Culture shock

Living in a new culture can be a positive, exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging. You may experience homesickness as many of the everyday things that you take for granted are different and you may miss your family and friends. This period of transition is experienced by most people moving to live/study/work in a new country, or even a new location within their country — this is called as a culture shock.

Culture shock is not quite as sudden as most people expect. The first few days or weeks in a new country can be a really exciting time, when everything is new and intriguing. However, this excitement can fade and you may start to feel a bit low. This is the most difficult phase for any new student and it is important to remember that what you are feeling is a normal reaction for someone who has moved to new surrounding. Students from the Russia who are starting university for the first time are also very likely to go through a ‘lull’ as they adjust to their new lifestyle. This is a part of the process of setting in — and will probably start to fade as you make more friends and get used to your daily routine here.

This important thing to remember is that we are here to help. Whether you would like to drop in to see one of our counselors or just pop by the Center of International Education and Cooperation for a chat — make sure you keep in touch with us and make use of what we have to offer.

We have appointed few faculty members as curators for students to make sure our students do not feel homesick and their stay is comfortable.

Electricity

Everywhere in Russia 220 Volt and 50 Hz AC current supplies are used. Most of the sockets are standard European-size for double round-pin plugs, the same as in France or Germany. Appliances from the US, Canada, Britain will need adapters (it’s better to buy them in your own country, as it’s hard to find them in Russia). Most trains have electricity sockets where you can charge your mobile telephones or plug in a shaver, but it is not recommended to use them for sensitive devices without a stabilizer.

Weights, Measures & Numbers

The Russian system of weights and measures is similar to the one used in Continental Europe. Russians use kilometers, meters and centimeters to measure the distance and length respectively, and kilograms and liters to measure the weight and volume respectively. Temperature scale is used in Russia is a Celsius scale. 0 degrees Celsius equals to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Time & Open Hours.

The Time in the European part of Russia is 3 hours more than Greenwich meridian time or two hours more than central European part. (+3 GMT or +2 CET). During summer daylight saving time, Russia’s time is + 4 hours to Greenwich. So if in London it’s 10:00 in Moscow it’s 13:00 (in Russia the 24-hour system is used). Every year the clock goes 1 hour forward in the last Sunday of March and back 1 hour in the last Sunday of October. There are 11 time zones in Russia — so when it’s evening in Moscow, it’s morning of the next day in Vladivostok (a Russian port on the Pacific Ocean).

Open Hours. One great thing about Russia is that all shops are opened even on Sunday. The food shops are usually opened from 8.00 to 20.00 except on Sundays from 8:00 to 18:00, however many of them are open 24 hours a day. Big departmental stores, clothing stores, supermarkets are opened all week long from 9:00-10:00 to 9:00-10:00. State institutions, offices, companies are usually open from 9:00 or 10:00 to 18:00 or 19:00 and do not work on Saturday, Sundays and public holidays. Most banks are open from 9:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday, some are opened on Saturday and Sunday as well. The major banks such as Sberbank, AlfaBank, Raiffaisen Bank are open from 9:00 to 20:00 during weekdays, and 10:00 to 18:00 on weekends. Self-service ATMs operate 24×7.

On public holidays all banks, offices, museums and some shops are closed. However big departmental stores, food stores, supermarkets are all open.

List of National Holidays

31st of December- 1 of January — New Year’s Day, which is the main holiday in Russia, everybody’s happy because people wait for the great new life in the new year and give each other the presents. There’s no Father Christmas, there’s Father Frost in Russia. He comes on new year’s eve and gives presents. Traditionally people gather with family or friends.

7th and 8th of January — Orthodox Christmas. In Russia, contrary to many western countries, Christmas is being celebrated not on 25th December but on 7th January, because it’s orthodox’ Christmas. And the New Year is much more celebrated than Christmas.

8th of March — Women’s Day. Flowers are sold for doubled prices, and men suddenly realize the importance of women.

1st and 2nd of May — May Day & the Day of Spring. In the Soviet times they called it The Day of Labor, but it was a holiday for all. Now it’s just May Day — another free day to meet friends.

9th of May — Victory Day. The day of victory in World War II

12th of June — Independence Day. Still not everybody knows exactly why this date was chosen, but we reckon that this is the day when the first president of the Russian Federation was selected.

7th of November — Day of Reconciliation and Harmony. After 1917 until 1992 that was the Day of the Great October Revolution (1917). It’s a wise decision to rename the day when the civil war began to the Day of harmony of the whole society.

12th of December — Constitution Day.

If you want to send something by post from Russia, you can do it either through the government post offices or by courier services. The state post office is cheaper but slow. Even if you pay extra to send things by priority air mail, they can still take two weeks to reach Europe.

The Main Post Office (Address: Kremlevskaya Ul., 8. Open Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 9:00-18:00) also has an ATM and offers faxing, photocopying, internet and telephone services for low prices. You can buy stamps and send your mail from here. There are many other post offices around Kazan which offer only mailing and sometimes telephone services.

