Welcome to RUSSIA

Moscow is the biggest city in the biggest country in the world. Its heart and soul, as well as its geographic center, is the Kremlin, a triangular, walled citadel on the Moscow River bordered by Red Square and Alexander Gardens. Red Square is inseparable from the Kremlin as part of the historic and spiritual center of Moscow. Its name has nothing to do with communism but comes from the old Russian word for "beautiful."
The politically ambitious mayor, Yury Luzhkov, has transformed the center of the city by rebuilding the magnificent Christ the Savior Cathedral and constructing a huge, three-story-deep shopping mall under Manezh Square, next to the Kremlin. The crime wave of the early '90s has tapered off -- the notorious mafia have become more subtle in their dress and business methods. The ruble has stabilized after the runaway inflation of 1992-94. Moscow is acquiring all the attributes of a Western European city at breakneck speed -- but all interpreted with an unmistakably Russian panache.
   Surrounding Red Square are such attractions as the Historical Museum, GUM (Russia's 2-nd biggest department store), the rebuilt Christ the Savior Cathedral and reconstructed Resurrection Gates, St. Basil's Cathedral and the Lenin Mausoleum (with Lenin still there, but destined to be buried in St. Petersburg sometime in the future).
    The Kremlin is circled by three ring roads. The first is the Boulevard Ring, only 1.2 mi/2 km from the Kremlin -- a circle of leafy boulevards lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. It's charming, dilapidated and a traffic nightmare during business hours. The ironically named Garden Ring, slightly farther from the Kremlin, is in fact an eight-lane, traffic-choked highway lined mainly with massive Stalinesque administrative buildings and apartment blocks. It roughly marks the boundary of pre-Stalinist Moscow -- all the buildings outside it date from his rule or after.
    The outer ring road is the boundary of the city of Moscow, although in a few places high-rise apartment buildings spill out into the surrounding farmland and forest. Major arterial roads radiate from the Kremlin to this outer ring road and then become highways to all the cities of Russia. In the countryside around the city are little settlements of holiday cottages, or dachas, where Moscovites retire to escape the dirt and heat of Moscow in high summer and to plant their potato crops for next winter.

Passport/Visa Requirements -- Passport, visa and proof of onward passage needed by Australian, British, Canadian and U.S. citizens. (Reconfirm travel document requirements with your carrier before departure.) Unless you hold an official invitation, it's best to apply for a tourist visa through a travel agent. Russian consulates are famous for many things, but efficiency and customer service aren't among them: Apply well in advance.

Officially, you need to get every city you plan to visit entered in your visa, but in practice it's unlikely anyone will check. You also officially need to register your visa with the local police within three days of your arrival -- but in practice your hotel should do this for you as a matter of course.

Language -- Russian is the language spoken and written. English is understood and spoken in most hotels, upscale restaurants and business situations. Your hotel will be able to arrange interpreters and guides -- a must if your Russian is nonexistent, since few people you'll encounter on the street speak English. Interpreters are readily available. Do not expect taxi drivers to speak English.

Currency -- Contrary to popular opinion -- and representing a dramatic change from only four years ago -- the dollar is no longer king in Russia. Although many expensive restaurants and shops still indicate their prices in U.S. dollars, it's illegal to use dollars in retail transactions in Russia. (Virtually the only transactions still carried out in dollars are fares paid to airport taxi drivers.) Many restaurants and stores still do not accept credit cards; therefore, you should always carry enough rubles to handle what you plan to do that day.

Rubles are not available outside Russia, but there are literally thousands of exchange desks and kiosks dotted all over Moscow, many open 24 hours. Important: Take along crisp, new dollar bills to exchange (and remember that pre-1993 bills are rarely accepted because of the possibility of forgeries).

On 1 January 1998 the Central Bank redenominated the ruble to make retail transactions simpler, with 1,000 old rubles equalling one new ruble. At this writing, old and new notes circulate in parallel; the designs are almost identical except for the absence of zeros. Old bills will be legal tender through 2002.

At press time, the exchange rate was 6 rubles to the U.S. dollar, approximately 4 rubles to the Australian dollar, 10 rubles to the British pound and slightly more than 4 rubles to the Canadian dollar.

Note: Because a number of restaurants, hotels, theaters and shops still list prices in U.S. dollars (even though rubles are the only currency legally accepted), this report frequently provides the U.S. dollar equivalent to prices quoted in rubles.

Health Advisories -- No vaccines are required to enter Russia, but consult your physician about updating your diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis vaccinations. Some doctors recommend protection against hepatitis as well. Make sure you have good medical insurance, because health-care costs are astronomically high in Moscow. The Russian medical system is unreliable. If emergency evacuation from the country is recommended by a Western doctor, costs can run up to US$20,000. There are several Western-run clinics in Moscow, but they're very expensive and are not equipped for serious surgery or major emergency equipment.

The controversial 1995 measure requiring HIV tests for foreigners does not affect short-term tourists. Foreigners applying for visas to stay in Russia for three months or longer must in theory obtain a medical certificate proving that they are not HIV positive; however, the application of this regulation varies from embassy to embassy.

Sanitation levels vary. They are equal to Western standards in Western-style hotels, but inferior in public toilets and some restaurants. Avoid Moscow's tap water; bottled water is readily available. The safest food sold on the streets these days is from the Western candy-bar and hot-dog stands run by the German firm Steff Houlberg. Ice cream, both Russian and imported, is sold year round and is also safe. Avoid other street food, especially kebabs, and be careful with meat in cheaper restaurants and cafes.

