Before you go

In advance of your trip, keep abreast of local news coverage and other useful information about Ekaterinburg. We also advice you to follow these useful precautions:

• leave a detailed itinerary and the number of your passport or other citizenship documents with a friend or relative;
• carry your photo identification and the name of a person to contact with you in the event of serious illness or other emergency;
• keep photocopies of your passport, visa, airline or other tickets and a list of your traveler’s checks with you in a separate location from the originals and leave copies with someone at home;
• leave things like unnecessary credit cards and expensive jewelry at home;
• use a money belt or concealed pouch for your passport, cash and other valuables.

Remember, theft or loss of a passport is a major source of inconvenience and expense to travelers.

Before your trip, make a copy of the addresses and telephone numbers of the local embassy andor consulate. Put one set of the photocopies along with two passport photos in a place separate from your passport. If your passport is lost or stolen, this will make issuance of a new passport faster and easier. In that case apply for a replacement passport at the embassy or consulate of you country.

Receiving a Russian Visa

It is important to know the exact purpose of one’s trip. If for tourism, please obtain a tourist visa, and if for business, one will need to apply for a business visa. It is important not to cross over the bounds of a visa. And if on a business visa, one must not involve oneself with other things, such as religious work.

To receive an invitation, the usual wait is around a month. 

One of the most important aspects of receiving a visa is getting an invitation from an organization registered and recognized by the Russian government. If the organization is not up-to-date on its government registration, that could mean trouble for the traveler and also for the organization itself. Do not be nervous about giving personal information to the Russia government. The more open one is, the less nervous the government is going to be. To receive an invitation, the usual wait is around a month. Therefore, plan everything in advance if Russia is to be a destination on one’s travels.

Customs and Duty Free

Duty-free regulations are liable to change at short notice. Travelers are advised to contact the Russian Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date information.

Prohibited imports: military weapons and ammunition, narcotics, pornography, loose pearls, fruit and vegetable, live animals.

Prohibited exports: as prohibited imports, as well as annulled securities, state loan certificates, lottery tickets, works of art and antiques (unless permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture)

Be prepare for any weather

Seasons in Ekaterinburg are fairly unpredictable. Sudden changes of weather and daily temperature ranges are common. Check weather updates before you go and while in Ekaterinburg.

Choose you clothes depending on time of the year. Winters are usually cold and windy. Snowing is typical for winter period but it may start in October. In winter it can be very cold and snowing.

In spring it might be chilly at times, but in April-May it gets warmer. Bring a sweater or a light jacket for those chilly evenings.

Summer is hot and dry, but it may be raining. Do not forget to take your umbrella especially in summer and autumn.

If you are going to do a lot of walking in Ekaterinburg, think carefully about footwear.

Depending on the time of the year, you will need warm boots with non-slip sole, waterproof boots, winter shoes and comfortable sandals for summer.

Medical Care

Remember to bring the medications you may need. Check with your health insurer before you depart to ascertain your coverage in the event of emergency. Many insurance providers offer specialized riders which can cover emergency evacuation.

Electricity

Remember the outlets in Ekaterinburg are 220 volts.

If you have an electronic device for 110V, we recommend you to use voltage converter. Plugs are of the two-pin variety (continental type).

Language barrier

If you hardly speak Russian or do not speak it at all and can’t pronounce your destination name or address in Russian correctly, you may ask your hotel receptionist, guide, translator or English-speaking friend write it down for you on paper to carry with you.

In Ekaterinburg you may also buy the brochure with a map or travel-guide on English and mark any places you want to visit. Then ask someone who speaks English to write them down for you correctly. Russian transcription of the names of tourist attraction or any other places to visit is always helpful.

If you lost, you may turn to any policemen or passer-by. Many people in Ekaterinburg speak English.