There are Post offices near all KSMU hostels.

Courier Services are much more reliable and fast but also far more expensive. A letter will take about three or four days to reach Europe and cost around $50 to send. Packages will cost more, depending on their weight:

UPS: Gabdulla Kariev str., 6 — 131. Tel: 214-99-41. More information at www.ups.com.

DHL: Peterburzhskaya Ul., 50. Tel: 204-08-88. More information at www.dhl.ru.

FedEx: Peterburgskaya Ul., 50/24. Tel: 227-42-00. More.information on www.fedex.com.

Pony Express: Hadi Atlasi Ul., 15. Tel: 295-82-89. More information on www.ponyexpress.ru.

The international phone code of Russia is «7″, the code of Kazan is «843″. If you call to Kazan from abroad, you should dial the international access number (usually 00 or «+»), then the code of Russia «7″, then Kazan (843), and then the seven digit city number. If you call to Kazan from any place in Russia, dial 8, wait for a tone, then dial the Kazan code (843), and then the seven digit city number. If you dial a local number inside Kazan, just dial the 7-digit number, without any prefixes.

The best option for long distance call is using a VOIP service. Calls to many developed countries are free by VOIP providers. The rates for other countries are much cheaper than any option available. To do so you need to have an internet connection. Then you can make a call either from your phone or your computer.

The other best place to call from is  a Post Office or Call center of Tattelekom. To make a phone call, first queue for the operator, pay an advance for a call (about 50 R) and then they’ll tell you what cabin to go to make a call. Once your call is finished, you can get back the money you paid, if you haven’t used it all already.

But if you plan to stay in Kazan for a longer period it is very cheap to buy a SIM card with any of the local operators. SIM cards cost about $3 or $4 and usually come with a few dollars of phone credit.

MOBILE PHONES, NETWORKS & TARIFFS

Roaming in Russia

If you are traveling with your own cell phone and SIM card, you will be able to use it in Russia if your provider has a «roaming» agreement with one of the local mobile operators. However, the roaming charges are too high, starting at 2-3$ per minute for incoming and around 5$ for outgoing calls and about 1$ for outgoing SMS. If you would like to save money you can get a local SIM card.

Russian Mobile Networks & Coverage

There are three major mobile network providers in Russia: MTS, BeeLine, and Megafon. The prices and the services offered by these operators are quite similar. Their networks cover most cities and rural areas in European Russia, and some major Siberian cities. Services such as LTE, 4G, 3G, WAP, GPRS, text messaging, 24 hour customer support are provided by all major operators. On the official sites of network providers you can find more information about the prices and services: BeeLine: www.kazan.beeline.ru, MTS www.tatarstan.mts.ru,Megafon www.megafon.ru.

Normally, a minute costs about 1-2 roubles/min and sms is about 1-1.5 roubles (including taxes). The 1 Mb of data traffic is priced around 9-10 roubles. The best way is to take one of the plans with call and data. The monthly plan cost around 250-300 rubles per month and offer 300 minutes of talk-time, 100 SMS, 1GB data traffic. Voice mail is priced at about 1 rouble per day.

To top-up/refill your account you can either buy refill vouchers or pay at the operator’s office and pay terminals. The pay terminals are located in plenty number around the city and can be found on almost every bus stops.

Mobile Standards in Russia

Russian mobile companies use two standards GSM 900/1800 (European standard) and CDMA (American standard). So, check your phone instruction to find out which standard it is operating in. GSM is far more popular in Russia and all the leading national operators use it in their networks, CDMA is used only by several local providers (in Moscow, St.Petersburg). If you live in the US, it is unlikely that your mobile supports GSM standard, so you will need to buy a phone in Russia. If you live in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavian counties), your telephone should support GSM, however, you should check if it is «locked» with your operator.

Wi-Fi Access in Russia

There are many wi-fi hotspots in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan. Many of them are free, some charge 2-5$ per hour. In Kazan you can find free wi-fi in Shopping malls, cafes and restaurants. For example in Mcdonald’s. There are wi-fi hotspots at KSMU hostels.

Mobile Internet Access in Russia

Russian mobile operators offer very cheap LTE, 4G, 3G, 2G and Edge internet access service. The main mobile operators in Russia are MTS, BeeLine and Megafon.

Internet Cafes in Russia

Internet cafes in Russia are usually opened 24 hours a day and offer many additional services like scanning, saving data, business conferences etc. One hour of connection usually costs about 30R-60R, discounts are available during the night and for students.

ADSL Broadband Internet and LAN Networks

High-speed (broadband) internet services are provided by LAN (local area networks) and ADSL providers almost in any Russian city. Kazan has multiple internet service providers. To get connected to ADSL, you should contact the provider and give them your address. Within two weeks they’re going to set up the connection (which usually costs about $50-$100 with equipment, if it is needed), and you will be able to start using the internet. The prices for traffic vary, but most ADSL providers offer unlimited traffic for 10 -20$ per month. There are no long-term contracts, in most cases you can cancel your subscription with 1-month notice.

