MilitaryGirl83

Jeremy & I would love to visit Russia one day especially we have talked about adopting a child from there one day. Please tell us about your experiences in Russia.

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Reba

My mother-in-law went to Russia as a tourist.

My husband went to Ukraine (Chernobyl area) on a mission construction trip. He also visited a deaf class there.

If you have specific questions about travelling there, I can ask them.

One basic rule if you travel there. Bring enough toilet paper and soap.
Second basic rule: drink bottled water. Bring your own if you can.

It might seem like, oh no, that is too much stuff to pack in the luggage. It works out OK. As you use up your water and paper, you will have more room in your luggage to bring home souveneirs. Nice hand-made souveneirs are inexpensive.

One warning about souveneirs. Don't even try to bring back anything that is "pre-Revolution" (before 1917), antiques, or old swords. You will be stopped before you can leave, and will be in BIG trouble.

Bring locks for everything. Bring all your medications. Don't expect public restrooms.

The people are wonderful, after they get to know you. At first they might seem unfriendly and suspicious.

If you go to a Russian home for dinner, or stay overnight with a family, it is expected good manners to bring them a gift. It doesn't need to be expensive. Pack several small inexpensive, but nice, house gifts. Some examples are fancy bar soaps for ladies, flower seed packages (Russians love flowers and gardens), packages of pencils for kids (and novelty pencil sharpeners, non-electric, non-battery, because many people still use a knife to sharpen pencils), crayon boxes, ballpoint pens, items with logos from your hometown (like baseball/football team logos).

Even poor people in Russia bring house gifts to each other, so they really expect "rich" Americans to do the same.

VamPyroX

I've never been there, but I wouldn't mind visiting. Heh!

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Maria

Reba...

Ahh, very 258 ! I never knew what their culture is until you mentioned it in your post. Sounds really interestin' about exchangin' things ( gifts )with them from American people.

I've never been to Russia since the day I was born on this earth.

Moondancer

i have been to Moscow Russia in years ago... very interesting culture and i met some deafies in Red Square and other places. FYI you must carry the passport anywhere you go, cuz the police might stop by and ask for it or u go to holding cell. Markets and foods on the streets are so fansastic and much more to tour around. *I stayed at friend's apartment in Moscow*

gnarlydorkette

Reba--
About the giving a gift to your host/hostess-- that is very common in the Northern Europe. Sweden, Norway, Lapland, Finland, Russia, Denmark et cetera do have that custom. That custom does not limit to guests but with the family too-- if one relative goes somewhere, it is expected that that person brings some back for the family. Little difficult when you have a big family... (ugh, hated to visit my Finnish family because I have to bring LOADS of american goods to pass to EACH relative of the family... but it is GOOD when they COME to visit me and give me FINNISH CANDIES! BWA HA HA HA! >;D )

The closest I have been to Russia is about 140 miles away from St. Petersburg. It was very trippin' for me to see "St Petersburg" on a road sign. I was like, "Mom.. is the St Petersburg on the sign the same one in Russia?" Because it never really kicked in that Russia was REALLY THAT close to Finland.


[MORE COMMENT TO ADD:
I recollected that for some reason, some Finns are just peeved with Russians so it just happened that one of my Finn friend is very "Anti-Russian" (call it racial issue...) and she would tell me all bad stuff about Russia-- like that Russian teens would rob their own senior citizens and that recently (at that time) a Finn senior citizen couple were touring and a group of young Russian hoodlums crowded the couple and took their money, everything and walked away and it happened in one of the crowd, tourist's spots in Russia... basically she was saying that you cannot trust a Russian because they have no morals (living poorly, anarchy as their government et cetera)... I told her, "But do you ever know a Russian personally? I had a russian friend in US and she is nice. Why are you bad-mouthing somebody that you never have a personal encounter? Those words from people like you are causing problems with skin color and nationalities because you are not open to know one another." she totally shutted her mouth because it was totally hyprocritcal of her because she was totally rallying against racial slurs for blacks (she had a black boyfriend in U.S.A.) and yet she talked badly of her neighbor because they are not of same nationality? Whatever.

