In an emergency
112 is the general emergency number (ambulance, fire, police; UK FCDO). The two-digit numbers 101 (fire), 102 (police), 103 (ambulance) and 104 (gas service) also work, with the old 01-04 still active (Wikipedia). Carry your passport at all times: police make random checks, copies are not accepted, and you can be fined or held up to 48 hours without it (FCDO). Turkish Embassy in Moscow (no separate consulate general in Moscow): 7-y Rostovsky pereulok 12, 115127 Moscow; switchboard +7 495 994 48 08; consular switchboard +7 495 994 93 59 (phone information on consular matters 14:30-18:00); duty/emergency mobile +7 906 770 11 90 (weekdays 18:00-09:00 and on public holidays); [email protected]. Turkish MFA Consular Call Centre in Ankara, 24/7: +90 312 292 29 29. Wikivoyage says Moscow has a tourist police force with officers who speak foreign languages, but no official phone number was found. EHIC/GHIC cards are not valid; any foreign national has a legal right to free medical care in life-threatening cases; hospitals may ask for payment before treatment (FCDO). Specific 24-hour pharmacies could not be verified (chain websites were unreachable): look for 'аптека' signs marked 'круглосуточно' (24 hours).
Fair prices
What locals pay. If you are asked for much more, you are probably being overcharged.
| Metro, bus, tram or MCC ride (Troika 'wallet')Since 2 Jan 2026. Troika deposit RUB 150, refundable. Russian bank card at the turnstile RUB 83; 90-minute ticket RUB 112. | 75 RUB |
|---|---|
| Unlimited travel pass 'Yediny' 1 day / 3 daysLoaded on the Troika at metro ticket offices. | 415 / 800 RUB |
| Aeroexpress to Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo (Standard)RUB 650 if bought at least a day ahead; round trip RUB 1,350; express bus RUB 450. | 700 RUB |
| Taxi central Moscow - SheremetyevoDaytime, by app; RUB 2,500-3,000 at rush hour (Afisha Daily 2026). Arrivals-hall drivers who approach you are not the way to go. | 1,000-2,000 RUB |
| Business lunch (biznes-lanch, set lunch)Moscow, May 2026 (Rossiyskaya Gazeta, citing Restoclub's founder); mid-range cafés RUB 600-700, chain canteens 10-20% cheaper. | 600-750 RUB |
| Sanduny banya, 2-hour public ticketSecond Higher men's class RUB 3,500 weekdays before 17:00, RUB 4,000 evenings and weekends; Higher men's class RUB 5,500 / 6,000. Extra time charged per 30 minutes. Bringing your own food and drink is forbidden. | 3,500-6,000 RUB |
| Pushkin Museum main building ticketConcession RUB 500; some special exhibitions RUB 1,100-1,900. | 700 RUB |
| Garage Museum open storage ticketFree for students, schoolchildren, children under 7 and pensioners with documents. | 600 RUB |
| River electric boat, routes 1 and 4Troika wallet, summer fares from 15 July 2026 (valid until 15 Oct); bank card RUB 50 more. | 400 weekdays / 700 weekends RUB |
| Tip in a restaurantRussian etiquette books give 5-10%; tips are usually not included in the bill. Average Russian restaurant tip about RUB 350 in 2025 (T-Zh). | 5-10% of the bill RUB |
Tickets
Official prices and the only places to buy. Anyone else selling on the street is a reseller.
- Moscow Kremlin Museums (Cathedral Square, Armoury Chamber)
Price not verified (official price page did not load)
Buy at: https://tickets.kreml.ru/ (official online ticket shop) or the Kremlin ticket offices
Not verified; buy on the official tickets.kreml.ru.
- Bolshoi Theatre
Price not verified
Buy at: https://bolshoi.ru/ and the theatre's own box offices only
Since 1 October 2024 every Bolshoi ticket is in the holder's name; ID is checked at the door and you are refused entry if the name does not match. Agencies such as Kassir.ru and Ticketland no longer sell Bolshoi tickets, and the theatre does not vouch for tickets bought elsewhere. Touts outside the theatre, busiest before New Year, and fake sites: in September 2024 a Moscow court jailed a group of resellers who ran fake ticket sites.
- Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
Main building RUB 700 (concession RUB 500); 19th-20th-century European and American art gallery RUB 700; Richter apartment RUB 350 (online only); Tsvetaev Educational Art Museum free
Buy at: https://pushkinmuseum.art/ (official site), official partners, or the museum ticket offices
The museum says it cannot guarantee tickets bought anywhere else.
- State Tretyakov Gallery
Price not verified (price page did not load)
Buy at: https://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/tickets/afisha/
The gallery asks visitors to buy tickets in advance on its own website.
- St Basil's Cathedral (Pokrovsky Cathedral, State Historical Museum)
Price not verified
Buy at: https://shm.ru/ (State Historical Museum)
Not verified
- Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve (Grand Palace and Bread House)
Price not verified (prices load in a ticket widget)
Buy at: https://tsaritsyno-museum.ru/kupit-bilet/ (tickets.mos.ru)
Not verified
- Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve (MGOMZ)
Price not verified
Buy at: https://www.mgomz.ru/ (Moscow State United Museum-Reserve) and bilet.mos.ru
Not verified
- Zaryadye Park
Park free and open 24 hours; attraction prices not verified
Buy at: https://welcome.zaryadyepark.ru (official tickets, incl. concessions, no registration needed); the Troika card also pays for Zaryadye tickets
Not verified
- Ostankino TV Tower
Price not verified
Buy at: https://tvtower.ru/ (official site)
Not verified
- Garage Museum of Contemporary Art
Open storage RUB 600 adults; free for students, schoolchildren, children under 7, pensioners and other listed groups with documents
Buy at: https://garagemca.org/en/visit
Not verified
- GES-2 House of Culture
Entry by online registration for a time slot; some events need a ticket (prices vary)
Buy at: https://ges-2.org/ ('Registration for entry')
Not verified
Traps
- Watch outUnlicensed taxis
Taxis that look official can be unlicensed and British travellers have been victims of crime in them. Use a taxi app or a car called by your hotel, agree the fare first, and never flag down or share a taxi with strangers (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - Watch outDrivers in the arrivals hall
At Sheremetyevo, ignore people offering rides inside the arrivals hall; order a car in an app or take the Aeroexpress. Afisha Daily puts a normal app fare from the centre at RUB 1,000-2,000 by day.
