Russia

Good to know

1. 1Moscow and St Petersburg are the two cities most visitors see first. Moscow is the capital, with the Kremlin and Red Square at its heart, while St Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and was the imperial capital for two centuries.
2. 2Russian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, and learning to read the letters in an afternoon makes street signs and metro maps far easier to follow. English is spoken in some hotels and tourist areas but is not widely used elsewhere.
3. 3The Trans-Siberian Railway runs from Moscow to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast, a journey of about nine thousand kilometres. It is one of the longest railway lines in the world.
4. 4Lake Baikal in Siberia is the deepest lake on Earth and holds a large share of the planet's unfrozen fresh water.
5. 5Tea is central to daily life, often served from a samovar, and a typical meal might include borscht, pelmeni dumplings, blini or a cold salad with beetroot and herbs.
6. 6The currency is the rouble, and the country is known for its ballet, its literature and the composers who shaped classical music, such as Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.

Tips for a first visit

• Learn a few basic phrases such as hello, thank you and please. Even clumsy attempts are usually met with patience and a smile.
• Take a good look at the Moscow metro even if you do not need it. Many stations are decorated like small palaces, and the system is an easy way to get around the city.
• Carry some cash in addition to a card, especially outside the big cities, and check with your own bank before travelling about whether your cards will work.
• Try a stay in a homestay or a small guesthouse outside the main cities if you can. It is often the best way to taste home cooking and hear local stories.
• When you visit someone's home, take off your shoes at the door and bring a small gift such as sweets or flowers, in an odd number. Even numbers are traditionally kept for funerals.
• Book long train journeys and popular museum visits ahead where you can, and keep a copy of your itinerary handy, since distances are large and plans take time to change.

When to go

Summer is warm and long on daylight, and in St Petersburg the white nights around June bring a sky that barely darkens. Autumn is mild and colourful at first, then turns cool and wet. Winter is cold and snowy, with a special charm in the cities if you dress well, and spring arrives late and slowly, with mud and melting snow before the green returns.

Getting around

Most people travel between Russian cities by plane or by train. The fast trains between Moscow and St Petersburg take a few hours, and overnight trains with sleeping compartments connect many other cities. Within cities, the metro, buses and trams are the usual way to get about, and the Moscow and St Petersburg metros are both extensive.