[Pepini]

Heading to Moscow and St. Petesburg from the 9th till 16th of July. Feel free to share any tips.

[Brian]

i've got no tips but i'll be eagerly awaiting a trip report

[oldnemesis]

How's your Russian?
Where you gonna stay?
Gonna take a new train from Moscow to SPB?

[Jalouse]

St Petersburg is a cool city, it's a while since I've been there so I'm a little hazy on specific details. There is one main street close to the center, you can walk up and down there all day and you will see tonnes of gorgeous women so it's a great daygame spot. Having a quick look at a map I think it's nevsky prospect although I could be wrong.

Bars/clubs were a little hit and miss, everything I went to was quite grungy, which was surprising as there is a small percentage of super wealthy people there, I guess you need to know some connected locals to find out about that side of life.

In general girls are friendly and being a foreigner is a big plus, I also found that quite a few people spoke English.

It was fairly safe, I was there for two weeks, I did see a few fights in bars where people just stood around and let them get on with it so just be a little careful.

[ktime]

Yes, its Nevski Prospect..... Make sure you check out the Hermitage as well could spend a few days in there

I think "how is your russian" is a pretty irrelevant question, due to how difficult it is to learn... Any non russian i have met that has been "learning" has such awful pronunciation i have to think long and hard what they are trying to say, so their already small vocab is literally useless (but respect for trying)

As long as you know "na zdarovia" "kak dela" and a few other phrases to get some laughs you should be right

Also remember, Russians can be cold initially, but warm up once they get to know you

Havent been back to St Petersburg for about 7 years, definitely heading in for summer 2011

[Hooligan Harry]

Not much time to be honest.

You need more Russian in St Petersburg than you do Moscow, although make sure you have some functional Russian at least. Be able to do the basics like buy a ticket or understand how much something is. A lot of the younger chicks speak English, but its not as widespread as people like to think it is.

Best bet is to stick to the clubs, any short comings in language will be reduced. Also, stick to the main strips, which typically have the more "touristy" clubs. While they cost more, these tend to be the places the passport hunters spend a lot of time in, along with women hunting for some foreign sexy time. Lie through your teeth and show no quarter dude. Tell them you are a doctor who came for a conference or something. Tell them you are out looking for an apartment as you have to travel between the USA and SP/Moscow for business over the next two years quite a bit. Any excuse that shows you are returning soon and you have money. Just enough to let the imagination run wild and bring out their inner prostitute.

Those wonderful gold diggers will quite often pounce at what could be a potential sponsor looking for a mistress that leads to you wifing her. You HAVE to throw a bit of money for drinks around, but dont be stupid about it either or they will take the piss. Also, you can be very direct with Russian women, so dont fuck around or play games with them. Direct game at all times, always escalating, always promising riches at the end of the rainbow

[Jalouse]

(05-24-2011 10:01 AM)Hooligan Harry Wrote:  

Not much time to be honest.

You need more Russian in St Petersburg than you do Moscow, although make sure you have some functional Russian at least. Be able to do the basics like buy a ticket or understand how much something is. A lot of the younger chicks speak English, but its not as widespread as people like to think it is.

Best bet is to stick to the clubs, any short comings in language will be reduced. Also, stick to the main strips, which typically have the more "touristy" clubs. While they cost more, these tend to be the places the passport hunters spend a lot of time in, along with women hunting for some foreign sexy time. Lie through your teeth and show no quarter dude. Tell them you are a doctor who came for a conference or something. Tell them you are out looking for an apartment as you have to travel between the USA and SP/Moscow for business over the next two years quite a bit. Any excuse that shows you are returning soon and you have money. Just enough to let the imagination run wild and bring out their inner prostitute.

Those wonderful gold diggers will quite often pounce at what could be a potential sponsor looking for a mistress that leads to you wifing her. You HAVE to throw a bit of money for drinks around, but dont be stupid about it either or they will take the piss. Also, you can be very direct with Russian women, so dont fuck around or play games with them. Direct game at all times, always escalating, always promising riches at the end of the rainbow

Hey Hooligan post up any good club bar info if you have it.

Funny about grass being greener, I'm sitting here in Colombia and I'm starting to think maybe I'd rather be other there.

[Pepini]

I have no knowledge of russian. I´ve banged a russian stripper in Prague a while ago. It was no obstacle. Besides the basics I will try to pronounce "you´re beautiful" in Russian.

Still don´t know where we will stay in Moscow and St. Petesburg,but it will be an apartment. The visas process for a portuguese is quiet easy. Around 100 euros and it will take 2 weeks. We are going through an agency.