Source: daily.afisha.ru, gov.uk - Watch outInvitations to a bar
Do not agree to go to a bar or club with someone you have just met, and be wary of groups of people begging (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - Watch outDrink spiking
Drinks are spiked to rob or abuse victims, who are often left outside unconscious, which can be fatal in winter. Buy your own drinks and keep them in sight (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - Watch outFake police officers
Criminals posing as police have robbed tourists. If stopped, insist on seeing identification and report harassment to the nearest police office (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - Watch outStreet money changers
Changing money with street traders is illegal; change only at banks, hotels and exchange offices (UK FCDO; German Foreign Office).
Source: gov.uk, auswaertiges-amt.de - Watch outDating and money-transfer scams
Never send money to someone you have not met in person, and avoid untraceable transfer services (UK FCDO). The German Foreign Office also reports internet romance scams aimed at Western Europeans.
Source: gov.uk, auswaertiges-amt.de - Watch outBolshoi tickets from touts
Bolshoi tickets are personal: your passport must match the name on the ticket, so tickets from touts outside the theatre or from unofficial sites will not get you in. Buy only on bolshoi.ru or at the box office.
Source: moskvichmag.ru, t-j.ru - Watch outMuseum tickets from resellers
The Pushkin Museum sells only on its own site, through named partners and at its ticket offices, and does not guarantee tickets bought elsewhere; the Kremlin museums sell online at tickets.kreml.ru.
Source: pushkinmuseum.art, tickets.kreml.ru - Watch outBootleg alcohol
Methanol in bootleg vodka and counterfeit drinks has killed people in Russia; methanol cannot be detected by taste or smell (UK FCDO). Buy alcohol from shops and established bars.
Source: gov.uk
Local life
- RuleStand right on the escalator, walk left
The old metro custom is to stand on the right and leave the left side free for people walking. At rush hour metro staff at some escalators ask passengers to stand on both sides instead, which cuts the queue at the bottom; hold the handrail either way.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, riamo.ru, mos.ru - FunThe longest escalators are 130 metres
The longest escalators in the Moscow metro are at Park Pobedy and Maryina Roshcha, about 130 metres each. Park Pobedy, Petrovsko-Razumovskaya and Timiryazevskaya all have escalators that lift you more than 60 metres.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipListen to the voice: male inbound, female outbound
Station names are announced by a male voice when the train travels towards the centre and by a female voice when it travels away from it. On the circle lines the male voice means clockwise and the female voice anticlockwise. The system was proposed in 1984 to help blind and partially sighted passengers.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipThe circle line links the railway stations
The brown Koltsevaya line (line 5) has 12 stations, all of them interchanges, and joins every radial line. When it opened in the 1950s it connected seven of Moscow's nine railway terminals; its first section runs under the southern arc of the Garden Ring.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - RuleOdd numbers of flowers only
Flowers are a normal gift when visiting someone at home or for a birthday, but the bouquet must have an odd number of stems. Even numbers are for funerals and graves, and Russians keep this rule strictly.
Source: themoscowtimes.com, gw2ru.com - RuleDo not hand things across the threshold
Many Russians will not shake hands, kiss or pass a gift across a doorway: the threshold is seen as the border between the home and the outside world. Step fully inside first, then greet your host and hand over what you brought.
Source: themoscowtimes.com, gw2ru.com - RuleShoes off, slippers on
Russians never wear street shoes at home: you take them off in the hallway and the host usually offers tapochki (house slippers). Even if the host politely says you can keep your shoes on, take them off; if there are no slippers left at a big party, go in socks.
Source: gw2ru.com, ru.wikipedia.org - TipBring something for tea
When invited home, bring something: a cake or sweets 'for tea', a bottle, or a small present for the children. Do not bring dishes for the meal unless agreed, do not criticise the food, and accept the jars of jam or pirozhki you are given when you leave.
Source: gw2ru.com - FunSit down before a journey
Before leaving for a trip, everyone in the flat sits down together in silence for a moment, including those who are staying behind. It is meant to bring a safe journey, and it is also the moment to check you have your passport and tickets.
Source: themoscowtimes.com - RuleEmpty bottles go on the floor
At a Russian table an empty bottle is taken off the table and put on the floor, as leaving it there is bad luck. One legend traces it to Cossacks in Paris in 1814, who hid empties because restaurants charged by the bottles on the table.
Source: themoscowtimes.com - RuleNo whistling indoors
Whistling inside a home is believed to whistle your money away, and many Russians will ask you to stop. Spitting three times over the left shoulder (or saying 'tfu-tfu-tfu') and knocking on wood protect against a jinx.
Source: themoscowtimes.com - RuleNever wish happy birthday early
Congratulating someone before their birthday, or celebrating it in advance, is considered bad luck in Russia. Wait for the day itself, or send wishes afterwards.
Source: themoscowtimes.com - FunRaf coffee was born on Kuznetsky Most
Raf is a Moscow drink from the late 1990s: espresso, cream and vanilla sugar steamed together, sweeter and richer than a latte. The usual story is that baristas at the Coffee Bean café on Kuznetsky Most made it for a regular called Rafael; it is now on almost every Moscow café menu.
