Suomenlinna or Viapori (Finnish), or Sveaborg (Swedish), is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands, today within Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The Sea fortress Suomenlinna is a unique architectural monument, a popular recreation area and museum. Although the island is located off the coast of Helsinki, it is part of the city. The Fortress was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1991!

Suomenlinna Sea Fortress was built over 250 years ago and once had a population of 4600, larger than the population of Helsinki at the time. The Swedish crown commenced the construction of the fortress in 1748 as protection against Russian expansionism. All the effort didn’t hinder the Russians taking over in 1808. Finally in 1918 the Fortress became Finnish. Nowadays it is a popular park with museums, interesting flora and beaches.

Today, the island is inhabited by 1000 residents and so you will see some kids biking around. There is a big Visitor Center, which has a 25 minute “multi-vision show” and computers about the fortress.

There are plenty of nice spots for a picnic and you can also swim and sunbathe in various locations on the island – be prepared to walk a bit though. The trip to the fortress in Suomenlinna could be carried out by using the inter-island connecting motor boat from the Port in Katajanokanlaituri.

The Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland is in fact an Igloo Village, at which you can have your pick of 20 unique glass and snow igloos for your stay. They aren’t ice houses, but 31 well-maintained log cabins – built from a very special thermo glass that keeps them warmth and comfortable. Because of that, the temperature inside the Igloos is always a normal room temperature and the igloos inhabitants won’t feel any of the polar cold.

The Igloo Village Kakslauttanen boasts a World’s Largest Snow Restaurant. You can enjoy a drink at the Ice Bar, or visit the Ice Gallery for local art, or try the world’s largest smoke sauna if you get a chance, or throw the most memorable wedding or christening at the Ice Chapel.

The surrounding Finnish Lapland scenery is incredible – it’s a prime spot for marveling at the northern lights throughout the winter. When sleeping in the glass igloos you are able to for viewing the amazing natural phenomena – Aurora Borealis and the millions of stars in the sky. The experience is also unforgettable when there is a snowstorm…

 Wife carrying is a sport in which male competitors race while each carrying female partners. The Wife Carrying World Championship takes place every year in the Finnish province of Sonkajarvi, but similar events have now sprung up around the world. And the prize is … the winning wife’s weight in beer. Prizes are also rewarded for the most entertaining couple, the strongest carrier, and the best costume. The date of this year’s event is July 4, 2009.

The objective is for the male to carry the female teammates through a special obstacle track in as short amount of time as possible. Several carrying strategies can be used, including piggyback and fireman’s carry (over the shoulder) or Estonian-style (the wife hangs upside-down with her legs around the husband’s shoulders, holding onto his waist). If the female partner is dropped, a 15 second penalty is assessed.

Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. The port has a history of lively commercial relations to other countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. This is one well preserved coherent historical wooden town. There are 600 buildings on area of 28 hectares, the oldest of which date from the 18th century. In 1991 the area was selected for UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The town is a dream come true for shoppers and gourmets.

Today there is a new form of urban graffiti in the world and it’s extremely interesting and enjoyably – urban knitting. I mean like sweater -wearing tree or all yarn covered corners with some of the best examples of knit/crochet graffiti.

The images display entitled ”tree cozy”. The impressive outfit was made by Carol Hummel and took her 500 hours from start to finish and stood for a 3 years outside clever land heights city hall until just recently.

Top left – a knitted handrail cover near Tullikamarinaukio Square, Finland, by Knit Sea. Top right – a tagged guard chain in Stockholm, left by the prolific Masquerade Crew. Bottom left – a mooring ring tagged in Stockholm, again by the Masquerade Crew. Bottom right – a grateful and warm lampost in Houston, Texas dressed by members of Knitta Please.

The picture display territorial knitting, an unauthorized project by Lauren Marsden. Her aim was to cover the signs of every street on which she has lived in Victoria, British Columbia, with knitted replicas.

The Kingdom of Sweden is one of the Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The country is the third largest one in the European Union. Sweden lies west of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline, and forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Sweden is much warmer and drier than other places at the similar latitude, and even somewhat further south, mainly because of the Gulf Stream.

But the sun never sets for part of each summer, and for part of the winter the sun never rises.  The capital of Stockholm’s daylight lasts for more than 18 hours in late June, but only around 6 hours in late December. Most of Sweden has between 1,600 to 2,000 hours of sunshine annually.

