Moscow, Russia Report of what it's like to live there - 10/14/14
Personal Experiences from Moscow, Russia
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
Yes.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Washington, DC. We used the direct United flight which was about 10 hours one way.
3. How long have you lived here?
2012-2014.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Government -Spouse of first tour FS specialist.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
There are four sort of housing areas: the Embassy compound, the City apartments, Pokrovsky Hills (next door to the Anglo-American School AAS) and Rosinka. We lived on the compound and while the convenience is definitely nice in the cold snowy weather, I would have preferred one of the city apartments. I used to joke that I felt we lived on an old MGM backstage lot because at times you would never see a soul outside even though all the housing units were occupied. The City apartments were all accessible by bus/metro same with Pokrovsky. Rosinka supposedly had gorgeous houses by a lake, but the commute was terrible sometimes up to 2+ hours in traffic.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
For our family of two, we would spend an average of US$60/$75 per week on groceries from the Embassy Liberty Store or the local supermarkets. I will say that unlike in the U.S. you do have to "shop around" for everything you need. For example, Billa had better fruits and veggies, but was always out of chicken so we needed to go to Perekrestok. I used to think Moscow was expensive until I got to our new post and it's double that for our grocery bill each week!
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
I would send any liquids over 16oz, nail polish and peanut butter (also surprising classified as a liquid).
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Fast food prices are definitely higher than the U.S. I think we went to McDonald's and spent close to US$15 for what would be US$7 in the States. They do have a ton of options to choose from but we preferred going to Khacapuri for yummy Georgian cuisine for less than US$30 for two people.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
None that I am aware of.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Everything was received through pouch. I only once had something rejected (nail polish).
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
A lot of people on the compound had a nanny and/or a part-time housekeeper to help around their residences. We didn't just because our apartment was so small.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There is a decent size gym at the Embassy with a swimming pool. The cost depends on the size of the family. There were also a few fitness classes, but they were mostly held during the day and I wasn't able to participate since I worked.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
We primarily used cash to pay for everything (there are two cashiers at the Embassy for personnel) but the few times my spouse used his credit card, nothing happened.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
The compound had a regular Catholic mass each week and there were a few Catholic churches in town and there is a Protestant church as well. I'm not sure of any other faiths except Greek Orthodox.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You definitely need basic Russian and understanding of the Cyrillic alphabet to get by. The Embassy does offer classes starting with survival Russian, but a simple trip to the grocery will require some comprehension even if you can't think of the right words!
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Moscow is not very ADA compliant.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
The Metro is amazing, probably the best I have ever been on and historical on top of it! We also took the streetcars from outside the Embassy up to Gorky Park. The nice thing about the employee association was that they had drivers for hire if you couldn't use Motorpool (official business only) and the prices were very reasonable.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
The great thing about Moscow is that if you don't need to, don't bring a car. If we had to bring a car, I would suggest an SUV. The drivers are craaaaazy!
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
High-speed internet access is available for all of the housing areas, but it depends on where you live as to what you purchase. Since we lived on the compound, we were able to purchase it through the employee association for around US$30/month. If you lived off compound, you needed to sign-up with an internet provider such as Yota.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
My spouse got his cell phone through the Embassy but I purchased an unlocked phone from Beeline and loved the fact that I could pay-as-go (then a foreign concept in the U.S.) for unlimited talk/text/data for 1000 rubles a month (US$33). You could also get plans through MTS and Megafon. It was really easy to reload the minutes except you had to find a Beeline store; the street kiosks charge a fee.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No quarantine necessary and there is a vet who makes house calls to the Embassy. We used their services when we had to get our dog's health certificate for flying back to the States. The only problem was that we got the certificate at the 11th hour, otherwise they were very helpful and even picked us up in their vehicle to transport our dog to the hospital.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
You really aren't able to work on the local economy as a spouse since there isn't a bilateral work agreement in place between the U.S. and Russia and spouses are forbidden to give up their diplomatic privileges. The Embassy has about 50 eligible family member (EFM) jobs and some of the spouses had home businesses or taught exercise classes.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
There are opportunities if you know where to look. A local dog shelter "Call of the Wild" is always looking for volunteers.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Depending on the section you work in, it can range from suit/tie to business casual. Most women dressed in skirts/pants/cardigans. In public, it was anything goes, sometimes you would see men with a girlfriend half their age walking around in freezing weather wearing stiletto heels, a short fur coat and a miniskirt.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
It's Russia and as people have noted before don't expect any privacy. We never experienced anything out of the ordinary but you were always unconsciously on guard and at least in our case "a need to know basis only."