Source: en.wikipedia.org, moskvichmag.ru - Tip'S lyogkim parom!' after the banya
'S lyogkim parom!' ('Have a light steam!') is what you say to someone who has just come out of the banya or the shower. The phrase is in the title of the New Year film 'Ironiya sudby', which starts with friends in a Moscow banya on 31 December.
Source: ru.wiktionary.org, ru.wikipedia.org - RulePublic banya: no booking, no picnic
At Sanduny, which calls itself the oldest working banya in Russia (since 1808), men and women use separate public sections that cannot be booked: if they are full you join the queue. A ticket gives 2 hours in the rest room, washing room and parilka (steam room); you may not bring your own food or drink, but you can rent a sheet, towel and robe.
Source: msk.sanduny.ru, msk.sanduny.ru - TipBirch or oak: the venik
The venik is a bundle of leafy branches used in the parilka to whip and fan the body. The most common are birch and oak; by folk custom birch veniki are cut before Trinity in early to mid-June, when the leaves are strongest.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - RuleNew Year, not Christmas, is the big night
The main family holiday is the night of 31 December to 1 January, with the tree, presents from Ded Moroz and a long dinner. In the Soviet Union New Year replaced Christmas from 1936 and took over much of its symbolism; Orthodox Christmas follows on 7 January, and the days 1-8 January are public holidays.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - FunOlivier salad on every New Year table
Olivier, diced potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles, peas and meat or boiled sausage in mayonnaise, is the symbol of the New Year table. It is named after Lucien Olivier, the French chef of 19th-century Moscow; abroad it is called 'Russian salad'.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - Fun'Ironiya sudby' every 31 December
Eldar Ryazanov's 1975 comedy 'The Irony of Fate, or Have a Light Steam!' has been shown on television every 31 December since 1994, and many families watch it while cooking. The 'Leningrad' blocks were filmed at prospekt Vernadskogo 113 and 125 in south-west Moscow.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipMaslenitsa: a week of blini
Maslenitsa, the week before Orthodox Lent, sends off winter with blini, visits and outdoor fairs, and ends on Forgiveness Sunday; the straw effigy of Maslenitsa is burned or buried. In 2027 it runs 8-14 March.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - Fun1 September: flowers and school lines
1 September is the Day of Knowledge, the first school day. Children in uniform carry bouquets to the teacher and every school holds a festive lineup (lineyka) in the yard in the morning.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipCity Day in early September
Moscow celebrates City Day on the first or second weekend of September, marking the first mention of Moscow in the chronicles in 1147; in 2026 it fell on 5-6 September. The centre fills with stages, fairs and fireworks, and many streets close to cars.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - FunMoscow Longevity in the parks
The groups doing Nordic walking, gymnastics or ballroom dancing in Moscow parks are often 'Moskovskoe dolgoletie' (Moscow Longevity), a free city programme for pensioners that has run since 2018. It is open to Moscow residents only (women from 55, men from 60), so visitors can watch but not join.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, mos.ru - RuleGarderob is not optional
In theatres you must leave your coat at the garderob: Vakhtangov Theatre rules forbid entering the hall in outerwear or with big bags, and a lost numbered token (nomerok) must be paid for in full. Put the nomerok in your pocket and arrive about 20 minutes early in winter to queue at the cloakroom.
Source: vakhtangov.ru, aif.ru - RuleThree bells, then the doors close
Theatres ring three bells before the performance: take your seat by the third bell. At the Vakhtangov, entry to the hall after the start is forbidden and a ticket is not refunded if you are late. Do not rush to the garderob during the curtain calls; it is considered rude.
Source: vakhtangov.ru, aif.ru, kp.ru - TipChange your shoes at the theatre
Moscow theatre etiquette says women ideally change out of winter boots into proper shoes in the cloakroom, so many bring a pair in a bag. Big bags and coats stay in the garderob, not under your seat.
Source: kp.ru, vakhtangov.ru - TipBiznes-lanch: first, second, third and kompot
On weekdays Moscow cafés sell a fixed business lunch, usually soup, a hot main with a side, a salad and a drink, typically served from about 12:00 to 15:00. Muscovites expect the full Soviet-style set: pervoe (soup), vtoroe (main), tretye (dessert or drink) and kompot.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, moskvichmag.ru - TipSome 'delovoy obed' run until five
Business-lunch hours vary: at the long-running club-restaurant Petrovich the weekday 'delovoy obed' runs 11:30-17:00 and cost RUB 340 for soup, salad, a hot dish and kompot in late 2024. Many restaurants instead knock 10-20% off the whole menu at lunchtime.
Source: daily.afisha.ru, moskvichmag.ru - TipHow the stolovaya works
In a stolovaya (canteen) the food is cooked in advance: you take a tray, slide it along the serving line, point at salads and desserts under glass, and the cooks ladle the soup and hot dishes for you; you pay at the till at the end. A 'kompleksny obed' is a fixed set at a fixed price, or you build your own lunch, which costs a little more.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, daily.afisha.ru - TipLunch at GUM's Stolovaya No. 57
Stolovaya No. 57 on the third floor of GUM keeps the full Soviet ritual in a Stalin-era setting of marble and columns: a long line with trays, salads under glass and cooks in white aprons. Afisha Daily calls it a tourist attraction that Muscovites themselves do not avoid.
Source: daily.afisha.ru - TipThe GES-2 canteen by the garderob
The canteen at GES-2 is on level -1 next to the cloakroom, open daily 12:00-17:00, with long communal tables and a set menu that changes every day; water and tea are free. Do not confuse it with the building's pricier cafés.
Source: daily.afisha.ru - TipWhat Muscovites take to the banya
The usual kit is a felt banya hat against overheating, flip-flops, a towel or sheet, a small mat for the hot benches and a thermos of herbal tea, the traditional drink after the steam. Check first what the banya provides: some hand out robes and slippers, others expect you to bring everything.