For further information, call (in the U.S. and Canada) the Centers for Disease Control at 404-332-4559; the Australian Travelers' Health Line, phone 06-269-7815; or the London School of Hygiene's Medical Advisory Service, phone 0891-224-100.

BACK TO TOP

Voltage Requirements -- 220 volts. Russian outlets take plugs with two round prongs.

Business Hours -- Business hours are typically 10 am-6 pm, with a lunch break from 1-2 pm or 2-3 pm, although more and more businesses and almost all nongovernmental professional offices operate without a lunch break. Offices sometimes close earlier on Fridays or on days preceding holidays.

Dress -- Choose business suits for meetings. Shorts in public tend to raise a few eyebrows, and they're sometimes not permitted when visiting churches and tombs. Young, local women often wear extremely short skirts; older women don't usually wear slacks, but instead don conservative skirts or dresses. In winter, good water-resistant boots, gloves and a warm coat and hat are absolutely essential (Moscow lies roughly along the same latitude as southern Alaska).

Tipping -- Tip 10% in restaurants, but check that they haven't already included a service charge in the bill. Coat attendants do not expect tips except in expensive restaurants. Tip 10% to hairdressers and in hotels. Do not tip taxi drivers.

Population -- 10,446,000.

Area of City -- 339 sq mi/879 sq km.

Province/State -- Moscow is in its own administrative region.

EU Status -- Russia is not a member of the European Union.

Weather -- Very cold winters; mild summers. Heaviest rain in July and August. Average temperatures: Jan 3-15 Fahrenheit/-16 to -9 Celsius; Feb 8-22 F/-14 to -6 C; Mar 18-32 F/-8 to 0 C; Apr 34-50 F/1-10 C; May 46-66 F/8-19 C; Jun 51-70 F/11-21 C; Jul 55-73 F/13-23 C; Aug 53-72 F/12-22 C; Sep 45-61 F/7-16 C; Oct 37-48 F/3-9 C; Nov 26-35 F/-3 to 2 C; Dec 15-24 F/-10 to -5 C.

City Holidays -- 1998: 19 Apr, Orthodox Easter; 1, 2 May, May Day; 9 May, Victory Day; 12 June, Russia Sovereignty Day; 29 Jun, public holiday; 7 Nov, Day of Accord and Reconciliation (formerly Revolution Day); 12 Dec, Constitution Day.

1999: 1, 2 Jan, New Year's; 7 Jan, Russian Orthodox Christmas; 8 Mar, Women's Day; 25 Apr, Orthodox Easter; 1, 2 May, May Day; 9 May, Victory Day; 12 Jun, Russia Sovereignty Day; 7 Nov, Day of Accord and Reconciliation (formerly Revolution Day); 12 Dec, Constitution Day.

If the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is declared a public holiday.

BACK TO TOP

Sales or Use Tax

The value-added tax (VAT) on consumer goods is 20%. There's an extra 3% city tax in hotels. Some hotels do not include tax in the rates they quote, so be sure to check.

Crime -- Despite justifiable alarm at the city's crime rates, Moscow is safer for tourists than New York or London. The city center is very heavily policed, and crimes against foreigners have fallen sharply since the economic crisis of the early '90s. Muggers are unlikely to attack in the crowded center of the city.

Take the same precautions you would in any large city -- that is, avoid dark side streets at night, don't get into conversation with over-friendly drunks in bars, beware of girls spiking your drinks in clubs. Avoid unofficial "gypsy" cabs if you are not a Russian speaker, and never get in a cab that already has a passenger -- this might mean you're being set up for a mugging or, at the least, a scam designed to intimidate you into paying more than is customary. Guard your wallet or handbag and camera in tourist spots such as Red Square or GUM, the department store.

Note: "Gypsy" children or women (who may not be of Gypsy origin) may approach you, either begging or simply to swarm around you. If this happens, hold tight to your wallet or keep your purse held close with intense single-mindedness -- their aim is to distract you momentarily (perhaps to get you to push them away). If you become distracted, your valuables will be gone in an instant. Don't be shy about getting physical if they become really aggressive. These "gypsy" gangs tend to operate around train stations, such as Kievsky and Kazansky.

For an advisory about public safety, you may want to call the Australian Travel Advisory Line, 06-261-2093; the British Travel Service, 037-500-900; the Canadian Travel Advisory Line, 800-267-6788; or the U.S. State Department's Citizen's Emergency Center, 202-647-5225.

Emergency Numbers -- The police number is 02, but the police understand only Russian. Try contacting your embassy in case of a crime resulting in the theft of your passport. To reach the U.S. Embassy, call 252-2451 or 252-2459; the Canadian, 956-6666 or 956-6158, the British, 956-7200, the Australian, 956-6070. For medical emergencies, you can dial 03, but it's best to contact a Western medical firm. The American Medical Center number is 956-3366; the Canadian Mediclub, 931-5018; the International Medical Clinic, 280-7138 or 280-8374 or 280-7177; the European Medical Center, 251-6099.

Telephone Codes -- The country code for Russia is 7; the city code for Moscow is 095. If you are calling Moscow from outside the city but within Russia, dial 8 and wait for a tone before dialing the city code and then the number.

Time/Temperature -- This information is available in English at major hotels such as the National.

Time Zone -- Moscow is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight Saving Time is observed from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Business/Cultural Practices -- Russian business etiquette is broadly similar to European/Western practice, with one important exception: vodka. Though the younger generation of businessmen have largely dropped heavy drinking as a way to seal a deal, it's still considered essential by many Russian men to get ripping drunk with new business partners to cement business relationships.

