WELCOME TO MOSCOW
TRANSPORTATION
FOOD
ENTERTAINMENT
SAFETY
YOU AND THE POLICE
COMMUNICATIONS / STAYING IN TOUCH WITH HOME
THE MEDIA
ARRIVAL
LAUNDRY


SOME PRACTICAL TIPS AND USEFUL INFORMATION

CLIMATE
WHAT TO PACK
HOSPITALS + HEALTH
CUSTOMS RULES
CURRENCY
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

WELCOME TO MOSCOW

We are pleased to invite you to the capital of Russia! Moscow has recently celebrated its 864^th birthday. Moscow, like other big cities, has a lot to offer. In fact, there is a Russian saying that goes: “Moscow is not a city, but a whole world.” A great start for exploring this new world could begin with traditional historical sights (Kremlin, Cathedrals, etc), sports, cultural events (theatres, concerts, exhibitions, etc), or even night entertainment (night clubs, bars, casinos, etc).

Moscow is the only place in Russia where a “Russian city feeling” still exists alongside with the technological benefits of westernization. These benefits include credit card access, twenty four hour medical assistance, easy access to public transportation, international phone lines, the internet, faxes, etc. Regardless of what time of the year you decide to stay with us, Moscow offers numerous possibilities that will allow you to enjoy your time while in Moscow.

Furthermore, we will do our best to make your stay here even better by providing both an interesting and valuable education along with top notch excursions.

 TRANSPORTATION

Despite the size of the city, getting around town is surprisingly easy and inexpensive. The primary forms of transportation are the metro (subway), buses, trolleybuses, trams, mini-busses (known as marshrutkas), and taxis.

The Metro

The Moscow metro is a huge system which dates back to the mid 1930’s and now has more than 11 lines with most points in the city within a 15 to 20 minute walk of a station. Once in the system you can reach any other station with a maximum of two line changes. You can always find a metro entrance by looking for the big red letter ‘M’ which is illuminated at nighttime.  Metro stations open up at 5:30 a.m. and close at 1:00 a.m. Rush hour is from 7:30 a.m. to about 10:30 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to about 8:00 p.m. 

To use this form of transportation one should buy a metro pass. One ride costs 28 rubles, a bit less then $1. However, the more rides you buy the cheaper each one costs. Most metro cards expire after 45 days of the first use. A metro pass that lasts a month costs about $41.

Maps of the metro system are available everywhere and also posted in each wagon of each train and in the station. While traveling in the metro, announcements are made on the loudspeaker about which station you are approaching. Once in the metro you may stay as long as you like without paying again (this includes transferring as many times as well).  

One can travel on the metro and be a tourist at the same time because most metro stations have their own beautiful artwork and design. Many metro stations have a rich history and story to tell as well. So, when you use the metro it’s like visiting a museum every day.

Minibuses (Marshrutkas)

The minibus routes in Moscow are faster and more efficient than the buses are. The reason for this is that they only stop when you tell them to or when people signal for them to stop on the side of the road by sticking out their arm.

Minibus routes to GRINT from the Viykhino metro station are: 9M and 108M

Buses / Trolleybuses / Trams

These run and are the most typical form of transportation. You will need to buy a card at any kiosk that says proezdnie bileti. The current cost for a single ride is 28 rubles. If you do not buy a ride beforehand you will have to pay less while boarding the transport. You can also buy a pass for the whole month.

Bus routes to GRINT from the Viykhino metro station are 197 and 697.

Taxis

Taxis work like taxis just about anywhere else. They are usually yellow in color, they can be called from a phone or just signaled from the side of the road, and they are the most expensive form of transport. Before going somewhere you should negotiate the price of your trip. You should consider not taking cabs by yourself, especially if you’re a girl for safety reasons. If the busses are still running you should consider taking a bus home in the situation you are alone.

“Gypsy Cabs”

This is the common term used to talk about just hailing any car on the side of the road to get a ride somewhere. You should avoid this in general but in the case you decide to do it you should make sure your driver first of all knows how to get where you are going and agree on the price before you ever get into the car. Don’t get in if there is already a person in the car other than the driver. Make sure you have the exact change!!!

Walking

You will spend a lot of time walking in Moscow. It’s another great form of transportation that is free so enjoy!

 FOOD

In Moscow you’ll find a wide variety of food and places to eat. For those that have opted for a home stay, your host family will be providing breakfasts. Here you will get to experience Russian home-style cooking. For those of you that have opted to live in the dorms, you will be having breakfast and lunch at the ‘stolovaya’ or ‘cafeteria’ in English. Our local cafeteria food is very tasty and also provides a good assortment of typical Russian food. For dinner and meals, on the weekend it will be your responsibility to ‘fend for yourself.’ You can buy what you need at Rusmarket, Sugar Lion, a small grocery store directly across the street from us, or at the market by the metro.