Dial-Up Internet Access

The 5-pin telephone plugs are used in Russia. However, a lot of plugs have also a socket for standard RJ American plug. If not, the adaptor is available in any appliance store and costs not more than 1$. It is very rare to find this service as high speed broadband internet is available everywhere.

Most known internet providers are Russia-On-Line (modem access number in the main Russian cities) and GTS in Kazan. One hour costs around 35 roubles, the maximum connection speed you’ll get is 33600 bps. Before connecting, be careful to set the dialling mode to pulse (NOT tone), and dial the ISP access number without any codes and prefixes. Also, it’s quite likely that you’ll need to dial more than once, because the lines are often busy. Also you should login (as a guest) on the server of the provider. The server will confirm your subscription and after you connect again, you will be able to start using the internet.

The official Russian currency is Russian Rouble (RUR). One Rouble consists of 100 kopeeks. The exchange rate is nearly 40 Roubles to 1 US dollar, 50 Rubles to 1 Euro. For exact rates you can use the online currency converters at http://www.xe.net/pca/ or http://www.oanda.com. It’s not legal to use US dollars or Euro for transactions in Russia.

How to Keep Your Money — Cash, Travelers Cheques, Credit Cards in Russia

Cash is used much more often than the credit/debit cards, and if you’re outside of the big cities, take cash only because it will be hard to cash the cards or cheques. If you dont have Roubles, it’s better if the cash is in US dollars or Euros, because that’s the currency you’ll be able to exchange everywhere in Russia. If you have any other currency, then it might be hard to find an exchange office, and the rate won’t be in your favor. Better change your money in US dollars or Euro beforehand.

Credit/Debit Cards: There’re many cash machines (ATMs) and a lot of shops and restaurants accept cards in Kazan. However, it’s better if you withdraw your money in the ATM, which is at some bank’s office, in that case if your card gets stuck you’ll deal with the problem faster. If you fail to collect your card within 30-40 seconds, the machine swallows the card and holds it as a security measure. Usually, some banks may charge 0 t 1% commission if you withdraw money with the card of the other (foreign) bank, but your bank — the issuer of the card — will take from 2-5 US$ for this operation. Visa, MasterCard are accepted almost in any ATM, Visa Electron and Cirrus/Maestro — more rarely, and AMEX and Diners Club owners might have problems cashing the cards.

In Kazan, there are plenty of ATMs around the city. Obviously you can find them in the New Educational Wing of University (NUK), major shopping centers and in the foyers of the major hotels such as Mirage, Shalyapin Palace Hotel and even the Tatarstan. There are several ATMs within 500 meter radius of the hostel premises.

The ATM opposite the McDonalds express window (Baumana Ul., 72a) is easy to locate at any time of day or night as is the one at Ipoteka-Invest Bank (Baumana Ul.,29). And there are many others around.

Security & In Case of Emergency — What to Do if You Lost Your Card, Money, or Travelers’ Cheques in Russia

It’s good to note the numbers beforehand of all the traveler’s cheques and cards you have with the emergency number, so that in case something is stolen you can block it.

It’s better to divide the amount you have in three parts and store them separately. It’s better if the three parts you have are all different: one-third of cash, one-third in travelers’ cheques, one-third in cards.

If everything you had is stolen you can ask somebody to make a money transfer for you either through banks or through Western Union or Moneygram. Otherwise, you can go to your country’s embassy and maybe they will help you.

Where and How to Change your Money

There’re plenty of exchange offices in Kazan, but try to find the ones, which look good and offer reasonable rates. There is one on the main street at Ipoteka-Invest Bank (Baumana Ul., 29) and another in the Universitetskaya Ul., #10/48. There is also one at the Mirage Hotel (Moskovskaya Ul.,1a). The exchange centers are also present in shopping malls.

Always check how much you’ve got, while you are in front of the cashier. Never change money on the street, because you might get defrauded. «Exchange office» in Russian language sounds «obmen valyuty» (обмен валюты). Exchange offices at the airports and railway stations offer slightly lower exchange rate.

Money Transfer Services in Russia

The most widespread international system of money transfer in Russia is Western Union. The transfer can be made through almost any bank and it takes only 20 minutes. There’s a commission for the transfer, for example, for 300$ they’ll charge around 50$. The information phone number of Western Union in Moscow is (095)797-2194. Citizens of the United States and Canada can make a Western Union transfer through the internet, using their credit card. See details on WU’s website at www.westernunion.com. But Western Union charge quite much for their services, so you may consider using other cheaper options. Normally, they take longer, but commission is much lower.

Moneygram — A service similar to Western Union.But, it is relatively cheaper. More information can be obtained on their website at www.moneygram.com.

Contact System - Unites several banks in Russia and abroad. It is quite cheap way of transferring money. Comission 2-3% only. Find a branch in your city on their website, come there and send money to another available branch. www.contact-sys.com.