Useful Tips

We recommend that you follow the basic precautions that apply to living in any city.

- Always keep a copy of your passport, visa, migration card, and registration with you. It is better to keep the original documents in your room.

- Write down your country's embassy number in your mobile phone contacts.

- Keep an eye on your wallet in crowded places.

- Keep an eye on your luggage while traveling and try not to take a large number of things with you that will be uncomfortable to carry.

- Keep your valuables (money, wallet, credit cards, passport) in your zippered pockets (in your clothes or in your bag).

- Always think about how you will get home, find out the schedule of the last bus / metro train or the phone number of the taxi.

- Do not respond to verbal abuse.

- Know that the police are allowed to stop any person on the street or in the metro and require documents for verification.

Recommended rules of social behavior

- Young people (both women and men) should give up their seats on public transport to the elderly, children and pregnant women.

- In Russia, men most often pay bills on dates and allow a woman to take a seat on public transport.

- If you wear gloves, take them off when shaking hands with another person.

- Shoes: Keep in mind that you will be walking a lot. Make sure that when you buy shoes, they are comfortable.

- When you visit someone's home, you will be asked to take off your shoes and put on slippers.

- Russians, especially women, pay attention to their appearance both on the street on a weekday and in a club. Looking too careless identifies you as a tourist.

- Take a gift with you if you are going to visit somebody: chocolate or flowers (an odd number of more than 2 flowers, and it is better that they are not yellow flowers) - a good idea. (An equal number of flowers is taken only for funerals.)

- Ask your Russian friends to take you shopping if you want to visit the market. People in the markets raise their prices when they see foreigners.

- Be polite to people you see every day, such as security guards, shop assistants, dorm and university staff, etc.

- Keep tea and sweets at home. You never know when your Russian friends may suddenly come. Tea and sweets are a tradition for guests.

DO NOT:

- Don't think that all the inhabitants of Russia are ethnically Russian. There are more than 100 ethnic groups in Russia.

- Don't expect people to smile at you. In Russia, especially in large cities, it is uncustomary to talk or smile to strangers, so do not interpret this behavior as coldness or unfriendliness.

- Don't expect everyone you've agreed to meet to arrive on time.

- Don't expect high standards in public places like toilets.

- Do not wear hats / caps in classrooms.

- Don't eat in classes - this is unacceptable behavior.

- Do not hesitate to open your soul to the Russians. You will be considered a true friend.