Source: daily.afisha.ru, kommersant.ru - TipOld-school banya: cash and your own food
The Astrakhanskie baths, running since the 1880s, keep the Soviet layout: shared changing rooms with hooks, a rest hall with cubicles and a three-tier steam room for 40; payment is cash only and you may bring food and drink. Sanduny, by contrast, forbids bringing your own food or drinks.
Source: daily.afisha.ru, msk.sanduny.ru - TipBookshops with coffee
Moscow's independent bookshops double as cafés: Parkhomenko on Tatarskaya, Podpisnye at the Museum of Russian Impressionism, Polyandria Letters and Gyperion, which stays open until 22:00. People come to sit with a new book and a cappuccino or a 'literary raf'.
Source: daily.afisha.ru - Watch outSalt-proof your winter boots
Moscow streets and pavements are heavily treated with de-icing salt in winter, which leaves white stains and cracks on leather shoes and burns dogs' paws. Locals clean boots with a soft brush every evening and spray them with water repellent before going out.
Source: daily.afisha.ru - TipA city of skating rinks and ski tracks
For winter 2025/26 the city opened 1,295 skating rinks and 429 ski trails totalling more than 700 km, in parks, squares and courtyards. The big rinks are in Gorky Park, Sokolniki, Kolomenskoye, VDNKh and on Sparrow Hills, and most have skate rental on site.
Source: mos.ru, mos.ru - TipFree rinks with registration
In winter 2025/26 Moscow ran 25 free artificial-ice rinks at the 'Moskovskie sezony' fair sites in almost every district, open until the end of winter, with skate rental, lockers and blade sharpening. Entry is free, but you register online in advance.
Source: mos.ru - TipCross-country skiing inside the city
Muscovites ski in the city parks: in 2025/26 there were 33 tracks with artificial snow, and the Luzhniki ski-biathlon track (3 km) ran daily until 1 March. In winter 2023/24 Izmailovsky Park had four rental points, two of them renting ski sets.
Source: mos.ru, mos.ru, mos.ru - FunThe two voices of Moscow transport
Every Muscovite knows the line 'Ostorozhno, dveri zakryvayutsya, sleduyushchaya stantsiya...' ('Careful, the doors are closing, next station...'). The female voice is Yulia Romanova-Kutyina and the male baritone Alexei Rossoshansky; the same voices now speak on the MCC, the MCD trains, buses and trams, and at New Year famous actors sometimes record greetings.
Source: mos.ru, riamo.ru - RulePriority seats are taken seriously
Every metro car has benches signed for older people, people with disabilities, pregnant women and passengers with children. Give them up as soon as someone who needs them gets on; taking them is a frequent source of irritation among Muscovites.
Source: t-j.ru - TipWatermelon stalls from 3 August
Melon season opens in early August, when beige-brown wooden bakhchevye razvaly (watermelon and melon stalls) appear on the streets; in 2026 the city set up 145 of them from 3 August. Watermelons come from the south, including Dagestan; in 2026 they cost about RUB 80 per kg and popular melons RUB 150 per kg, often less than in shops.
Source: rg.ru - FunThe 'quiet hunt' for mushrooms
Mushroom picking is called tikhaya okhota, the quiet hunt, and September is the peak of the season, when Muscovites go to the forests with baskets. Never pick anything you cannot identify with certainty.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, daily.afisha.ru - TipOne app for taxis, food and scooters
Muscovites run daily life through Yandex Go, a super-app built on Yandex Taxi: taxis, car sharing, electric scooter rental, food delivery, Lavka groceries, couriers, public transport times and power-bank rental all sit in one app.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - FunVkusVill started in Moscow
VkusVill, the grocery chain selling its own fresh dairy, salads and ready meals, was founded in Moscow in 2009; the first shop, then called Izbyonka and selling only dairy, opened in Strogino. By 2025 it had more than 2,000 shops and over 240 delivery dark stores.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - FunDo not talk to strangers at Patriarch's Ponds
Bulgakov's 'The Master and Margarita' opens at Patriarch's Ponds, where Berlioz and Bezdomny meet the devil; a sign by the pond reads 'Talking to strangers is forbidden' as a nod to chapter one. In the novel Berlioz dies under a tram turning from Yermolaevsky lane onto Bronnaya street, just by the pond.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipSkating on the Patriarch's Pond
Every winter the pond becomes a skating rink of about 12,000 square metres with skate rental, a tradition kept since 1900; Lev Tolstoy brought his daughters here. In the evening floodlights project flowers and snowflakes onto the ice.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipThe rings that organise Moscow
Moscow is built in rings. The Boulevard Ring is about 9 km of ten boulevards and squares that does not close: it stops at the river at both ends. The Garden Ring is a 15.6 km road loop 60-70 m wide, with the circle line running under its southern half.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, ru.wikipedia.org, ru.wikipedia.org - FunGogolevsky, the boulevard on three levels
Of the ten boulevards on the Boulevard Ring, Tverskoy is the longest and Sretensky the shortest. Gogolevsky runs on three levels, because the Chertory stream once ran along it with banks of different heights.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipForests inside the city
Muscovites walk, run and ski in real forests inside the city limits: Izmailovsky Park covers about 1,608 ha, including two forest parks and a pond with an island, and Bitsevsky Forest in the south-west about 2,208 ha of woods and ravines.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, ru.wikipedia.org - TipThe dacha weekend
From spring to autumn many Muscovites spend weekends at the dacha, a country plot with a small house, growing potatoes, strawberries and other fruit and vegetables, a habit that spread in Soviet times. Dacha-goers driving out for the weekend jam the roads that lead out of the city.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipLeave with a jar
Hosts with a dacha often send guests home with homemade preserves: pirozhki, varenye (whole-fruit jam eaten with tea) or other jars. Take them; refusing is rude, and the jars are usually good.