In extreme cases, your new friends may invite you to a Russian banya (sauna), where you're expected to strip naked and sweat in a steam room while being beaten with birch twigs. (President Yeltsin loves to do this with visiting heads of state.) A compulsory part of the banya experience is heavy drinking: It's considered rude not to drain your glass when drinking a toast.

Miscellaneous observations: Women should not be shocked at apparent sexist or patronizing behavior by male colleagues, such as comments about appearance. Attempted flattery is very much part of Russian culture; political correctness isn't. Shake hands often, and don't be surprised if you get heartily kissed on both cheeks (this applies to men as well as women). Men should avoid sitting with an ankle on a knee. It's customary at business meetings to offer tea, coffee and snacks. Be aware that many restaurants do not have everything that's listed on the menu. And don't be surprised if a coatroom attendant forces you to give up your overcoat at a restaurant or the theater (it's considered uncivilized to wear outdoor clothes inside).

Transportation
Because Russian drivers tend to ignore traffic lights and park pretty much anywhere they want, it's often faster to walk in the city center, or to take the cheap efficient -- albeit crowded -- metro (subway). If you're driving or walking, it will help you immensely to learn the Cyrillic alphabet so you can decipher street signs. (This isn't as hard as it may seem, because many of the letters are similar to their Roman counterparts.) If you find yourself choosing the metro, take a metro map with you, and make sure you can read the names of the stations in Cyrillic.
Many street names were changed in 1992, and a few older people still refer to the Soviet-era names (for instance, Gorky Street instead of Tverskaya, or Pushkin Street instead of Bolshaya Dmitrovka).

WHEN TO GO. Any time you want to go! Moscow's climate is changeable; the winter is cold with plenty of snow; the summers are frequently very dry, though sometimes rainy. Winter, too, is changeable, with low temperatures�though there have been years when they rarely dropped below freezing point. June, July and August are the hottest months, August particularly; cloudbursts and thunderstorms are frequent. The average amount of sunshine is 250 hours in July and 211 in August. Winter often brings long periods of frost; December, January and February, particularly, can be rather grim for stretches of a week or ten days. Spring is late and short, so is fall; snow often arrives early in November. So for tourists, the summer months might be preferable, with May and September the best at either end. The festivals are held in May (5-15, Moscow Stars) and in mid-winter (December 25-January 5, Winter Festival).

BACK TO TOP

GETTING THERE.

ARRIVING BY AIR
    Moscow has one main international airport, planes of over 20 foreign companies land at Sheremyetevo 2, located to the north of the city, about 45 minutes to an hour by car from the center. Moscow also has several domestic airports, including Sheremyetevo 1, near the international airfield, which serves St. Petersburg and other northern cities. When leaving Moscow, be sure you (and the cabdriver) know which airport you're departing from! The best options for getting from the airport are either hotel vans or people with whom arrangements have been made beforehand -- taxis are expensive and buses are unreliable.
        Domodedovo flights to Siberia and the Central Asian republics. The largest airport in Russia (and one of the largest in the world), is on the Kashira Highway, some 48 km. (30 miles) miles southeast of Moscow (a 90-minute drive southeast from the center). Here the largest and fastest planes land, servicing the bulk of domestic flights.
     Vnukovo Airport service Ukraine and the Caucasus, is on the Kiev Highway, some 29 km. (18 miles) from the center of Moscow. |
     These last two airports have rail links with the city center: Domodedovo with the Paveletsky station, and Vnukovo with the Kievsky Station.
Hotel Courtesy Vans -- Almost all the major hotels will arrange to meet you at the airport for around (US$50-$70) and will have a driver hold up a sign with your name on it.
Taxis -- Taxi drivers hang around the arrival hall and proffer their services for high prices (1000-2000 rubles, US$50-$100). To avoid an argument with a taxi driver and possible excessive charges, make sure the full price is agreed upon before you set foot in a cab. (But be aware that drivers have to pay a heavy cut of their earnings to the local mafia and usually get only one or two fares a day -- the minimum price you can expect is US$40). Airport taxi drivers will take U.S. dollars as payment. They do not expect a tip. However, a shuttle van (particularly if you're in a large group) is a far better idea, or ask your hotel or local contact to pick you up.
Express Buses -- Express buses will take you from the airports to the nearest subway station or to the Air Terminal at Leningradsky Prospekt 39. They're cheap (about 10 rubles, US$0,5), but crowded and unreliable.
Rental Cars -- Hertz, Avis and Europcar have stands at the airport. There's often a shortage of cars, so reserve early. Bear in mind that traffic is congested, particularly in the city center.

Air Information. City Terminal: 155-5004(5) (Also Aeroflot Service Bureau) And at 7 Dobryninskaya Street: 238-8535.
Sheremetyevo: 158-7926 (Cargo dispatch, fret); customs: 158-7996 and 158-7923. Intourist representative: 156-9435 and 158-7912.
Sheremetyevo-Two: 155-5004(05).
Domodedovo: Intourist Representative: 234-0932.
Vnukovo: Intourist Representative: 234-0932.
General enquiries about all airports: 155-5005.
Aeroflot: Reservations: 155-5003; International: 245-3877 and 238-8535. Lines are always very busy and you may have to try many times before getting a connection, and often conversations can be interrupted for no apparent reason. Of course you will not always get an English-speaking representative on the other end of the line. But demand one�it very often works. Patience is the main quality when phoning.