The total population of Sweden was estimated to be 9,234,209. In Sweden living immigrant group consists of people from Finland, and born in Iraq, Former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Chile and Iran.

Sweden is a pure place for ice-adventures and fun in the snow. If you want to explore the country on maximum, you should take a tour into the wild with those friendly dogs in the picture. They will be your best friend, guard and transport during your vacation. If you are ski seeker, Sweden is also your favorite spot.

Turku is a post-modern city in Finland and today the city has a new library to celebrate for! The new city library in Turku is located at the historical centre of the city. The building is the latest addition to a block with the old library and several other historically valuable buildings.

The library has a functionally clear design. The public spaces are situated mainly on two floors surrounding the opening to the courtyard. The staff premises are located systematically on one side of the building facing the street. The first floor has a reception and lounge area, a children’s and youth section.

The building was made from concrete cast on site and fair-faced concrete was formed with vertical boards to achieve the rough feeling characteristic of the material. Glass was given a seminal role both in the outer architecture and the interior world. Transparency befits this type of building; a public library building should evoke the idea of openness.

Its geopolitical, intellectual, economical, cultural and historical advantages are unique. St. Petersburg is the symbol of the European part of Russia and one of the most venerable capitals of the world. St. Petersburg, a cultural center of the global significance, has accumulated and enormous cultural potential over the period of three centuries. For all this time the city has been a true pearl of world culture. Artists and architects made a permanent mark in the cultural history of Russia with their world-renowned architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg. There are over 250 museums, 18 literature museums, 44 art museums, 5 national museum-preserves, 39 history museums, 24 local history and ethnographic museums.

Helsinki is one of the most vibrant and prosperous cities in the world with very high standards of living. With all its bays, inlets and shore islands, Helsinki is almost surrounded by water. The city grew up around a natural harbor overlooking the Gulf of Finland.

Helsinki’s offerings are seen best in summer, when the sidewalk cafes and the waterside markets are thronged by handsome, hardy people basking in the glow of plentiful daylight. As well as during this time visitors and residents gather on the steps of Senate Square to soak in the evening.There is summer sunlight in Helsinki 20 hours a day.

Helsinki may be the world’s second most northerly capital city, after Reykjavik, and it may be lapped by the Baltic, but it can feel almost Mediterranean on a fine August day, with soft, golden light bathing the pastel-colored Italianate buildings around Senate Square, a legacy from Russian rule in the 19th century, and ferries, cruise ships and trawlers filling in a lively marine backdrop.

Klaus K hotel is located on the three lined street Bulevardi in Helsinki very close to the cruise ship harbor, train station and less than 20 km to the Helsinki airport by car. The hotel is housed in a 19-th century structure and has really contemporary interior design inspired by the outlook of Finland.

The hotel consist ballroom for up to 120 people, a smaller meeting room and offers a wide range of class food & drinks for every guests specific moods.

But when you get tired from too much drinks and food, the hotel also offers refreshment procidures at the Helsinki Day Spa with an excellent variety of body treatments and beauty programmes. The Klaus K hotel owns 137 rooms, each one with custom beds, comfort designed workspace, air conditioning, LCD TV movies, CD/DVD players, games, easy high speed intenet access (wireless or wired), safe, bar, exclusive bath amenities, robe.

More than 10,000 dogs from around the world participated Saturday at this year’s Euro Dog Show in several categories, including that for Europe’s top beauty.
“It’s the biggest Euro Dog show so far in the number of foreign participants. We will host over 10,400 dogs, including some 1,000 from Croatia,” said Damir Skok, head of Croatia’s kennel federation (HKS). The previous event which took place in Helsinki in 2006 drew some 10,000 dogs, half of them from Finland, he added.

The first international dog show in Zagreb was held in 1932 – more than 70 years of tradition are also one guarantee more of the experience and expertise. At the three-day event in Zagreb which opened on Friday the largest contingent of some 2,000 dogs comes from Italy, followed by 1,300 Russian and 900 Hungarian pets. Today, this modern cynological organisation, located in the heart of the city, has about 130 cynological clubs under its patronage and organises 9 international and 7 national dog shows every year. Besides these activities the clubs organise special dog shows for all dog breeds represented in the Croatian Kennel Club.

Some 50 countries are represented at the contest. Since Eastern Europe has opened its borders its judges have become very popular, its native breeds have conquered the west and its exhibitors have found the way to western areas. The quality is high and their wins very frequent. No wonder that the FCI has started to grant permission to organize European and World Shows as they guarantee lots of entries.

