New arrivals to Moscow

Here are a few tips and suggestions that immediately spring to my mind on surviving Moscow. These points are not all of course and I may have missed some, but this information may help you?

Flat heating

When choosing your flat, try to get one that has a heating 'off switch' and a separate water boiler. This may seem an odd thing to suggest but in Moscow, many flats and apartment blocks get their hot water and heating from the mother ship. In other words, it's controlled by an entity of the city. This may be a throw back to the heady, happy days of 'communism/socialism' when no one, except state officials had any control over their own lives. As a result of this situation, if you don't have the above you will cook in the winter and cook in the summer and you will also smell for two weeks in the summer if you don't like cold water. This is because all hot water is turned off by an invisible, unseen hand, as the city cleans the underground water pipes and you will only be able to take cold showers. If you do not have a separate heating control switch off valve on your radiators, you will have all your windows open in the dead of winter just to keep cool. This situation may change in the future but like everything in Russian, change is rather slow to non existent.

Buying fruit and vegetables

You can get fruit and veg at any of the big supermarkets if you have strong nerves and time on your hands. The big supermarkets that are not Russian brand names get very crowded and you will have to wait to weigh your fruit or veg to get your stuff weighed and bagged. The weighing machines have photos on the buttons of all veg and fruit for the linguistically challenged like me, so it will not be a worry to know what is what. Also there is not such a good choice of veg and nothing really exotic, Don't expect French style fruit and veg displays that are gently sprayed with mist, all in fine rows looking beautiful. Fruit and veg is thrown around and often rather bruised, caused by many hands chucking stuff around. You can buy your fruit and veg at many of the open air markets. You can just pick up what you need and give to the woman and she will weigh it, put it in a bag for you and ask for payment. If you don't speak Russian, don't open your mouth and give her a large notes (200 rubles) and she will give you change if she has change. Its better to speak some Russian or you could be cheated if she hears you are foreign. The quality is better and there is more choice at these open air markets.

Walking in Moscow

Walking around Moscow is easy if you have eyes, two legs and two feet. The roads are big wide and noisy. You will have more lead in you than a butchers pencil, by the time you reach your destination, as the air is heavy with traffic smoke and a kind of smog in the summer within the central areas of the city. Some Russians still drive very old cars from the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s all fitted with very annoying car alarms.

Crossing the road can often be a game of Russian roulette. Like every city, Moscow has zebra crossings. Some are red and white and some just have white stripes painted onto the road surface. These zebra crossings are not always respected. I have seen cars overtaking other cars before zebra crossings, they fly past the car in front and drive over the zebra crossing almost killing the person crossing the road. Basically my advice is, if you want to cross the road, use one of the many road underpasses or stand at the zebra crossing, step out onto the road, wait for the cars on both sides to stop and slow down, then cross quickly waving and thanking the drivers. Never assume a zebra crossing is an automatic right of way, you will end up as strawberry jam, you will die.

When crossing some zebra crossing at big junctions, watch out as cars will fly round the corners and go straight over the crossing even if its green for you to cross, you must have razor sharp senses and be very alert at all times. Like the world over nowadays, Russian drivers often have mobile phones permanently glued to their ears and will not be alert to other human beings crossing the roads. they are encased in their high of the ground jeeps, with tinted black windows and are oblivious to the world outside.

If you are with kids or if you are disabled it will not be so easy to get around in Moscow if you have a pushchair or wheel chair. There are many road underpass tunnels and these are safest ways to cross the roads. However not all have ramps and sometimes you will have to go further on down the road to find an underpass that has a ramp. If you have a child in a push chair (stroller) by my experience most drivers are kind and stop to let you cross the smaller roads (except the massive roads you would be invisible in the smoke so don't try it). If you don't have eyes, can't walk or are deaf take a friend to help you.

I am not exaggerating, please be safe.

Taxis and cars in Moscow

In Russia, you can use any car as a taxi, most of the private drivers will give you a lift but only for cash. Just wave any car down like you would a taxi. Everyone is out to make easy money and most drivers will happily stop and take where you want to go. However, if the driver has power tools on the back seat, blood on his hands, missing teeth or gold teeth and hands like shovels, don’t get in. If you are female I suggest you only take an illegal taxi, if you are traveling with another person as you can never be sure. Most over 30’s don’t speak any English, so you will need a basic command of Russian to say where you want to go and to understand what they tell you. It's best to negotiate the price before starting a trip (even official taxi drivers don't like to use meter counters).

When the driver recognizes you as a foreigner, he will try to make you pay the highest price taking you on a long tour of the city- so bargain and don’t get in until its all agreed. It is a good way to find out the fair price before (ask the locals). In any case, the car prices are relatively low, so it's a good way of moving around the city. Proper official taxis are not cheap and the drivers do not speak any English. Confirm the price first. If you are going to the airport always allow several hours extra to allow you to get to the airport on time as traffic is heavy at all times inside and outside Moscow.

