Travelling in Russia, including customs, lodging, eating out, etc

Planning your first trip to Russia? Your mind must be swelling with questions then.

After all, there always has been a lot of controversy and stereotypes about Russia. The very word Russia summons up quite equivocal (and rather stereotypical) images that tend to baffle, if not scare a foreign person. While with most Western European countries everything is more or less clear, Russia leaves most foreigners completely clueless as to what to expect of it. It is truly hard to find any adequate answers and not to drown in this vast ocean of stereotypes, obsolete facts, and contradictory information that surrounds Russia. Even now that its borders have been open to foreign citizens for over a decade, Russia is still shrouded in mystery. It keeps foreigners wondering… What is Russian life like? Is it safe to be in Russia? Is it difficult to travel to and around it? Is life in Russia expensive? What exactly do I need to bring with me?.. and so on, and so forth. Who can possibly answer such questions about a country better than a native who has been living in it most of their life and knows it inside out? So, let me become your Russian guide to Russian everyday reality to help you form the most realistic impression of what Russia really is like. I would like to begin with something that concerns people most these days – safety issues.

Safety in Russia

One of the most common and least accurate stereotypes about Russia is the one that makes it look like one of the most turbulent places on Earth with the most rampant crime. The recent terrorist attacks in Moscow, regrettably, have only helped to perpetuate the negative stereotype. It is apparent, however, that virtually all of our world, including Europe and the USA have become targets of international terrorism, not just Russia. In this particular sense, one’s personal safety is no longer a matter of geographical location. Rather, it is largely dependent on one’s own behavior.

According to American sources, the crime rate is actually substantially higher in the US than in Russia, although it has increased in Russia since the demise of the Soviet Union. That means that the precautions an individual should take traveling in Russia are identical to the ones recommended elsewhere in the world, including the USA. It is understood that people are most vulnerable to crime in a foreign country. In this manner, in Russia foreigners become easy prey for those who do not exactly mean well. Therefore, I suggest you keep in mind that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and follow some simple, yet arbitrary rules on a day-to-day basis. First of all, avoid flaunting valuables or large sums of cash and flashing your wallet. Secondly, you are strongly advised against walking alone at night or through deserted and secluded places at daytime. Third, be careful striking up acquaintances with strangers. Try to not too attract too much attention to yourself either, especially in crowded public places (unless you want to be eased of your wallet or even worse).

Do not be paranoid, though. Just be wary. Be friendly and open-minded, but do not forget to use your common sense. Hospitability is, beyond all doubt, a Russian national trait, but remember that there are black sheep in every family. So, watch your step as you go and you will be safe and sound.

You might also want to memorize the Russian police and Medical Emergency phone numbers – 02 and 03 respectively. You can dial them toll-free from any public phone. Just in case. Hope you will never have to dial them, though.

Anna Chapman, the young Russian woman at the centre of "deep cover" spy ring allegations has been romantically involved with a rich businessman more than twice her age, it has been claimed.

By Tom Leonard in New York 7:51PM BST 01 Jul 2010

Miss Chapman, 28, told friends she had been seeing Michael Bittan, 60, a New Jersey millionaire, after they met more than a year ago in a Manhattan nightclub popular with Russians.

"He was older but he clearly loves surrounding himself with beautiful women, mostly Russian, and since the spring Anna was in his inner circle," a member of the same party set told the New York Daily News.

Miss Chapman, who moved to New York in February after living for in London for four years, could be jailed for five years if convicted of conspiracy to act as the agent of a foreign government.

Described by a prosecutor as a "practised deceiver", she has already been denied bail as a potential flight risk.

It is known to all that sport is healthy, but when we do not do sports ourselves and run to the television screens during the Olympics, this is not only excitement we follow. Sport is cute and the girls performing crazy things when the whole world is watching them are very hot!

By the way, the American portal the Bleacher report revealed 25 hottest girls who arrived to the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

They came there to conquer medals, but it does not matter whether they receive them or not they have conquered already men's hearts! Russian women also entered the list.

All admitted that Russian curler Liudmilla Privivkova is a very hot girl. Her appearance attracted many men during the Olympic Winter Games in Turin but since that time she has become even more beautiful.

One more lady who entered the list is a skater Ekaterina Lobysheva and another girl with Slavic roots Aliona Savchenko presents Germany in Vancouver. Slavonic routes are impossible to hide.

We all know how great it feels to find the mate of your dreams and sharing your life and all its special moments with someone special that we can’t wait to share our good news and our good "fortune" with others.

In fact, we can't wait for all our friends to share in the same happiness we've found and frequently can't help playing the "Good Samaritan" or should I say Cupid.

But playing matchmaker for someone or someones you care about can be a risky challenge, especially if things don't work out (as planned).

It's been months since your breakup but you're still stuck in bed grieving over your lost love. You couldn't eat (or stop eating), sleep or work because he's all you could ever think of. You keep repeating your heartbreak mantra, "Why did he leave me...what did I do?" as you succumb to a series of hysterical crying fits. You’re officially a victim of a broken heart.

So how do you smart from a brush-off? Here are some tips to help you survive heartbreak hell.

What began centuries ago in China as a way of interpreting the natural world to create more efficient agricultural systems and even study astronomy to understand the passage of time is an age old institution named Feng Shui. Through the ages feng shui (pronounced Fung Shway) has evolved due to superstition and folklore into a belief system with five distinct components: Wealth, Health, Fame, Career and Love. By understand the basics, we can control these areas of our lives by choosing meaningful symbols and images which are related to these areas and placing these objects in very specific areas of the house. The key principal here is that everything is connected energetically which means that your thoughts, feelings and behavior are influenced by your surroundings. Feng Shui masters have got this down to an art form. There are so many details and specifics of feng shui that I would highly recommend getting a book on it for your own knowledge and because it is so fascinating. What is interesting enough is that I found it to be very similar to the Wicca beliefs that are practiced in the west. There are many people who swear by the benefits of Feng Shui in the home.

I was reading a comment about American Women that really brought out a much bigger picture that I wanted to share with you. Most American women to me are far uglier inside than they ever could be on the outside. I have met a few that certainly were not lookers in the classical sense,...

During the Christmas and New Year in Russia, you can always see pictures of Santa Claus (or "Santa Claus" as it is called here), accompanied by a beautiful "Snow Maiden", which is supposed to be his granddaughter.

Maiden is depicted as a beautiful girl with long blond hair who enjoys the snow flakes that fall around her.

Well, it's always interesting to see how closely a fact can follow fiction.

And in the case of our beautiful Helena below, I think you can understand why ..

Now I admit the following article can be a little biased, because it came from the English edition of the newspaper Moscow Times ..

But hey ..

I do not think I could have done better to write such an article was inspired by our favorite women in Russia itself.

But in ANYCASE ..

I can certainly relate to this guy.

Patriarch Cyril piviotal religious figure in Russia, because it is one of the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church.

His words carry great weight, and I believe he is trying to approve a further important role that Russian women play in maintaining social and cultural life of this country without any changes.

I have been to different villages in Russian as he is, and I can also check the strength and resilience of these women in maintaining their households and communities together, despite the often overwhelming struggle and hardship.

I am very glad that he made the following statements and brought more attention to these everyday heroines.