Things to Do in Russia

About Russia

The cold hits first. Frost creeps across the aircraft window somewhere over Sheremetyevo, and by the time you've survived the famously unhurried passport control — stern faces, careful stamps, long silences — you'll realize Russia runs on its own clock. Moscow's Red Square defies expectations. Smaller than photos suggest, yet more overwhelming. The 2,235-meter Kremlin wall of blood-red medieval brick. GUM arcade gleaming across cobblestones like a tsarist greenhouse. St. Basil's Cathedral standing proud with spiraling onion domes in colors — candy-stripe red, cobalt blue, acid green — no architect in good faith would choose, yet it works completely. Drop into Komsomolskaya Metro station. Chandeliers. Baroque ceiling mosaics. Marble floors that make Versailles look restrained. A single journey costs around 65 rubles — well under a dollar. Best value in world tourism. Four hundred kilometers northwest, St. Petersburg pulses at a different frequency. Nevsky Prospekt stretches 4.5 kilometers of neoclassical facades from the golden Admiralty spire to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. The Hermitage — 3 million objects, five connected palace buildings along the Neva River — would take years to absorb properly. Still manages to surprise. Here's the truth: since 2022, Russia has become one of the most logistically complicated destinations on earth for travelers from Western countries. Visa restrictions. Suspended international payment systems. Sharply reduced flight connections. The experience waiting beyond those hurdles? Like nowhere else.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Moscow's Metro alone justifies the trip — the planet's deepest subway, where escalators drop for a full 90 seconds into the earth, and stations like Mayakovskaya (34 oval ceiling mosaics showing Soviet sky) and Novoslobodskaya (stained-glass panels throwing colored light across platforms) rank among the world's great public spaces. One ride costs 65 rubles. Between Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Sapsan bullet train rips 650 kilometers in about four hours; tickets run 2,000 rubles for standard class to 5,000 rubles for a reserved compartment — far better than flying once you add airport time. The catch: reaching Russia now means routing through non-sanctioning hubs — Istanbul, Dubai, and Belgrade are the usual choices — which tacks on a day and real cost to every itinerary. Build this buffer before you lock anything else.

Money: Your cards won't work. Since Visa and Mastercard suspended Russian operations in March 2022, international payment cards simply don't work in Russia — not at ATMs, not in shops, nowhere. This single fact is the biggest headache for visitors, and you'd better plan for it. Bring cash in US dollars or euros and exchange at airport kiosks or major bank branches (Sberbank and VTB have booths throughout both cities); avoid street changers entirely. The ruble has been volatile, so check the current rate shortly before departure. Once you have rubles in hand, everyday Russia tends to be surprisingly affordable: a full meal at a stolovaya (Soviet-style canteen) might run 400–600 rubles, the Metro costs under 70 rubles per ride, and even museum tickets, which are often priced higher for foreigners than for locals, remain cheaper than comparable institutions across Western Europe.

Cultural Respect: Orthodox churches are working churches first, museums second—act like it. Women cover heads—scarves wait at entrances for a few rubles—and shoulders and knees must vanish whatever the weather. Photography inside is often technically allowed, but photographing worshippers is not, and the difference counts. At dinner with Russians, a toast is ritual: direct eye contact, proper clink, finished glass. Declining without a clear reason—medical condition passes; "I don't feel like it" doesn't—creates an awkward pause that outlasts the meal. If someone invites you home, bring something—flowers in an odd number (even numbers are for funerals), a cake from a local bakery, or a bottle of something. Arrive empty-handed and you're broadcasting indifference.

Food Safety: Moscow and St. Petersburg tap water won't make you sick—but locals still filter it. The chlorination runs aggressive. Mineral content shifts by neighborhood. Bottled water is cheap everywhere. Russian stolovayas and canteens boast solid safety records. The real danger? Warm prepared salads left uncovered for hours. Older-style cafeterias still serve them. For an honest introduction to Russian cooking, hunt down a stolovaya in any central neighborhood. Order borscht finished with a thick spoonful of smetana—cold sour cream cutting through the rich broth. Try pelmeni served in butter or broth. Sample blini with red caviar or smoked salmon whose brininess coats the back of the throat. The Teremok chain—present across both Moscow and St. Petersburg—delivers consistent, straightforward Russian fast food. Prices will surprise anyone calibrated to Western European capitals.

When to Visit

Russia's seasons aren't mild variations on a theme — they're four completely different countries sharing the same geography, and which one you want likely determines when you should go. Deep winter (December through February) is extreme and polarizing. Moscow temperatures regularly drop to –15°C to –25°C (5°F to –13°F), with cold snaps occasionally pushing below –30°C (–22°F). St. Petersburg runs slightly milder but damper, the wind off the Gulf of Finland cutting through whatever you're wearing. This sounds like a reason to avoid Russia entirely. It's also, counterintuitively, the most photogenic version of the country: Red Square under a fresh snowfall with almost nobody on it at 7 AM, the Kremlin lit amber against a black sky, metro platforms glowing with orange warmth while the temperature outside has no business being livable. Hotel rates in January and February tend to run 30–40% below summer peak — the one strong financial argument for choosing the coldest months. Come prepared with serious thermal layers; this is not the climate for fashion decisions. Spring (March through May) is Russia's most underrated window. March remains cold and gritty, the snowmelt turning city streets brown and wet in ways that test patience. April in Moscow is a genuine transformation: the ice on the Moskva River breaks up with a cracking sound you can hear from the embankment, Gorky Park reopens its outdoor spaces, and locals emerge with a collective relief that makes the city briefly celebratory in a way that feels earned. Crowds are thin and prices are reasonable throughout April. May is likely the smartest month for most first-time visitors: temperatures around 15–20°C (59–68°F), the lilac gardens in Kolomenskoye in full bloom and heavy with scent, and summer prices not yet in effect. Summer (June through August) belongs to St. Petersburg. The White Nights — from roughly mid-June to mid-July, the sun barely sets, the sky holding a pale gold glow until 1 AM before lightening again at 3 AM — make the city feel like it's operating outside normal time, and the locals take full advantage. The Neva River at midnight reflects a light with no real equivalent anywhere. Peak season pricing reflects the demand: hotel rates in St. Petersburg in June and July can run two to three times their February cost, and flights into Pulkovo book out early. The Hermitage in July is overwhelming in the wrong sense; queues without advance tickets can exceed two hours. Book online, arrive at the 10:30 AM opening, and go directly to the Dutch Masters galleries on the second floor while the crowds funnel toward the Impressionists. Autumn (September through November) offers the other strong window. September in both cities sits around 10–15°C (50–59°F), the foliage along St. Petersburg's canal system and in Moscow's parks turning amber and rust, and summer crowds have thinned to manageable levels. October gets cold and overcast quickly; by the end of the month, you'll need a proper coat. November is Moscow at its most itself — grey fog on the river, early darkness by 4 PM, a heaviness that Muscovites seem to accept as part of the city's character and that some visitors find compelling rather than oppressive. Budget travelers will find the best overall value in late September and early October: mild enough to walk comfortably for hours, prices still below summer peak, and enough daylight to see what you came for.