russian visa on

caravanistan.com/visa/russia.

RUSSIAN V ISA

Population: 144,3 million (World Bank)

Currency: Russian Ruble

Country code: +7

Religion: Orthodox Christianism is the major religion Islamism and Judaism are also present

Weather: During summers is warm (from +25ºC to +30ºC), on winters tends to -20ºC, -30ºC, even -40ºC

GASTRONOMY

Russians drink more tea than vodka, trust me!

Statistics point to 90%-94% of Russian population

consuming tea.

Indispensable part of daily life: at lunch, on dinners,

for a break, day and night. In addition to local

production, Russia imports huge amounts of tea

from India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, China and Vietnam.

D R I N K T E A

Russians love pancakes! Cheese, caviar, honey,

sour cream, jam, mince are some of the pancakes

eaten in Russia.

PA N C A K E S

Okroshska (cold soup raw vegetables and kvas),

solyanka (cucumbers and beef or fish), shi (cabbage

soup), borsch (from Ukraine and popular in Poland,

too) are the soups you have to try in Russia.

S O U P S

Dumplings filled with meat, similar to the varenyky

in Ukraine.

P E L M E N I

Originally from France and popular in Russia. Salad

made of potato, beets, carrot, oil, lemon juice or

vinegar.

V I N A G R E T E

Also known as Kazylyk or Konina (Конина), a dish to

try in Kazan.

H O R S E M E AT

A soup traditionally served with the etchpetchmac.

Made of meat, bones, cereal grains and vegetables

cooked below the water boiling point.

B R O T H

Originally from Georgia, shashlik is a popular

barbecue in Russia and in other former Soviet

countries. Basically, it’s small portions of grilled

meat.

S H A S H L I K

It’s pronounced as “eti-peh-ti-mak”, typical from

Tartar gastronomy. It’s a snack baked with potatoes,

beef and sweet onions on a triangular format.

Traditionally served with tea and Broth.

E T C H P E T C H M A K

A place to try the Tartar cuisine the Bilyar Restaurant

(Биляр). At the branch of Butlerova Street, 31

(Бутлерова, 31), prices are better. It’s next to

Baumana Street, the busiest one in Kazan.

A popular sweet in Tatarstan, made of fried balls

molded and drenched with honey.

T C H A K - T C H A K (ЧАК-ЧАК)

Stolovaya (Столовая, pronounced as

“sta-lo-va-ya”) is a canteen-style restaurant

from the Soviet times, where food is served on

standardized way.

Most of the stolovayas are frequented by locals.

In the main Russian cities, there are many

stolovayas with various prices and qualities.

EAT AT A STOLOVAYA

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IF YOU GO TO A RUSSIAN HOUSE,CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ETIQUETTE TIPS:

Very present in every stereotype about Russia! Vodka

has an interesting history. Its initial purpose was

merely scientific, when the Russian scientist Dimitri

Mendeleev did his thesis about the combination of

water and alcohol on 40%. It was on January, 31st,

1865, the same date celebrated as Day of Vodka.

Vodka is usually served on meals called zakusky, with

salty, fatty and dried food to handle the alcohol.

When you buy vodka, be aware that many bottles

don’t have replaceable cap. Once you open, you have

to finish!

V O D K A

It’s a non-alcoholic drink made of fermented bread.

Homemade versions may have small amount of

alcohol, normally found in countryside.

K VA S

A juice made of fruits, fresh or dried. There are

millions of ways to make it.

K O M P O T

Baltika, Stary Melnik, Bochkareff, Zolotaya Bochka

are the main brands of local beers.

B E E R S

It’s illegal to sell alcohol in the streets in Russia! At night, alcohol is legally sold only at bars and clubs.D R I N K S

• Take off the shoes before get in the house;

• Take a gift to your hosts when invited;

• Offer help to your hosts;

• Avoid to talk about topics around II World War, money, religion, family and private life with someone you don’t know well;

• Avoid the yellow color, for many Russians it’s associated to cheating;

• Dress up is a sign of respect;

• Don’t put your feet neither on the sofa nor on the chair when sitting. And don’t sit on the floor!;

• When visiting churches, take off hat/cap, avoid shorts. For women, cover the head with a scarf;

• It’s expected for men to be gentlemen with women: open the door, carry her things, etc.;

• If hosts offer vodka, to refuse is offensive. At least one dose!