Adapting

Its vital that you adapt to life in Moscow. Parachute in, roll out your kit and put on a brew and chill.

Change your mind set to how you have been used to things in your own country. At times, Moscow can seem like Nigeria in chaos and infrastructure etc. Do things slowly. The first things you will want to do is to arrange bottled water (you can't drink the tap water) and get the Internet. Don't take any flat unless you have a contract, although flat 'contracts' don't protect you much in Russia. If you use a real estate company, the agent may try to offer to arrange the Internet and water delivery for you. Be suspicious, as they may be getting a 'kick back' payment for this and may arrange a substandard service for you. Do it yourself and be in control.

It will take time to adapt. If you have kids, join the International Woman's Club for example. They accept men and you will not have to wear a dress or lipstick to join, much to my disappointment! Get out and explore the area. If you have a baby and want to use the metro, buy a baby rucksack to pop him or her into it as taking pushchairs (strollers) on the metro is not a wise idea as its crowded.

The city is impersonal and you will be invisible, so try to make new friends and get out an about asap. People in Moscow, including some expats, can be reserved and cautious of new faces. Hang in there and don't be dejected, you will meet your type of people, but it will take several months before you build a social network. Building a social network big or small, is vital for your sanity. You can always smoke and drink cheap vodka as its next to nothing to buy, if you feel depressed, although I don't recommend it. Get out and make new friends.

If you are a stay at home mother, adapting here will be easier as you can join the British Woman's Club or International Woman's Club or the Americans Women's Club (Just Google it) where you will meet like minded women in the same situation as you. Don't worry they don't wear pleated skirts, make jam and do knitting (well some do). If you are young and moving to Moscow, perhaps as a teacher or in a well paid position, life will be sweet and you will have a good time, if you are single and male, you will have a very good time! Moscow is relatively safe but be aware at all times. The biggest danger here is watching your money fly away.

Russians & Russia

So far and luckily, I have only met nice friendly Russians. I know its dangerous to generalize about a people but I'll do it anyway to help you.

Russians in Moscow are all in a hurry, like in any big city. They seem gruff and impolite at times, especially on the roads when driving. There are not really any strict parking laws here and cars are parked across zebra crossings, on corners and on pavements (sidewalks). I drives me crazy sometimes when I try to cross zebra crossings in Moscow with my kids push chair and the way is blocked as some imbecile has parked on the zebra crossing. Take a deep breath, be careful and go onto the road and back onto the pavement to get round it.

If you have kids, do not be surprised if Russian women tell you how to dress your child differently telling you to put a hat on him or her if its cold. You will see Russian kids covered from head to foot in the mildest of days, they mean no harm, as its just their way. Russians are very nationalistic and proud of Russia, which goes against my own culture and country where most people do not have any pride in England, the queen or the English flag. Here Russians are proud and this nationalism is put into them at school and every year on National day and by regular propaganda. This may be a ghost of Socialism? I think this is a very good thing for social cohesion, I wish my own country would try it.

In shops, don't be shocked if the cashier women looks grumpy and tuts if you don't have the correct change. Customer care and politeness is not really known in Moscow. Russians are hospitable and will welcome you into their homes. They do however seem to have strange opinions of anything outside of Russia and are a bit like children in believing that Father Christmas still exists in relation to the rest of the world. You only have to watch Russian news to see how it is manipulated to pat their leaders on the back and make Europe look worse than it really is. They are given news and information on the outside world rather selectively. Its hard for Russians to get visas and likewise its a pain in the bum for us foreigners to get visas for Russia. Many Russian are highly educated, tough and intelligent. Some speak a few languages including English, sometimes with an American accent. 

Men are men and women are women, women see childcare and cooking as normal and men don't generally get involved on that side of domestic duties, in some ways this is nice but if you are in my situation you will be seen as unusual. People say Russians can be racist, although I have not so far seen this in action, I have only heard tales of it. You should be as afraid of the police here as you are afraid of the criminals, many police are lazy and turn a blind eye to trouble. Its not uncommon to see a man being badly beating by another man on the metro and the police will not be anywhere to be seen to help him.

Russian women can be very attractive to fit their 'known stereotype' but can look very vain and rather proud.  Older Russian men are often with shaved heads and large stomachs.There of course many exceptions to what I have said. I have greatly generalized. In conclusion, Russian women are among the most beautiful in the world as are women in general from Eastern Europe, they have a distinctive look.

Russia is huge and most of it is covered in forest in the countryside. It would take you ages just to see all it. Get out of Moscow and see places, take trains or drive, there is so much to see. Moscow is polluted, although Russians will say its like any other city (see above pints). It can be very cold in winter, less so than in the past due to climate change and summers can be baking and very unpleasant. 

After all, is Russia really so different to the UK? in some ways yes and in other ways  no. Is it better? Only you can know that once you have lived here for a while. Opinions are personal and different to all. Russia is Russia and just different.

Note: All information is only current as dated.