Visit Russia - The DON'Ts of Visiting Russia
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- Опубліковано 2 тра 2024
- Read the Blog: woltersworld.com/12-things-to...
Whether visiting St. Petersburg, Moscow, The Volga River or Vladivostok there are a few things you shouldn't do when you visit Russia. This video covers what travelers, tourists and vacationers should NOT do when they visit Russia. From the service, to the police, to the cool museums there are some good don'ts and bad don'ts of visiting Russia.
Filmed in St. Petersburg, Russia
Copyright Mark Wolters 2017
1. Don't forget to get a visa and register it when you get to Russia.
2. Don't lose your immigration card.
3. Don't forget to have Rubbles in cash
4. Don't Think Russia will be cheap
5. Don't get upset about two prices, one for locals and one price for foeigners
6. Don't mess with the cops
7. Don't let your guard down at tourist spots or late at night.
8. Don't skip the Russian Orthodox churches and don't wear a hat inside the church.
9. Don't try to exchange damaged foreigner currency.
10. Don't think Russians are as cold as the service
11. Don't Bad mouth Russia or speak about Russian politics, it will not be appreciated.
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Another DON'T: Don't repeat the words you hear on Russian car crash videos!
Joey Jamison
Me, a foreigner- CYKA BLYAT!
:)
Ayyyyyyeee blyaaaaaaat
eh6794 they don’t do much as long as you don’t disturb them
Ну нахе~..
Отец!
Yebaaaaaat))))
Ah darn, I was planning on going to Russia and messing with Russian police. Oh well, I'm off to my sailing trip around Somalia.
Go visit Novorossiya, it's smth in between.
LivingInVancouverBC Lol
Have fun in the Somalian waters!
PS. put a sign on the boat something like "Gold Shipping Limited International"
I heard that Somali Welcoming Committees come out in small boats and fire celebratory shots into the air. And seeing that they are overheated in the hot Sun, the ships usually offer a cooling spray of water in return. Seems nice to me.
Lots of sharks in those waters but now we know it's totally safe to swim with sharks so that's no longer a problem either.
Yup, looking forward to going. Hey, it doesn't get too hot there, does it?
hahaha mah nigga..
Couple more donts :)
1) Dont forget to offer your seat in a public transport to elderly people, pregnant women and women with little kids. It is considered very rude and unpolite if you dont do so, especially if you're a man.
2) Dont forget to take off your shoes, coming to Russian house by default. If you've been said not to do so, you may not do it. If you dont do, it may be considered as disrespect towards a host.
3) If you're going for a date with local, don't bring even number of flowers, only odd. We bring even number of flowers only in case of funeral. :)
Im pretty sure the first one would apply to every public transport in the world
Chainedhound not in America
@@larissakoroleva not true. I know America can be full of assholes, but once again so does the entire world.
Well Time To Make Use Of My New Zealandness And Continue Walking Everywhere Barefoot.
Concrete? Barefoot.
Gravel? Barefoot.
Bark? Barefoot.
Dirt? Barefoot.
House? Barefoot.
@@dracoqueen1263 Nah, I'd offer you slippers in my home. It's common courtesy to accept them here, even if you don't like the feeling.
As a Russian I'm surprised how on point all the tips are. All the 'don'ts' are absolutely true. I am a tour guide in St. Petersburg and I often tell the very same things to the tourists I meet. Great job!
I have been to St Petersburg in 1994 I can speak a little Russian. I don't remember the thrash hold thing do remember covering my hair in church (female) in part I had a good time met some very good people. I wish the media would show that side of Russia
and I am surprised how many NEGATIVE cliche about CCCP & Russjia people are writing in their comments ! But what can we expect from the people whos countries activ supported NaziGermany in IIWW ! and who believe in all that CRAP in western antirussian propaganda !!!! Rassjia Niepobiedimaja !!!!!!!
i am planning to go to your beautiful city SPB but haven't decided if winter or summer would be better, when it is more beautiful?
Also, I'd be up for a tour or two so you can send me a link if you like, thanks a lot in advance and stay safe in these crazy times.
@CitizenOWorld my work it related to tourism so yeah what you're saying make sense, i'll probably book something even before travelling. As for the choice of season, i was focused more on the weather itself and the beauty of snowy Russia, but haven't thought much about the grim dark early hours so yeah your advice it's been helpful, it's gonna have to be summer, maybe just the beginning of summer if i can so as not to find too many crowds either. Thanks ;)
adamwnt Of cause in the middle of the summer! Otherwise you’ll miss “White Nights”
visit Russia, before Russia visits you!
that's perfect! But are you talking about Soviet Russia?
bogdan botha Come and get me I am helpless. I am in a cage. Or you are playing like America.
Replicating is more correct word )
emmanuilushka a "more correct word" would be "grabs". May khuilostan choke on it!
Victor Sbz -- Kinda like how Putin & Russia "visited" Crimea acuppla years ago, right?
When it comes to the cost of food, the thing is that restaurants are extremely expensive but grocery stores are extremely cheap. If you are going to be in Russia for more than a few days, rent a flat with a kitchen (which costs less than a hotel) and cook for yourself. You will save a fortune!
CookinginRussia all restaraunts in downtown have 2 varitues of menu (like the museums-for local and foreign). U can ask them to give menu for locals, cuz pirices in there are cheaper.and u better leave this cafe if they won't give it to you.but i think u must know a bit standard russian words for this.
Rustam Sayfullaev
I am Russian and I've never seen 2 variation of menu in restaurants. The restaurants are always expensive even for the Russians, especially in Moscow and St Petersbourg and especialy at the center of the city.
Leozack Destron поддержу, второго меню в большинстве случаев нет. Большинство россиян готовят еду сами дома.
In comparison to USA and most of European countries, eating out is quite cheap (with an exception of some higher end restaurants). Most meals are not above 10 USD
You can also go to smaller places that do not have more than one price. You'd have to speak the language though.
Note to the Americans: "Leave the politics behind before you travel to Russia"
that's for anyone from anywhere going to anywhere.