Hm... getting off the topic... but I think what I am trying to say is: KEEP AN OPEN MIND! Every country has their bad apples but it shouldn't rot the whole barrel of good apples. :-)

Reba

Yes, that is true.

The people that my hubby stayed with were very nice, and the friends that they introduced to him were also wonderful people.

Sadly, some of the negative things were also true. There were gangs of "hooligans" (bad teens), there were some corrupt government officials and cops, and there was much thievery. The family that my hubby stayed with lived in a house surrounded by a high wall with padlocks. All the houses in that city had walls and multiple locks. We could never mail anything to our friends because all their mail was stolen, all the time.

The good thing is, once you get to know individuals, they are wonderful. Even poor families will invite you to their homes and feed you well.

One "funny" incident happened to hubby while traveling. He flew from America to Germany. He missed his connecting flight on Lufthansa, so they put him on Air Ukraine, which was a very old Aeroflot (Russian) plane. They actually started the plane by jumping the battery of an old truck on the runway!

Anyway, when he landed in Ukraine, he discovered that his luggage was not there. After much confusion, trying to explain in English to officials who spoke Russian, he realized he would have to come back the next day and hope his luggage would be there. Hubby had to phone our Ukrainian friends to come pick him up but the phone at the airport couldn't connect with the phone in the next town where our friends lived. It was actually easier for hubby to call me in America, then I called our friends in Ukraine to give them the message. Crazy!

The car ride to their house was exciting. Over there, they couldn't get replacement headlight bulbs for their cars, so they "saved" them. That means they drove at night with the lights off except in totally dark areas. Also, when they parked, they removed the windshield wiper blades and brought them in the house so they wouldn't be stolen.

The next day hubby went back to the airport to get his luggage (one large suitcase). It was completely wrapped in duct tape! Someone had broken into it, so it couldn't be locked again. So the airport people wrapped it up in duct tape. For some reason nothing was stolen. Wonderful way to begin a trip, ha, ha!

Opal

I went to Russia and I would advise you to bring
Chewing Gums, and Cigarette and postage stamps, jeans, as they want to swop you with their postcards and Russian dolls.

Buy Your Own toilet paper is a must, otherwise the Russian toilet paper is hard like writing pad, ouch!

Russian Ice cream is delicious, and it is number one, creamy and mwwwahhh!!

It was snowing at Easter when I visit Russia and I managed to walk around Tallinn, and see Finland in long horizons on thick ice at Gulf of Finland beach.

The hotels I visited in St Peterburg or Leningrad as they keep changed its name several times, and Moscow are worst, the hotel they build for Moscow Olympic Games at Tallinn is fanastic.

Russia is not only language they spoken as I was told there are around 20 different languages there such as Latvia, Lithuansian and Estonia (these are baltic states) etc.

Be careful of pickpocket especially at Railway Stations and supermarkets. But I feel safe to catch a night train from Moscow to Leningrad.

Some supermarkets demand you to buy your good order first and then show the receipts before pick up your goods, I know it is pain this way.

Coke Cola taste complete different despite the same trademark of Coke Cola.

October Revolutions and Lenin and real gold domes is all they talk about!

I recommend you to visit Lenin's glass coffin at Red Square to see the real Lenin as he is emblamed and looks as if he passed away yesterday!

I would love to go back there one day with my family.

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Reba

Ha, ha, so true! My hubby brought home a roll of their TP. It was brown color, more like a paper towel, and the roll didn't have the hole in the center.

Agree. Suggest you buy a money belt or a traveler's wallet (a lightweight wallet on a string that you wear around your neck and tuck into your shirt) for most of your money and passport. Just keep a small amount of money in your pockets.

Yes, very different from American way. Also, bring your own fold-up shopping bag. Most stores don't bag your groceries or merchandise.

CatoCooper13

258!!! I've never been to Russia all my life, but I've met a few Russian people in the US and they all were quite nice and friendly. Was friends with a Russian deaf couple in California.
I'd love to holiday in Russia one of these days...more of travelling through out Europe and other countries as well.

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