To be allowed to enter the country, dogs need identifications according to the regulations. Dogs coming from EU-countries have to possess a pet passport according to the EU-regulations, while dogs coming from other countries need a veterinarian certificate issued by the competent institution of the country in question.
Categories / Classes
Baby Class – 3 to under 6 months
Puppy Class – 6 to under 9 months
Youth Class – 9 to under 18 months
Intermediate Class – 15 to under 24 months
Open Class – 15 months and older
Working Class – 15 months and older (with FCI Working certificate)
Champion Class – 15 months and older (only national or the international champions will be admitted)
Veteran Class – dogs of 8 years and older (excellent I competes for the BOB title).

In the Baby Class, the Puppy Class and the Veteran Class no titles will be awarded. The first 4 dogs of the each class will be ranked as long as they were evaluated at least as “promising” or “very good”. In the Veteran Class the dog evaluated as “excellent l” may be awarded the title of “European Veteran Winner”. In the Youth Class the dog evaluated as “excellent l” may be awarded the title of “Youth Winner” = “European Youth Winner” and “Croatian Youth Winner”.

Organisers expected several thousand visitors at Zagreb’s fair exhibition halls to watch contests in obedience, beauty and agility that will be evaluated by 115 international referees. The event is sponsored by Pedigree. The organization was managed by Mr.Damir Skok, a young veterinarian working for Pedigree and thus well trained and PR minded. The degree of professionalism was high and there are no negative comments from the exhibitors. Whether you’ve been showing real dogs for years, have never shown a dog in your life, or even have never owned a real animal, this game is fun, challenging, and a unique experience.

Linnanmaki also has many other big attractions, including Raketti, or “Rocket” (formerly Space Shot ), which is a standard upwards-launched free fall tower, built in 1999 by S Power. Other roller coasters in the park include Tulireki, Linnunrata (an indoor roller coaster built inside a water tower, with a space theme), Pikajuna, and Finland’s first water coaster, Vonkaputous.
The park also contains the “Peacock Teatteri”, known for its musical productions. In addition to the park itself, guests can also visit a Sea Life Centre. Kieppi was placed to a new area Linnanmaki had bought near the southern entrance gate. A kiddie-ride was also placed next to Kieppi and the Hip Hop was moved to that same area in 2004 to make room for Tulireki.

Linnanmaki is now even more fun than before and colours play an important role in attracting people to come there. This is in good agreement with Tikkurila’s business idea. Moreover, the yield from the fun park goes to support child welfare.
There are many restaurants and shops at Linnanmaki, from cheap to expensive ones. You can find a toy museum too – in Helsinki a year ago, they had a really cool Barbie exhibition there. There’s also a theatre at Linnanmaki. Every year they perform a musical there with many famous Finnish artists – nothing special if you don’t speak Finnish well, but otherwise usually rather good.

Alexandria Learning Centre is a service centre for both students and teachers of the University of Helsinki. Experts in teaching, information service and information technology provide consultation and advice on the use of Alexandria’s state-of-the-art facilities. The centrally located learning centre is also a meeting place for students. Classroom is not reserved for courses and training it is at the disposal of library users. Terminals that can be accessed even without user ID can be found from Circulation floor lobby. Alexandria Learning Centre also has about 350 computers for independent study. The 70 computers on the first floor are reserved for quick use. On the top floor, there are 20 computers for multimedia work and for watching online lectures.
The enormous room is envisioned for 3500 visitors, each book can be found with help to computer. The circulating library disposes :Copying machines – they are located on the first floor under the stairs. The Undergraduate Library has copying machine on the Service and Collections Floors. Public telephone -There is a public telephone in the Undergraduate Library on the first floor in the lobby area by the lifts there is a telephone which can be used for making calls inside the University. Video presenting - In order to view the video, you need Real Player, which can be downloaded from the University of Helsinki Centre. In addition to the library, Alexandria’s computers are also in heavy use year round. During terms, nearly all 350 computers are continually taken in the afternoons and even in summer – apart from July, which is the traditional holiday month in Finland – the utilisation rate is approximately 60 percent.
The Theology Library holds a collection of modern theological literature and aims to maintain a good selection of important theological journals and publication series. The library also provides theological information services for the public in addition to the university community. Arts Library is provides information services for research and teaching in the science of Art and Humanities. It is open to the public and comprises nine different library units (philology, aesthetics, translation, linguistic, …). Social Science Library is provides information services to the public and the university community. The collection of the Library comprise the fields of communication, economics and social history, political, and…other.