Are finnish welcome to see russia?
@@oregonborn9769 of course you are
@@Yuhhnightowl kiitos!
and don't disrespect Stalin at public, ~40% of population still like him, especially boomers.
Other tips about Russia, especially Moscow:
1. Hotels in Russia are expensive, but most hostels are not. You will meet a lot of great fellow travelers there.
2. Photos are highly discouraged inside cathedrals.
3. The Moscow Metro is world-renown for its architecture. Take a day just to ride the metro for a small price to enjoy the stations.
4. Moscow motorists only know one law - THEY have the right-of-way. Be extra careful when crossing the street.
5. Learn to read Cyrillic, as there are very few signs in foreign languages outside of Red Square. Google Translate is nice, but inconvenient.
6. Local cuisine is cheap, so make sure to try some borsch (beet soup), pelmeniy (fried dumpling similar to ravioli), and pirogi (similar to pot pies). Kvas (a soft drink made of rye) is also cheap and widely available.
7. When someone buys you a shot of vodka, you are expected to drink it in one gulp, not sipping.
Правильно, только почему тебе не лень
Don't be spineless, say I don't drink if you don't drink, from Russian with love.
I thought it was common sense that if it’s in a shot glass, you take it in a shot no sips.
Brent, i want to go Camping in the forest camp ground. how much is that?
I would also like to visit Abhazia . Do you need a visa as a russian to travel to Abhazia?
Omg I can't stand ppl who sip their shots. Like don't buy a shot if you can't take it
I visited St. Petersberg a few years back and had a blast. My son and I visited the Hermitage Museum. I wanted to walk around so I made my son sit in front of Paul Gauguin's Woman with Fruit and draw it for me. He had a box of 64 crayons and a large 50 page, drawing block. When I came back, there was a whole class sitting with him and they were all sharing the crayons and drawing pictures! My son was speaking English with them. It turned out it was a dance school for street children. One or two children had asked for paper, but my son was really generous and shared with all 20 children. The kids spent the whole day finishing their pictures of various impressionists and even shared their meager lunches with my son! The art work was fantastic and the teacher was really pleased with what the children had drawn. My son wrote a report for his school and the picture he drew won a prize for best copy of a classic. The drawing hangs in his school with a picture of the Russian class. It's one of my fondest memories of life in Russia. My boy learned it takes so little to make someone happy. As for that box of 64 crayons, there was literally nothing left after 21 legal size pictures of famous impressionists were made. My son gave the rest of the crayons to the school and we left the museum at 17:00 after arriving at 10:00! Just fantastic experience. My son also learned how to count to ten, say hello and excuse me after breaking wind! Great day! Great memory!
nice story
:)
Heartwarming
sharing 50 papers COMMUNISM INTENSEFIES
It's great!
Me and my mother are from Czech republic and we have a Czech surname so when we went to Russia we got classed as Russians so we got cheaper prices😁
Blyat
The Russians visited Czech Republic as well..
Czechia
Yes ,you was always ,,thrifty ones " , you worked like ants for Hitler supporting german war industry !
*our mother
I visited Russia this year and I was stun how clean are city like Moscow and St Petersburg, especially underground. There is no zone and traveling by tube is astonish - stations are amazing.
So only in the western part of Russia , I myself am from the Far East from Khabarovsk , and we have terrible roads , and our people do not know how to throw garbage where it should be. The closer to Moscow, the cleaner. But still, I advise many foreigners to visit the Far East, Khabarovsk or Vladivostok, and just look at the culture and Far-Eastern people, good luck)
@@alexhorse7137 чел, по сравнению с Западом, даже это - чистые улицы. То что люди не умеют выкидывать окурки в урну и они валяются возле, или то что в каком-то районе есть небольшая несанкционированная свалка (что очень большая редкость) это мизер по сравнению с Америкой и прочими странами запада. У нас другой менталитет и выбрасывание мусора на улицы порицается банально какой-нибудь бабкой, а иногда даже детьми. И при этом всем, запад и западные компании (яблоко) больше всех говорят об этой самой экологии и "беспокоятся" о ней.
@@ghjk4978 дадада, пизди больше, ведь так сказал айтипедия. Я живу в США, если ты не живёшь в обоссаном латинском гетто, а в белом районе, то тут можно чуть ли не босиком по улице ходить. А вот в расиянии, как раз таки всегда был пиздец, срач и развал
If someone is reading this in 2018, bank cards and paypass are acceptable almost everywhere. A place must be quite a hole, if they take cash only.
some places in Russia take a cash only. But this is very small shops or places like flea market. Anyway you can get a cach by nearest ATM
considering very harsh government reforms with crazy tax raising - there's more places now even in Moscow with no cash registers at all (all of them in country must be connected to tax collection agency and every operation from 100s millions is registered - which is unique achievement in Third World country) = so ONLY cash, like "shady business" but it's becoming very popular more & more (1990's return), like "don't ask, don't tell", the banking cards will be declined even more after July 2018 - when state tax collection agency started checking all card refills and received payments = everything except salary now under suspicion (it's in fact very easy in Russia to send money from card to card and many use it for services payments where's no tax, but now they want to stop it all) = so, better in Russia to have cash at least some, some on card for safety
Very true. I used cash mostly in taxi.
alex ale, no, it was just a rumour. Nobody cares. And what "crazy tax raising"? Nothing at all. Still the same 13% income tax. А теперь по-русски: не трынди )
to previous troll-commenter from Prigozhin criminal "troll factory", now you looking like idiot when russian parliament ratified VAT increase, not including customs import duties on everything foreign from 1st July. But what else can we see from troll-bot with empty youtube page (they really don't care that someone will check their accounts?).
I'm Russian from Moscow. I will also give advice.
A foreigner can get into a very unpleasant situation in Russia if he shows disrespect to the monuments of WW2. This behavior can provoke instant aggression from others. Do not do this.
@Alexander
You don't do this ANYWHERE in Europe.
