Hi everyone, I'm planning to apply to MGIMO for a Bachelor's in International Relations, likely through the Open Doors olympiad. Before I go further, I wanted to get a realistic picture from people who've actually been through it.

A few things I'd love input on, ideally from current students or alumni:

• How heavy is the academic workload/schedule in practice? Is it realistic to hold a part-time job alongside it, and would that income actually be enough to cover living and food costs in Moscow?

• English track vs Russian track: what are the practical advantages and disadvantages of each?

• What's student life like? clubs, activities, general vibe on campus?

Thanks in advance for any honest perspective.

I'm Chinese, and Russian humour works surprisingly well for me. I love watching those jokes and pranks (especially the ones filmed in the military).

But I don’t understand Russian, so I can never find more of them. Please send me some wild videos that locals also find funny! Thank you ^^I hope to travel to Russia someday.

edit：Bro just drop the politics. I really just want to see something funny

Bonjour à tous ! 👋
Je suis étudiant étranger francophone et je vais arriver en Russie en septembre pour mes études. J’aimerais beaucoup avoir quelques conseils de personnes qui vivent déjà en Russie, surtout des étudiants étrangers.

🇷🇺** Pour apprendre rapidement le russe **:
Quelles méthodes vous ont vraiment aidés à progresser rapidement ?

Est-ce qu’il est possible d’atteindre un niveau suffisant pour communiquer au quotidien en quelques mois ?

Est-ce que vous avez des applications, chaînes YouTube, cours ou autres ressources à conseiller ?

💼 Concernant les jobs étudiants :
Est-ce qu’il est relativement facile pour un étudiant étranger de trouver un petit travail ?

Quels types de jobs sont accessibles avec un niveau débutant en russe ?

Et à partir d’un niveau intermédiaire, quels jobs deviennent accessibles ?

Quels conseils donneriez-vous pour trouver rapidement un emploi étudiant ?

Enfin, si quelqu’un est déjà passé par cette situation et accepterait de me guider un peu ou de me donner des conseils sur les démarches, les erreurs à éviter, les bons plans et les stratégies pour bien s’intégrer et s’en sortir en Russie, mes DM sont ouverts. 🙏
Merci beaucoup à ceux qui prendront le temps de partager leur expérience ! 🇷🇺❤️

Hi! I’m from Brazil, 18 years old, and I’m planning to study Russian in Voronezh. I want to learn the language and understand what real life is like there — not just tourism.

· How do Russians treat foreigners who are learning the language? · Is Voronezh safe for a student living in a shared apartment? · Do young people like talking to foreigners? · What’s the best way to practice Russian with locals? · What are the biggest challenges for a Brazilian in winter?

I’m very open to private messages if anyone wants to talk more or share experiences. I can also help with Portuguese if you want. Thank you!

“I’m not going as a tourist. I’m planning to take a Russian language course in Voronezh and stay there for some months. I want to experience daily life as a student, not just visit.”

People in my country believe Russia is being demonised on social media/news and they don’t believe there are actually queues for gas now…

How is the situation in Moscow and in other cities ? Isn’t this something people should worry about, or it happened already this summer and it is not such a big deal because it is going to be resolved soon?

Not asking to gloat or create negative feeling, but we live in times in which people simply don’t trust the news and practically we don’t know what is going on in Russia (also in other countries..)

Kind people on the Moscow sub replied and confirmed that there are queues now and things are not very good, but how about other cities ?

I really don’t know how to stay informed, but to ask locals…

Sending good thoughts and regards!

P.S. thank you for all your answers! You are very kind!

Basically I'm a student from Pakistan who is applying for a scholarship in Russia and now I'm having difficulty in writing motivation letters as it is my very first international application. I need your help gng. Inbox me ASAP

Please help me understand this. She is fair and clear. She told me beforehand she has daughter. In case of legal spousal does it make her primary beneficiary? It is not about land rights, manor. For me it about little girl used as a card.

Landing at SVO Terminal C at 9:05am, then flying SVO → Kazan at 8:15pm from Terminal B.

