Culture background

Russian culture has a long history and tradition, which Russian people are very proud of.
Russians consider themselves as a well educated nation. They read a lot: books are cheap, and one can afford to buy 5-10 books a month without serious damage to a family budget.
Russians are also fond of live performances at theatres and since tickets are affordable (prices in cinemas and theatres are comparable), they enjoy attending theatres: opera, musical, ballet, drama etc.
Generally every city has a few theatres. The theatre culture was developed during the Soviet times when tickets were sold through schools and enterprises: cities were divided into areas and there was a theatre agent responsible for each particular area. The agent would bring tickets for distribution to every enterprise and school in his area and the person responsible for “culture sector” would organize collective visit to the theatre. People had the opportunity to attend theatres from the early age, starting from attending performances in a Muppet theatre, then moving to the Youth Drama Theatre, then to Drama, Musical and Opera, according to their age. Also attending performances in a company is always much more fun, which contributed to the popularity of theatres. This is how most Russian people have developed their taste for live performances.
Movie theatres are also becoming popular in Russia and they are equipped with the latest sound systems. When Russian people talk about movie theatres, they will usually say “cinema”; if they talk about “theatres”, they mean live performances.
Russian culture is non-individualistic. The power of an individual in Russia is much less than in the western countries and most deals are pushed through family, friends and acquaintances. A Russian saying is, “One is not a soldier in the battlefield” . In Russia, you still need to know people in power to make things work. This is why they maintain more friendships than an average westerner. They often have to rely on their friends to help them out. You know someone who knows someone who is in power; this is the way most Russians have the things done. If you know the right person, you can have the most difficult things done with little effort.
The majority of Russians consider themselves as Christians, and belong to Russian Orthodox Church. Church service in Russia can be attended any day of the week and performed every day 2 or 3 times (early morning at 3 a.m., then at 8 a.m. and then in the evening at 7 p.m.). Church marriage is not official in Russia. A couple has to register their marriage with government authorities first to be allowed to have church ceremony performed.
Medical aid and education in Russia are free, though Russians joke that education becomes less and less free with every year. One can still get a university education for free by passing the entrance tests (exams), but the universities have to decrease the number of students studying on a free basis because of poor state financing.
Since both education and culture facilities used to be widely available, Russians can be considered a highly cultured nation. Their general knowledge is very good: they know a little bit about virtually everything. At secondary schools, they study not only the history of Russia but also the world history, including American and European history. In the same secondary school course (11 years school qualification is mandatory in Russia) young Russians study world literature, world music, and world geography. Many books of western authors are mandatory reading in the course of literature (in Russian translation of course). The standard secondary school program includes studying of a foreign language for 6 years (grades 5-11), usually it is English but also can be French, German or Spanish. Most subjects in the course of a secondary school are mandatory for all schools throughout the whole Russia, and only since recently there are some subjects that students can choose in addition to the general course.
Intellectually, Russians are interesting people to talk to and enjoy deep subjects. Philosophy is still a mandatory subject when you study for a degree and one of the 3 compulsory subjects for PhD qualifying exam (the other 2 are foreign language and the specialty itself).
Russians are very straightforward. Their manners are not bad, they are just Russian. Russia is quite a tough country and Russians usually do not hesitate to say what they think in a way that doesn’t leave room for any misunderstandings. When they meet or phone each other, they seldom spend time on questions like “How are you?” and go straight to the point. They are not rude; it’s just a way of doing things.
Having a university or college degree is common. Russia has a high educational level (more than 40% of the total population has college or university degree).
It’s not of any wonder if a woman with university degree works as a secretary. Having a Ph.D. is also not a big deal, and doesn’t give you a big advantage; good knowledge of English will provide you with a better competitive edge. The position that one has in a company is not as important as the company in which he or she works.
Russians like to emphasize their different attitude towards material values and consider themselves as sincere, cordial, understanding and unselfish. They like to talk about “specifics of Russian soul” or “mysterious Russian soul”, and repeat the famous phrase of a Russian poet “You can’t understand Russia by your mind”.
Generally, Russians love their country. They can criticize it severely, but if you try to do the same they will defend it furiously. They feel like citizens of the largest county in the world, which has rich history and deep cultural roots, and they are proud of it.

