Romp around Russia

[RB]

@kileskus I found your posts an excellent summary of what must have been a great trip. Plenty of tips & thoughts

 

[RooFlyer]

Regarding the supplied cities and accommodation, in my experience it really doesn't matter. I listed three cities in the visa and invitation letter. In my trip I didn't end up staying at any of the hotels I'd mentioned, and went to a lot more places (including North Ossetia, a vast majority of which had until Nov 2018 been closed to foreigners), and had no issues upon exiting.

This is an important bit. The visa application says specifically to list your accommodations for the entire visit. This is the type of thing that causes concern amongst applicants and why AFF is such a good, practical, resource.

There is or was a 'rule' that said each hotel you stay at has to initial or endorse your visa page. They simply don't (not since i have been visiting), and no-one cares. The wording sometimes can trip you up, if you delve too deep. The visa form calls for a letter of invitation with a “Референс №” (“Reference number” - identifying the invitation-issuer ... they have to be registered). My hotel at least give me a letter with a “Реестровый No.”, (“Registry number”). Sorted with an e-mail.

You should first stay at the hotel that issues you the letter of invitation, so they can register you, but after that, I'd be comfortable staying anywhere. Even on my recent trip to Lake Baikal, I spent 3 out of 7 nights in a 'non visa application' place.

I hope @kileskus doesn't mind this diversion ... but Russian visas are worth talking about

 

[kileskus]

There is or was a 'rule' that said each hotel you stay at has to initial or endorse your visa page. They simply don't (not since i have been visiting), and no-one cares. The wording sometimes can trip you up, if you delve too deep. The visa form calls for a letter of invitation with a “Референс №” (“Reference number” - identifying the invitation-issuer ... they have to be registered). My hotel at least give me a letter with a “Реестровый No.”, (“Registry number”). Sorted with an e-mail.

You should first stay at the hotel that issues you the letter of invitation, so they can register you, but after that, I'd be comfortable staying anywhere. Even on my recent trip to Lake Baikal, I spent 3 out of 7 nights in a 'non visa application' place.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the migration card isn't stamped anymore. Instead your host/hotel receives a stamped copy of the notification they submit to the ministry and they are supposed to give that to you. I would recommend asking for that if you haven't received it from your first host/hotel after two days.

 

[EestiTiger]

I have been to Russia a couple of times and it is an amazing place. I want to spend more time there. I have loved reading of other AFF's Russian travels.

We do love our photos in trip reports! Would it be rude to ask if you could maybe upload a few? I am particularly interested in Vladivostok

 

[kileskus]

I have been to Russia a couple of times and it is an amazing place. I want to spend more time there. I have loved reading of other AFF's Russian travels.

We do love our photos in trip reports! Would it be rude to ask if you could maybe upload a few? I am particularly interested in Vladivostok

It certainly is! Very underrated destination, imo, given its size, multi-ethnicity, favourable economy (for Aussies), and the well-developed rail system. It was my first international leisure trip, way to set the expectations for any subsequent trips.

Unfortunately photography is not my forte and the few I took didn't turn out well, but enjoy. Will post in two parts due to 10 photo limit.

Vladivostok
Shipyard near the main square. It's interesting how quickly you can go from populated area to industrial sites.


A beach in the northern part. The blue and white stripes are from the shirts sailors wear and I think this pattern is a bit of a symbol for the city.


Huts like these are found along a stretch of that beach. I'm not sure how old they are or what their original purpose was.


The next three photos are from Eagle's Nest Hill, the highest point in the city. The second is of Golden Horn Bay (named due to its resemblance to a bay in Turkey) and the bridge.




Along Sportivnaya embankment


Pyan-se, a uniquely Vladivostok, Korean-inspired bun. It can be bought at any of the cardboard sidewalk stalls. The spices seemed to me Asian in style and it felt and tasted a bit like Chinese steamed buns.


Kazan
One of the streets in the old Tatar settlement


Echpochmak ('triangle'), a kind of Tatar pie with meat inside

 

[kileskus]

Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg resists photos. A lot of the major landmarks are spread along the canal so it's lovely but frustratingly difficult to capture the full scope in one shot. It was also so cold that I had a constant internal debate going: is this photo-worthy enough that I won't regret taking off my glove to take the pic? (-17 isn't too bad compared to other places, plus I'm originally from Canada, but the wind there. It bloody hurts to expose your hand for even a few seconds.)