BACK TO TOP

By train.
Russian trains are a cheap and efficient alternative to long-distance driving. Nine train stations in Moscow receive trains from different areas of Russia. (Be sure your driver knows which station you're headed to. You can go all the way to China on the Trans-Siberian from Yaroslavsky Station, or hop an overnight to St. Petersburg from Leningradsky Station.) Call the 24-hour Train Information Service at 266-9000 (in Russian only).
Moscow has nine railway stations, which handle 400 million passengers annually. Railways are electrified. From Moscow to Leningrad, by the comfortable Red Arrow night sleeper, traveling time is eight hours.
   The Byelorussian Railway Station (phone 973-8191): Trains to and from Berlin, Warsaw, London, Paris, Smolensk, Minsk, Brest and Vilnius.
   The Kazan Railway Station (phone 264-6409): Trains to and from Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Volgograd, the Central Asian Republics and Siberia.
    The Kiev Railway Station (phone 240-1115): Trains to and from Chop, Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest, Karlovy Vary, Prague, Sofia, Cierna, Jassy, Kiev, Kishinev, Lvov, Odessa, Uzhgorod and Chernovtsy.
    The Kursk Railway Station (phone 916-2003): Trains to and from the Crimea and the Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Mineralniye Vody spas, Kursk, Tula, Orel and Kharkov.
    The Leningrad Railway Station (phone 262-9143): trains to and from St. Petesburg, Helsinki, Kalinin, Novgorod, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Pskov and Tallinn.
    The Paveletsky Railway Station (phone 235-0522): Trains to and from the Donets Basin and Volgograd.
    The Riga Railway Station (phone 971-1588): Trains to and from Riga and Baltic health resorts.
    The Savelovsky Railway Station (phone 285-9005): Trains to and from St.Petesburg and Uglich.
    The Yaroslavl Railway Station (phone 921-5914): Trains to and from Siberia and the Far East, Moscow-Peking Express. The Trans-Siberian departs daily at 2 p.m. Moscow time, an event rail buffs should see.

Rail Information. The Central Railway Enquiry Office (tel. 266-9000) will provide information about departures and arrivals. Tel. 221 -4513 (the office in the Met-ropole Hotel) for enquires in English.
By car. It is possible to reach Moscow along the autoroutes which we have described in Facts at Your Fingertips (see Intourist Route Map, page 26).
By Ship. You might be adventurous and try to arrange with Intourist to arrive in Moscow by ship along the Moscow-Volga canal. With a length of some 80 miles, it links the Soviet capital directly with the Caspian, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the White Sea and the Azov Sea. The Moscow-end port for long-distance passengers is the North Port on the Khimki reservoir. This option is not listed among Intour-ist's current offerings except as a two-way cruise from Moscow and back to Moscow. But you can try asking.

BACK TO TOP

GETTING INTO TOWN. Intourist will provide transportation from the airport either by bus or by taxi; also from railway stations and the landing stage of the Moscow-Volga boats, for those on Intourist package tours.
GETTING AROUND MOSCOW. By metro (subway).
The fare is the same on all Moscow public transport, no matter how far you go or what time of day: 2 rubles a ticket. The price of a monthly pass (yediny) is 210 rubles (US$10). Routes run all over the city; there are 150 metro (subway) stations alone.There are nine subway (underground) lines with over 200 kilometres of track and 132 stations. The Metro (marked with a large illuminated M sign) runs from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.; on Sundays, half an hour longer. It is the fastest and most convenient mode of transport; during the rush hours, trains leave the stations every 50 seconds. 12 million passengers use it daily and it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1985.
    Pocket maps are available from stations or Travel offices. Plan your route beforehand and have your destination with you written down in Russian to help you spot the station. Each station is announced over the train's public address system as you approach it, and the name of the next one is given before the train moves off. Reminders of interchanges/transfers are also given, so if you understand Russian, keep your ears peeled.
    The fare is 4 rubles ($0.2) regardless of distance; a coin must be inserted into the slot at the turnstile at the entrance to the platforms (as in the New York subway). Another 4 rubles must be paid for each piece of luggage�whose length must not exceed 3 feet (except skis), and whose width must not exceed one foot or height 16 inches. Be prepared for a lot of elbowing and pushing. Escalators run fast�be warned! Every station has a doctor in case of accidents.
    Passengers on the Metro rarely speak when traveling and when they do they keep their voices down, foreign visitors can be recognised by their talking. Don't drop any litter on the floor; the Russians are determined to keep the Metro trains and stations clean, an aspect not always characteristic of some other parts of the Soviet Union.
By trolley-bus, bus, tram, and minibus. These carry more than 8 million passengers daily. Most trolley-buses, buses and trams have no conductors; passengers drop the fare into a cash-box and tear off a ticket. All buses etc. are crowded. If you can't reach the cash-box ask someone to pass your money along. The ticket will find its way back to you. This is accepted practice.
   The stops are sometimes announced by the driver. The 320 bus and 75 trolley-bus services start at 6 am. and the final runs begin at 1 a.m. The trams start at 5.30 a.m. on 52 routes, mostly in the suburbs, finishing at 1.30 a.m. Fares on trolleys, buses and trams were unified at 5 kopeks in 1985. "Microbuses" link points difficult to reach by other means, providing a service on 60 routes every 10 minutes, with intermediate request stops.
    River-boats provide a pleasant, if leisurely way of getting about. Small boats ply the Moskva River within city limits, from May-June until September-October, depending on the weather. Two of the 13 routes run through the city center. The first runs from the Kiev Terminal via the Lenin Hills-Gorky Park-Krymsky Bridge-Bolshoi Kamenny Bridge-Bolshoi Ustyinsky Bridge-Krasnokholmsky Bridge-Novospassky Bridge, passing the Novodevichy Convent, the Lenin Stadium, Moscow University, the Moskva swimming pool, the Kremlin and other Moscow landmarks. This cruise takes an hour and 20 minutes and the fare is 20 kopeks. The second route also begins at the Kiev Terminal via the Krasnopresensky Park to Kuntsevo-Krylatskoye. It takes you to the Fili-Kuntsevo Park and the river beach, lasting one hour. The fare is 20 kopeks.
     By taxi. There are more than 11,000 taxis in Moscow, available at 300 taxi stands marked by a special sign. They can be distinguished by a checkered line on their doors and a green light on the windshield. If this light is on, the taxi is free. You can also hail a taxi in the street by raising your hand.
Most Russian taxis have abandoned the meter system, and you must negotiate a price with the driver before getting in. This often leads to exorbitant charges -- better to organize rides through your hotel, which will often have set rates or a Russian speaker to settle the price for you. There is no average taxi rate, but hotel taxis sometimes charge $10-30 within the Ring Road and up to $40-50 outside of it. (Hotel taxis will often take dollars as well as rubles.) Locals just stand by the road and hold out an arm; more often than not, they use unofficial "gypsy" cabs. Women should be careful, especially at night. The taxi mafia that works the airports and the city's train stations charges ridiculous rates, especially when they spot an unsuspecting foreigner. To order a cab (in Russian), call 927-0000, 24 hours a day.
Moscow is now full of private taxi firms, many with just a handful of cars. The biggest company is Maryino (phone 927-0000, Russian only), but even they can take up to an hour to arrive. Some other useful numbers are Taxi Service (phone 203-0427, central Moscow), Taxi-Blues (phone 128-9477, south Moscow), RS-Key (phone 938-7930, north Moscow), Krasnaya Gorka (phone 381-2746, central Moscow). All charge 60-120 rubles per hour. There are no English-speaking taxi companies.
Russian-speakers may order by telephone. The best numbers are reported to be: 225-0000, 227-0040 or 256-9003 (for freight).
Car rentals. Intourist will provide a private car to tour Moscow with or without driver; either a six-seater Chaika, or four-seater Lada, Zhiguli or Volga. For an excursion outside the city, you can rent a car or bus, with or without a driver. Rentals must be paid in foreign currency and preferably well in advance, at least three weeks if possible. Ask Intourist for latest situation.
   On foot. For the pedestrian, the following traffic rules are prescribed:
Traffic moves on the right. Some central streets have one-way traffic. Cross the street only where crossings are indicated by zebra stripes or arrows and at a green light. Use the underpasses where available. If caught in the middle when traffic starts moving, stay put, do not run. Special markings in mid-street indicate where you should stand if caught; traffic will pass around the spot, not over you! Cross behind parked buses and trolley-buses; only in front of stationary trams. As drivers are not allowed to hoot there may be no audible warning.

