Shortcuts:
Request to add links to ORIGINAL and RELEVANT page/site are welcomed. Note that descriptions that consist of vague general phrasing like "we offer accommodation for any budget" or linguistic atrocities such as "interesting attractions" (the author of one the recent requests hit me with this one) will be rejected. If I feel your site is getting stale I'll remove the link but by all means re-submit it after you do an update.. e-mail paul_voytinsky@yahoo.com
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MAIN INDEX
www.cheap-moscow.com
www.russian-horse-rides.com
www.moscowdrivers.net
www.staritsa.info
www.oldmanfriday.com
The
new site that includes all off the above but readable and clutter-free
>>
New for possibly adding here:
http://the-big-onion.com/ - Moscow restaurants. A private blog. Also run by the same author is http://russiawines.com/ - Russian wines. http://www.englishdadinmoscow.com/ - A private blog by a British expat living in Moscow. Conveys a sense what it is like to be here NOT as a tourist. http://wandaandterry.blogspot.com/2010/11/moscow-curry-club.html - Moscow Curry Club. A blog of a member of an oil executives group. Moscow living from a big shot's point of view. A private blog.
Uncle Pasha's hand-picked and regularly updated
collection of
RUSSIAN TRAVEL RESOURCES IN
ENGLISH
I use these myself for both information and services. My aim is to identify worthwhile resrouces among a flood of nearly identical hotel databases. Ironically, the current upgrade of this list (January 2012) is being supported by one of these hotel databases, Moscow Hotels, thanks to which I'm pulling through the season of no travellers, no sunlights, and slush-covered sidewalks at -20C (-4F). Time to re-activate my Russian Misery Travel® concept. A related list is that of travel resources in Russian. Everything I deem worthy goes there >>
Recommendations of sites that are informative and unique are accepted.
ACCOMMODATION & TRAVELLER SUPPORT
www.sweetmoscow.com
Basilica Hostel and Hotel. Quiet. Located on church property and was
originally setup to accommodate western pilgrims. About 6-8 min. walk
from Metro Kitay-Gorod. I'd probably stay there myself if I had to. And
could by-pass dealing with Russian front-desk staff. Ask about their
free-standing little house and, if available and budget permitting, grab
it! Beds $20-25, separate rooms $80-150.
www.suharevkahotel.ru
Run by the same people as Basilica. Beds
$15-25, tiny
separate one-person rooms no more than $70 last time I checked. The
location is on the north part of the Garden Ring, where old Moscow
turns into a Stalin-era city. No charm the way you'd find in
the Basilica but a very practical place to stay right by Metro Sukharevskaya. Walking distance the Three Stations Square.
Attractions nearby the popped up in my head, in no particular order:
Hospital of Emergency Medicine, the Old Circus, Moscow Fat Club, the
Bulgakov Museum, the Book Fair, the Sakharov Museum....
www.napoleonhostel.com
One of the very few "recommended" hostels. Maroseyka area, right by
Dmitry Sharvin, very close to
Basilica. Excellent reputation. The Napoleon was praised, among
other things, for its easy accommodating attitude. In particular, they
do quick and inexpensive registration even to travellers who are not
staying there was never a problem. What's nearby: KGB, Narcotics
Committee, and Communist Party headquarters, the Polytechnic Museum, and
the gay hangout at the top of the park the name of which escapes me at
the moment.
|
Hostel Owners! |
Travellers! |
www.waytorussia.net
No response to several of my enquiries sent over the course of the last
five years or so. But given WaytoRussia's past prominence I'm keeping
the link in hope they'll one day come back to life. The site is up (Dec.
2011).
www.gotorussia.net
Located in Atlanta. Visa support
and accommodation. No e-mail to contact. Years ago I had clients who got
their Russian visas through gotorussia.net and praised them.
www.CapitalTourist.Com
Comprehensive traveller support, including babying first-time travellers.
Services presented in a clear no-frills manner. Based in Moscow. Respond
fast. Of all the vendors of all-around travellers support services in
Moscow I'd probably contact them first. If of course I wasn't myself in
this silly business. Their site is one of the very few that easily opens
even with slow mobile internet.
en.cto-group.ru/ or write to
Nikolay
Polyushkin
Hotels in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Golden Ring cities.
Hotels offered by the CTO Group seem to be cheaper than those from many
other hotel databases. You will not find
anything "different" through them but you can count on the standard set
of traveller support services at reasonable rates. Especially
recommended for accessing two cheap practical "last chance" type hotels.
One is Kosmos (Metro VDNKh, across from the National Exhibition grounds,
not far from
Alexandra's apartment). The other one is Izmaylovo, right by the
Vernissage market.
Offers of taxis and car rental agencies got too be just too numerous and nearly identical so I've deleted all of them. Tell me if you know of anything real special.
www.bikerentalmoscow.com/en.html
Bike rental. Bike tours of Moscow. Inexpensive, no hassle, fluent
English. Two locations: Dorogomilovskaya (Metro Kievskaya) and
Pyatnitskaya (Metro Novokuznetskaya, right in the center, a few steps
from my apartment for
rent).