E T I Q U E T T EI N R U S S I A

LOGISTICS

Railways have been important part of logistics in

Russia since the czar Alexander III ordered to build

the Trans-Siberian and more railways were built

along the Soviet regime.

One of the marks of those past times is the large

railway system connecting all the capitals and the

main cities of the former Soviet Union. If there is no

direct train to a particular destination, you can take

a train from one the capitals around the

Russian-speaking zone. Train is the most practical

transport to travel in Russia!

From Moscow, it’s possible to go by train to all the

capitals of neighboring countries: Kiev (Ukraine),

Minsk (Belarus), Astana (Kazakhstan), even to

Mongolia and China.

Railway stations in Russia are also centralized in

Moscow, from where you can go to all the other

parts of the country.

You can buy train tickets directly at Russian

Railways, clicking on the link Passenger.

T R A I N SI N R U S S I A

ALWAYS HAVE THE PRINTED TICKETS! SHOW ON YOUR PHONE IS NOT ENOUGH! AND CARRY YOUR PASSPORT,

TOO. THE TRAIN INSPECTORS AND BORDER CONTROL ALWAYS CHECK IT.

I M P O R T A N T !

In Russian, Транссибирской Магистраль, the

longest railway journey in the world. Built between

1891 and 1916, under the Czar Alexander III.

It is still the most important logistical corridor inside

Russia, transporting passengers and commodities

around the country, as well as the imports and

exports. And it’s a vital link to the Eastern Russia.

9.234 kmDistance:

7 daysDuration:

TRANS-SIBERIAN JOURNEY

When buying tickets in Russia, have your passport

since the cashier needs to register your name in

order to issue your train tickets.

Through Russian Railways, clicking on Passenger, it

is possible to check the train schedules and

availability 45 days before departure and 30 days

usually for international trains.

For long journeys, all tickets are for sleeping places.

The train times in Russian territory are always in

Moscow time. There are 10 time zones in Russia!

The train tickets in Russia are for fixed dates and

defined stops, according to what is specified in the

ticket. For example, if you buy a ticket from Moscow to

Vladivostok, it’s valid only for the direct itinerary

between the two cities. If you drop off the train in

Ekaterinburg, your ticket is not valid anymore, you

would need to buy another ticket to Vladivostok.

If you plan to stop along the Trans-Siberian route, you

need to consider buying separated tickets when

planning your journey.

Be aware that, from July to September, it is the peak of

occupancy rates in the trains due to summer

vacations and holidays. Tickets may be sold out weeks

in advance during this period.

Main route: Moscow-Vladivostok

To Mongolia: Moscow – Ulan-Baatar

To China: Moscow – Beijing, via Kharbin and

Ulan-Baatar

1st class: each cabin has two sofas that

convert into bed for sleeping.

2nd class (kupe/ Купе): each compartment

has 4 beds and there is a shared bathroom for

each carriage, locked during stops at stations.

3rd class (platzkart/ Платскарт): each

compartment has 4 beds plus beds along the

corridor. The difference of platzkart is the

carriages are open. You have least privacy and

more contact with locals, who use it for being

affordable and convenient.

R O U T E S B U Y I N G T R A I N T I C K E T S

R U S S I A N T I M E Z O N E S

For buses in Russia (as well as in other Eastern

European countries), you can buy tickets with Bus

For, that has lines among the main Russian cities.

Their website in English: busfor.com.

B U S E SI N R U S S I A

For low-cost flights in Russia, you can check the

company Pobeda, that offers flights to the main

cities in Russia, as well as to Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku

(Azerbaijan) and Almaty (Kazakhstan).

Their website in English: www.pobeda.aero/en.

L O W - C O S TF L I G H T S

CONTACT:ANDREF.ANJOS@GMAIL.COM

HAVE A NICE TRIP!