Lesson 4: Being in Russia, an American Perspective
There are Souvenirs in Russia!
In case you haven’t noticed, despite the opening up of Russia to the West, it still has not become a popular tourist destination. It is not that Russia is still closed to the West, but rather that Russia was not made for tourists. Even if you are not planning to go to Russia, this lesson will interest you in a very real way.
The preparation one needs to make before traveling somewhere is a way of introducing what conditions might be present while in that new place. In many popular tourist cities and countries there are places to go and things made for the convenience of people traveling in the country. The first and last rule in Russia, is that in Russia there are no tourists and therefore few, if any, tourist conveniences.
First of all you need a visa to get into Russia. If you don’t have a visa they will ship you back where you came from. Your visa is very important and without a valid visa you cannot get a hotel room, plane tickets, bus tickets, or change dollars for Rubles. So, one must obtain a visa (now it isn’t hard and there are agencies which can do it for you) and then you must make absolutely certain that you leave Russia before your visa expires. If you somehow end up in Russia without a valid visa (it happened to me once), you will have to beg and pay people to let you out of the country. Most people say the embassy will help, but somehow they cannot. If your visa expires while you are still in the country you must beg your Russian friends to give you a couch to sleep on and a phone to scream at the embassy over. Lastly, if you manage to get someone’s attention and/or sympathy, you will have to pay a nice sum of money for an extention on your visa. I’ve heard that it is a good idea to have photocopies of your passport and visa and to keep them on your body instead of the documents. I don’t actually know if this works, as police and other officials usually like to see the real documents, but you're more likely to have your passport stolen then you are to have any real trouble with the cops.
The next thing you will need before going to Russia is dollars. You cannot buy rubles from the local bank or even a large city bank. There are no rubles to be bought, unless you buy them off of someone who took them out of Russia as souvenirs or forgot to exchange them before leaving. I would not suggest using traveler’s checks as Russia is just not that modern or consistent enough for traveler’s checks to be worth anything more than a headache. Bring cash, bring your ATM card, and bring your credit card. If you plan on bringing your credit card be sure to call the card company before you leave the States to let them know you may be making purchases in Russia. A good credit card company would not approve a purchase made in Russia, unless they have forewarning or you have a history of purchases made in Russia. I was almost stuck without a hotel room one night because I had just switched credit cards and they did not know about my trip plans. I had booked the hotel online, which is possible to do (and if you are not traveling with a group it might be a good idea), but the credit did not go through and I didn’t find out about it until it was too late. Fortunately I had my trusty ATM card and enough money in the bank! It is possible to exchange money unofficially with the Mafia. They usually hang out near hotels or exchange booths and wear suits. You don’t even have to say anything, just hand them the money and they’ll give the rubles at a better exchange rate than the banks or booths will.
You will also want to bring several different types of extra bags for you shopping. A backpack is always a good idea. There is a lot of walking in Russia and tours, drives to places, and almost no places to stop and get what you need when you need it. So, you will want to carry a bottle of water, extra film, a sweater, stomach medication, aspirin, etc… at all times because odds are if you suddenly need it, you won’t be able to find it. When you are going out touring for the day in Russia, you will be out all day and so plan for packing you bag each as if you were going on a day trip. You will also want to put in your backpack a canvas or maybe mesh shopping bag, as you will usually not get any shopping bags when you buy things. Lastly, you may want to pack an extra carry-on in order to bring your souvenirs home in. Do not pack a full extra carry-on, but put an empty carry-on bag in your suitcase. Believe it or not, there are more kinds of souvenirs than you can think of in Russia.
A note on clothing: If you are going to St. Petersburg, even in the summer it may be a little chilly, so bring some kind of warm outer wear that folds up small enough to put in your day bag. Russia is a very extreme place when it comes to climate. The summers are very hot and winters are very cold. In the summer skirts or loose fitting pants, like plazzo pants, are more appropriate for women than shorts are. And chinos or jeans are, likewise, more appropriate than shorts for me. In Moscow it may not matter much, but a good way to stick out in a crowd is to dress like you’re at home.
Tour Groups and Books
If this is the first time you're in Russia, I would definitely recommend doing by tour groups. Russia is big, it’s difficult there to just rent a car and go on your merry way. It’s worth repeating, Russia was not made for the tourist. There are no information booths or points of interest markers. And let’s face it, you’re not going to learn Russian in a week or two. It would be handy to be able to read a little Russian, that way you could better find your way around the street signs and metro stops. But Russian is not an easy language to just pick up. Even if you don’t want to hire a tour guide from a firm, if you could get yourself to Red Square, you can hire a tour guide there to explain to you the history or whatever your interest. If you're going to go it alone anyway, really study the tour books that are out there and don’t forget to bring them with you. I wouldn’t count on a tour book to find restaurants or shops though. These kinds of establishments come and go in Russia. It would be better to just use your eyes and nose to find a place to eat.
The biggest benefit of going with a group is that you will have a translator and someone to help you handle your travel logistics and questions. Because your tour guide is Russian, they will go out of their way to make you happy and comfortable, just don’t expect them to smile about it. You can guarantee they won’t seem very helpful, if you are picky about your travel arrangements. If your tour guide seems unorganized and tardy, remember that Russia is an unpredictable place. Your tour guide after living all of his or her life in Russia won’t be able to assure that things will go on time, well, or at all. It’s just part of the adventure of going to Russia. To not see that, is to miss part of the Russian soul. I think it was John Lennon, who said, “Life is what happens to you while your making plans”, and that is especially true in Russia. What matters is the experience of Russia, and not if the tour bus was always on time.
Not to sound rude to the Americans, I’m simply pointing out a cultural difference, but to make a fuss over things that did not go well, is extremely rude behavior to a Russian person. A Russian tour guide is acting as a surrogate parent in a way. They may fuss over you, make sure your comfortable, make sure you take your umbrella, or that you’ve had enough to eat, but that is the way Russians express their hospitality and generosity. There isn’t much of a separation between working and playing while being a tour guide and a guide can feel very close to his or her group. Would your mother like it if you complained every time something wasn’t exactly to your liking? Russians by nature are more open people. And when the sharing begins, Russians feel they are really becoming closer and more intimate. Americans may not mean “how are you” every time they say it, but a Russian will only ask if he or she is really interested and sincere.
