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FAQ

Q: Is it dangerous to come to Russia?
A: Russia a safe place, if you know where to stay and practice usual safety. Guns are illegal (without special permission), there are no gangs shootings on the streets. The Mafia’s minding it's own business and everybody's got their own things to do rather than trying to harass you. The Mafiosi spend all their time making business, the gangs spend all their time dealing with each other, so you certainly will not experience any of that. In the news they say much about the Mafia and criminals. That's because it's media and they have to make news. It's like a trademark: for Russia - 'vodka', 'Russian winter', 'Russian mafia'. You can only have contact with criminals when you're into something illegal, like buying or selling drugs, or are really looking for trouble. So, do your traveler's things, and you'll be ok’.

Q: ARE RUSSIANS RACISTS?
A: Russians are not racists. Even in the communist time people were raised up on the idea that everybody is equal. Russians are very open, hospitable and generous to foreigners. Just don’t hurt anybody's patriotic feelings.

Q: Is it difficult to travel around Russia, if I speak only English?
A: There are quite many people who speak English. Especially young people and students. Besides, the scripts and signs are often written in English (metro stations, shops, directions etc.). But anyway, the names of the streets are written in Russian only and it's good if you know Russian alphabet and some basic expressions. If you are in small town try to talk to young people; they sometimes speak a little English. Surely, the best way to make your trip successful is to be accompanied by a guide, who is able to show you the sights, and to ease your conversations. We can offer you services of guides, speaking English, German, French, Spanish and Chinese.

Q: Russian winter is very cold, isn’t it?
A: It's not very cold, though sometimes it might be quite freezing. But if you have warm clothes, you'll be ok. Generally, it is about 10 to 15 Celsius below in winter, though sometimes it might go down to 25 degrees below but even that is not very cold as it’s not humid. The truth is that Russian winter is fascinating as there are many things to do. 

Q: Is skiing popular in Russia?
A: Yes, quite popular. In recent years Mountain skiing has become a most popular with Russians. There are many Mountain-Skiing resorts and Skiing Tourist centers, especially in the Urals, which provide all the services for having a good rest and going in for sport. Moreover, their services are of high grade and the skiing season lasts from November to March.

Q: Isn’t it hard to get here? Going to Russia takes too much time and paper work!
A: If you know what is need, there is no problem. You need your passport and an invitation from Russia. It's easy now to get the invitation, and you don't need to book an expensive hotel for the whole period of your stay. The invitations can be made through hotels where you should book one night, or at travel agencies, in this case you are only to pay money, and the price in both cases will be $25-$35 US. The invitation can be sent to you by fax. Visa costs around $50-$60 US (for this price it's ready in 7-14 days), and if you pay more it takes only one day to make a visa.

What’s more, Russia is close to Eastern Europe, so it is not expensive and not too long to get here. A one way ticket for a train from Latvia to Moscow costs $25 US (and it takes 15-16 hours), a one way bus ticket from Estonia to St. Petersburg costs $10 (and it takes 5 hours), a one way train ticket from Poland to St. Petersburg (if you don't go through Belarus, to avoid hassles with transit visa) will be around $50 US.

Q: How do Russian live, and what to do there?
A: Russia is a country of contrasts. Nevertheless, life is quite comfortable here. Russians have incredible sense of humor and hospitality. Russians are optimists and cheerful people. There are great many places to see and things to do. You could go to the major cities or small provincial ones, you could go on a tour through provincial Russian towns or go snowboarding in the southern mountains or you could go to a real Russian village. A huge territory, Historical Cultural sights and unique Forest Reserves, rivers and lakes of exciting beauty made the country one of the beautiful in the world.

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