Arriving in Moscow
Completing your immigration card
The immigration card will be printed and completed for you at the Passport control. You will need to keep your copy during the whole stay in Russia.
Transportation to the hotel
You will be met on arrival by a driver from our corporate taxi company “Gart”.
The driver will be waiting for you with a British Council logo in the arrival hall. Taxi “Gart” contact numbers:
+ 7 495 969 63 41 (24 hours) / +7 495 450 70 84
Accommodation. We have booked a room for you at the Sputnik Hotel. The breakfast is included.
Address: Leninsky Prospect, 38, Moscow
Tel: +7 (495) 930-22-87
The Institute of Numerical Mathematics RAS (the workshop venue) is situated in the walking distance from the hotel:
Workshop organization details
The Institute of Numerical Mathematics RAS address: Ulitsa Gubkina, 8, Moscow
Sessions: room 727 on the 7th floor.
Coffee breaks will take place on the 6th floor in room 630 (nearby stairs).
Lunches will take place at Cafeteria on the ground floor
Wi-Fi Internet access is available:
- MIAN-FREE on the 9th floor,
- Login: inm727, password: 727inmras, on the 7th floor, room 727
- Login: dodo, password: bolokoilwink , on the 6th floor, room 630.
Tuesday and Thursday evenings are free, evening meals on these days are not covered.
The conference dinner on Wednesday will be on the 9th floor.
During your stay
Your documents
You should carry your passport (or a photocopy of all the relevant pages including your visa) and your immigration card with you at all times. It is not uncommon to be stopped by the police requesting to check your documents. You also need your passport in order to pay for goods and services by credit card and to get through security when entering private and public office buildings, so have it to hand at all times.
Your health
We advise you to take out full insurance cover for medical treatment and accidents.No special precautions need to be taken. Pharmacies are well-stocked, and doctors, dentists and opticians of good quality, if expensive. Hygiene standards are high, although normal precautions about washing fruit before consumption should be taken. Smoking is forbidden in all public transport and public buildings.
Water
Although tap water in Moscow is apparently drinkable, it has a strange taste and we do not recommend drinking large quantities of it. It is however perfectly fine to use for brushing your teeth etc. Most expatriates prefer boiled, filtered or bottled water for drinking. Bottled water can be bought cheaply in any supermarket and also in many kiosks on the street and in metro stations. Common and recommended local brands are Aqua Mineral and BonAqua.
Electricity
The electricity supply in Moscow is rated as 220 V AC. Russian plugs (eg in hotels) are the two-pin European model so you should bring an adaptor.
Your money
There are ATMs all over Moscow and in most regional cities. Any debit or credit card with VISA, CIRRUS or MAESTRO works here and you can withdraw rubles, euros and US dollars. This is the most convenient way of drawing cash.
Money should only be exchanged officially through banks, hotel exchange points or the many small exchange bureau.
Getting around
Taxis
There are few official taxis in Moscow. Former state taxis (yellow with chequered pattern on the side) were generally bought by their drivers. Due to inflation few taxis have meters. If it is for personal use you will pay 650 roubles for each hour, or part of.
It is very common just to hail a car on the street as members of the public provide unofficial taxi services in their private cars. It is reasonably safe to stop a car on the street assuming you know where to go. The rate should be discussed before you get into the car, though this may challenge your Russian language skills. The current standard fare ranges from 500-600 roubles depending on how far you are going and the time of day. Or you can order a taxi through your hotel although this is generally the more expensive option. It is useful to carry the address of any place you are going, written in Russian, and with approximate directions if it is somewhere out of the way and of course, keep your hotel details with you.
Metro
Metro stations are marked by the letter M at their entrance. Although clean and safe during the day and architecturally fascinating, the system is not friendly to those who do not understand the Cyrillic alphabet. Metro trains are however extremely frequent and most visitors manage to complete their journeys with the help of a good metro map. Single travel passes cost 40 roubles; one pass pays for one unlimited, unbroken journey on the metro system. You can also buy good value multiple passes at the Kassa in the entrance hall of every station.
“Akademicheskaya” metro station is 15 min walk from the workshop venue and “Leningradskiy prospekt” station is 15 min walk from Sputnik hotel.
Tram/trolleybus/bus
Public transport runs regularly and is convenient for travelling around the city if:
- you know where you are going
- you are not frightened of Cyrillic signs
On foot
Walking distances in Moscow are deceptively large. Crossing roads is hazardous, even at marked crossing points; underpasses should be used where possible. It is generally safe to walk around Moscow by day. Do not carry handbags or cameras in too vulnerable a position or walk around after dark in badly lit areas. The best policy is to treat Moscow like any other large city.
Going around
British Council colleagues will be happy to help you decide where to go. In the meantime, you can find detailed information on www.expat.ru and Moscow in your Pocket or in the Lonely Planet and Rough Guides to Moscow.
Photography
Photography is permitted almost everywhere; but watch out for signs depicting a camera with a red line through it.
Telephones
From hotels
810 + country code + area code (without 0) + number
From other telephones
Most private telephones in Moscow now have IDD facility but many public telephones do not.
Try 8 (then wait for the tone) + 10 + country code + area code (without 0) + number
UK to Moscow
00 + 7 (country code) + 495 (area code) + number
Mobile phones
Within Russia to Moscow from Russian mobile:
+7, 495, number
From UK mobile to Russian mobile
Dial +7, full number e.g. 902 761 4156
From a Russian or UK mobile to a UK mobile
+44, drop the 0 from the UK code then 20 7270 3282
Contact details and emergency phone numbers
Igor Isakov, Education Team
Tel: +7 963 622 49 35
Anna Agaltsova, Education Team
Tel: +7 903 760 57 42
anna.agaltsova@britishcouncil.ru
British Council Moscow
During office hours, you can call the British Council Moscow’s main switchboard:
+7 495 287 18 00
External contact numbers
British Embassy Duty Officer +7 495 956 72 00
First aid medical service at the Diplomatic clinic (English speaking operators available) +7 495 237 39 04 / +7 495 237 83 38
General emergency number – 112
Fire – 101
Police – 102
Ambulance – 103
British Embassy
Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya 10 (Смоленская набережная, 10)
+7 495 956 72 00
From metro Smolenskaya, Fily line (Смоленская, Филёвская линия) turn left, go to “Sadovoe Koltso” Street (улица Садовое кольцо), turn left and go to the first crossroad, turn left to “Protochny pereulok” (Проточный переулок), go down to the Moscow river. The Embassy is a large modern building with a green roof on the right hand side.
You will need your passport to get in.
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