Thinking of going into Moscow for a few hours to see Red Square. I’ll have about €50 cash and plan to exchange some for rubles.

Is this realistic? Any suggestions on the easiest/cheapest way to get to Red Square and back? Anything else worth seeing nearby? It will be my first time in Russia.

I am an international student, wanting to apply for an engineering program (preferably Electronics and Communication engineering). Also, Based on my financial status, I need to get a good scholarship, can anyone help me and guide me on the universities, please!!!

I'm a US citizen with a USA passport. How likely are my channel ces of flying to Russia in October to see one of Kanye's concerts?

Who can I connect with? Who do I gotta talk to?

I'm totally not a spy, just wanna see Ye perform

I’ve been to Russia three times before. During my first two trips i stayed in Airbnbs, so the migration registration was handled automatically by the hosts, and i wasn’t really aware of the process.

On my third trip, i stayed at my girlfriend’s place. Neither of us knew that i was supposed to be registered at her address, so i missed the registration deadline. I only found out about this after I had already left Russia.

I left the country normally, with no issues at the border and no fine or warning.

I’m now planning another trip to Russia and wanna make sure the registration is done properly this time.

But im still wondering : could the missed registration from my previous trip cause any problems when I enter Russia again? Has anyone experienced something similar?

Trying to find the short movie "escape attempt" from 2023, since I just finished reading "escape attempt" from the noon universe.

But I can't find it anywhere, I checked a bunch of the websites I use and nothing.

Hey everyone,

I’m a 19-year-old American guy thinking about planning a short trip to Russia this winter (probably 1–2 weeks). I mentioned it to my parents and my mom immediately freaked out and literally almost started to cry. She said I’d get jailed the second I step off the plane just for being American. My dad is more unsure but still hesitant.

I know the official U.S. advice is Level 4 “Do Not Travel,” and I’m not ignoring that. I’m mainly trying to get a more grounded picture from people who actually live there or have recent experience with American tourists.

A few specific questions:

For regular American tourists (not journalists, not activists), how common is extra scrutiny or real trouble at the border or in major cities like Moscow/St. Petersburg?

Has anyone here hosted or met American visitors recently? What was their experience like day-to-day?

Any practical tips for a short winter trip (visa process, cash, registration, things to avoid, etc.) that would help keep things smooth?

I’m not looking to debate politics, just want honest, practical perspectives so I can decide whether this is realistic and how to talk to my parents about it.

Thanks in advance.

​

Hello guys,

I’m a Moroccan skydiver. I visited Russia in 2024 and went to Ryazan for indoor skydiving at Krutitsy. It was a great trip, even though I had some complications at entry.

I’m planning to come back this September, and I wanted to ask about any important changes I should be aware of, especially for foreigners.

I also have a question about SIM cards. I’ve read that getting a local Russian SIM as a foreigner has become quite a long process. The last time I visited, I bought a local SIM and I still have it as a souvenir 😂

Could someone please explain the current process for getting a (local SIM or an eSIM)?

Also, what would be the best option for having internet access immediately after arrival? I’ll need it for taxis, transportation, maps, etc.Can I simply rely on airport , hotel/café Wi-Fi until I sort out a SIM?

Any advice from people who have travelled to Russia recently would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi. I am pursuing my Masters in Moscow on scholarship. Currently, I am looking for some white collar jobs in Moscow. I am proficient in English. I can also teach English Language. But I do not know Russian language. Is there any possibility I can get a white collar job in Moscow? Btw, my home country is Pakistan and my native language is Urdu.

Do you also have so warm temperatures like us in Central Europe?

How I Ended This Summer / Как я провёл этим летом (2010)

The fool

Chat gpt recommendation

If you have mention it recommendation

So basically I want to watch some Russian movie and in that I want the real Russian culture daily life and the great wildlife + the Russian natures beauty in it then I ask GPT to tell me this kind of movies and recommend me any Russian movie so I stumble upon these two movies but I can't find any website to watch this film or movies so can you please recommend me any website that has these Russian movies that are famous in Russia I want to see some Russian movie that's all

Hey guys it seems like sites like hotels.com and booking.com don’t include hotel bookings in Russia, i’m planning a trip to Moscow for early 2027 and i would like to see what hotels are available, is there any trusted platform or website that i can use?