Source: gw2ru.com, ru.wikipedia.org - TipPodezd numbers and the domofon
A Moscow apartment block has several entrances (podezdy), and the podezd number is often part of the address, so ask your host for the building, podezd, floor and flat number plus the intercom (domofon) code. Entrances are locked with an intercom because strangers are not welcome to linger inside.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipKvas from the yellow tank
Kvas, the lightly fermented rye-bread drink under 3% alcohol, was sold in Soviet cities from small yellow tankers on the street, a habit still found in Russia today. Real kvas lists only water, rye flour, sugar, malt and yeast: check the label on bottled versions.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, vm.ru - FunOld New Year on 14 January
Russians celebrate New Year a second time on the night of 13 to 14 January, the 'Old New Year' by the Julian calendar. It was traditionally part of the Svyatki, the winter festive season around Christmas.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipDed Moroz has a Moscow estate
Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), the Russian New Year gift-bringer, has an official 'Moscow estate' in the Kuzminki-Lyublino museum reserve, where puppet shows and plays for children run during the 'Zima v Moskve' winter festival (December to February).
Source: mos.ru - TipSyrniki for breakfast
Syrniki are small fried patties of tvorog (farmer's cheese) with egg and flour, eaten hot for breakfast with sour cream or jam.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - FunUshanka: flaps up, flaps down
The ushanka fur hat is usually worn with the ear flaps tied up on top and let down only in wind and hard frost, when they also cover the cheeks and chin. The fake-fur version with a red star is a souvenir made for foreign tourists.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipOkroshka: kvas or kefir?
In hot weather Muscovites eat okroshka, a cold soup of chopped vegetables, egg and meat poured over with kvas or kefir, and which one is right is a long-running argument. In summer 2026 restaurants such as Dr. Zhivago and Aina served their own versions, from homemade kvas to ayran.
Source: daily.afisha.ru - FunPaying for the metro with your face
Many Muscovites no longer take out a card: face payment has worked at every metro station since 2021. You register once in the 'Metro Moskvy' app with a photo and a linked bank card, then stand on the black circle at the turnstile and look at the camera.
Source: daily.afisha.ru - TipPower banks at almost every station
More than 380 power-bank rental machines stand in the metro, at almost every station, so Muscovites rarely worry about a flat phone; you rent one through an app. Train lighting also changes through the day, colder in the morning and warmer in the evening.
Source: daily.afisha.ru - RuleA toast to the dead is not clinked
Toasts are made holding the glass, and the person proposing usually stands. A toast to someone who has died is drunk in silence, standing and without clinking glasses; in the Soviet and Russian army tradition this is the third toast, to fallen comrades.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - TipWinter in Moscow festival
From early December to the end of February the city runs 'Zima v Moskve' (Winter in Moscow) on more than 400 sites: fairs, light installations, rinks, ice slides, concerts and decorated fir trees across the districts. In 2025/26 it ran from 1 December to 28 February.
Source: mos.ru
Visa, money and travel advice
- RuleTurkish citizens: e-visa needed
Turkish ordinary-passport holders need a visa for Russia (special and service passports are visa-free for 30 days, diplomatic for 90). They can use Russia's unified e-visa, applied for on electronic-visa.kdmid.ru (evisa.kdmid.ru) or in the Russian MFA app at least 4 calendar days before entry; it is valid 120 days from issue and allows one stay of up to 30 days (Turkish MFA).
Source: mfa.gov.tr - RuleHow the unified e-visa works
Single entry, valid 120 days from issue (since 23 August 2025), stay up to 30 days from entry; arrival and departure days count as two full days. Apply 86 to 4 days before entry; processing takes up to 4 calendar days. No invitation or hotel voucher is needed, but medical insurance valid in Russia is required unless your country is on the exempt list. The fee (not stated on the official instruction page) is paid online with a foreign Visa or Mastercard and is not refundable; children under 6 pay nothing. Entry is only at listed checkpoints, which include Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports. Russia's MFA lists 64 eligible countries, including Turkey, Germany and Spain.
Source: evisa.kdmid.ru, electronic-visa.kdmid.ru, electronic-visa.kdmid.ru - RuleGermans and Spaniards
German citizens need a visa or residence permit to enter, leave or transit Russia; a visa must be obtained before the trip or as an e-visa, and the border cannot issue one (German Foreign Office). Spain's Foreign Ministry points Spanish travellers to the unified e-visa available since 1 August 2023, valid for the whole country, with no need to visit a Russian consulate.
Source: auswaertiges-amt.de, exteriores.gob.es - Watch outTypos on the e-visa get you turned back
The German Foreign Office warns that even tiny errors in the e-visa application (name, birth date, passport number: German passports use only the digit 0, never the letter O) lead to refusal at the border. The data on an issued e-visa cannot be corrected: you must apply again (Russian MFA).
Source: auswaertiges-amt.de, electronic-visa.kdmid.ru - RuleRegister within 7 working days
Every foreigner must be registered at their place of stay within 7 working days of arrival; hotels do it automatically. If you stay privately, the host files the notice at the Interior Ministry, a Russian Post office or a 'My Documents' centre. Keep the registration slip: police check it and you must show it when leaving (Russian MFA, UK FCDO).
Source: electronic-visa.kdmid.ru, gov.uk - RuleImmigration card and biometrics
Foreigners give fingerprints and photographs on arrival. You sign an immigration card at passport control; keep your half and show it when you leave, when you check in to a hotel and when you exchange money (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - Watch outOverstaying, even by hours
Overstaying an e-visa is an offence: hotels may refuse you, leaving needs a court procedure, a fine and a special exit visa that can take up to two weeks, or deportation with a five-year entry ban (German Foreign Office). Spain's MFA warns you cannot fly out if the visa has expired by even a few hours.