I wish it provoked instant aggression in Belgium and France. I visited the Ypres war memorials and cemeteries and there were teenagers running around, sitting on the stone, leaving litter. We were fucking furious but nobody challenged them (and there were dozens of other people around).
Having lost something like 20 million people, many of those defenseless when they were killed (EG in genocides, civilians, and executed POWs), will do that to you. Most families have lost someone during those years.
Don't do this anywhere, period.
@jack bran That's probably true. Stalin's successors didn't have mass deaths anything remotely close to Stalin. They executed prisoners, sure, but not even tens of thousands a year. They didn't starve after that. Starvation was strictly optional in the Kremlin. The soldiers had deliberate orders to literally take even the last kernels of corn and anything edible from Ukraine in 1932 and 1933, and Stalin held another big purge in 1937.
The war is harder to predict. But we do know that the Red Army was actually incredibly big, had a lot of tanks that would have at least been matches for the German tanks, especially in the numbers the Soviets had, would have had at least useful leadership had there been no purge, had tanks that were actually invulnerable to a lot of the German military's weapons like the KV and T-34, at least in the early years. They had a huge airforce, many bombers, big artillery, industry, and modern rifles and submachine guns. They had homefield advantage. But Stalin, that idiot, thought to himself that Hitler would never betray him, ordered his troops to do nothing, and locked himself away for months. His totality of control over the Soviet Union made his own people hate him so much that they took an early gamble with siding with Hitler, at least for a few weeks, but those weeks were enough to consolidate control.
Other countries had war casualty rates less than a tenth of what the Soviets had. This would be like if over 23 million people did not die in the war, 10 million didn't die from the Holodamor, about a million from the repression of his specific political opponents, a million more in the gulags, and potentially millions more.
There is no reason why the Soviet Union had to be so repressive. While Lenin was alive, he had tried to communicate with the party to avoid Stalin from getting power, and the General Secretary position was originally a pretty useless position, just for telling party members when and where meetings were. There were other powerful individuals, and not just Trostsky. Would it have been free? Probably not. Would there be hunger and at least some starving and executions? Yes. But Stalin is killing people in the tens of millions range.
The Weimar Republic was not doomed from the beginning either. The convention which drafted the constitution of Germany had precedence for features that would have made it stable and resistant to authoritarianism.
Japan was also not doomed to it's system either. The Diet could have had the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister, and their house of lords could have had less power.
I've visited Moscow two yeas ago . What a stunning city , very very clean ,beautiful and people are helpful and kind . I will come back .
It is a stunning city, but clean it is not!! It is much dirtier than St. Petersburg. I love them both, though!!
A lot has changed in the last two years. Even us Moscowites have noted that it's become much dirtier.
@Ken Lompart You can use Moskvich with a plural of Moskvichi (pressure on last syllable for both) for authenicity.
I went to Moscow once for vocation and it was awesome I met some really nice people that I still talk to till this day plus it was a very fun vacation in moscow there's just always something to do lol
We were 2 ladies in their 60s from South Africa travelling alone in 2017. We felt very safe where ever we went, also Moscow and St. Petersburg were not expensive at all! We went to very good restaurants, went on the day trips and slept in 4 star hotels. Definitely, cheaper than central Europe. Good for solo travellers.
Could you give a ballpark on your net expenditure(in USD) while in Moscow and St Petersburg..?
Russians are some of the sweetest people i've ever met❤
Always always give your seat to an old person or pregnant women on subway or bus.
no
A K i do that already
Is that a joke
@Jeff: Not at all.
Every country
As an American that has lived in Moscow for many years, I can attest to everything he said in the video:) Sometimes you'll meet really rude people/services, get really irritated at the people especially on the road, but there is also a lot of sincerity and kindness even in the places you would least expect it. Russians are just like any other people, but they do seem to possess a certain character or way of communicating that's different from other countries P.S. Russians LOVE sarcasm. Sometimes it throws me off since they can appear so serious on the outside lol
very true about sarcasm. confirm it as russian^^
Huh. It's official, I need to go to Russia. They'll love me over there. I'm a very sarcastic person.
眞水杏奈 Yeees sarcasm❤️
Especially we love to sarcastically joke about stereotypes about Russia and the Russian people.
Oh, yeh! Russians are very sarcastic, but usually between Russians, not with foreigners. For example, St. Petersburg has even own uniq local sarcasm style: they can speak to your seriously and you don't even get the point of sarcasm, but their laughing eyes 'betray' them. ;-)) You need to be quite smart to get St. Petersburg local sarcasm style... ;-)))
Looks like nobody will be going there for a while.
As a Russian the best tip I can give is when you are a tourist and coming out of the airport, there will be a bunch of people offering you a lift in the cab. Don’t go with them, it’s a scam, they will charge 10x as much, and threaten you if you refuse to pay. Either order an Uber or find an official taxi company that offers service. I know this might be a thing in many countries, but it’s sad for me to watch every time as a lot of tourists step into this trap. So keep it in mind
Men shouldn't wear shorts in a church either. I got kicked out of a church for wearing shorts on a hot day
Michael Walker Lol
Isnt that common sense in european churches? Its really disrespectfull to visit churches with shorts
thats common sense
Should't wear shorts to church in any country .
thanks for this advice mate
Russia doesn't at all have to be expensive. Just avoid western imported goods. Locally produced food is very cheap, hit the (usually very well stocked) supermarkets for precooked foods, cheeses, beers etc. Transportation is far cheaper than western Europe. In my trip I experienced NO security concerns whatsoever. Russians don't smile a lot, doesn't mean they are mean. If you want smiley locals go to Thailand.
ThewayICit but they made really bad beer, cheese and sausage.
WE dont smile without a reason) Like Finns, Sweades and Norvegians)
I agree. They have sales. The stores are awesome. If you can read some Russian just have correct change and buy the ticket. Don't speak. Don't smile. Just get the ticket and walk. Local price. Metro is awesome. And if you do stop and ask directions in Russian they are very helpful people. Good people.