BACK TO TOP

TOURS. Intourist runs regular city tours, lasting two or three hours, which will be part of your individual or group arrangements, and excursions outside Moscow, ranging from a four-hour trip to Kolomenskoye to a whole day (13 hours) visit to Tolstoy's estate at Yasnaya Polyana. If you have special interests, consult the service bureau at your hotel or your Intourist guide.

HOTELS. Normally, for American, British and most other Western tourists, Intourist uses the top seven hotels�Rossia, Intourist, Metropole. National, Ukraine and the new Belgrade and Kosmos. If these are full, Intourist sometimes directs the overflow to the Leningradskaya, Ostankino, Berlin and Sovietskaya, or other suitable establishments. Other hotels may be used on special occasions for international meetings and congresses or special cut-rate tour groups. A number of new hotels were completed for the 1980 Olympic Games�the 28-story Kosmos is the most luxurious of these.

Aeroflot, 37 Leningradsky Prospekt (tel. 155-5624). This is generally used for transit air passengers and is next to the air terminal.
Altai, 12 Gostinichnaya Street (tel. 482-5879), near the Exhibition of Economic Achievements. Inconvenient location.
Belgrade, 5 Smolenskaya (tel. 248-6692), near the Arbat and Kalinin Prospekt. Nominally Yugoslav, the restaurant serves good Russian food in an imaginative decor. 920 rooms, 20 stories.
Berlin, 3 Zhdanov Street. 83 rooms (tel. 225-6910, 225-6901) rating first-class, atmospheric, with Edwardian elegance. Restaurant poor. This was formerly known as the Savoy and dates from 1912. Being totally refurbished by Finnair as a Western standard luxury hotel with room-rates in dollars. May be open by presstime.
Bucharest, 1 Balchug Street (tel. 283-0029). Poor restaurant. No private baths. Opposite Kremlin across Moscow River.
Budapest, 2/18 Petrovskiye Linii (tel. 294-8820). Restaurant. Central.
Intourist, 3-5 Gorky Street (tel. 203-4080/0125/4007/0131). Opened in 1970. 458 rooms. Rated by Intourist as first-class superior, but subject of complaints about poor service, plumbing etc. Good restaurants, cafes, shops. Finnish furnishings. Intourist Bureau. Basement night bar open till 2 a.m. (foreign currency only). Central location.
Izmailovo, in district of the same name. A luxury skyscraper complex of five 30-story blocks, for 10,000 guests. Concert hall, cinema, moderate restaurant.
Kosmos, 150 Prospekt Mira (tel. 217-0786), near Economic Achievements Exhibition. New 1980, French-built and equipped, down to the last doorknob. "Four-star prices." 26 stories, 1767 rooms, mostly twin-bedded. Bars, restaurants (Galaxy reported best one). Swimming pool, sauna, bowling alley. Good souvenir shop. Far away but close to metro station.
Leningradskaya, 21/40 Kalanchovskaya Street (tel. 225-5300). A 28-floor hotel, near the Leningrad, Yaroslavl and Kazan railway stations. Baroque, medium grade, not particularly convenient location. Less comfortable than it looks. Poor food.
Metropole, 1 Marx Prospekt (tel. 225-6673, 228-0716). 283 rooms. Rating:
Well-located, renovated, first-class. A pre-revolutionary building, it bears three memorial plaques to mark important historical events associated with it. One of them commemorates the battles fought by revolutionary troops in November 1917 to occupy it, another the fact that Lenin spoke frequently in the assembly hall of the building, and the third that Yakov Sverdlov, the first Chairman of the Executive

