RUSSIA

The entry into the Russian Federation is only possible with a valid visa, which must be applied for before the trip through a consulate or embassy of the Russian Federation in your country.

Travelers can discover St. Petersburg and nearby Leningrad Region with free electronic visas. Online application can be applied 4 days before the entry date. The period of stay will be up to 8 days.

The currency of the Russian Federation is the Russian ruble (₽). One euro is about 80 Russian ruble (May 2020). The money can be exchanged at banks or at exchange offices. For security reasons, please do not exchange money with private persons. Maestro and Visa cards are accepted in most locations including shops, hotels and restaurants.

Russian cuisine is incredibly tasty and nutritious. Travelers can be pleasantly surprised with its variety of dishes and gastronomic combinations of both vegetarian and meat cuisine. By visiting Russia, we recommend you to try the famous Russian soups "Borscht" and "Potato Okroshka", dumplings with meat "Pelmeni", salads "Olivier", "Dressed herring" and of course "Blini" - rolled wheat pancakes containing a variety of fillings: jam, cheese, sour cream or caviar.

Russia is a secular state and the constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. Most poeple in Russia belong to Christianity in the form of orthodoxy.

The official language is Russian. The Russian language is classified as an Indo-European language and it is one of the four East Slavic languages. By communicating with foreigners, locals (mostly young people) mainly use English.

In cafés and restaurants it is recommended to give a tip 5-10% of the bill, if the service charge is not included yet.