ThewayICit Hello, may I ask how long it took for your Russian Visa to arrivev
It took 10 days to process the visa. I picked it up in person.
i have been to Russia : Samara, St Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Sochi, Kaluga. its all very beautiful and the people are friendly and helpful. totally the opposite of what they want us to believe in western mainstream media. And the don'ts you mention are quitte obvious and common sense, its almost the same as in the Netherlands. just treat Russian people with respect, come at them with a reserved attitude, don't be Rude, or openly present, speak in a calmly manner, and most important is being honest. if you do that, you'll be fine, and you will have a great time in Russia :)
Thanks!
If you live in the U.K. then getting a visa for Russian is easier than taking candy from a baby. I applied for mine on Monday 14th February and I had it delivered to my house 4 days later. I’m going to Russia on April 16th.
I don’t think your comment has aged well.
@@wildsurfer12 : Yeeaaahhh
@@louisronan5903 did you visit Russia yet?
@@chriscox1535 : Yeah without any problems. I’m going again in a week (4th feb to 19th of feb).
*laughs in non visa required language*
Laughs in Spanish from Costa Rica....jajajaja
*laughs in... wait*
Laughs in Cantonese...哈哈
Laugh in Malay
Whats he mean by not having a visa?
I always wanted to visit Russia, and it was my first trip outside of North America. I was BLOWN away by St. Petersburg, I loved Moscow! I also visited Kazan, and lived in Voronezh. It's such a neat experience not a lot of people get to experience.
Next time be sure to visit Sochi in Russia!🙂🏖
My first visit was Chechnya and Dagestan was so good and beautiful
Thank you so much for videos! It is a great pleasure to watch them. You are always right . You mention so many important details what can really help tourists ! Great job!
actually, you can use card almost everywhere, I live in small town near river Volga in the central part of European Russia and here you can pay by card almost everywhere
All sound advice! I went to Russia by myself in December. I found teaching myself to read the Cyrillic script before travelling to Russia made a huge difference. I was always able to read signs, menus, etc. Also, Yandex is your best friend. It's a map/taxi app (available in Englishski!) which got me all around Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Ekaterinburg. It works similar to Uber -- gives you the details on the car & driver and the exact fare -- but I always paid the driver directly. As a woman travelling alone it was reassuring to see the app tracking our exact location for the whole trip.
You're so right about the churches. Prepare to be in awe.
Thanks for the advice. I hope many will take it!
+evakatrina a thank you.
Yandex taxi and Uber are merging. www.bbc.com/news/business-40599501
I've been to Russia twice (actually I'm still here and have been here for 2 months already) and I definitely think you should know the Cyrillic alphabet because a lot of words are just Rusified English words and you can decipher a lot just by being able to read a word. As for visas, I'm an American and I need one but it takes time. I usually apply for visas 3 months before I come here. I apply for the private visa and I can stay 3 months but I think the hardest think here is the registering part. You need to have your passport translated and notarized before even registering. I think the customer service compared to the US is certainly different but I don't regret coming to Russia:))
Sigh Berian Yes, I saw that recently twitter.com/evakatrina/status/885452995453911041 I'm disappointed because Yandex is/was so brilliant, plus it hits the licenced taxis even harder.. but alas, progress..
Oh also visitors need to have a formal invitation. Rail lines, tour companies, and some hotels can issue the invitations. You need it to send with your visa application.
Forget the politics, Russia is a beautiful country with many great people! Greetings from Lithuania!
I agree. And greetings back to you my friend Lietuvoje :)
Beautiful country but you cant forget the politics.
Perkūnas it is easy to say such things when you do not live in this country
Правильно. Люди везде одинаковые. Политика нужна не для обычных людей.
I know, right? Such spirited people. 😄
Hopefully after Ukraine they'll annex Lithuania!
All the best.
Don't be afraid to ask for help from young people/teens, they usually speak English waaay better. Also if you're planning to go by metro and by ground transport a lot and you're in Moscow (I live there and can only speak about this city), buy a card that's called "troika" on the station (you can buy the card for less then a dollar and then put money to the account) it's cheaper than usual tickets. you can put money on from your credit card or just cash in special terminals or workers in the booth will do it for you (I highly recommend to ask locals for help). you can return it back if you want. also many stations are beautiful and there are some awesome themed trains (with information about cartoons, amur tigers, paintings etc)
Thanks for the advice! Would you recommend renting airbnb instead of staying in a hotel?
to put empty bottles on the floor - is the rule only for alcohole bottles AND only in friends company.
My top tip if you like souvenirs. NEVER buy them in the Kremlin/red square region. It is a ripoff. There is a traditional market named Ismailovskyi, and there you will find the same souvenirs for really good prices. Not to mention that it is also a flea market, which means you will find lots of unusual stuff for a good price. At the market, always haggle over the price. They love that. I've been living in Russia for a year and whenever I go back to Brazil, I spend no more than 1500 rubles in souvenirs for the WHOLE family, while 1500 rubles is the price of one Russian doll in the kremlin region. Enjoy!!!!
One tip - it is really worth learning at least the upper-case Cyrillic letters, and the letters that sound different (C,H,P etc.) - if you can read something and figure out how it sounds, it's surprising how often you can get at least some idea of the meaning.
Its really straight forward too. Cyrillic was designed for Slavic languages.
What you actually meant to say was: Learn the print alphabet. The handwritten alphabet looks really different.E. g. a small 'т' looks like 'm' and the 'д' (d) suddenly looks like 'g'. It's not really about upper-case or lower-case. Within the print alphabet most lower-case characters look like a smaller version of the upper-case characters anyway Тт Вв Уу Кк Йй Аа Оо etc.
Wow, didn't expect you to be here
Destro ш is sh. Щ is sch.
Ethan DaChef25 Yes, but are they pronounced differently? I can't tell the difference when I hear them spoken.
I love your videos, this is one of the best I've seen!
You don’t visit Russia, Russia visits you!
It's so surprising how positive and uninfluenced by mass media your review is. Привет из Рязани!