For context I’m watching Tucker Carlson shop in Russia at a grocery store and as a Black American who has not been to any European or Asian countries , I want to know what would be the flavor profile of Russia , tbh the only thing I have consumed that I know was from Russia is vodka, and that I don’t want to believe is the entire flavor profile of Russia but for reference and to help give me an answer . I am 27 in Chicago. I associate the taste of spicy foods with South America ,South Africa ,Some of Asia ,Middle east . Fishy foods with North America ,Asia,Antarctica, Some of Australia . I associate savory foods with North America ,regions of South America , Europe ,West and Central Africa. I’m asking essentially what an over all staple taste of Russia would be , in my mind I think bitter (cause of vodka) or bland. What would be more accurate?

Дурак не вижу и _____ не сказать

Or something along these lines. Can someone fill in the blank or change it to be accurate.
It meant a fool doesnt see and a smart mad doesnt say (approximately)

Hi i need to know where are the ER in St-Petersburg and if it's possible their zoning

Thankx

Hello,

I wanted to know about the regular cost of Aurora tours (in Murmansk) & shared transfers to Teriberka from Murmansk & return (on a different day). The month would be this December (after 24th). did contact the tour agencies & they are providing exceptionally high quotes like 14K RUB for one way shared transfer to Teriberka.

Can i simply manage to get one after landing there or should i book there before hand, I am so confused about all this theres not much info available apart from what is provided by tour agencies. Would love to know from someone local or someone who has already done all this

I’m planning a long trip through Russia towards the end of this year. I’ll probably arrive in Kaliningrad, then fly to St Petersburg, and from there travel east by train, essentially making my way across Siberia.
I’d really appreciate advice from Russians or people who have travelled around Russia recently, especially because a lot of the information online is quite old.

1. Winter clothing
I’m coming from a relatively warm climate and obviously don’t want to carry an enormous amount of winter clothing around Europe before I arrive.
Is it easy to buy proper winter clothing in Russia? If so, where would you recommend shopping in Kaliningrad or St Petersburg? Would it make sense to arrive with only basic warm clothes and buy a proper winter coat, boots, thermals etc. once I’m there?
I’ll potentially be travelling quite far east, so I assume what I need for St Petersburg will be very different from what I need further into Siberia.

2. Trans-Siberian Railway
I’d also love recommendations for up-to-date information about travelling the Trans-Siberian today.
Most of the guides and blogs I’ve found are from before COVID or before the current situation, so I’m particularly interested in anything from 2024–2026.
Are there any good Russian-language websites, blogs, YouTube channels, Telegram channels, or recent travel accounts that explain how to plan the journey today — buying tickets, choosing trains, stops worth making, sleeper classes, how long to stay in different places, etc.?
I’m not necessarily interested in doing the classic tourist itinerary as quickly as possible. I’d actually like to get off the train regularly and spend time in different cities/regions along the way.

3. Couchsurfing / meeting people
One of my favourite ways to travel has traditionally been Couchsurfing — not just for accommodation, but because it was a great way to meet locals and actually make friends in a city.
Couchsurfing seems to have declined quite a lot in recent years. Is there a Russian equivalent or another platform Russians actually use for hosting travellers / meeting foreigners / organising meetups?
And if not, what would you recommend for a foreign traveller who wants to meet ordinary Russians rather than just other tourists?
I’d particularly love to hear from people who have travelled this route recently or from Russians who live in St Petersburg, Siberia, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, etc.

Thanks!

Im sorry and I hope this is the best place to ask. When I was a teenager I watched the original source for this modern house music video, but I have lost it. It was in Russian, had a Russian video title and had Russian cassette music playing in the background. If someone that speaks Russian can point me in the right direction in finding this video source, it would be greatly appreciated.https://youtu.be/R2u3Qypqou0?si=8Z9s3KhU1Mp6l2-g