Russian Federation is currently the largest country on earth and has been for the past century. The country stretches from the very eastern plains of Europe running through the Ural mountains passing the Baikal and reaching the North Pacific. This vast country boasts with countless views which are yet to be explored by the tourists. The Moscow metro has some of the most luxurious designs featuring very high domed ceilings and marble walls. Some of the most worldwide famous landmarks like St.Basil’s Cathedral, Hermitage museum or the Kremlin are all visited by millions each year.

Traveling info

All tourists traveling to the Russian Federation must have a valid visa. Russia divides tourists into 5 groups. The 1st group is the C of independent states also known as CIS. Citizens of these nations may enter Russia without a visa for an unlimited amount of time. Citizens of the 2nd group are allowed to stay for up to 90 days without a visa every 180 day period. Citizens of the 3rd groups may stay for a period up to 30 days without a visa. Citizens of the 4th group may travel to Russia without a visa for up to 30 days however they must have an official invitation or a tourist voucher. (List of countries and group classification in sources). Citizens of all other countries must apply for a visa. Tourists may drive in Russia for a period of 6 months using their national driving permit however an international driving permit is required regardless of the nationality. If moving to Russia for permanent residency, driving license must be changed to a Russian one.

Traveling hazards

Road conditions and safety varies around the country. Large cities in Russia usually have a well-developed infrastructure and public transport routes. Highways connecting major cities are generally well maintained. Secondary roads, rural roads, and roads in smaller towns are generally ill-repaired and in poor condition. Whilst road maintenance adds to the danger on the road, Russian drivers are infamous for bad driving. Traffic rules are often broken and not properly enforced by the Russian police. Although it is excessive to view every driver in Russia to be as bad as on the dashcam videos, there are a lot of traffic accidents relating to both drivers and pedestrians. Driving outside of urban areas at night is particularly dangerous as livestock and wild animals very often cross roads and cause traffic accidents. Drunk driving is very common despite police checkpoints. In the far east, a lot of the vehicles are right-hand side drive often limiting the vision of the drivers. Inexperienced drivers might experience a tough time driving in Russia.

Environmental hazards

Russia being the largest country in the world has its share of the most dangerous animals in the world. There are over 80 thousand bears living in Russia. They divide into three species, the brown bear, Kamchatka brown bear, and the polar bears. Brown bears in Russia are much more useful to humans making encounters much more often. Although these animals rarely attack, instances of bears killing people happen. These bears are often fed human food by the locals, therefore, do not be surprised if a bear approaches you in your car. The Kamchatka bears belong to the largest of their species. These giants are generally docile and only 1% of encounters result in an attack. However, this does not mean these animals may be freely approached. In July 2008 a platinum mining compound in Olyutorsky District of Kamchatka Krai was literally besieged by 30 bears killing two guards and leaving the workers stranded in their homes waiting for bears to retreat. According to a rough estimate, there are more than 3,000 polar bears living in the Chukchi Sea alone however the exact number is not estimated as the Russian officials did not allow scientist to estimate the population. Polar bears unlike brown bears, encounter humans so rarely that they did not develop a natural instinct to avoid humans. These animals are stealth hunters, meaning their prey usually does not see them until it’s too late, and this applies to people too. Polar bears will openly hunt humans upon catching their scent. To add to the scare, polar bears can catch seal scent from over 30 km away or a scent of a seal buried 1 meter under the ice from a distance of a kilometer. Luckily these bears only inhabit the northmost arctic parts of Russia. Grey wolves are present throughout all of Russia. These pack hunters usually avoid humans however they deal a lot of damage to the local livestock. Although generally, attacks by wolves are rare, most of the reports come from Russia. The very far east of Russia is inhabited by one of the most fierce predators roaming the earth. The Siberian tiger also known as the Amur Tiger is the largest of its species reaching lengths of over 3 and a half meters and almost 350 kilograms. These behemoths of the cat world are capable of hunting even bears. Their population is at a great risk however there have been efforts to increase their population since 2008 which so far has been successful. Encounters of these animals are extremely rare however there have been instances where people have been attacked and killed. There are a few venomous creatures in Russia. The common European adder is present throughout most of western Russia. It is generally not dangerous to grown adults however allergic people, children and elderly are much more vulnerable. The Karakuri spider is present in the Astrakhan region of Russia. Its bite causes intense pain and muscle spasms. If bitten, holding a burning march to the bite will destroy all the venom which has not penetrated into the body yet. Russia has many lakes and rivers which are visited by many water activities enthusiasts, particularly during the summer. Russian rivers are inhabited by some of the largest catfish in the world. These animals hunt practically anything and there were instances of these animals biting humans however there has never been a fatal attack. Swimming off of the Baltic coast is perfectly safe. There have been shark attack reports off of the far east coast however there has only been 4 records and none was fatal.
Russia covers such a vast amount of land that is it submitted to almost all kinds of earthly known disasters. There are active volcanoes in Russia as well as seismic activity causing earthquakes. Landslides and avalanches happen in the Ural mountain regions sometimes causing harm to urban areas. Floods occur as well in different parts of the country. Fun fact is that in 1909 the Tunguska event happened which was an airburst of a small meteor. Luckily this happened in a very sparsely populated area nonetheless downing 2000 kilometers squared of a forest.

Health hazards

There are currently no outbreaks of any diseases nor are there any required vaccinations in order to enter Russia. There are however several vaccinations which are recommended for a safe holiday. These are the routine vaccines also known as MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, Japanese encephalitis and rabies vaccine. Russian healthcare varies across the country. Whilst the public facilities will deliver quality care in most large cities, in the country, it may be poorer or unavailable. Private clinics will generally deliver a much better quality of care and will mostly have English speaking staff in large cities like St.Petersburg or Moscow.
In case of an emergency dial 103.

Crime

Crime occurs in Russia like in most other countries. Both locals and tourists are affected by petty and violent crime. Theft is common, pickpocketing, bag snatching, etc, takes place both in popular tourist areas, in metro and train stations and on public transport. Intoxicated tourists are particularly targeted. A violent crime occurs mostly outside of nightclubs and bars. Using firearms is not unheard of and is quite possible when settling a dispute. Tourists should always beware of their surroundings. Terrorist attacks are possible and may occur anywhere in the country as previous attacks have indicated. Russia has a very strict drug policy and a serious drug problem. Possession of even the smallest amount of narcotics will lead to a prison sentence. Police often stop and search random people in the streets.

Summary

Russia is certainly a country to visit however a little travel experience and caution is advised. Russia will provide tourists with some of the most amazing wildlife hiking trips, incredible landmarks, food, diverse culture and much more. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
http://www.russianembassy.net/rusvisa.html#tourist
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/russian-visa/visa-free-travel/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/russia