Attention!!! Russian Love!!!

New Russian Visa Regulations

There has been some changes in Russian visa regulations, which were implemented a few days ago.

1. A foreign citizen can now obtain a Russian visa ONLY in the country of his/her citizenship. One can also obtain a Russian visa in another country but will need to present to the Russian consulate a permit of stay in that country valid for more than 90 days. A visa may also be issued in a country other than an applicant's own in case of urgent necessity, such as participating in international, governmental, official, scientific, sport and cultural events. A final decision in these cases would be left up to the consulate.

2. A multiple entry business visa allows nationals of all countries to stay in Russia up to 90 days out of the period of 180 days.

3. A multiple entry visa is only available for people who have been issued a Russian visa before. If this is your first visit, you are only eligible to obtain a single or double entry visa for 1 to 3 months, which is the only way now to stay in Russia for longer than 50% of time if you plan to live here (apart from getting a residence permit or an official work permit, which enables you to stay in Russia for as long as you are employed here). A copy of your previous Russian visa should be enclosed in your application for a multiple entry invitation.

A possible workaround for the 1st rule would be to get a simple registration, not an official visa-permit of stay and try to get a visa with it. It's still an official document, and the consulate might be OK with it. For example, in Germany one can get a "registration" (anmeldung) quite easily in a local area council office. If anybody knows about this possibility in other countries, please, post it here.

Bill Gates :-)))

10 things to know about Sochi

1. Sochi is the largest resort region of the Russian Federation. It stretches for 147 km along the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar region and includes the Krasnaya Polyana mountain resort area.

2. Sochi is divided into four administrative districts: Adler, Khosta, Central and Lazarevsky, and it borders the Georgian Republic in the south.

3. On the map, Sochi can be found on the same latitude with Toronto, Nice and the Gobi desert. As its charming landscapes and scenery are so reminiscent of the Mediterranean, Sochi is often referred to as the “Russian Riviera”.

4. As Sochi is situated between the Caucasian Mountains and the Black Sea, it enjoys the most northern subtropical climate on earth. As a result, its Krasnaya Polyana mountains have great snow conditions and are largely protected from the wind. These unique conditions cannot be found anywhere else in Europe.

5. Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) in the Russian Caucasus is considered the highest mountain in Europe. Mont Blanc in comparison is 4,810 m. The average height of the Caucasus mountains around Sochi are 2,000m.

6. The climate in Sochi is subtropical and the city usually has 200 sunny days a year. The average summer temperature is +26° C and -3° C in the winter. You can swim in the sea from April until October, and go skiing from October through May.

7. There are no large industrial facilities in the Sochi area, so the air quality, especially in Sochi’s Krasnaya Polyana area, is considered among the very best in the world.

8. Sochi is a city with more then 400,000 inhabitants representing over 100 nationalities. Over four million tourists visit Sochi annually and with over 250 spa facilities in the area, health and leisure tourism are the city’s leading sources of economy.

9. Sochi has over 200,000 hectares of forests, 4,000 of which are within Sochi Centre. Sochi encompasses several specially protected natural zones: the Caucasian National Biosphere Reserve, Sochi National Park, the Russian Federation National Wildlife Sanctuary, and over 30 botanical gardens and parks and nature sanctuaries housing over 30,000 wild-life plant species.

10. The Sochi tennis school became the launching pad for the careers of many Russian tennis stars, including Maria Sharapova and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