The local government building, taken while standing on the frozen canal. It says "Who are we, where are we from, where are we going?" and I think that encapsulates everything about Yekaterinburg: the awareness of its history (Peter the Great ordered it to be founded in his attempt to modernise Russia. At one point it led the world in ferrous production. Also, of course, the place where the last royal family was murdered), the industrialism and modern buildings, the active interest the municipality takes in cultural development, the pride.


The Yeltsin Centre. A very sleek, modern building, glass and LED lights. Inside there's the Yeltsin Museum which, among other things, has the first Russian flag that flew at the Kremlin after Russia left the USSR.

Miscellaneous

The medieval fortress in Vyborg and the frozen harbour


Novgorod's kremlin. Kids toboggan down it


The wintry landscape from the window of an old train on a 1800 km journey. Does it get more Russian than this?


The Tsoi wall off Arbat Street. In that little cave at the bottom people leave their cigarette stubs


The galley on my Yekaterinburg -> Moscow Nordwind/Pegas Fly flight where I sat in row 1. Perhaps it's because I'm still relatively unaccustomed to flying, but I found the Sheremetyevo inspection stickers on the trolleys amusing.


A mosque in Vladikavkaz. Unlike the neighbouring republics, North Ossetia does not have an official religion. The majority of the inhabitants are Russian Orthodox or hold traditional Ossetian religious beliefs

 

[ellen10]

Very interesting report and discussions.
I went to the USSR back in 1982 and as soon as we crossed the border you caught feel the "pressure" in everything we did. I was on a tour for 14 days. Once crossing the border we were given a guide who travelled with us and stayed with us the entire trip. Each city we visited we also got another guide our time in that city. Each city we visited we were "required" to visit a cultural display or discussion.

Our travel between cities was monitored and if we didn't arrive at an expected time they came looking for us. Once we were late and our bus was waived down, four policemen carrying machine guns boarded our bus yelling, they demanded our "chauffeur" (bus driver) go with them. Our local Aussie guide said he was the chauffeur and was escorted off the bus at gunpoint and we were told to go on. Long story short he rejoined our group 4 hours later had had his passport taken and had to appear in court the next morning paid the cash penalty(bribe) in US dollars and was given back his passport back.

There are so many stories to this trip that has made me reluctant to visit again, I was very young at the time. No one wanted to accept our Russian money everyone wanted foreign currency. Our passports were never stamped, we had a paper visa that was stamped on arrival and taken from us on departure. No record of us ever visiting the USSR. I'm not sure if it is still the same now.

 

[RooFlyer]

There are so many stories to this trip that has made me reluctant to visit again, I was very young at the time. No one wanted to accept our Russian money everyone wanted foreign currency. Our passports were never stamped, we had a paper visa that was stamped on arrival and taken from us on departure. No record of us ever visiting the USSR. I'm not sure if it is still the same now.

Very different now, in every respect.

Do visit again ...

 

[Jenya]

Wow! amazing trip, for newbie traveler especially!
Being russian myself, I can say that visiting Vladikavkaz is quite unusual move even for locals, not a tourist destination at all, so I glad you choose to go that way. Unfortunately not many people does this.
Last year I met lots and lost of aussies in Russia 2018 World Cup host cities supporting Socceroos, and I always give them advise not to focus on Moscow and SpB and travel to unusual destinations, use trains rather then flying. A very few did, and they were happy and never had problems.
Regarding visa mourning here, I would say that's just a reciprocate to how hard is to get Aussie visa for russians.
Btw Vladivostok is now free port with visa free entry, but unfortunately Australia is not listed among entitled countries.

And a heads up - EURO2020 is coming next year with at least 4 matches to be hosted in St Petersburg - so there may be visa free entry again like it was during WC2018 for all ticket holders + free trains between cities.
It was so successful that russian authorities decided to extend visa free entry for all WC2018 visitors for the rest of the year.
Could be the case with Euro2020 too... Ticket sales will start soon

Matches at Saint Petersburg Stadium:
13 June, time tbc – Group B match
17 June, time tbc – Group B match
22 June, time tbc – Group B match
03 July, 18:00CET – Quarter-final