BACK TO TOP

Committee of the Russian Soviet Federal Republic, had offices here in 1918-19. The hotel was built in 1899-1903 by W. Walcott in the style then fashionable. A historical monument that is also quite a pleasant Intourist hotel. N.B. Closed for refurbishment until "early 1990's." Will be spectacular!

Mezhdunarodnaya ("Intercontinental"), on Krasnopresnensky Embankment. Built in 1980 as part of the International Trade Center (Sovintsentr). Mainly for businessmen, government delegations and other officials the Russians want to impress. Worth seeing as an eyeopener to how the other half lives! Japenese restaurant, expensive but authentic.
Minsk, 22 Gorky Street (tel. 299-1211). Large, central, often used to house foreign delegations. Restaurant (moderate) and coffee-shop. Near Mayakovsky Square, theaters and concert halls
Moskva, 7 Marx Prospekt (tel. 292-1000). Faces the Council of Ministers Building; the two were the first to be built under the reconstruction program launched in 1932. (Not an Intourist Hotel.) Good restaurant. Annex next door.
Mozhaiskaya, 165 Mozhaiskoye Highway (tel. 447-3435, 447-3434). First class, 10 story, 153 rooms. The hotel has a campsite and motel with a total capacity of 206 beds.
National, 14/1 Marx Prospekt (tel. 203-6539 and 203-5566). Rating: recently enlarged, traditional leader, handsome, first-class superior. Erected in 1903, it has retained some of its original plush atmosphere. The flat roof is designed as an observation platform, from which there is a splendid view of the Kremlin and much of the city center. An Intourist hotel. Good restaurant and foreign currency bar.
Orlyonok, 17 Vorobyovskoye Chaussee on the Lenin Hills (tel. 29-8856). 17 floors, recent. Poor service and food.
Ostankino, near the Kosmos Hotel in the north of the city. Reportedly good.
Peking, 1/5 Sadovaya Street (tel. 209-2442). Near Mayakovsky Square and the Planetarium. Good Chinese restaurant
Rossia (near Red Square) 6, Razin Street (tel. 298-5500). One of the world's largest hotels, with accommodation for 6,000 people. Its rating is first class. Lovely view from 21st-floor restaurant but slow service. It has 3,150 rooms, two cinemas, a concert hall seating 3,000, restaurants, cafes and shops. 5% service charge, and the floor ladies have been known to charge 1 rouble for a cup of tea!
Sevastopol, 1-aya Bolshaya Yushunskaya Street (tel. 119-6450, 318-963, 119-0567, 318-8370). First class. 4 buildings, 16-story, 1,287 rooms.
Solnechny (tel. 119-7097, 119-8739), just beyond the ring road at 21 Var-shavskoye highway, is a 10-story Intourist hotel with 234 rooms, conference hall, shops and bars, plus a campsite and motel with 48 two-room chalets.
Sovietskaya, 32 Leningradsky Prospekt (tel. 250-2342). Near the Dynamo Stadium and the Hippodrome Racecourse.
Soyuz, near Leningradskoye Chaussee, on the banks of the Moscow Canal. Yugoslav-built in 1980, 13 stories.
Tourist, 17/2 Selskokhozyaistvennaya Street (tel. 187-7572). Poor location and appearance. Many student tourist groups end up here. Try not to!
Tsentralnaya, 10 Gorky Street and 2 Stoleshnikov Pereulok (tel. 229-8957). Restaurant.
Ukraine, 2/1 Kutuzovsky Prospekt (tel. 243-3030). Near the Kutuzovskaya Metro Station, close to parks and the Kiev Station. 1,500 rooms, rated as spacious, modern first class. Skyscraper (29 floors) on banks of Moskva River.
Ural, 40 Chernyshevsky Street (tel. 297-258).
Varshava (Warsaw), 1/2 Oktyabrskaya Square and 1/15 Kotelnicheskaya Na-berezhnaya (tel. 233-0032). Fairly recently-built, near the Leninsky Prospekt, the university and three metro stations. Restaurant.
Yunost, 34 Frunzensky Val (tel. 242-0353). Operated by the International Youth Tourist Bureau. Pretty Spartan.
Yuzhnaya, 87 Leninsky Prospekt (tel. 134-3065).

BACK TO TOP

RESOURCES

Banking Hours -- Banking hours are generally Monday-Friday 9 am-6 or 7 pm, closed for a lunch break 1-2 pm. Some are open Saturday 9 am-2 pm.

Currency Exchange -- Finding the best exchange rate while the ruble dives and recovers used to be local sport in Moscow. Transactions are calculated according to the daily official rate set by Russia's Central Bank.