Here are some useful phrases in Russian:

• Hello (formal) – zdravstvuyte ("здравствуйте")
• Good morning – dobroe utro ("доброе утро")
• Good day / Good afternoon – dobriy den’ ("добрый день")
• Good evening - do-b-riy ve-ch-er ("добрый вечер")
• Good night – dobroy nochi ("доброй ночи")
• Good-bye – do svidaniya (formal, "до свидания"); poka (informal, "пока")
• See you tomorrow – do zavtra ("до завтра")
• Please – pozhaluysta ("пожалуйста")
• Thank you – spasibo ("спасибо")
• Yes - da ("да")
• No - nyet ("нет")
• Where is? – gde? ("где?")
• What is this? – chto eto? ("что это?")
• Do you speak English? – vi govoryite po angliyski? ("вы говорите по-английски?")
• I do not speak Russian – ya ne govoryu po ruski ("я не говорю по-русски")
• I do not understand – ya ne ponimayu ("я не понимаю")
• My name is... - menya zovut… ("меня зовут...")
• What is your name? – kak vashe imya? ("как ваше имя?")
• Hotel – otel’ ("отель")
• Airport – aeroport ("аэропорт")
• Railway station – vokzal ("вокзал")

Safety tips

Ekaterinburg is a large city, so take the same precautions against assault, robbery, or pickpockets that you would take in any large city. The most vulnerable areas include underground walkways and the subway, overnight trains, train stations, airports, markets and tourist attractions.

Avoid dark alleys at night or walking out of bars, discos, cabarets, alone at night.

There are some safety tips you may follow:

• leave expensive jewelry, unnecessary credit cards and anything you would hate to lose at home.
• never display large sums of money when paying a bill. Be aware of pickpockets or purse snatchers.
• keep your billfold in an inner front pocket, carry your purse tucked securely under your arm and wear the shoulder strap of your camera or bag across your chest. Walk away from the curb and carry your purse away from the street.
• conceal your passport, cash and other valuables on your person. Do not trust waist packs or fanny packs.
• avoid hailing unmarked cars as taxis. Never accept a ride from a driver who already has other passengers.

If you have been the victim of a crime, immediately contact the consulate or consular agency. You should also report the crime to the militia immediately, dial 02 from any public phone or 0-02 from cell-phone.

Photography Restrictions

Many museums do not permit photography near the exhibits. At the time you are purchasing your tickets, inquire as to whether or not photography is allowed in the museum, if a permit is required, how much the permit will cost, and, if photos taken with high-speed film and without a flash are allowed. When in doubt, ask your tour guide or someone else in authority if it is acceptable to take a photograph.

The general guidelines for photography:

• Photographs are permitted of architectural monuments, cultural, educational and medical buildings, theaters, museums, parks, stadiums, streets and squares, and living quarters and landscape scenes.
• If prior permission is obtained from officials of the institution concerned, photographs may be taken of industrial enterprises that manufacture non-military products, farms, railroad stations, airports, river ports, river locks, dams, construction sites, and governmental, educational and social organizations.

Dealing with police

The police in Russia are called "militia". If you are stopped on the street by militiamen and asked to show your passport and visa, don’t argue with them, just smile and be polite. Make sure your visa is duly registered.

Mobile phones

GSM networks operate in all Russia cities, so you may use your mobile phone in Ekaterinburg. International roaming works fine, but may come at a high price. The cheapest option for overseas calls using your mobile phone is to purchase a local SIM card. Remember that each city is on a different network and once you leave the city where you have purchased your SIM card, you go onto roaming tariffs.

Please check with your service provider in advance to see if your cell phone service will work in Ekaterinburg.

Tips

Tipping is increasingly encouraged. 10 to 15% is the accepted rate of tipping for restaurant servers. For coat check and luggage attendants, anything from 50 rubles and higher per item is acceptable, although many people don't tip them at all. You may tip also to drivers, tour guides and housekeeping staff. Note also that restaurants do not allow you to add a tip to the credit card charge, so even if you are paying with a credit card, the tip must still be left in cash.

Transport

The public transport system is efficient. You may use trolleybuses, trams, buses, mini-buses, taxis and metro.

Tram, buses and trolleybuses is inexpensive and reliable but usually crowded during rush hours. Tickets are purchased onboard from the conductor.

Ekaterinburg’s metro (underground train) line connects the central part of the city to distant districts having stops near main railway station. All stations are decorated with native Ural stones, granite and marble. It’s the most popular mean of transport.