Cycling enthusiasts please also note the Russian Cycling Club - www.rctc.ru/index.html and the Bicycle Transportation Union - http://velotransunion.ru/english
www.passportmagazine.ru
A compilation of practical resources of use for an
English-speaking traveller. Embassies, airports, wi-fi spots, events,
metro map etc. etc.
Last inspected January 2012 and found to be even
better than before. Opened fast, easy
navigation, fresh texts. Was
pleased to see
an article on Zamoskvorechye where I have my
apartment for
rent.
http://r-u-t.com/ Stumbled into it Jan. 28 2012. Sounds interesting but customer reviews feel made up and, on second review, the site appeared kind of stale.
http://www.rusrailtravel.com/ - Trans-Siberian, wilderness, homestay accommodation.
The outfit where I've been taking computers for years (www.ruki-iz-plech.ru/) and which, to my regret, I've recommended to quite a number of others lowered its standards beyond imaginable. Recommendations of good repair shops or privately working technicians are welcomed.
PS. December 2011 - Good experience with NoteUp, the Savelovsky Market location (Metro Savelovskaya).
www.elenafilatova.com
Chernobyl zone on a motorbike. Lots of stories and photos.
www.sovokoftheweek.com
Nostalgic musing on the USSR times. Inspected December 22 2011.
Last changes dated with 2010. Enjoyed "Mr. Gorbachev
Please Rebuild the Wall" song.
www.englishrussia.com/
Stories with a slant towards "crazy Russians". A good example is
"Russian
Yoga"
TRAVEL, RUSSIA-WIDE AND BEYOND TO FSU STATES
www.ecotravel.ru/eng/ - Wilderness tours. Nature reserve trips.
www.rctc.ru/index.html
Russian Cycling Club. Small and struggling but it’s been around since
1990s. Used to answer enquiries and welcome ideas. Recommended.
See more bicycle stuff under Transportation above.
www.geographicbureau.com – Biking, mountain climbing, "cultural tourism", eco-travel etc. in exotic locations of the former Soviet Union
www.baikaler.com/
Travel around Lake Baikal. A hostel in Irkutsk. Run by famous Jack
Sheremetoff, whom I know personally and recommend greatly.
www.marisha.net
Moldova. Accommodation in Chisinau. Rural travel. Budget. An
ultra-responsible owner.
www.expat.ru
The most active Moscow forum. A good place to look for
information, advice, job, accommodation or anything else a traveller or
an exile is likely to need. Focused almost exclusively on Moscow.
www.ruadventures.com/forum/
An active forum for Russian bride seekers.
www.virtualtourist.com/f/90a60/
Travellers to Russia answer each other's questions. Mostly
Moscow. A few new posts per week.
www.masterrussian.net/mforum/
Russian language and culture. A unique subforum on immigrating
to Russia!
http://www.englishrussia.com/forum/
A simple-to-use moderately active forum. Checked December 22 2011.
http://russianwomenshome.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php
This forum is focused on Russian women (Russian
brides). Low activity when it was checked in January 2012.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
These haven’t been verified for years, which means that, if up, they are
real old. None are very active. Most will be run by enthusiast.
www.qualityansweringservice.com/helpful-guide-russian-language
History, notable authors, alphabet, travel phrases. Clear basic
presentation 101 style. Recommended.
www.russian-plus.com
Introduction to Russian. Russian lessons online.
http://www.tasteofrussian.com/
Russian lessons. Everyday spoken style.
www.edurussian.com
Russian Language Courses in the Voronezh State University.
www.learningrussian.net
Freshly updated and easy to understand.
Checked April 19 2011.
www.communicaid.com/language-courses/russian/index.php
Russian language and communication for the corporate world.
www.russianlessons.net
More online Russian.
www.langintro.com/rintro/first.htm
Another Russian learning site.
www.masterrussian.com
A big and serious Russian study site. The forum has a unique section
on **immigrating** to Russia!
www.language-usa.com
A translation company that's been recommended to me by one of my
clients.
www.eslcafe.com
Going to Russia to teach English? Start here!
www.euromost.info
A collection of original Europe travel notes. Lots on Easter Europe
including Russia.
www.kommunalka.colgate.edu
An explication of the "communal apartment" concept.
Lots of photos. Seekers of cheap accommodation, especially in towns
other than Moscow, may want to explore this site.
http://rbth.ru/
"Russia Beyond Headlines". Hot new. Opinion exchange. In my view
the site reflects better than many other resources what's actually
happening. A slight Russophobic slant is entirely excusable given that
the country is basically heading to hell.
http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/
"Russia in Global Affairs". News and analytical articles in
English. A project by several "respectable" Russian papers.
www.raga.org/reading.html
A collection of analytical articles on Russian history and politics.
http://englishrussia.com/
Checked January 2012. Up and active. A newspaper type site with emphasis
on travel around Russia.
http://larussophobe.wordpress.com/ & http://dyingrussia.wordpress.com/ - Two brutally realistic resources on current Russian state of affairs.