Children’s Library: If you are between 6 and 11 years of age and are looking for fun, knowledge, entertainment and education, do not miss this opportunity! Come to the Children’s Library at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina main building, first floor, and jump into the fun.

The library is seen as a progressive landmark for the country as a whole, reinstating Egypt on the map as an open, modern centre of cultural exchange. The idea of a universal library, like that of Alexandria, had to wait for historic changes that would help to develop a new mental outlook which could envisage and encompass the whole world.

1. Island of Sylt, Germany

The island is closer to the coasts of Danmark, but it is german and is the place where the elite spends its summer vacation. This is tevtonian equivalent of Martas Vineyard with sand dunes, sea lighthouses and cute buildings, in which are located boutiques of Lui Vuitton and Hugo Boss. Beaches at the eastern coast of the island are suitable for families, but the western beaches are the real Mecca for the surfers. Indeed the village is known as “Sylt’s Saint Tropes”. Sylt is favourite destination for vacation of Boris Becker, Claudia Schiffer and Ralf Schumacher. You can reach the island by flight from Munich of Frankfurt, or by train from Hamburg.

2. Island of Kea, Greece

Kea, the closest of the Cyclades to the mainland, has a reputation as the island that the Greeks were clever enough to keep to themselves. It is a place with a laid-back atmosphere, great walking, good swimming and nice beaches, while Ioulidha, the town at the centre, has a collection of delightful tavernas. On Island of Kea you can meet lots of Athenian families and yachting types of people. Ferries to Kea leave from the port of Lavrio, a 90-minute bus ride from Athens.

3. Island of Lopud, Croatia

Croatia is awash with minute, barely populated islands but Lopud, one of the Elafiti islands, with its handful of bars, shops and restaurants and a couple of hotels, is one of the most charming. There are no cars on the island, hand-pulled wooden carts being the preferred form of transportation. Unusually for Croatia, Lopud has sandy beaches, the largest of which is Sunj, reached by boat or forest path.To get there you need to Fly to Dubrovnik, 45-minute ferry to Lopud.

5. Comino, Malta

Gozo’s smaller sibling. So small, in fact, that there are only four permanent residents and a hotel that is only open between April and October. However, what Comino lacks in human interface, it makes up for in nature reserves, a bird sanctuary, beaches and the much-feted Blue Lagoon. Limited sights include the old isolation hospital, a tower, and a chapel dating back to the 14th century. To get there you need to Fly to Malta, then catch a ferry to Comino provided by the hotel.

6. Iles d’Hyeres, France

This collection of three islands off the Cote d’Azur is kept crowd-free through impressively high levels of French bureaucracy – numbers allowed to visit the island have been reduced (ferries stop running when a certain number of people are on the island) and smoking is usually banned in summer. Crack the rules and regulations, however, and you discover a particularly French idyll. Porquerolles, the largest of the islands, produces an acclaimed rose wine and has fabulous fish restaurants. Le Mas du Langoustier is one of France’s most romantic hotels, while the Notre Dame beach is rated as one of the best in Provence. Ryanair flies into Toulon-Hyeres airport, which is a short drive to one of the ferry ports to the islands.

7. Eilean Shona, Scotland

An island off the coast of Scotland that has stayed off the radar by being privately owned (albeit by Richard Branson’s sister, Vanessa). Situated at the entrance to Loch Moidart, between the islands of Mull and Skye, there are five distinctly basic cottages and one substantially grander main house which comes with a cook/housekeeper. Neither cars nor bicycles are allowed on the island but rowing boats are provided free. Two miles long, there are 300 acres of woodland.Drive to Castle

9. Aland Islands, Finland

A veritable smorgasbord of islands – roughly 6,000 of them – that lie between Sweden and Finland, they are a blend of ancient Viking burial mounds and weatherboard house lifestyle fantasy. Unadulterated wholesomeness, with cycling and fishing opportunities galore, along with general Arthur Ransome-esque messing about in boats. The best time to visit is late August, when the Finnish schools have gone back and rental prices dip.