If you're exchanging money at an official exchange site, you have to show your passport. Cash is much easier to change than traveler's checks, which are not widely accepted outside banks or hotels. Because Russian banks will often refuse to accept old, dirty or torn notes or notes that have been written on, take along only undamaged notes dated 1993 or later. Even banks in international hotels charge up to 5% commission to exchange damaged notes. (However, old US$50 and US$100 bills are still accepted.)

American Express will cash traveler's checks or give you cash if you write them a bank check and show an American Express card. They also have an ATM for cardholders with PIN access. Monday-Friday 10 am-5 pm. Near the U.S. Embassy at Sadovo-Kudrinskaya 21a, phone 755-9001.

Dialog Bank can give you cash if you have a check and an American Express card. It will also exchange money, although generally at poor rates. Daily 8 am-8 pm. In the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel, phone 941-8177; at Leninsky Prospect 113/1, phone 956-5533; and at Staropansky Pereulok 4, phone 244-8960.

All of the hotels have exchange services, but you can also buy rubles at hundreds of variously named exchange points, including those in the lobbies of major stores and restaurants. Many are not open 24 hours but do offer much better rates than exchange places in hotels. Many say Exchange on them in English, and they are all guarded. Most are open Monday-Saturday 9 am-7 pm; some are open on Sunday afternoons.
Other Tips: Do not change money in any substantial amount at the airport and never change money with a person who approaches you on the street -- anyone offering amazing exchange rates is probably out to swindle you.

Disabled Advisory -- Moscow is not an easy place for disabled people, because there are almost no provisions for disabled access.

Emergency Health Care -- You must speak Russian when dealing with the Russian medical system -- those who don't should go to a Western firm. In case of a medical emergency, contact your embassy or the American Medical Center, phone 956-3366, or the European Medical Center at 251-6099 (night emergency phone 229-6536).

Hospitals -- Simply showing up at a Russian hospital does not necessarily result in your being admitted. Call the American Medical Center 24 hours a day at 956-3366; or call the European Medical Center at 251-6099.

Emergency Pharmacies -- Call the American Medical Center at 956-3366. Two 24-hour pharmacies: one at Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya 2, another at the Seventh Continent supermarket on Bolshaya Lyubyanka 3.

BACK TO TOP

RESTAURANTS
Russian cuisine is more nourishing than palate-tickling, but you can eat well in Moscow if you forget any cordon bleu pretensions. It is advisableto reserve a table at the more popular restaurants�something which Intourist or your hotel's service bureau will do. As we have said before, reserve ample time for your meal; if you are alone, take a book; if you are in company, practice the art of conversation. Many restaurants have dance orchestras; a few trendy ones have live jazz and even rock.
All the Moscow hotels have their own big restaurants. And there are various establishments for special cuisine. There are also restaurants in all Moscow parks, on the TV tower in Ostankino, at the Exhibition of Economic Achievements, at the Khimki Riverport and the Lenin Stadium in Luzhniki. On a warm day, you might enjoy dinner aboard the floating restaurant, or at the Burevestnik in Gorky Park.
Light meals are provided at the cafes. Ice-cream, enormously popular in the Soviet Union, is sold at special ice-cream parlors, open year-round. The places to eat from 1988 onwards were the new co-operative restaurants and cafes, some of which are included in our listings. There are at least 80, and new ones are opening all the time.
Average price in a good restaurant in 1989 was 15-20 roubles per head.
Airline Terminal Restaurant, at the terminal on Leningradsky Prospekt. Modern elegance, fine food.
Aragvi, 6 Gorky Street (tel. 229-3762). Georgian specialties. Has its ups and downs, but can still be very good. Ask for lobio, butter beans in a spicy sauce; khar-cho. a spiced meat soup; osetrina na vertelye, sturgeon roasted on a spit; there is also tsiplyata tabaka. roast spring chicken, flattened between hot stones. With good wine and vodka a splendid meal can be had for about 12 roubles a head. Reservations essential. Private rooms available at a price. Folk music.
Arbat, 29 Kalinin Prospekt (tel. 291-1403). A modem but uninteresting place. Reservations needed; pay 1 rouble to get in. Most expensive restaurant in town. Music, dancing. Open till midnight. Typical food. Popular with privileged class.
Belgrade, in the new Belgrade Hotel, 5 Smolenskaya Square (tel. 248-6661). Russian and Yugoslav specialties. Good reputation.
Berlin, 3 Zhdanov Street (tel. 223-3581). In the Berlin Hotel. Good Russian and German cooking with a Bavarian influence. Old-fashioned atmosphere with fountain, gilt mirrors. Music, dancing. English spoken. Hotel now closed for refurbishment; restaurant unlikely to be open for '90, but check with Intourist.
Bucharest, 1 Balchug Street (tel. 223-7854). Romanian and Transylvanian cooking. Refurbished with new kitchens, improved dining-room and decor.
Budapest, 2/18 Petrovskiye Linii (tel. 221-4044). Hungarian cooking, with plenty of paprika and sour cream. Good, if not quite up to native standards.
Co-op at 36 Kropotkinskaya Street. An offspring of the 1987 enterprise laws.
Co-op at Tarasovo, about 30 minutes' drive from center up Prospekt Mira. For those with a sense of adventure. Often the venue for wedding or retirement parties Adequate shashlik, very good hot cheese and hot bread.
Desertny Bar, Gorky Street opposite the Tadjikistan Coop craft store, Moscow's first fast-food joint with really good food, such as prime fillet steak followed by fresh plum sorbet.
Intourist, 3-5 Gorky Street. In the hotel. Very good food. Sometimes there is a smorgasbord (all you can eat for 4 roubles, not including liquor).
Lastochka, good riverboat restaurant near the Krymsky Bridge on Moskva River. Not expensive.
Lasagne, address unknown (tel. 231-1085). Home-made pasta on an imported machine. A Co-op venture. Good.
Lefortovo, Krasnokursantsky Street, suburban. Repellant location near security police interrogation center of same name�if you go by taxi make it clear it's the restaurant you want, not the prison. Interesting experience�set lunch is very cheap. Clientele mostly military and seem to enjoy it.
Metropole, 1 Marx Prospekt. Attached to the hotel. Old-fashioned, but pleasant. Closed for refurbishment until early 1990's.