Pavel Volodkov
I love your name
I'm amazed just how similar this sounds to when I visited the Soviet Union back in 1973 when it was a communist country. And back then, the people were fantastic, so warm and friendly, not at all what we had been told.
no matter what kind of politics a nation has, the people will not drastically change to match the times. i am sure russian people have been warm and friendly forever
R L in Russia it doesn't matter if your American,black, Asian. If your nice we're nice👌 just don't say curse words in Russian because curse words are takin seriously in the Russian language.
that sounds about right! i know better than to curse around certain people in my family, so avoiding some words in a foreign language would probably be do-able
really hope i can visit someday!
R L and when you do I really hope you enjoy your time there
Crosshead1 I'm from Moscow :-)
The thing is that soviets been told that Western's are bad as fuck and soviets couldn't travel around the world and especially to West, it had been forbidden.
So if u had a chance to see smth with ur eyes, the soviets didn't and they kept on hating West. The older generations of Russians still do and Putin effectively uses it to save his absolutely corrupted power by making Russians hate West through shitty propaganda.
Такие дела, братан :-(
This was super helpful! Thanks for all these amazing tips.
I appreciate all of the advice that you give in your videos.
You keep looking off camera like there are two guys pointing AKs at you and forcing you to make this video.
ikr
Ikr. The vibe is off with this video
To the wailers:
THIS IS A TRAVELING CHANNEL AND NOT A POLITICAL PLATFORM.
So get lost and share your statements where you can't bother travelers!
PC culture in the West is not favoured by majority, hence Brixit ,and Trump. Putin and Stalin are saints then according to you, even while oppressing ( murdering ) their own people let alone their neighbours ! FUCK off russians, are scared of their leaders , is this how you live?
@MIN SLAVA Stop smoking because you clearly see imaginary things.
give me the numbers ! where exactly, "tens of millions" easy to write down then. Lets have them, where and when
JoshPageLP you have enraged the Americans, they now bring their irrelevant opinions even more than bedore.
and 75 million preborn children butchered in our abortion mills in the U.S. And that's just since 1973.
I miss Russia so bad! I loved it, I'm Mexican and I've loved Russia since the movie Anastasia came out, I became (I guess you can say obsessed) I did not find it expensive for me coming from the U.S. the visa and hotel yes but I've seen tickets as cheap as $717 round trip for like 10-14 days. I found it cheaper than Mexico for the most part. I felt like I was home there.
your videos are so cool and informative, especially the happy tone of your voice really makes your videos nice to watch
just came back from Moscow. the most unique and huge city on earth. it was great. these advice the video gives kind of make sense btw. but my final take is that Moscow and Russian people are great
В Москве живут не только русские .
@@user-kd1qn4ox6g в английском языке слова русский и россиянин звучат одинаково - russian. Так что говоря russians, иностранцы имеют в виду, как правило, всех жителей России, то есть россиян.
NEVER talk about politics, doesnt matter which country you are, you are a guest and no local needs/wants to know how you think about their politicians/politics
Seahorn
I do.
Tell me what you think about German / Bavarian politics when you come to Munich. I'm glad for an outsider's perspective.
Why should ones concern end at the border?
Cowards like you are what's wrong with the world.
What ever you think, I dont care. If you are on holiday in a country you are a guest. And you should behave as one. If you think that a local resident of a country, ANY country, is interrested in your point of view of their politics I can tell you that most of them are NOT. Dont be suprised if the locals tell you to bugger off, or worse
Do yourself a favor go to for instance England, go to a pub, and go tell how stupid they are with their Brexit,. Go to the USA and start a discussion about Trump or Clinton. Not to mention countries like Turkey (subject Erdogan), Russia (subject Putin). If you dont have the intelligence that talking about politics can be very sensitive (even in western countries!) sooner or later you will have some very nasty surprises. Cowardice has nothing to do with it, common sense does....... edit: and politness
in russia it's fine, so long as your conversation partner understands media.
Taxtro wow you have issues
Exactly what I thought too.
Thank you for your wonderful video, really informative about the important things! 👍
Thanks Mark. Helpful as always.
Hi! I work in the one of St.Petersburgs hotels. Thank you so much for reminding about registration and migration cards. Some foreigners think its just a paper and throw it to garbage. Pleeease, guys, never do this mistake
What happens if it's lost?
@@Mikehawk323 You should make a new one it in the Federal migration service office.
If you lost it an realized it while going through custom penalty fee may apply. I don't know how much is it. As my Swedish friend told me, no-one ever checked his immigration card except hotel. And perhaps custom officers don't do it much but if they do and you don't have it, it may cost a lot.
Just put it into a safe place :) also you may ask a hotel you check-in to make a copy for you just to feel safer
@@Mikehawk323 also it is always a good practice to have a photocopy of your documents while traveling :)
@@Mikehawk323 Nothing. The system is so automated now that the card is no longer really used but they collected it at passport control exiting Russia and that is it. There used to be a more manual system and those papers were important so not having it could result in a 1000 ruble fine, about $13 but they do nothing for the last 3 years or so. The registration is not even essential anymore, but hotels automatically register on their computer connection to Federal Migration Service, and if not going to a hotel but staying with a friend, the friend can register your stay at any post office. Registration was a carry over from the Soviet era when they wanted to know where every foreign was staying but it has outlived its usefulness and wil be phased out soon. If one does not register, now it is not a big deal The change of attitude has been gradual but the mass incoming without visas for the 2018 World Cup and the utter lack of problems and great response from the first time visitors the officials see that none of these is really needed. As a result the number of countries with visa waivers has increased a lot and a new eVISA program begun after a couple years of testing it in the far east of Russia and St Petersburg 1 year, they decided it worked well enough to offer electronic web applications for visa within 4 days of arrival for another 53 countries so all together citizens of 97 countries have visa waivers or the new eVISA where you fine on-line and within 24 hours you can download a PDF visa to use at your entry point. US and UK citizens do nor qualify for either but US citizens get a very good 3 year multiple entry visa that no one else gets and allows long stays. In most cases visa policies are determined by what hassles Russians go through to get visas to those countries and UK and US make it hard but the US does issue a long visa which is good. The UK is generally hostile to Russians applying so Russia requires more documents than citizens of other countries.