For those of you that would like to buy American style groceries ranging from ingredients to make Mexican food to a PBJ, you can find all these things at a supermarket not too far away called Stokman’s.

Interested in eating out? Moscow has a large selection of not just Russian food but Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Uzbek, etc at many restaurants and cafes. Prices range from far more expensive than in the U.S. to slightly more expensive. Fast food has also appeared in Russia which includes McDonalds, TGI Friday’s, Starbucks, etc. Russia of course has its own style of fast food like Russkoe biystro, Blini, Teremok to just name a few. Here you can try some pirozkhi (meat, potato, mushroom, pancakes, or apple filled pies) and drink some kvas (a wheat based soft drink produced in Russia).

So, when you’ve had enough of home cookin’ or the University stolovaya, take your pick and have a night out on the town. There are thousands of places to eat in Moscow. Your best bet is grabbing a travel guide before you come and seeing what other tourists have tried and liked in the past. There’s sure to be a restaurant to suit your taste and budget.

 ENTERTAINMENT

You need never be bored here in Moscow as there is always something to do or see or somewhere to go - from the highest culture to discos where you can dance till dawn.

Moscow is literally a city of museums and theatres of every sort, from art museums to historical, technical, and medical, and theatres ranging from music to dance to drama and satire, there is an almost unlimited choice of cultural events - for current exhibitions and upcoming events check out the newspapers mentioned before and also 'Time out in Moscow' or 'Vechernyaya Moskva', also you'll find placards posted to walls around town and calendars at the street kiosks 'Afisha'.

For film buffs you can always see the latest Hollywood blockbuster as well as classic Soviet, Russian and foreign films. The major cinemas are 'Kodak-Kinomir', 'Pushkinsky', 'The dome cinema', 'Udarnik' or 'Khudozhestvenny'. Check the resources above for listings, or drop by and look at the listings at the box office. The latter option is your best bet for the smaller cinemas which can be found in every district of the city.

Moscow is also a city of parks, and during the spring and summer they draw quite a crowd - for the concerts and attractions, and just to enjoy warmth and sunshine. Gorky park is a great place to go in summer as there are several cafes, carnival rides, and a small outdoor disco and a youthful crowd - Gorky can be a lot of fun and is a great place to relax and meet people. In Spring and Summer when the weather's fine riverboats can take you from their terminal at metro Kolomenskoye to Gorky Park, giving you a great tour of the city center on the way. Sokolniki and Kolomenskoye are also great for relaxing in quieter ways - picnics by the river and walks through lush green woods. At Kolomenskoye you can also see parts of an old royal estate and churches associated with Peter the Great and the palace of Russian Tsar, Alexei Mikhailovitch.

The nightlife scene in Moscow is as varied as anything else, from the relaxed atmosphere of a local to places where you can easily blow mega-bucks just to walk in the door - if you get past face control! Most discos and nightclubs fall somewhere in between, and as this scene is quite volatile we can't give any specific recommendations about where to go. For general information though, cover charges are often between ten and fifty dollars for men, women often get in for half price or free. The dress code is usually pretty flexible and black or sharp casual will get you through the door. This holds true for the well-known spots in the center as well as the smaller local places in each district which usually have dancing too, but with no or very low cover. To find out what's going on consult the papers, and for the neighborhood hangouts ask around, or explore on your own.
Moscow has a pretty lively live music scene for all kinds of music, check the listings and see what's playing - cover charges for live venues can be amazingly low, and it's really worth you while to investigate the local talent. Sometimes big-name foreign acts roll into town as well, occasionally bringing some real surprises like James Brown, Abba, Sting, Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode, and Alphaville - these shows are usually well advertised with posters all over the city, and the prices are very low.

 SAFETY

 YOU AND THE POLICE

 COMMUNICATIONS / STAYING IN TOUCH WITH HOME

Cell phones

While you’re here in Moscow it’s a very good idea to stay in touch with loved ones to help avoid homesickness. As soon as you are registered in Moscow (we register you within three business days of your immediate arrival), you will have the ability to buy a sim card (cell phone). Currently, all plans come with all incoming calls for free. So, that means that people can call you from the U.S. and it won’t cost you a penny. The three largest cell phone companies in Moscow are Beeline, MTS, and Megafon. Student plans with these companies are a very good idea. Almost all cell phones in Russia are pre-paid. MTS currently is the most expensive, followed by Beeline, and then Megafon. Beeline tends to have the best coverage and works in the metro all over. Megafon has good coverage but sometimes has problems with reception in buildings. (This includes the dorm).