Source: auswaertiges-amt.de, exteriores.gob.es - RuleTurkish MFA guidance
The Turkish MFA's list of travel notices has no current security warning for Russia (the Russia notices date from 2015); its standing notice for Russia asks travellers to get the visa that matches the trip purpose, carry hotel booking documents and enough cash or card funds, and not give border officers answers that contradict the visa type, or risk being sent back on the next flight.
Source: mfa.gov.tr, mfa.gov.tr - Watch outUK FCDO: advises against all travel
The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Russia, citing security incidents such as drone attacks and air-defence activity, lack of flights to the UK, limited consular support and an increased risk of detention (page still current on 15 October 2026, updated 18 September 2026). Travel insurance may be invalid if you travel against this advice.
Source: gov.uk - Watch outUS State Department: Level 4
The US Embassy in Moscow shows the State Department's Travel Advisory Level 4: Do Not Travel to Russia 'for any reason due to terrorism, unrest, wrongful detention and other risks'.
Source: ru.usembassy.gov - Watch outGerman Foreign Office: travel warning
Germany issues a travel warning (Reisewarnung) for Russia (status 15 October 2026) and says Moscow and its region are increasingly the target of drone attacks, with significant danger from drones and falling debris.
Source: auswaertiges-amt.de - Watch outSpain: consider not travelling
Spain's Foreign Ministry (current on 15 October 2026, last updated 8 June 2026) recommends considering not travelling to Russia, citing reduced flight connections and problems with bank transfers and cards.
Source: exteriores.gob.es - TipFlights from Istanbul
Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul to Vnukovo, Pegasus and AJet from Sabiha Gokcen to Vnukovo, Pobeda from Istanbul to Vnukovo, and Aeroflot from Istanbul to Sheremetyevo (Wikipedia airport destination lists, 2026).
Source: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Money
- RuleForeign Visa and Mastercard do not work
Visa and Mastercard cards issued outside Russia do not work in Russian shops or ATMs (UK FCDO); Spain's Foreign Ministry adds American Express. This applies to foreign-issued cards in general; no official source was found on Turkish-issued Troy cards, so treat them as not working.
Source: gov.uk, exteriores.gob.es - RuleBring US dollars or euros in cash
To get roubles in Russia you must bring US dollars or euros to exchange; paying directly in foreign currency is illegal (UK FCDO). The German Foreign Office urges bringing enough cash plus an emergency reserve.
Source: gov.uk, auswaertiges-amt.de - Watch outEuros from the EU
Under EU Regulation 833/2014 it is forbidden to take cash in the official currency of an EU member state (euros) from the EU into Russia (German Foreign Office). Travellers from Turkey are not bound by the EU rule, but check what your departure country allows.
Source: auswaertiges-amt.de - RuleThe 10,000 dollar limit
Cash and travellers' cheques worth more than USD 10,000 in total must be declared on entry, and you cannot leave Russia with more than that amount even if you declare it (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - RuleKeep your immigration card for the exchange office
You need to show the immigration card you got at passport control when exchanging money (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - TipCard terminals can fail during shutdowns
During the March 2026 mobile internet shutdowns, Muscovites were sometimes unable to pay by card or withdraw cash because terminals and ATMs were offline; residents said they carried cash (Moscow Times).
Source: themoscowtimes.com - TipTipping
Tips are usually not included in the bill. Russian etiquette books suggest 5-10% in restaurants (5% for so-so service, 15% for exceptional service); for a business lunch it is up to you. Sommeliers usually get about 10% of the wine price (T-Zh).
Source: t-j.ru - FunWhy tips matter here
A restaurateur quoted by Kommersant says tips make up about 70% of a waiter's pay, and about 85% of all tips in Russia go to restaurants.
Source: kommersant.ru
Transport
- TipGet a Troika on day one
The plain Troika card costs a RUB 150 refundable deposit at any metro ticket office, needs no passport, and is topped up with cash. One ride costs RUB 75 on metro, MCC, buses and trams; a 1-day unlimited ticket RUB 415.
Source: ria.ru, kommersant.ru - RuleTap in and out on the MCD
On MCD suburban trains beyond the central zone you must validate at entry and exit; missing a validation can get the card blocked until you go to a ticket office (RIA Novosti).
Source: ria.ru - RuleMetro closes at 01:00
Stations open around 05:25 and all entrances and transfer corridors close at 01:00 for maintenance.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - TipVnukovo has a metro station
Since September 2023 the Solntsevskaya line runs to Aeroport Vnukovo under the airport car parks; the Aeroexpress to Vnukovo stopped in 2024.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org - TipTake the river boat as a commuter
The electric river boats are part of city transport: you pay at the pier with the Troika and get off at any stop. Weekday mornings 07:00-11:00 routes 2 and 3 cost half (RUB 165 on the Troika, 1 Aug - 15 Oct 2026).
Source: mos.ru, m24.ru - Watch outAirport closures from drone attacks
All four Moscow airports were closed for hours on 9 October 2026 and again overnight on 13-14 October, with over 500 flights delayed or cancelled; insurer data show Russian flight cancellations doubled in January-September 2026. Leave long connection buffers.
Source: themoscowtimes.com, ru.themoscowtimes.com - TipArrange the airport pickup before you land
Foreign SIM cards are often blocked for mobile data and SMS for 24 hours after entry, so taxi and map apps may not work at the airport; the German Foreign Office suggests asking your hotel to organise the pickup in advance.
Source: auswaertiges-amt.de
Etiquette
- RuleChurches: dress modestly
No shorts, sleeveless tops, short skirts or flip-flops; men remove hats and women cover their hair with a scarf. Photos, video and loud talk inside churches are considered disrespectful (Wikivoyage).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipShoes off at home
Always take your shoes off when entering someone's home; bring a small gift such as food or wine when invited (Wikivoyage).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - RuleOdd numbers of flowers
Give flowers in odd numbers: even numbers are for funerals. Avoid yellow flowers for a host (Wikivoyage).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipSerious faces are not rude
Smiling is kept for friends; shop assistants and officials are expected to look businesslike, and short answers do not mean lack of interest. People speak quietly in public; public drunkenness is frowned upon (Wikivoyage).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - RuleNo photos of official sites
Photographing military, secure or official sites, including airports, is illegal, sometimes with no warning signs; you can be detained (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - RuleSensitive topics
Political discussion and the war in Ukraine are very sensitive subjects; avoid political demonstrations and do not photograph political activity (UK FCDO; Wikivoyage).