There are also the short-term visa-free entry for cruise ship passengers and for ferry passengers arriving in St Petersburg from Baltic Sea ports for 3 days of visa-free entry. Technically one needs to buy a tour from a registered tour operator authorized to invite and host foreign visitors. One of my companies does that, provide intensive 2-3 day tours visa free that is an overall excellent experience of St Petersburg and southern palace estates for cruise ship passengers. In the summer about thousands of cruise passengers disembark. The Passenger Port is fairly new and can accommodate 9 large ships arriving at one, for up to 20,000 plus 5000 crew with port leave per day. The Neva River ports are right in the city center walking distance to the Hermitage/Winter Palace, for smaller cruise ships, up to about 1500 passengers per ship.
Most visitors arrive in Moscow or St Petersburg but after the great success of the 2018 World Cup fans got to see some other region capitals, 12 cities hosted games in 13 stadiums, the world seems to have discovered great cities that are relaxed and beautiful like Kazan and Volgograd so visitors are getting more adventurous to explore other regions. Also Crimea is a wonderful destination.
@@FlyingBrick2000 Photocopies are not substitutes for originals but a photocopy of your passport really speeds up replacement by your country's consulate. Losing a passport is a problem and requires the tourist to leave the country after they receive a travel document from their consulate. Most consulates can supply a replacement new passport in a few days to 2 weeks but they can also issue a travel document that allows the person to leave the same day. UK consulate in St Petersburg shut down and one has to travel to Moscow which is a real pain and expense to hire a private car to drive to Moscow since train and plane require a passport to use.
Document numbers and visa copies should be photocopied so you have the correct document numbers for any agency one needs to deal with. Line a photo copy of one's drivers license does not allow one to drive but it has the correct info on it to allow the motor vehicle department to look up your record and create a new license. The same with all your entry, visa, entry stamp page of the passport and visa should all be copied and stored in a safe place. Also copy any tickets and reservations because it helps people find your records.
I went to Russia (moscow, SP and Kazan) last may
a) it wasn't that expensive. we stayed in an Air BNB rented Flat which was about $32 a night. pretty cheap. the food wasnt really expensive. Public transportation (Metro & Bus) is cheap. Uber is also Cheap. It was more expensive in Tokyo or Seoul
b) didn't experience any of the pickpocketing and bullying
Spasiba!
D DIESEL Air BNB is really shameful. Especially in cities where housing prices are high.
Belarus-chan that"s crap. it depends on what city you stayed and with what people. I have booked air BNB during our vacations in Tokyo, Seoul, Moscow and St Petersberg. The price was much cheaper than hotels, the place we booked was clean and had everything, the location of the place was very convinient, the neighborhoods were very pleasant and all our hosts were kind and helpfull. Put more hours into your research before booking a place to avoid unpleasant experiences. Air BNB has been a God send to Travellers like me
Nu poka lesli pontavilas
D DIESEL May I ask how long it took for your visa to arrive??
i applied for the visa directly with the consulate. after i completed my requirements; i was told to come back for the visas in 2 weeks
Thanks for having this video. I’m from the Netherlands and this video was in my final exam !
Thank you for making this wonderful video about Russia! I'm half Russian so its nice when someone makes a positive video like that about this country. As a native Estonian though, may I please recommend that if you can, please visit Estonia as well? I can recommend loads of awesome places in Tallinn and in the countryside of this country too. Would be happy to answer questions or provide suggestions. Thanks so much for a great travel channel!! All the best!
Make sure you learn the russian alphabet at the very least. It's fairly simple and I learned it in like 2 days.
It's also a lot more straightforward than you'd realize, given that each letter has one sound (thanks a lot English for having so many different ways you can use letters, like fish can be represented by ghoti strictly speaking), and the letters also are drawn in a way that the Latin script is as well, using clear angles and not curvy like Arabic or Hebrew.
+Yoshi_IX I agree, it is quite simple and actually enjoyable to learn, here is a link to a video I used to learn it for those interested : ua-cam.com/video/vIi05c5lbbk/v-deo.html
Same. I learned it from internet. I thought it would be hard, but when you see it everyday you can read it a little.
As used to say my mother, she visited the Soviet Union in 1973, and she said there were PECTOPAH everywhere : and then she learned that PECTOPAH just means restaurant… :-)
@@Trou-du-cul-bird the same thing happened to me with BAP.
Make sure of the policies regarding any of your prescribed medications. Russia has an opiate crisis, and travelers on MMT cannot bring in their medication, even with a doctor's note. (The majority of other countries DO allow exceptions for travelers with doctors' notes, even if those countries don't have opioid replacement programs in place.) This affects a minority of people, but is a good thing to bring up nonetheless. Check Russia's policies on prescribed controlled medications.
You really deserve a lot more subscribers. Very professional and well informed channel
I am living here in Russia since September and all I can say is the people here are amazing they are friendly, kind, and polite, and there are a lot of places here that are beutiful
Most Russians support Putin and the genocide in Ukraine, unfortunately.
I was in Russia (Moscow and Saint Petersburg) for two weeks in May last year and really enjoyed my visit. It's something I would do again. Your don'ts were correct but I have to disagree that Russia is expensive. On the whole, I found it reasonably priced (maybe because last year the ruble was lower in value). You are right about pick pockets because I was pick pocketed in SP on the last day (actually I was going back to my hotel to get some rest before catching my flight home). Sometimes, I do things right and kept my credit cards in a separate location (in a money belt) and they didn't get my passport. But incident hasn't put me off Russia - you can get pick pocketed anywhere . A reminder to be more careful when I am traveling.