Mini-buses (so-called "Marshrutka") follow a fixed route. When you see the number you want, just hail it down like a taxi. If you want to get out, ask a driver to stop at the place you need.

Holidays and days-off

Here is the list of main Russian holidays. On these days most of public offices are closed.

• January, 1 — New Year. New Year’s holidays last from December 31 to January 10 and include celebration of Christmas.
• February, 23 — Defender of the Motherland Day.
• March, 8 — International Women's Day
• April, 27— Easter
• May, 1 — Spring and Labour Day
• May, 9 — Victory Day
• June, 12 — Russia Day (Independence Day)
• November, 4 — National Unity Day

How much money shall I most likely spend daily in Ekaterinburg?

It depends on what living standards you got used to, but on average here are the prices:

• public transport: from 10 rubles (one way);
• museum entrance tickets: 250-350 rubles;
• light snack in café or bar, business-lunch: from 200 rubles;
• taxi: from 150 rubles (one way, depends on the area).

Russian cuisine

Russian cuisine derives its rich and varied character from the vast and multicultural expanse of Russia. While in Ekaterinburg do not miss the opportunity to visit some Russian restaurants.

Soups have always played an important role in the Russian meal. The traditional stable of soups such as shchi (cabbage soup), borscht (vegetable soup traditionally made with beetroot as a main ingredient), uha (fish soup) and rassolnik (hot soup in a salty-sour cucumber base). Okroshka is considered a perfect soup for summer time since it combines the refreshing taste of kvas and lightness of a salad.

Main dishes. Pelmeni are a traditional Russian dish usually made with minced meat filling, wrapped in thin dough. For filling, pork, lamb, beef, or any other kind of meat can be used.

Ural recipe of pelmeni considered the best in Russia.

Pirozhki are small stuffed buns (pies) made of either yeast dough or short pastry. They are filled with one of many different fillings and are either baked or shallow-fried. For cooking pirozhki usually use fillings: onion, mushroom, meat and rice stuffing; fish; chopped boiled meat; rice and boiled eggs with dill; mashed potatoes mixed with dill and green onion; sautéed cabbage; sauteed mushrooms with onions and sometimes carrots.

Traditional Russian bliny are made from wheat, buckwheat, or other grains, although wheat blini are most popular in Russia. They may be topped with butter, sour cream, honey, fruit preserves or caviar.

Almost all Russian traditional drinks are original and not present in other national cuisines, such as kvass, medovukha, mors (fruit drink) and vodka. Tea is very popular in Russia, but Russians prefer to drink hot tea even in summer.

Driving

Drive on the right side of the road while in Ekaterinburg. Eighteen is the legal driving age.

You are required to have a valid driver's license and proof of insurance if driving a private or rented vehicle. Please carry a form of photo ID (passport) and your native driver's license with you.

Speeds are measured in kilometres per hour (not miles). Speed limits are posted along streets and main roads. The speed limit in Ekaterinburg is 60 kph, outside the city - 90 kph.

Remember, that fines for breaking road regulations are rather high. It is illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving a car. It is also illegal to traveling in a vehicle to be consuming alcohol. You may be fined up to 1,500 - 3000 rubles and receive jail time or your driving licence will be revoked.

Smoking&Drinking alcohol

Eighteen is the legal smoking and drinking age. Usually no ID is required for purchasing cigarettes or alcohol but it's good to carry ID with you.

Smoking and drinking is banned in public places - stadiums and sport centres, parks and recreation areas, hospitals, railroad stations and airports. In bar or restaurant there is a special section that for smokers.

Most bars and pubs in Ekaterinburg close at 3-4a.m. (03:00-04:00 local time) weeknights and 6-7a.m. (06:00-07:00 local time) on weekends. There are number of 24-hours bars.

You may buy cigarettes and alcohol in shops, including special liquior stores and grocery stores. Usually they close at 11-12p.m. (23:00-24:00 local time). If it is a 24-hour store, usually you see a special notice on the door ("Kruglosutochno").