Here is the latest update on how Way to Russia's advertisers are performing.
At Way to Russia we find all the best providers for all the travel services you need (accommodation, train tickets, tours and so on) and put them on our website. This saves you the hassle of trawling the internet to find companies you have never heard of (whose reliability is not guaranteed) for each travel service you need.
We monitor these companies to make sure they are providing quality customer service. And you will find our latest report on their performance below (based on customers' feedback and mystery shoppers requests):
At Way to Russia we find all the best providers for all the travel services you need (accommodation, train tickets, tours and so on) and put them on our website. This saves you the hassle of trawling the internet to find companies you have never heard of (whose reliability is not guaranteed) for each travel service you need.
We monitor these companies to make sure they are providing quality customer service. And you will find our latest report on their performance below (based on customers' feedback and mystery shoppers requests):
The Aeroflot sale only comes twice a year (at the start of spring and the start of autumn) and always features some great bargains. This is a great chance to visit Moscow with return flights from places like Rome and Amsterdam just 149 euros. But one of the best deals is London to Moscow return for just 99GBP. If you're living in Moscow this is the chance for a holiday to places like Kiev for 99 euros return, London, Paris or Madrid for 199 euros return, Beijing or Shanghai for 299 euros return, or Toronto for 349 euros return.
For domestic airfares some of the best deals are Moscow to Samara or Astrakhan return for 1900R ($72), Moscow to Irkutsk return for 4900R ($187) or Moscow to Vladivostok return for 13900R ($529). Tickets go on sale on Tuesday February 27th at 9am and are available until March 5th. But you really need to buy on the first day of the sale to be sure to get your tickets. In Moscow there are usually long queues outside Aeroflot offices when these sales start, but you can beat the crowds and book online from Aeroflot's website. Tickets are for travel between April 2nd and June 9th. Click here for the full list of special fares.
For domestic airfares some of the best deals are Moscow to Samara or Astrakhan return for 1900R ($72), Moscow to Irkutsk return for 4900R ($187) or Moscow to Vladivostok return for 13900R ($529). Tickets go on sale on Tuesday February 27th at 9am and are available until March 5th. But you really need to buy on the first day of the sale to be sure to get your tickets. In Moscow there are usually long queues outside Aeroflot offices when these sales start, but you can beat the crowds and book online from Aeroflot's website. Tickets are for travel between April 2nd and June 9th. Click here for the full list of special fares.
Friday February 23rd is a public holiday - Defenders of the Fatherland Day. The holiday is supposed to be geared towards those who served in the armed forces, though it serves more as a day to celebrate men in general – a counterpart to March 8th's Women’s Day in the interests of gender equality. Of course, a celebration of men and a celebration of those who served in the armed forces should technically be synonymous in Russia. But with many parents doing everything from doctoring medical records from when their sons are toddlers to paying large sums of money to save their children the rigors of conscription, this is not the case. And, in fact, it's even acceptable for foreigners to get in on the act and reap the benefits of the day.
The cream of the crop? Well, that’s subjective. But it is fair to say that Kasta are one of, if not the most, popular act in Russian hip-hop. And rap music, while not as popular in Russia as elsewhere in the world, is a fast-growing genre. Moreover, Kasta have to be given credit as pioneers. The trio from Rostov-na-Donu has been around since 1996 – a time when homegrown hip-hop was still very rare.
These days Kasta are a well-known band. Their numerous albums have achieved an impressive level of commercial success and their songs regularly feature on movie soundtracks and the like. The song ‘Goryachee Vremya’ (see the video below), which featured on the soundtrack for the 2002 action hit AntiKiller, was a particular boost to their fame.
These days Kasta are a well-known band. Their numerous albums have achieved an impressive level of commercial success and their songs regularly feature on movie soundtracks and the like. The song ‘Goryachee Vremya’ (see the video below), which featured on the soundtrack for the 2002 action hit AntiKiller, was a particular boost to their fame.
13/02: We Want Your Travel Stories!
Do you have a great story to tell about your travels in Russia? Do you live in Russia or travel there regularly and have a whole bunch of stories to tell? Then post them on our blog and share your experiences with over 1.5 million people! Just click on the “Submit Travelogue” link on the right, enter your details, cut and paste your story, upload a few photos and you’re away.
"Nu Pogodi" ("Just Wait...") is a very popular cartoon produced in the 60s in Soviet Union. The plot is very simple: a bad wolf is running after an innocent rabbit. He never manages to catch him and at the end of each series the wolf says: "Nu zayats, pogodi!" ("So, rabbit, just wait..."). It's funny that even though the plot is quite similar to Tom & Jerry, the cartoon has a very distinct style... somehow the Soviet wolf seems much more malicious than his American counterpart.
09/02: The Conflict of Generations
For those, who can read Russian...
New: How to register your Russian visa at a post office.
As you may perhaps know already the new Russian visa registration procedure was implemented in 2007. The rules are changing quite often, but today we were able to compile a clear and correct outline, which explains how to register your visa if you are staying in a private apartment (rented or as a guest). It actually became much easier to do it.
If you're staying at a hotel, the hotel will register you for the period you're staying there.
The main change is that there is no need anymore to go to OVIR if you're staying at an apartment and that all the documents can be submitted by post. Also, from January 2007 registering your visa is the sole responsibility of your accommodating party (hotel or landlord) and should be done by them, not by you and not by the agency, which issued your visa support.
Download the latest Registration Form in PDF format
Below is the detailed explanation of the registration process...
As you may perhaps know already the new Russian visa registration procedure was implemented in 2007. The rules are changing quite often, but today we were able to compile a clear and correct outline, which explains how to register your visa if you are staying in a private apartment (rented or as a guest). It actually became much easier to do it.
If you're staying at a hotel, the hotel will register you for the period you're staying there.
The main change is that there is no need anymore to go to OVIR if you're staying at an apartment and that all the documents can be submitted by post. Also, from January 2007 registering your visa is the sole responsibility of your accommodating party (hotel or landlord) and should be done by them, not by you and not by the agency, which issued your visa support.
Download the latest Registration Form in PDF format
Below is the detailed explanation of the registration process...
A few years ago there was a stupid TV show in Russia where you could witness lovers or families sorting out their relationship in front of the public. Here's a short exerpt from the show that went a little wrong...
