Get free answers from our Russian expert!

Ask your question:

Your name:

Your email (optional):

What would you like to ask:

The answer will be even faster if you kindly follow us on Twitter @RussiaTrek or post some tweets related to our site (just mention it in the question field).

Most recent or choose the topic: Adoption, Airports, Archives, Army, Business, Cities, Costs, Cruises, Currency, Distances, Driving, Ecology, Economics, Economy, Education, Enterprises, Entertainment, Flights, Food, Genealogy, General, History, Holidays, Hotels, Hunting, Industries, Languages, Locations, Medicine, Misc, Money, Music, Nature, People, Photos, Politics, Post, Relatives, Religion, Resting, Roads, Safety, Sport, Study, Theaters, Trains, Travel, Visa, Weather, Work

Questions and answers:

victor paul asks: So is this a republic inside another collective republic, such as England in the UK?
Expert's answer:
Yes, the situation is looking similar, Tatarstan Republic has its own constitution, according to it, Tatarstan is a state united with Russia in the Russian Federation, both Russian and Tatar languages have equal rights in the republic.
Thabiso asks: Hi i'm from South Africa City of Durban, i would to know if there are any black people in Khabarovsk? I will visit my GF soon in this place. Any interracial relationships around the city?
Expert's answer:
Khabarovsk is a fairly large city, located close to the border and a lot of foreigners visit it. From this point of view it is a bit safer comparing to smaller cities/towns where every foreigner immediately becomes the center of attention. There are still some risks and I would not recommend you to go for a walk alone or with your gf in the evening/night time, especially not in the central parts of the city, avoid any conflicts with locals, be especially careful if you go to local night clubs.
Becky asks: Is english widely spoken in St. Petersburg Russia?
Expert's answer:
I can't say that English language is widely spoken in St. Petersburg, but the situation is definitely better comparing to Russian provincial cities and towns. Also it should be mentioned the chance to meet person who knows English is higher if you speak to young people (for example students) than elderly person.
Sofia asks: I am interested in information about Magadan drama theatre. Would you please tell me about it and its history?
Expert's answer:
I have found a couple of articles about the history of this theater (first, second). Also here is the official site of the theater. You can use this service to translate the sites from Russian.
Peter asks: I'm going to visit Russia. What city is better to visit - Moscow or Saint Petersburg?
Expert's answer:
I would recommend to visit Saint Petersburg first. Main reasons are that original architecture of the city is preserved much better, the city is less overcrowded, there are a lot of museums and other sights.
Bill asks: I would like a contact phone number of local notari offices in Stavropol. Thanks in advance
Expert's answer:
I have found the following list of Stavropol notaries that may be useful. You can use the following service to translate the sites from Russian.
Robert asks: How safe is it to visit Volgograd as I was told some place in Russia are unsafe.
Expert's answer:
It is safe enough to visit the city. Crime rate in Volgograd is below Russian average. In any case our usual advice is not to walk alone in the evening/night time especially if you are not in the central part of the city, don't carry a lot of cash (better use Visa/Mastercard), try to avoid conflicts with locals especially in night clubs/bars, etc.
Lee Abbott asks: I have a 1995 dated 500000 note, is it of any value?
Expert's answer:
It is the banknote of the period before denomination. After the denomination of 1998, its new value was 500 Rubles. In current prices it is about 17 USD. So you better keep it as a nice souvenir.
christopher asks: What is the latest news on the reconstruction of the great choral synagogue in Samara?
Expert's answer:
I have tried to find the latest news about the reconstruction but unfortunately found nothing, probably it is not finished yet. Here are the photos of the synagogue when the restoration works began. You can translate the sites from Russian by using the following service.
Peter asks: Why are there so many more women than men in Yoshkar-Ola?
Expert's answer:

The official statistics (2010) says that 55% of the population in Yoshkar-Ola are women, and 45% - men.

According to it, in average there are 813 men per 1000 women in Yoshkar-Ola. The main reason is that a lot of men die in the working age (81,3% of all deaths in the working age) because of injuries and accidents, cardio-vascular system diseases and oncology.

The average life expectancy in the region is 67.4 years: men - 61.3 years, women - 74.1 years.