Thanks for this video Mark! I'm American and my fiancé is Russian. Russia has so many beautiful places to visit that not many Americans are aware of. Moscow and St. Petersburg should be major tourist destinations for travelers wanting to see stunning architecture, world class ballet, centuries old art, and the home of some of the most renowned musicians and writers whose works people around the world love (Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Pushkin, Tolstoy, etc)
How can you marry the enemy?!
Thank You For This Piece Of Info Man Cool.
Truly liked this.
As a Russian, it’s such a pleasure to see and hear such wonderful feedback. Thank you :)
I was in Kaliningrad in June. The cops were overly friendly and wanted to take pictures and such. I had the fortune of having a private guide. I never stayed in a hotel. My guide would get on the phone and talk for about half an hour. We would then stop at a grocery store and buy groceries and something like a tea maker or some other household item. We then went to a hosts house and make dinner and that's where I would spend the night. (This was mostly in the rural part of of the Oblast.) Despite my fears, the people were really nice. They tried to teach me songs and words and whatnot. On the flip side, I have been stationed in Germany twice during my 20 year military career. I speak passable Low German taught to me by my Opa. Quite a few people were pretty rude and you definetley don't mess with the cops. They all seem to be in a bad mood. Even when I would speak German there were some that would tell me just to speak English as my syntax and vocabulary were apparently annoying.
Thank you for wonderful video! It is really interesting and useful! Plus motivate to travel! Cannot wait when all of us start travel again!
I just got back from visiting St.Petersburg. I was surprised how inexpensive it was. But... we did not have to get a visa, we rented an apartment through airbnb, and mostly went to cafes and cheap student eateries. I had a full course meal with a beer for around $5 at one of the self-serve student hangouts (clean with a lot of choices), my ticket to Capella concert with beautiful classical music was around $5, and I could get some stuffed small pies for about .30 cents each from the street vendors. Coffee costs about the same as in US, though. The metro ride is .50 cents, and metro can take you virtually anywhere. It is also worth seeing by itself (go during off-peak hours, and stop and walk around the stations). Can not beat this for .50 cents. The entire downtown is very walkable, you can get pretty much to any important attraction in about 30 min by foot from Nevsky Gostiny dvor if you know your way. There were a lot to do in St.Petersburg, and many things were free - like fireworks over Neva river (gorgeous), or a classical music concert in Palace square.
Don't forget to visit the subway stations (museum for the people).
Good advice BUT. Avoid going to the subway (in Moscow) 8 to 9-30 and 17-30 to 19. It's too overcrowded.
Russian Movies With English Subtitles, not every line and station.
Museums are also museums for people you know
Yes. Not only in Moscow. In SPb and Kazan subway looks very good and interesting too
Yeah-yeah, not only if you're in smaller cities (where I live, for instance). Okay, sure, you can use subway stations to get somewhere but it is so ordinary, not like a museum.
I think most rules that apply to travelers to every country apply to Russia as well. I think the language is the key to really arrive in Russia though. Except for hotel personnel most people speak only a tiny bit or no English, so you should know at least a bit Russian to get along. I personally experience Saint Petersburg as a very clean and orderly city. There were barely any disputes or arguments on the streets and the entire atmosphere was very calm and friendly. The only exception was the traffic, because Russians have a bit of a different approach to traffic regulations than we in Germany do. I can only recommend to visit the city, it is definetly worth it. And BTW most of the people there are gorgeous, I did not trust my eyes at first.
wolters world you blog is amazing. Thanks from Milanooo
liked , and subbed!! ma man you're cool , very informative,fun to listen to, and most of all EDUCATIONAL!!
I went to Russia two years ago and had a wonderful time. Went in June which was nice both weatherwise and for the long daylight. Since I went on an EU passport so the visa process wasn't that bad, but it is a more onerous process if you're US. Also be sure to learn as much Russian as you can if you're traveling alone or without any Russian speakers because I found the language barrier, even in Moscow & St. Pete to be bigger than I anticipated. It's definitely not like going to Germany or France where almost anybody (even if they're reluctant to) speaks English. Also PS, best time to go to St. Petersburg is in June for the White Nights!
I have really enjoyed my trips to Russia. I got my Visa through a web site and it took only 2 weeks. Total I have spent over a month there. Moscow is now my favorite city. Never had any problems.. I spend all my vacations there now...
Saint Petersburg is better though, come on
thank u for your videos...they are so informative
*I really like the beginning! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR IT!*
Please, don`t prejudge Russia, it`s a wonderful country with beautiful nature and friendly kind people! Even though they don`t smile at you they are glad to see you and are always ready to help!
2019 update: now you can pay by a card even in a small city. Russian people are getting more and more used to using cards and sometimes don`t have cash at all.
Well, I think you should keep using cash. Once you get used to cards, you always end up spending much more. Cards are your nr 1 enemy if you want to save some money ;)
Why we take off empty bottles of the table:
1) They cramble you the space. So if you have a big table at a house party and there are 5 empty bottles, there is a huge waste of open space for food and drinks. Also you cannot see other people on the table as well because of the bottles.
2) If it's a wine or a beer bottle you can't really tell if it's empty or full, you rich out to take the wine you like and turns out it's empty - that sucks. so you always take empty bottles of the table (we ether trow it away or put it under the chair).
Hope that explains it
Alex V to Yes, keeping empty wine bottles under your chair really shows your class. Indeed, you explained quite a bit, he he.
Ахахаха 😂 Я думаю иностранцы понимают почему русские убирают пустые бутылки со стола. Но я думаю они не очень понимают зачем держать их на полу, а не выбросить в мусорку или хотябы можно унести на кухню
Yes, in Russia we put it to wastebasket, but why its so strange to put garbage ( emrty bottles) to basket?))) - sorry for my English, i dont use translator guyz)
It is mainly a superstition. You can leave an empty pack of juice on the table, but leaving a bottle is not tolerated.
Actually, it's a consequence of Napoleonic war. When russian army came to Paris, waitress at bars would count the check at the end by the bottles that were on the table. So russians eventually started to hide bottles under the table. =:)
I'm from Boston and I will be going to Russia with my soccer coach brother for the world cup. I think it will be a great trip and I look forward to visiting museums and especially World War 2 related museums/sites. I will make sure to respect the local culture and expect to meet many good Russian people.
