Russian Federation Travel Guide - Going Out

The kind of food visitors will eat from day to day depends on which city they are visiting and the time of year. Breakfast is often similar to that eaten in Scandinavian countries, with cold meats, boiled eggs and bread served with Russian tea. For the midday and evening meal the food is often more traditional, again depending on the region.

Things to know: City-centre bars are usually open until the early hours.

National specialities:
• Kasha (porridge) is a staple breakfast dish, made with milk and oats, buckwheat or semolina.
• Blini (small pancakes filled with caviar, fish, melted butter or sour cream).
• Ponchiki (hot sugared doughnuts).
• Pirozhky (fried rolls with different fillings, usually meat).
• Borshch, a beetroot soup served hot with sour cream.
• Pelmeni (meat dumplings).

National drinks:
• Chai (sweet tea served without milk).
• Vodka (often flavoured and coloured with herbs and spices such as zubrovka (a kind of grass), ryabinovka (steeped with rowan-tree berries), starka (dark, smooth, aged vodka) and pertsovka (with hot pepper). Russky Standard, Stolichnaya and Gzhelka are popular brands.
• Krushon (cold ‘punch’; champagne, brandy and summer fruit are poured into a hollowed watermelon and chilled for several hours).
• Nalivka (sweet liqueur made with fruit or berries).
• Nastoika (fortified wine made of herbs, leaves, flowers, fruit and roots of plants with medicinal properties).

Tipping: Hotels in Moscow and other large cities include a 10 to 15% service charge. Otherwise 10% is customary.

Theatre, circus, concert and variety performances are the main evening entertainments. Tickets are available in advance or from ticket booths immediately before performances. Visitors should note that prices for foreigners are usually much higher than those paid by Russian nationals. The repertoire of theatres provides a change of programme almost nightly. In the course of one month, 30 different productions may be presented by the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Company. Visitors can get more information at the service bureau of their hotel. All of these establishments are open 0600-2200.

A wide range of goods, such as watches, cameras, wines and spirits, ceramics and glass, jewellery and toys may be bought in Moscow and St Petersburg. Shops take payment in Roubles and, usually, by credit card. It is necessary to allow extra time for souvenir hunting: shopping can be a time-consuming activity, owing to the relatively chaotic state of the retail trade in the Russian Federation. It is also advisable to shop around, as prices vary significantly. A good strategy is to choose your souvenirs in a department store such as GUM (on Red Square), and then buy them in a smaller, less centrally located shop. Kholui and Palekh lacquered boxes make attractive souvenirs. Traditional and satirical Matryoshka dolls (wooden dolls within dolls) are widely available. Khokhloma wooden cups, saucers and spoons are painted gold, red and black. Dymkovskaya Igrushka are pottery figurines based on popular folklore characters. Engraved amber, Gzhel porcelain, Vologda lace and Fabergé eggs and jewellery are highly sought after.

A samovar (typical metal container used to boil water for tea) makes a good souvenir. Antiquities, valuables, works of art and manuscripts other than those offered for sale in souvenir shops may not be taken out of the Russian Federation without an export licence.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1900. Most food shops are also open on Sunday. Department stores and supermarkets are open throughout lunchtime. Stores that are open 24 hours a day are becoming more common.