Some Interesting Facts About Russia

Public Holidays

Date 2005 Occasion
January 1 New Year's Day  
January 2 2nd day of New Year
January 7 Orthodox Christmas Day  
January 14 Orthodox New Year
February 23 Defence of the Motherland Day
March 8 International Women's Day
March 25 Orthodox Easter
May 1-2 International Labour Day
May 9 Victory Day (World War II)
June 12 Independence Day
November 7 Day of Accord and Reconciliation 
December 12 Constitution Day

Note:
Holidays occurring on Saturday or Sunday are observed on the Monday following.
Weekend - Saturday, Sunday

Weights & Measures

The metric system of weights and measures is used in the Russian Federation, that is to say kilograms, grams, kilometres, metres and centimetres are in use instead of the imperial measures. 

Electricity

Electricity is supplied at 220V / 50 Hz. Electrical appliances not compatible with these settings will need a converter/adaptor.

Customs & Duties

The Russian authorities allow persons over 16 years of age to bring in 1000 cigarettes/1kg of tobacco products; 1.5 litres of spirits and 2 litres of wine; a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use; gifts up to the value of US$10,000 without incurring customs duty.

On arrival, each traveller is given a Custom Declaration Form to fill. This has to be retained till departure. The completed form lists the articles and details that are brought in for personal use like laptops, cameras, currency and other valuable items.

Prohibited are all photographs and printed matter which may be deemed offensive or anti the Russian state. Weapons and ammunition, narcotics, fresh fruits, vegetables and  animals are all also banned. Items which are not allowed out of the country without permission of the Ministry of Culture include works of art, antiques, antique books, jewellery, precious metals and furs.

Post & Communications

International call facilities work best in the major cities of Moscow, St Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod where direct dialling is available at telephone booths at the post offices. In the smaller towns, trunk bookings have to be made and calls take forever to materialise.

Fax, telex and e-mail facilities are available either at the post offices or at some of the bigger hotels and at business centres. The Internet can be accessed at cybercafés in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Overseas mail can take upto ten days. Inland mail is far slower and takes a longer time to reach.The main post offices in the larger cities offer Poste Restante facilities; post office counters are also available at some hotels.

Post office hours: 9am to 7pm weekdays.

Tipping

The more you tip the better and faster the work gets done. A dollar tip goes a longer way than a rouble tip. Top-end hotels and restaurants add 5% to 15% to the total bill. Porters, bell hops and cabbies will be happy to receive the equivalent of a dollar as tip. Retail shops and department stores have fixed prices but haggling and negotiating for a better bargain are acceptable in the markets.

English Language Media

Moscow Times and St. Petersburg Times are the two English dailies published here. Moscow News is a multilingual weekly, published in English also. There is a slick monthly magazine called Pulse with lots of fresh insights from young writers. On the radio, BBC world service and Voice of America can be heard at varying frequencies. Television channels are limited to the ones that the Russian TV centre chooses to telecast.