And you will be totally accepted even if you are gay. Very tolerant, inclusive and secular country (I am TOTALLY not getting paid to write this comment). /s
I thought the Russian fake rape story was about Berlin.
I don't know how I can explain it to you, but there are two types of Russia here. One of them is good beautiful place, created for showing to foreigners. And another, that they will never show you. But there live most of Russians. And don't forget that WW2 - named here great blighty war and it started here in 22.06.1941 and ended 9.05.1945
I hope you'll enjoy the visit! If you get a chance, visit the Kubinka Tank Museum -- its about 30 miles west of Moscow, but its one of the biggest and would totally worth a trip.
Vasya, what the hell are you talking about?
Why do you write scary tales to people?
Great video and many thanks! :)
Just. don't.
"Russia is expensive" Yeah right.. Try the Netherlands!
Hidde Wijgman oh my fucking god your so right 😥
Yes
Netherlands are expensive? Try switzerland
@@luciusveratius9991 and Italy
@@olivialee854 italy is cheap
Russia's always fascinated me and either Russia or Spain would be my first European destination. Or Italy. I'm Catholic, so a lot of my travel is religious, but Russia has been a personal obsession since I was a child.
Nathan Nguyen my advice, go to Italy. Or Spain, not Russia. But I've been in all these countries and Italy is most beautiful
Italy>France>Czech Republic>Turkey>Britain>Russia>Austria>Germany>Netherlands>Sweden>Spain
In that order. Everything else is optional
Commentator541 Is Turkey in Europe now?
Is Russia in Europe now
pawelpap9 The Hagia Sophia is located on the European side of Turkey so yes
Thanks for a great, honest advice about visiting Russia!
Thanks, everything mentioned is so correct and it is so precisely said as one of the first things: don't be prejudiced, good job. Before this video I've already fell in love with your style of narration upon other travelling issue, around UK, USA, Europe, but since Russia is my native country and said everything up to the point now like your videos even more
Been subscribed to you for years now and tis the moment I've been waiting for the most... your Russia video :D Thank you!
Surely not messing with the police is common sense?
In most Western Europe is no problem to mess with police as long you just "off the boat" ;)
Many thanks for this video
Thank you for this vid!
👋🏼
Don't ever say in public anything that you hear from russians in online games. Pretty much all of it is offensive, some not even legal.
that seems to be all nationalities when playing online gaming. That's how you learn the bad words these days :)
Russia intrigues and fascinates me, I'd love to go there one day. They have an amazing military vehicle museum that I'm desperate to see! Amongst other things of course!
You also can look every year's military live expo with new examples of russian weapons too.
Once i even touched Su-57 myself.
Looks great.
Very useful, thank you!
Unfortunately, due to the current situation I dont think i'll be visiting Russia anytime soon :(
PD: Your cards won't work there for the moment
Thank you so much for this video! I will be traveling through Russia for a month in October. i'm really looking forward to my trip there. Already studying Cyrillic and learning some important phrases ^^
PatMax Adventures
This is a very important one CYKA BLYAT
So basicaly, follow all the basic rules of international travel that apply to everywhere. Awesome! You forgot to tell us to look both ways before crossing the street.
Most of it is indeed common sense. As a native New Yorker, I was constantly on my guard in the streets of Montego Bay and in the subways and plazas in European cities. Never been pickpocketed or gotten in an altercation. Always had a purposeful stride and avoided sketchy areas. Unfortunately, a lot of people are too preoccupied taking selfies or checking in with social media. They assume the US dollar, or credit cards, are accepted anywhere. They act too conspicuous, and they assume that any mix-up with their paperwork or connecting flight can be fixed immediately. It's not always their fault; they may have had limited experience with travel, or they were young enough that their parents took care of the details, or they lived in small towns and have trusting natures. But it's always good to research before traveling. Knowing about the countries' local customs made me feel better about what to expect.
Left first
Moscow is much more safer than western cities nowadays. Minsk is to be said very clean and safe.
To look both ways when crossing a one-way street, especially.
I was there last year in Russia, during the World Cup. It was beautiful, nice hotels, food, and lots of places visit. The country was totally different though when they lost against Croatia, guess that just shows you how proud they are of being Russian.
I totally loved Russia. Pricey visa for sure. I was so afraid I’d lose that paper to exit. St Petersburg was impressive. Took a a five hour train ride to Moscow. The kremlin tour was fantastic and Moscow underground is not to be missed. Gorgeous women too. Highly recommended taking an organized tour. In short, memorable. Top of your bucket list should be Russia
As someone who stayed more than a month travelling on the Trans-Siberian railroad, i can tell you that they are very friendly and try to understand what you are saying, even if they don't speak english. The waiters are very kind and no, you don't put your empty bottles on the floor.
Hey again I discovered your channel from a video about Greece and as I thanked you about it I want to thank you about this as well. Btw I am half Russian from my mother's side! I agree with your advices about visiting Russia and just want to mention that it's a huge country right? so you should expect everything but in General most of the people are warm (maybe they aren't so open like in Greece) but they are definitely warm if you get to meet them little better! Especially Russians (cause there are many nations live among) Christianity make the people believe in love and each other so you will have a great time if you decide explore it some time.
I just watched your finland video from 2013 and wow man you have changed. You look awesome now
Do visit Russia. The people are super nice and it is a beautiful country.
Russia is one of the most beautiful places I've been. Going back for a 4th time this October!
Im to broke
I wish that I would some day get to visit. However, this is about as close I may get.
Your videos are awesome!
Go... you will enjoy it!
Just discovered your channel and I love it. Will you also come to Romania?
I was blessed enough to be able to study in Moscow and St. Petersburg.St. Isaac's Cathedral, which is the one that you see the inside of and a few shots of from the outside had a ton of bullet holes left in it from the Siege of Leningrad.