10. Monte Isola, Lake Iseo, Italy

Europe’s largest inland island (three kilometres long) is in the middle of Lake Iseo. It has a couple of villages, a handful of restaurants and bars, vineyards, a nice walk through the olive and walnut trees to the 13th-century church of Madonna della Ceriola and copious amounts of tranquillity. Fly to Brescia with Ryanair, then take a bus or train to Iseo, followed by a ferry.

11. Ile d’Aix, France

Just one mile long, the island where Napoleon negotiated his surrender to the British has a more rough and ready feel than the ile de Re, its celebrity-sated sibling to the north. The barracks built for Napoleon’s soldiers have evolved into housing and a summer-only cinema, there’s a particularly impressive fort, a museum commemorating Napoleon’s stay (La Maison de l’Empereur), sandy beaches, a hotel (predictably called the Napoleon), plenty of camping and – this being France – a boulangerie and several very good restaurants, including Cafe de l’Ocean and the more gourmand Les Paillotes. Fly to La Rochelle with Ryanair or Flybe. Bus to La Rochelle port, ferry to ile d’Aix.

12. Island of Losinj, Croatia

Located off Cres, Croatia’s largest island, Losinj has attractive Austro-Hungarian and Venetian touches and is peppered with ornate villas. There is a pine forest and a particularly nice harbour with a floating fruit market at one end. A three-hour ferry from Pula.

13. Island of Gotland, Sweden

Bang in the middle of the Baltic, Gotland is a land mass of Scandinavian perfection, offering a staggering array of medieval churches, bucolic farmland, fossil-filled beaches, highly chilled beach clubs and yachting. It is perhaps Europe’s most stylish island; the cobbled streets of Visby, Gotland’s medieval capital, are fringed with vintage fashion shops, Sixties-inspired coffee shops and frighteningly clever furniture stores. And being almost completely flat, the cycling is superb. Flight to Stockholm, then either another flight to Visby with Skyways, or a bus ride followed by a three-hour ferry to Visby.

14. Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland

Definitely one for the summer months, not least because that’s when the two main B&B options are open, Rathlin Island is north of Ballycastle in County Antrim and 14 miles from the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. Four miles long, it is home to around 70 people and copious seals. Caledonian MacBrayne (028 2076 9299; www.calmac.co.uk) runs twice daily ferries all year round from £3.80 day return.

15. Island of Porto Santo, Portugal

Located 75km from Madeira, Porto Santo achieved fame late last year when Monarch Airways disgorged a passenger it claimed was being disruptive. Once home to Christopher Columbus, Porto Santo, unlike Madeira, has 8km of fine yellow sand. Although it is not a party island, there’s a museum dedicated to Columbus while the volcanic landscape lends itself to good walks in spring and autumn. Thanks to Nato, a full airport runway was built in 1960; flights are currently via Funchal on Madeira (15-minute flight time) or Portugal.

The city’s general layout is reasonably easy to grasp and consists of a serious of concentric circles radiating from the Kremlin, Moscow’s geographical, historical and political nucleus. The city was constructed on a massive scale and its buildings and streets appear menacingly imposing at first glance. The streets are typically broad four to six lane boulevards, lined with enormous buildings constructed in monumental Stalin-gothic style.

Within three days of your arrival in Russia your Visa must be registered with the local authorities, the OVIR. This is usually arranged by the party that issued your visa invitation, usually the hotel where you are staying, and may incur an extra charge.

Arriving in Moscow

There are several points of arrival into the Russian capital. Moscow’s main International Airport is the rather dilapidated Sheremet’evo II, which lies approximately 28 kilometers northwest of the city center. The airport can be reached on public transport by a two-stage journey, involving both metro and minibuses. We highly recommend that you arrange a transfer from the airport to your chosen hotel, which can be organized through Moscow Taxi. Just click here for further information. Moscow also boasts four other, mostly internal, airports; Sheremet’evo I, Bykovo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, all of which are situated well outside the city limits and are difficult to reach by public transport.

Moscow is also served by eight major train stations, welcoming trains from St. Petersburg and Helsinki, Siberia, Central Asia, Southern Russia, Eastern Europe and the Baltic States.

The city also greets visitors from all over Russia, Eastern Europe and the Baltic States at its central bus station, near VDNKh Metro Station, and has various river terminals dotted throughout.

