RussianZine Your Russian Lifestyle and News Magazine

Article and images by Anelore Anderton After an absence of nineteen months my husband and I returned to Kiev and Poltava. We arrived in Kiev on Easter Sunday (1 May) and found ourselves in the midst of Pascal celebrations and activities. The picture outside St Michael’s cathedral shows an arched tunnel with people going through tapping eggs. Apparently it is traditional to greet friends and family by tapping eggs and reciting ‘Christ is Risen’. Easter celebrations seemed to continue for most of the week. In Poltava, on the following Friday, the theatre square and mall were set up with numerous ... Read More »

Article and images by Anelore Anderton My husband and I visited Kiev and Poltava in August this year between the 15th and 23rd of August. We went with some trepidation as the friends and relatives we wanted to visit said nothing to either encourage or discourage our visit, only commenting that their cities were quiet but no guarantees could be given that trouble would not break out during our stay. In the event we were all grateful we went ahead with our travel plans to Ukraine as it was a morale booster that took their minds off the fighting in ... Read More »

Russian is an incredibly difficult language to learn those who take on the challenge are very brave. I’m going to begin this ‘testimony’ by being blunt. First of all, if you’re going to buy that one book that claims to be the best resource for learning Russian, don’t. If you’re going to enroll in a Russian class in a community college, don’t. Finally, if you’re going to shell out money to hire a private tutor, don’t. Why? Because I did all three in a span of 2 years and could barely speak a sentence! All I retained was vocabulary and ... Read More »

It may not be chic, but if I were to open a business in Russia, it’d be a fast-food chain. In all my travels through Russia and Ukraine, I have never, ever encountered a slow McDonalds. There are always, always lines. The same goes for the Wendy’s I’ve seen, the Subway (Sandwich Shops) and the Sbarro’s Pizza. All these places are clearly making money hand over fist. Why? Because thanks to the trickle-down of their oil-economy, Russia has a growing middle class with money to burn, and they yearn for western-style fast food. That, plus Russian cities are finally developing ... Read More »

Is it possible to earn a living teaching English in Russia or Ukraine? Yes, you can definitely earn a living teaching English here. As an English teacher in Russia or Ukraine the pay isn’t much, but nor are your expenses. As of 2013, you can make between $10 – $20 per hour, depending on the city and the school. And if you’re a go-getter, you can work as much as you want. There really is no shortage of language schools in Russia and Ukraine, and they all love having a native speaker on staff. And while on the subject of ... Read More »

WHY VISIT?: The 3rd (or 4th, depending on who you ask) largest city in Russia, Novosibirsk is a mecca for big business, but as the unofficial capital of Siberia, it’s also a growing tourist destination. HOW TO GET THERE: Novosibirsk has an international airport, called Tolmachevo. Although you can take a train from Moscow, bear in mind that’s a two-day trip and then some! (If you’d like to spend a few days on the train to get a detailed feel for the Siberian countryside, then please go here for tickets: http://www.russiantrain.com) WHERE TO STAY: The best hotel in Novosibirsk is ... Read More »

Russia has always fascinated me and has played a large role in my life since my teenage years. While my peers played video games and snuck alcohol from their parent’s pantries I was always up late lost in a book about Russian History or biographies of historical figures. My interests’ ranged from Kievan-Rus, Rurik and Romanov Dynasties, all the way up to the Soviet Union. I loved it all. As the years went by I put more emphasis on Russian culture itself rather than just the historical/political side of things. I enjoyed the films, particularly the fun and innocence of ... Read More »

Here are some general travel tips as you plan a visit to Russia: GET A VISA To travel to Russia, you need to apply for a visa. (NOTE: This is only true for Russia. If you’re traveling to Ukraine, you do NOT need a visa for stays of less than three months.) Any reputable Russian travel agency or hotel can get you a visa support letter which you’ll need for the Visa application. Rules change all the time, though, so it’s best to check with the Russian embassy in your country. (Just go to a search engine and type in ... Read More »

Have you ever heard of the Russian food called 'salo'? Neither had I, until I moved here. I was pretty shocked to find out what it was my hosts were asking me to eat, but I'll save the salo discussion for a bit later in the article. (I don't want to scare you off Russian and Ukrainian food! :-) ) Read More »

WHY VISIT?: One of the largest cities in Russia, and located on the banks of the legendary Volga River, Nizhny Novgorod is a great example of modern-day Russia. HOW TO GET THERE: Nizhny Novgorod has an international airport. But if you’re coming from Moscow, consider riding their new high-speed train called Sapsan. You can buy tickets here, though they still don’t seem to have an English version of their site: http://sapsan.su/rail-tickets.htm WHERE TO STAY: The best of the luxury hotels is probably… Alexandrovsky Garden Hotel Although its exterior doesn’t blow me away (it looks like an industrial style shopping mall) ... Read More »