BACK TO TOP

English-Language Newspapers and Magazines -- The English-language daily, Moscow Times( http://www.moscowtimes.ru), and the Moscow Tribune, published Tuesday-Saturday, are free in all major hotels and most foreign-run stores. The Exile, a weekly alternative nightlife and comment paper, is available at the same places and is essential reading for a no-holds-barred view of Russian politics and a hilarious, if outrageous, take on Moscow nightlife. Same-day issues of the International Herald Tribune can be found in most hotels. Try the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel's newsstand (daily 8 am-10 pm) for previous-day copies of The Wall Street Journal and English-language magazines: Berezhkovskaya Nabarezhnaya 2, phone 941-8080.

For More Information -- Intourist offers brochures and a map of the city center, including a metro map and a brief city guide in English, for around 6 rubles (US$1). Not the easiest establishment to reach, but its professionals have been in the business longest. Daily 9 am-8 pm. They also offer stock tours. Mokhovaya Ulitsa 13. To organize a tour in English, call 292-1278 or 292-2365.

The best map of Moscow (used by the U.S. Secret Service to plan presidential summits) is The New Moscow City Map and Guide, published by RIS (US$6.95, around 45 rubles). It's available in hotel bookshops throughout the city and from its U.S. publisher by phone (802-223-4955) or fax (802-223-6105).

Entertainment Guides -- Pick up the Friday edition of the English-language Moscow Times, available free in all major hotels and foreign-run stores for theater, opera and ballet listings for the coming week. Also check the alternative news sheet, The Exile, at the same sources.

Business Services

Many downtown hotels have executive centers with secretarial assistance, photocopiers and fax machines available for their guests. One of the best and biggest is the Americom Business Center (phone 941-8427, open 24 hours) in the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel, which has telecommunications facilities, conference and exhibition rooms, and customs offices. Below is a list of additional services.

Note: When doing business in Moscow, keep in mind that the phone system is inefficient and that things can take a lot longer to get done there than elsewhere.

Audiovisual Equipment -- Professional Television Services, a British-run firm, provides filmmaking services. No camera rentals -- the firm does the filming. At Ulitsa Akademika Korolyova 4, Korpus 2, 4th Floor, phone 215-2292.
For video recorders, try hotel business centers.

Cellular-Phone Rental -- It's worth shopping around, since mobile phone costs have fallen rapidly during the past year. Average cost is around 600 rubles (US$100) per week, 2,100 rubles (US$350) per month, including 10-15 minutes a day of local airtime. The biggest and best phone-rental companies are Techmarket on Ulitsa Vosmogo Marta 10/12 (phone 214-3235 or 232-2772) and Eurotelecom on Ulitsa Pervaya Tverskaya-Yamskaya 13 (phone 251-3373 or 251-7076). Other possibilities are Alphacom (phone 948-0450) and Kvasar (phone 232-4559).

Computer Rental -- Only hotel business centers rent computers.

Convention Services and Meeting Planning -- The Americom Business Center in the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel has conference facilities. Minimum group size of six, maximum of 500. No pickup or delivery. Faxes and international telephones, 24 hours. Hours for conference facilities: Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm. For such things as consulting services, information database, secretarial services, overhead projectors and translation, office hours are Monday-Friday 10 am-6 pm. Berezhkovskaya Naberezhnaya 2, phone 941-8750.

The newly opened Marriott Grand Hotel on Tverskaya 26 (phone 935-8500) can accommodate up to 500 conferees. The Aerostar Hotel (phone 213-900, ext. 2701) offers conference facilities for 10-300. The Moscow Commercial Club can accommodate from 2-90 people. Monday-Saturday 10 am-8 pm. Bolshaya Kommunisticheskaya Ulitsa 2, phone 274-0081.

Photocopying -- Alphagraphics provides fax and photocopying services. Monday-Friday 9 am-9 pm, Saturday 9 am-6 pm. Two locations: Leningradsky Prospekt 53, phone 258-7500, and Kosmodemyanskaya Naberezhnaya 52, Building 1, Riverside Towers, phone 961-2100, fax 961-2101.

Comstar Business Center also has photocopying services. Monday-Friday 9 am-8 pm. Ulitsa Petrovka 10, Room 301, phone 975-2319. Intergraphics offers fax, photocopying and printing services. Monday-Friday 9 am-9 pm, Saturday 9 am-4 pm. Tverskaya Yamskaya 22, phone 251-1208 or 251-1215.

Secretarial Services -- Your hotel business services department will put you in touch with this kind of service. Or consider Interlingua (phone 205-3696 or 205-3618, fax 205-3703), which provides word processing and other secretarial services as well as translation.

Translators and Interpreters -- Try hotel business services or Fonetics, for interpreting and translation in English, Japanese, German and some Scandinavian languages. Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm. Semyonovskaya Naberezhnaya 2/1, phone 360-0874.

Globus offers interpreting and document translation in all Western European languages and many Asian languages. Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm. Call two to three days in advance. Bolshaya Kommunisticheskaya Ulitsa 1/5, phone 911-0947.

BACK TO TOP