Public Transport

Moscow boasts a large-scale if rather dilapidated Public Transport System, including a very fast and comprehensive Metro System, and numerous bus, minibus, trolleybus and tram routes. Russian public transport does not work to timetables, but is reasonably reliable, frequent and absolutely dirt cheap!

Money Matters

The Russian Currency is the rouble, which subdivides into one hundred kopeks. Coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 50 kopeks and 1, 2 and 5 roubles, and notes of 10, 50, 100, 500 and now 1,000 roubles. The Russian rouble, which is not a hard currency and therefore worth nothing beyond the borders of the country, experienced rapid devaluation during the 1998 Russian financial crisis, but in October 2001 is reasonably stable at approximately 30 roubles to the US dollar.

Russians think in US dollars so don’t be surprised if you are quoted prices in dollars. Most Muscovites are still eager to obtain foreign currency so although payment for goods in Russia must by law be made in roubles, stall holders are frequently willing to accept payment in US dollars. In many restaurants prices are quoted in “units”, a throw back from the 1998 financial crisis, which usually correspond approximately to the current rouble to dollar exchange rate.

The capital is full of banks, Bureaux de Change, kiosks and counters where foreign currency can be changed into Russian roubles. You require your passport to exchange money and will be given a detailed receipt of the transaction. Exchange rates do vary considerably, so we suggest you shop around, and some Bureaux de Change may apply different rates to foreigners, so be wary. Travelers Checks are accepted, but generally less widely. Moscow also has plenty of ATMs that take Visa, Mastercard and Cirrus cards, although American Express cards are accepted in fewer. You can pay by credit card in most large stores now, although the majority of small shops still only take cash. There are numerous Western Union offices throughout the city, where money can be wired from abroad and collected without any problems.

Prices in Russia are generally low. Basic foodstuffs are inexpensive as is public transportation. Foreign foods and more luxurious goods are, however, expensive and are likely to be more costly than at home.

When entering and exiting the country visitors are required to fill in a Currency Declaration Form, detailing the amount of money you are carrying and any valuables. Customs officers will check over your declaration form and may ask questions pertaining to it.

Health Services

Although now an increasingly modern European capital city, Moscow still suffers from various health-related problems. Although drawn from nearby reservoirs as opposed to the murky River Moskva, the city’s water supply remains undrinkable unless it has been boiled for a good 10 minutes and allowed time for the sediment to settle. Even then the locals are reluctant to drink it! We recommend you stick to bottled mineral water, which is widely available in shops there. Another significant problem you’ll encounter in Moscow is greatly elevated levels of air pollution. Russia has not been forthcoming with legislation to limit levels of emissions from cars, and has yet to insist on the introduction of catalytic converters and unleaded petrol. Therefore, Moscow can seem like a very dirty and smoky city at times. Upset stomachs and diarrhea are another likely occurrence, due mainly to the change in food and water. Visitors should be aware that fresh meat and dairy produce aren’t always as well refrigerated as they ought to be in shops and supermarkets, and bootleg vodka can still be a problem in the city’s grottier kiosks. Poor hygiene can be a problem generally in food shops, small cafes and street stalls and Russian public toilets should be avoided at all costs! Just look terribly foreign and confident and stroll into the nearest plush hotel or MacDonalds if you need to relieve yourself!

Russian medical facilities are, for the most part, inferior to those in the West although levels of medical training and expertise are competitively high. Moscow’s high streets are full of pharmacies, which stock numerous foreign medications for more minor ailments. Russian hospitals and clinics may seem scarily basic, due mostly to lack of funds, and most visitors prefer to use the city’s modern Western clinics, which invariably boast English-speaking staff, excellent facilities and extortionate prices to boot! So when planning your trip we think it wise to bring a supply of any prescribed medication you may be taking and organize a comprehensive medical insurance policy for yourself. Your country’s embassy in Moscow is also quite likely to have a resident doctor or nurse, who will see visiting nationals and charge more reasonable rates.

Opening Hours and Holidays

The Russian working day tends to start a little later than in the West. Shops are typically open between 10am and 7 or 8pm everyday, with only a few remaining closed on Sundays. Museums and art galleries work to a similar schedule, perhaps closing a little earlier, but are not usually open on Monday or Tuesday. Getting anything done or visiting anything is usually a fruitless task on a Monday in Moscow, so we suggest you check the opening hours of your favorite sights carefully when planning your next trip. An increasing number of shops and kiosks are now open 24 hours, and many restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs stay open until the wee small hours of the morning. Russian shops, museums and galleries are, however, terribly fond of shutting at random times with very little reason other than a hand-written sign on the door saying “Closed due to technical reasons” or “Closed for repairs”. This is almost terminally frustrating at times, but you get used to it after a while.