Source: gov.uk, en.wikivoyage.org - TipLearn three words
Even zdrastvuyte (hello), pozhaluysta (please) and spasibo (thank you) make a noticeable difference (Wikivoyage).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org
Food
- TipThe stolovaya
In a stolovaya (canteen), take a tray, move along the counter, take dishes or ask staff for a bowl of soup or a plate of salad, and pay at the till at the end. Self-service canteens date from Soviet times and mean decent food with no waiting (Wikivoyage).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipBiznes-lanch
A set business lunch in a Moscow café costs about RUB 600-750 in 2026 (RUB 600-700 in mid-range cafés, 10-20% less in chain canteens), up 11-12% on a year earlier (Rossiyskaya Gazeta, May 2026).
Source: rg.ru - TipCalling the waiter
To get attention say 'Ofitsiant!' (Официант, neutral and polite) or, for a young woman, 'Devushka!'; ask for the bill with 'Schyot, pozhaluysta' (Wikivoyage phrasebook).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipTipping, cash or cashless
Tipping 5-10% is the etiquette norm, and more and more Russians leave tips cashlessly rather than in cash (T-Zh).
Source: t-j.ru - RuleBring nothing into the banya
At the Sanduny baths your own food and drinks are strictly forbidden; a public ticket covers 2 hours and extra time is charged per 30 minutes.
Source: msk.sanduny.ru - Watch outDrink safely
Buy drinks yourself, keep them in sight, and avoid unbranded alcohol: Russia has had deaths from methanol in bootleg vodka and counterfeit cider (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk
Safety
- Watch outDrone attacks
Moscow and its region are increasingly targeted by drones; there is usually no warning and sirens are rare (German Foreign Office). The UK FCDO advises taking cover in buildings or underground and staying away from windows; follow drone alerts on your phone.
Source: auswaertiges-amt.de, gov.uk - Watch outTerrorism
The UK FCDO says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Russia, including at concerts, tourist sites, festive events and transport; in March 2024, 145 people were killed at Crocus City Hall near Moscow.
Source: gov.uk - RulePassport always with you
Police carry out random ID checks; you can be fined or held up to 48 hours without your passport and registration, and copies are not accepted (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk, gov.uk - Watch outQuestioning at the border
Some travellers have been questioned about political views and asked for data from their phones on arrival, sometimes for hours. Under Russian law you need not hand over a device without a warrant, but refusing can mean long delays (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - Watch outWhat you post can be prosecuted
Displaying LGBT+ symbols, supporting Ukraine on social media and sharing images of drone or military attacks can lead to detention or prosecution; sharing information deemed 'fake' carries up to 15 years (UK FCDO).
Source: gov.uk - Watch outMobile internet shutdowns and blocked apps
Moscow has had repeated mobile internet shutdowns (for about two weeks in March 2026, and around Victory Day in May 2026), when only 'whitelisted' services such as government, banking and taxi apps were meant to work. WhatsApp and Telegram calls have been restricted since August 2025, and in February-March 2026 both apps were largely blocked without a VPN. Meta, X and LinkedIn are blocked (UK FCDO).
Source: themoscowtimes.com, themoscowtimes.com, themoscowtimes.com - RuleVPNs and SIM cards
Using a VPN is not illegal, but advertising VPNs is, and during shutdowns most VPNs do not work (Moscow Times; German Foreign Office). Since 2025 foreigners buying or keeping a Russian SIM must go through ID, biometric checks and, per the German Foreign Office, a SNILS number and Gosuslugi account; the UK FCDO says it can take up to 2 weeks. Roaming on your home SIM needs no local checks but may have no mobile data or SMS.
Source: themoscowtimes.com, auswaertiges-amt.de, gov.uk - TipIce in winter
Streets get very slippery in winter and ice patches are hard to see; wear boots with good grip (Wikivoyage).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org
Free
- TipZaryadye Park, any hour
The park grounds next to Red Square are free and open around the clock; only some attractions need tickets.
Source: zaryadyepark.ru - TipTsvetaev Educational Art Museum
The Pushkin Museum's Educational Art Museum, with its collection of casts, is free for everyone with no ticket needed.
Source: pushkinmuseum.art - TipGES-2 House of Culture
Register online for an entry slot at the former power station on Bolotnaya naberezhnaya, open daily 11:00-22:00; free mediator-led tours run every day.
Source: ges-2.org, ges-2.org - TipMoscow Museum Week
City museums such as Tsaritsyno have a free-entry day in Museum Week, the Wednesday of the third week of the month (2026: 11 Nov, 16 Dec). Federal museums such as the Pushkin Museum do not take part; eligibility for foreign visitors not verified.
Source: tsaritsyno-museum.ru, pushkinmuseum.art - TipThe metro as a museum for RUB 75
One Troika ride (RUB 75) lets you see as many stations as you like without leaving the system; Park Pobedy, 73 m down, is one of the deepest stations in the world.
Source: kommersant.ru, en.wikipedia.org - TipFree for students at Garage
Garage's open storage is free for students, schoolchildren, children under 7 and pensioners showing documents (RUB 600 otherwise).
Source: garagemca.org - TipChildren under 7 ride free
Under-7s travel free on the Aeroexpress and on the river boats when with an adult.