Russian cuisine

Traditional Russian cuisine is an important part of Russian national culture. Russian cuisine is one of the most popular and widely spread in the world. French cuisine is festive and elegant, Chinese cuisine is exotic, Russian cuisine is healthy and delicious. Russian cuisine derives its rich and varied character from the vast and multicultural expanse of Russia. Its foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, poultry, game, mushrooms, berries, and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley, and millet provided the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, cereals, kvass, beer, and vodka. Flavorful soups and stews centered on seasonal or storable produce, fish, and meats. Pies have always been a part of the holiday fare. The pies are customarily filled with different kinds of meat, fish, and berries. Large areas covered by woods and forests were abundant in berries and mushrooms and this accounted for a wealth of “gifts of the forests” on the Russian table.
Russian cuisine was renowned for diverse delicacies, especially refreshments (zakuski), made of fish. Russian rivers, lakes and seas yielded much of this tasty and useful kind of food. Soups and stews that were made from the poultry and meats that were hunted, were richly flavored and popular meals throughout the cold winter months. Bread is a staple of Russian cuisine, and there’s nothing in the world to compare to Russian black rye bread. Heavy and meaty, with a characteristic ’sour’ taste, Russian rye bread is nearly hearty enough to be a meal in and of itself, and a meal is not complete without bread.
Russian cuisine represents a wonderful bouquet of many cultural traditions and influences that have been absorbed over many centuries. For instance, a drink as Russian today as tea, was brought to Russia as the most precious gift from a Mongolian khan. Today Russia is the largest importer of tea in the world, and Russians drink tea 3–5 times a day. Tea has always been served with candies, pies, pryaniki (Russian gingerbread) and pastries.

As centuries passed, growing contacts with Western countries led to numerous borrowings in Russian cooking, enriching Russian cookery. Smoked meat, pastry cooking, wines and chocolate are a few culinary items that were introduced in the 16th to the 18th century. Although most of these refined foods were only available to the rich and aristocratic circles in Russia, it added to the Russian cuisine and meals that would become traditional Russian dishes. Primordial Russian products such as caviar, smetana (sour cream), buckwheat, rye flour, etc. have had a great influence on world-wide cuisine.

Russian visa requirements

All of the following documents must be received by our office before processing your visa to Russia. These requirements apply to citizens of all countries with the exception of immigrants from Russia and the Soviet Union. Former Russian and Soviet citizens should call our office for further details.

RUSSIAN VISA REQUIREMENTS:

* Order Form, thoroughly completed
* Your actual passport with at least 2 blank visa-designated pages. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months after intended departure from Russia
* One passport-size photograph
* US citizens: Two copies of this Russian visa application form, completed and signed
* Non-US citizens: Two copies of this Russian visa application form, completed and signed
* Payment: A company or personal check or money order made payable to "RussiaGateway.com". To pay for your Russian visa by credit card, please download the credit card authorization form. Include the form in the package that you mail to us.
* If you apply for a visa valid for more than 3 months you must submit HIV Test (AIDS) Certificate.

Russian visas to citizens of the following countries are issued only upon providing proof of permanent residency in the United States (photo copy of the green card) and own letter of invitation (discounts apply). List of countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, N. Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri-Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.

On the basis of reciprocity, mandatory medical insurance is required, for the citizens of Estonia, Israel, as well as for the citizens of Schengen Agreement Member States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden).

Children apply for separate visas if they travel on their own passports. Non-traveling parents must confirm in an affidavit their consent for their children's travel. If the child's surname differs from that of his (her) parents, a copy of the child's birth certificate must be enclosed.

Russian Visa Registration Procedure

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.

Below is the detailed explanation of the registration process...

1. A foreigner submits his passport and migration card to the landlord. The landlord takes these to the local police station and fills out a registration form (see a sample below). He also enters his own passport details and needs to have his own passport when going to the police. It's essential that the landlord himself is registered at this address. The good news is that no approval of the other people registered at the apartment is needed (as it was before).

2. The authorities accept the form and give a tear off coupon to the landlord. He gives it back to the foreigner and the foreigner keeps it until departure. Please note that the foreigner himself is not supposed to go to the police at all.

3. The registration is to be done within three business days upon arrival.

4. When leaving, the foreigner render the tear off coupon to the landlord (he does not need to show it at the border) and the landlord passes it to the police. This should be done within 24 hours after departure.

5. The procedure can be accomplished by post. In this case the same documents are presented to the post office, they check them and give you the coupon back and when the foreigner leaves, you can send the coupon back by post as well. This procedure (submitting the registration by post) should work in Moscow, we do not yet know if all the post offices in Russia are aware of this procedure.

Lamborghini!!!!!

Russian police :-))