We´ll fly by a Low cost from Moscow to St. Petesburg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tkW7gqjV...re=related

In the minute 34 secs starts the view of a perfect street from St. Petesburg. This street is supposed to have the most perfect proportions: 22 meters wide, 22 meters high, 220 meters long; plus, it's almost exactly symmetric.


I´m trying to do some meetings with some russian lawyers in Linked in to establish aliances.

Spasiba

[ktime]

ne zo chto

[Vicious]

My main objection with visiting Russia is the bureaucratic hoops you have to go through to get a Visa. You can speed up the process by paying a premium, it's basically legalized corruption. Which shouldn't surprise anyone about Russia.

Shame really since I'm just a 2 hour flight form St. Petersburg which is supposedly a lovely town.

[Jalouse]

(05-24-2011 02:59 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

My main objection with visiting Russia is the bureaucratic hoops you have to go through to get a Visa. You can speed up the process by paying a premium, it's basically legalized corruption. Which shouldn't surprise anyone about Russia.

Shame really since I'm just a 2 hour flight form St. Petersburg which is supposedly a lovely town.

This is actually what makes it good, otherwise it would be overflowing with drunken Brits on stag tours, instead there aren't that many tourists which makes the local girls way more interested in you.

[Vicious]

While you do have a point there I think the british/irish endeavors abroad are now so well known by most of Europe that you get point simply by differentiating yourself from them.

[Jalouse]

(05-24-2011 03:21 PM)Vicious Wrote:  

While you do have a point there I think the british/irish endeavors abroad are now so well known by most of Europe that you get point simply by differentiating yourself from them.

Ha well unfortunately I'm British so I can't really really get away from that too much.

Somewhere like Krakow is a good example of this, a beautiful city with lots of beautiful girls but because of the influx of tourists you get zero points for being a foreigner and are maybe even looked at a little negatively.

When I was in St Petersburg being a tourist seemed to be a huge plus, as you say London is only a couple of hours away but for most of these people it is an impossible dream to ever visit.

[oldnemesis]

(05-24-2011 11:03 AM)Pepini Wrote:  

I have no knowledge of russian. I´ve banged a russian stripper in Prague a while ago. It was no obstacle. Besides the basics I will try to pronounce "you´re beautiful" in Russian.

Your main problem gonna be getting around. Moscow subway is not really accommodating for those who cannot read Russian. I suggest you get the guide about Moscow and read it carefully. There are a lot of things you need to be aware about.

The Prague experience might make it look easier for you as it really does. Beware that a Russian girl aboard usually speaks some English, especially if she worked there for some time. Do not expect the same from those Russians who are in Russia. They will understand basic things like "left/right/food/toilet", but you won't be able to have a meaningful conversation with most of them.

And do not overstay your visa, and do not lose your passport. You'll get through the bureaucracy hell if you do.

Quote:

I´m trying to do some meetings with some russian lawyers in Linked in to establish aliances.

Might make sense, but try it on just a few chicks first. Lawyer in Russia is not the same as in US - for most of them it is a shitty job which pays little money. Same for doctors. So your interest in them would be high value. Place yourself accordingly.

[iknowexactly]

(05-24-2011 09:16 PM)oldnemesis Wrote:  

Lawyer in Russia is not the same as in US - for most of them it is a shitty job which pays little money. Same for doctors. So your interest in them would be high value. Place yourself accordingly.

I think your point is good about relative status, but as far as
quality of character goes for doctors, I was very impressed with
a family of doctors I met.

They were cultured, humane, and very intelligent.

Maybe more so than American doctors, a significant
proportion of whom are in it for the money.

[Ami5]

I must contradict simply -- Russian doctors are WAY better and 'nice' when compared with an average American or European counterpart.
Just my cent!

[oldnemesis]

(05-24-2011 09:30 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

I think your point is good about relative status, but as far as quality of character goes for doctors, I was very impressed with a family of doctors I met. They were cultured, humane, and very intelligent.

This is true, they are typically very nice, honest and committed people, who are grossly underpaid. However they're not treated by society as high as in US. And if you approach them with such assumption, they might think you have a hidden agenda or so.

[Peoloom]

I'm headed to Moscow in a few weeks for work, would be interested in hearing some nightlife tips. To be honest this is the first place I'll be traveling to in a long time that I'm nervous about, although having lived in the Baltics for 2 years I have a skewed view of Russians that's probably not very fair.