Source: aeroexpress.ru, m24.ru
Fun
- FunA cable car over the Moskva
The 720 m Moscow cable car (opened November 2018) links Luzhniki with the Sparrow Hills viewpoint; the 8-seat gondolas were styled by Porsche Design Studio and have audio guides in four languages, and in winter 4-seat chairs also run on one section.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - FunElectric boats that work in winter
Moscow's river electric boats run all year, even in winter, the first year-round electric passenger boats in the world according to the city.
Source: mos.ru - FunThe Tsar's railway ring
The MCC runs on the Little Ring railway opened in 1908, nicknamed the 'Royal Railroad'; at 3.40 roubles a ticket almost nobody rode it then and passenger service stopped after four months.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - FunTrains every 80 seconds
In February 2023 Moscow became the first metro in the world to cut train intervals to 80 seconds.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - FunCollectible Troika cards
The city keeps issuing limited-edition Troika cards: Tretyakov Gallery paintings such as Shishkin's 'Rye' and Polenov's 'Moscow Courtyard' (2025) and the Soviet cartoon 'Shaybu! Shaybu!' (December 2025). A Troika key fob costs RUB 450, a bracelet RUB 750, a ring RUB 3,750.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org, ria.ru - FunThe Troika is a key to the city
Besides transport, the Troika pays for the Moscow Zoo, Zaryadye tickets, the Moscow-City cable car, Velobike rental and some river cruises (RIA Novosti).
Source: ria.ru - FunA Gothic rest hall in the banya
The Higher class at Sanduny has a Gothic-style rest hall in dark wood with openwork lamps and 13 cabins that look like old railway compartments.
Source: msk.sanduny.ru - FunA playground of nine playgrounds
Salyut, by Garage in Gorky Park, is the largest public open-air playground in Russia: nine separately designed areas built around sand, water, colour, sound and height.
Source: garagemca.org - FunSummer cinema on Garage Square
Garage Screen shows films in the museum auditorium and, in the warmer months, in an open-air cinema on Garage Square in Gorky Park.
Source: garagemca.org - FunTalk about the art at GES-2
GES-2 runs free mediator tours every day, where staff discuss the works with you; its autumn 2026 programme includes what it calls the first reconstruction in 140 years of Anton Rubinstein's 'Historical Concerts'.
Source: ges-2.org, ges-2.org - FunGet married on the TV tower
The Ostankino TV tower hosts civil wedding registrations on one of its observation decks; the 2026 season was ending in October.
Source: tvtower.ru - FunKievsky pier to Moscow City by boat
Route 1 of the river boats runs from Kievsky station past the Moscow-City towers to Park Fili, a commute with skyscraper views for a Troika fare.
Source: mos.ru
When to go
- TipWinter is cold but not extreme on average
January's average daily high at VDNKh is -3.9 C and the average low -8.7 C (1991-2020 normals), with about 25 snowy days; July averages a high of 24.7 C (Wikipedia climate table).
Source: en.wikipedia.org - TipJourney to Christmas festival
The 'Puteshestviye v Rozhdestvo' winter festival ran 12 December 2025 - 11 January 2026 on more than 30 sites, including Manezhnaya and Tverskaya squares, Ploshchad Revolyutsii and Novy Arbat, with skating, ice shows and food courts.
Source: zima.mos.ru, mos.ru - TipWinter in Moscow season
The city's 'Zima v Moskve' programme ran until 28 February 2026, with a winter festival in 15 historic estates and mansions (1 Dec - 28 Feb) and a winter music festival at Zaryadye Concert Hall (2-31 Dec).
Source: mos.ru - TipMoscow City Day
City Day is celebrated every year on the first or second Saturday of September, with the main events on Tverskaya, Red Square and Vasilyevsky Spusk.
Source: ru.wikipedia.org - Watch outVictory Day (9 May) restrictions
Around Victory Day 2026 the authorities restricted mobile internet and SMS in Moscow for several days 'for security'; the same happened in 2025. Expect connectivity problems and crowds around the parade.
Source: themoscowtimes.com, meduza.io - TipRiver season fares
River electric boats run all year, but summer fares on routes 1 and 4 (RUB 400 weekdays / 700 weekends) apply until 15 October; winter fares for 2026-27 were not yet published.
Source: mos.ru, m24.ru - TipMuseum Week dates
Moscow Museum Week free days at city museums in late 2026: 11 November and 16 December.
Source: tsaritsyno-museum.ru
Words
- TipЗдравствуйте
Hello, formal: zdrastvuyte (ZDRAHST-vooy-tyeh; the first v is silent).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipСпасибо
Thank you: spasibo (spuh-SEE-buh).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipПожалуйста
Please, and also 'you're welcome': pozhaluysta (pah-ZHAH-luh-stuh).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipИзвините
Excuse me (to get attention): izvinite (eez-vee-NEET-yeh).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipСколько это стоит?
How much is this? Skolko eto stoit? (SKOHL-kuh EH-tuh STOH-eet).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipСчёт, пожалуйста
The bill, please: schyot, pozhaluysta (shyoht, puh-ZHAH-luh-stuh).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipВы говорите по-английски?
Do you speak English? Vy govorite po-angliyski? (vyh guh-vah-REE-tyeh pah ahn-GLEES-kee).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipЯ не понимаю
I don't understand: ya ne ponimayu (yah nee puh-nee-MIGH-yoo).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipГде туалет?
Where is the toilet? Gde tualet? (gdyeh too-ah-LYEHT).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipВход / Выход
Entrance: vkhod. Exit: vykhod. You will see both on every metro station.
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipПомогите! / Полиция!
Help! Pomogite! (puh-mah-GEE-tyeh). Police! Politsiya! (poh-LEE-tsyh-yah).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipКак добраться до...?
How do I get to...? Kak dobratsya do...? (kahk dah-BRAH-tsuh duh).
Source: en.wikivoyage.org
Checked October 2026. Every item links to where it came from.