Russian public holidays are reasonably numerous but follow a slightly different pattern than in the West. Both Western New Year (January 1st) and Russian Orthodox New Year (January 7th) are celebrated, but Christmas isn’t, so the 24th, 25th and 26th of December are normal working days in Moscow. On February 23rd Muscovites celebrate “Defenders of the Motherland Day” and March 8th is “International Women’s Day”, when Russian males become unexpectedly charming and spend a good 24 hours opening doors for ladies, handing out flowers and wishing every girl they see ‘S Prazdnikom!” (Happy Holiday!). Russian Orthodox Easter is a moveable holiday and sometimes coincides with the major May festivals; “International Labour Day” (May 1st and 2nd) and “Victory Day” (May 9th), when you can still enjoy spectacular military parades on Red Square. June 12th is “Russian Day”, early September sees Moscow pulling out all the party stoppers for “City Day”, and on November 7th the locals celebrate the anniversary of the October Revolution, now dubbed as the “Day of Reconciliation and Accord”.

If public holidays happen to fall at the weekend, a weekday (usually the Monday) is often given off in lieu.

The city of Moscow is also now host to numerous major festivals and international events, including an annual International Film Festival, the prestigious Tchaikovsky Classical Music Competition, a Day of Slav Culture, an Independent Music Festival, the May Moscow Stars Festival, featuring local classical and folk musicians, and the Moscow International Air Show.

Communications

The Russian postal system is notoriously slow and unreliable, with letters between Moscow and London taking anything between 7 days and 4 weeks to arrive at their destination! Various firms in the city offer a more expensive and reliable postal service, which involves couriering letters and parcels to Finland or one of the Baltic States, where they enter the more efficient local postal system and therefore reach their final destinations in a matter of days rather than weeks. Mail can usually also be received and sent from your hotel or the nearest American Express Office, for those carrying an American Express card or travelers checks.

For those happy to risk the Russian postal system, post offices are dotted about all over the city and mail is very cheap to send. Parcels must be brought unwrapped to the appropriate section of the post office, where the staff will box them up for you.

Modern public telephones are now an increasingly common sight in Moscow. Most now accept plastic phonecards, which can be bought in newspaper kiosks and metro stations. When telephoning a foreign number you should first dial 8, wait for the tone, then 10 plus your country code and area code (omitting any initial zero). To call another city in Russia you should dial 8 followed by the city code (including any zeros), eg. 812 for St. Petersburg. Phone calls can be made and faxes sent from most telegraph offices, of which there are many throughout the city. Internet access is now widespread in Moscow and is available at Telegraph offices, some post offices, business centers and Internet cafes.

Security and the Police

Like any other major capital in the world, crime is a factor in Moscow and visitors should take pay extra attention to their personal safety and that of their belongings.

The Russian Ministry of the Interior has several police forces that are employed to maintain order in the city, which they accomplish to a debatable extent. The regular police, the militsia, patrol the Moscow streets and metro station areas checking peoples’ documents. We advise that you carry your passport and registered visa with you at all times in case you are stopped, although the police are more likely to avoid foreigners. However, they are notorious for hanging around expat drinking spots, waiting for the odd inebriated foreigner to stumble out on his way home, to check his documents and lift a few notes from his wallet. As with most institutions in Russia, the militsia are thoroughly corrupt and bribery is very much the norm in their dealings. The other main police force are the GAI or transport police, who monitor the streets for speeding cars and traffic offenses and regularly pull cars over to check for documents and accept the odd bribe.

Climate

Moscow lies on approximately the same latitude as Edinburgh in Scotland, but due to its location far from the sea and in the midst of a large continental landmass, the Russian capital’s climate is considerably more extreme. Summers are hot and winters very cold by Western European standards. Temperatures range from a pleasant 22 – 28 degrees during August to a bitter minus10 – minus 20 during January, usually the coldest month of the year. The Muscovite winter is long and hard with almost constant snow and ice from October right through to March. Rainfall levels peak during July and August, averaging 72 – 78 millimeters per day. Spring and Autumn are both mild and fleeting and Summer is undoubtedly the most popular time to visit the city amongst foreign tourists.