Land lines

If you would rather call your family and loved ones yourself, a very cheap way to do with is to buy telephone cards. The rates are very cheap and cheaper than buying an international telephone calling card from the U.S. that is designed to work outside of the U.S. For example, with a telephone card here called “Evroset!”. The call costs 1.22 rub per minute. To use these phone cards all you need to do is call another landline, insert your pin code, and then dial either 1 + (area code) + number or sometimes you dial 8101 + (area code) + number instead.

Post:

The postal service in Russia is reliable, if a bit unpredictable as to timing a letter to the US, Canada, or Western Europe generally takes about two weeks, letters to Russia can take two to three weeks. Avoid putting valuable things or money in the envelopes - they won't reach their owner for sure.
Envelopes and stamps could be bought at any post office. Cost about 20 rubles .
Parcels can be sent to the United States from the Russian Post Office but you will need to speak some Russian. Also you can use the companies you are used to such as FedEx or DHL which have their own branches throughout Russia.

Internet and Email:

E-mail also may be sent and received at a variety of locations. All Macdonalds and the majority of cafes provide free wi-fi.

 THE MEDIA

Western newspapers, and magazines such as "TIME" , etc., which can be found at the school office, many coffee shops, western cafes and kiosks along ul. Noviy Arbat, the English language press in Moscow is covered by the "Moscow Times", the 'Moscow Tribune", the "Moscow News", and the "Exile". The "News" is an older Russian-owned paper which is good for news around town and some world news, the "Times" and "Tribune" carry some local news and international news (including sports scores), but are somewhat slanted towards the western business community here. Both of these, though, and the "Exile" (which is definitely not for all tastes) carry good weekly reviews of clubs and restaurants, and goings-on in Moscow. If you can read Russian, or want to practice, do check out the Russian press in which you'll find an incredibly wide range of interests and views, from "National Enquirer" type to the completely political (of every persuasion), and everything in between.

ARRIVAL 

LAUNDRY

For those of you who are staying in a homestay, keep in mind that laundry is not included. Most host moms will charge you a fee for it, usually around $25 per month (the amount is typically calculated by kilograms of laundry) while some do it for free. If you live in the dorms there is a washing machine available for use free of charge. Commercial laundry and dry cleaning services are also available not far from GRINT. If these don’t suffice, there are also Western-run laundry services which are listed in the English language phone directory.

 CLIMATE

The climate of much part of European Russia (including Moscow and St.Petersburg) is humid continental. The weather here can be generally considered to be very changeable; even during a day it can be changed a few times. Monthly average temperatures in Celsius:

WHAT TO PACK?

HOSPITALS AND HEALTH

Other than the typical travelers' complaints resulting from a change in climate, food, water , etc., and the inevitable cold or 'flu as Autumn turns into Winter, there aren't many health problems to be encountered here that aren't familiar to everyone.
For most complains the aptyeka has just what you need - stocking both Russian and Western made drugs. For more serious problems there are the state hospitals and polyclinics, and private clinics for foreigners. If you are seriously ill, please inform the office which will take you to a western hospital.
You should be prepared to pay for all medical services here, and later the Insurance company will pay you back. Your insurance will cover your expenses after you send all necessary papers to the US. Also in case not very serious health problem your coordinator can help you to go to the pharmacy.

If you get sick you have four options in Russia for treatment in order of least expensive to most.

1. You can see our campus doctor for minor illnesses for about $15 dollars.

2. A Russian hospital.

3. The European Medical Center

4. The American Medical Center

CUSTOMS RULES

A customs declaration is to be filled in, indicating the amount of foreign currency in cash and traveler’s checks, jewelry, and expensive electronics. The declaration should be kept as it may be required for departure formalities.
No customs duty payable for personal belongings and other goods below US 3,000.
Prohibited for import into Russia are narcotics, toxic and radioactive items, explosives, explosive devices, weaponry.

CURRENCY

 NATIONAL HOLIDAYS:

1 January - New Year's Day
7,8 January - Russian Orthodox Christmas
23 February - Red Army Day
8 March - Women's Day
1,2 May - Day of Spring and Labor
9 May - Victory day
12 June - Independence day
7 November - Day of Peace and Accordance (Anniversary of the October 1917 revolution)
12 December - Constitution day