Added
September 13 2012
http://www.comtourist.com/ - Also on the Russophobic side. The line
that moved me to pick out this resource went something like "We need to
thanks Russia for providing our viewers with a true full-scale dictator
in a world that's running out of this commodity".
RUSSIAN BRIDES
The whole industry
seems to have collapsed 2-4 years ago. This is an old
list. Not checked for 2-4 years.
http://happierabroad.com/
Famous Winston Wu's guide to international dating, with a lot about
Russia and Russian women. Dec. 15 2011 – An real old and famous
project. The owner is an overactive and slightly crazy Chinese American.
Dealt with him about 10 years ago and then saw him flash in the news
occasionally.
www.tverangels.com
Good reputation, personally known to me. Located in Tver, away from
Moscow's rush and greed, yet easy to access. Dec. 15 2011 – May have
gone down. Was very active 7-9 years ago. The owner used to respond
fast.
www.elenasmodels.com
Another company with good reputation. Dec. 15 2011 – This one may
very well be around. Personally known to me.
http://womenrussia.com/
A collection of articles on Russian brides, written/compiled by Elena Petrova of
www.elenasmodels.com
www.russianwomenbook.com
-
A book of advice for Russian bride seekers.
http://www.asap.ru
Flower and gift delivery in FSU.
www.anti-scam.org
A database of scammers. Checked December 2011.
http://www.russianmeetingplace.com – An old non-commercial site about Russian brides. Checked Dec. 15 2011.
www.leavingkatya.com - A book by a guest of mine, 6-7 years ago.
www.russian-scam.org – Russian scam, mostly “Russian brides”.
http://russianwomenshome.com/
Russian women and much more, from culture and history to street art and
cooking. Yes, "cooking". There is no such thing as "Russian cuisine".
I wasted years trying to become a gentleman farmer in Russia. The project quickly degenerated into a simple horse riding operation. A couple of years I've retired from active participation in this village idiocy but the project is still alive. The English version is www.russian-horse-rides.com. There you will find a page with links to resources in English related to horses in Russia.
CHARITY
Listed below are
projects/organizations with which I am personally familiar, which
I respect and support, and in whose projects I occasionally
participate. If you feel like making a contribution
you can do that directly or through me. Those looking for ways to
integrate themselves into proper circles of the Russian society can
do that by offering their talents to projects like those below.
Speaking of charity, do-gooders coming to Russia
can count on my support, usually "at cost" but possibly for free,
depending on the extend to which I approve what you do and just how
crappy my cash-flow situation happens to be at the moment.
Doctor Liza. Moscow homeless is her main focus. Russian sites: doctorliza.ru / doctor-liza.livejournal.com/ Works off a basement near Metro Novokuznetskaya. Donations of clothes welcomed. If needed I am available to deliver. No English translation of her site but you can read about her at http://video.kylekeeton.com/2009/10/russian-video-doctor-liza.html or http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/08/18/16201351.html Since I seem to have a dromomania developing I'm personally highly supportive of the cause.
www.hospicefund.ru/?/nid=16
A hospice for terminally ill cancer patients. The city of Moscow
covers the basics on the level considered appropriate for a
non-privileged Russian hospital. The gap between survival on the one
hand and comfort and dignity on the other is covered by the Vera Fund
located on the hospice premises. Alexandra (see
Kandalaksha Nature Reserve) has some joint writing projects with
them. My role is much humbler and, in line with rapidly progressing
dromomania, is to deliver stuff. I'm particularly popular in this role
after I found myself in the possession of a total of 8m3 (over 80ft3) of
cargo space.
An old folks home in
Kolionovo, near Yegoryevsk, east of Moscow Oblast. Their site
www.kolionovo.parykino.ru/
is Russian only but here are a few stories in English:
Talk to me if you are interested in this cause.
Children, orphans, orphanages, not verified:
http://www.murzik.ru/english/index.php?langs=2§i=!,0%60%60%60&aid=0&PHPSESSID=28b6acfabb0c78b8a0fc07430a5b0953
http://givelifenow.co.uk/
http://www.russianadoption.org/
......soon
www.goodwillglobetrotting.org /
www.facebook.com/gwglobetrotting
Goodwill
Globetrotting. Participate in worthy projects! Free accommodation and a
chance break out of the touristy cage. The database has no more than a
couple of offers in Russia but I'm listing Goodwill Globetrotting here
in hope that there will be more offers soon. Although as a whole the
Russian society is going to hell, one positive counter-current is the
fashion for participation and charity.
www.happycow.net – Any search for vegetarian restaurants in Moscow will take one to happycow.net. Consider advertising on their Russian page. They may not go for it though. If they don’t I can promote “vegetarian B&B” though them. Then this page goes up (tried in the past, confirmed) and can use as a platform.
http://www.veganforum.com - The travel forum has an occasional message related to Russian travel.
http://home.comset.net/voi/english/indexen.htm - Travel for the disabled.
http://www.moscowanimals.org/advice/moving.html - Travel with pets.
www.gay.ru – Leading or the only Russian gay site. Has a page in English. Every gay traveler will at some point visit this site.
http://www.sovietcity.com/blog/ - Lots of photos