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
TB is definitely a concern and you are tested at the end of your tour. Most people were satisfied with the Med Unit, but I still find it funny that it took them 6 months to get a vaccination back in stock. The old RMO was actually pleased that they had Medevac'd over 60 people the year before. I know some people preferred going to the European Medical Center for treatment although not all of the doctors spoke English.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Unhealthy, but somehow you get used to it. I wouldn't recommend going to Russia for anyone with severe allergies and/or asthma.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
The air quality will affect you initially, but you just adapt. I would say there are options for probably every diet food-wise or you can ship it in. While Russia is very much a meat-centric country, I was able to find a number of vegetarian options at the restaurants we went to.
5. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Beautiful summers, very cold snowy winters. Our first winter there the temperatures were negative Farenheit and you definitely appreciate wearing tall boots and long goosedown coats. Funny enough, the 2013-2014 winter was warmer than Washington DC and it only started snowing again when we left.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
Most parents sent there children to the Anglo-American School (AAS) which has a fantastic cafeteria (sushi for lunch!) and an IB program for high school students. During our time in Moscow, some parents were concerned that their children weren't getting into top U.S. colleges, but in my opinion the IB program sounded more rigorous than your standard AP classes. Some parents sent their children to a French school as well.
2. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
There actually is a daycare on the compound run through the employee association, AECP, although a lot of the families had nannies.
3. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
I think the school had after-school activities and they had karate classes in the gym at the Embassy.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
I think the expat community was pretty substantial among all of the different missions in Moscow, but the morale at least at the Embassy ebbed and flowed. There definitely were different groups which stuck together and given the weather (it was dark early in the evening from October-April), you could definitely feel a little depressed. I kind of wished that we had taken more trips while were there just to get away.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
A lot of the Embassy community hung out at Uncle Sam's (the bar on compound) or at the Marine House (they usually had one or two events per month). We preferred to get out and walk around the city, trying new restaurants, seeing plays (we saw a ghost story play entirely in Russian!) or going to any number of events happening that weekend. The CLO has a number of newspapers/magazines which list what is going on in the city for that week/month.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
In my opinion it's a great city for all three demographics. The single men certainly were able to find dates each weekend and as a couple, there were so many entertainment options. The CLO was always trying to put things together for couples and families including the puppet theater and circus.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Nope and getting worse.
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
I never felt any prejudice but then again I looked like most of the local population. I know one gentleman who was on TDY was sort of snubbed at his hotel because he looked like some from the Caucasus region (dark features and a beard).
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
We really enjoyed going to the Tatu Military Band festival held in Red Square each September. They had a fantastic fireworks display at the end both times we attended. Also, there is a Mexican restaurant not far from Red Square, which hosts a Day of the Dead celebration each November, plus they have the best guacamole in town! We also really liked watching the Victory Day parade in May from the Consular building and later attending the Victory Day celebrations in Victory Park.
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
As mentioned above, the Tatu Military band festival each September, the Festival of Lights at the end of September, skating in Gorky Park and Red Square, and New Years Eve.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
There is a great outdoor market, Izmaylova, that sells all of the traditional Russian items such as hats, matrioska dolls, lacquer boxes, etc. Also, the embassy association sponsors vendor weeks a few times a year when the vendors come to the Embassy. The prices are higher than if you just metro out there, but you're paying for convenience.
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
There really is a lot to do in Moscow from strolling through Gorky Park on a beautiful summer afternoon to touring the countless museums and seeing wonderful theater productions. We were also able to take the bullet train to St. Petersburg over one of the long weekends and took a few short bus tours to small quaint cities within the Ring.
10. Can you save money?
It depends. We certainly were able to save money, but we had two incomes and didn't travel or go out every weekend. It might be a little tight with a family.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Honestly, it was a my first experience living overseas and once I was able to get over the culture shock and homesickness, I was able to enjoy my surroundings. Also, it helped a lot to have a job and be able to get out of the house every day.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
It's funny, we were so ready to leave in January (a lot of the personnel working in the Embassy are Type As), but now I really miss Moscow. I miss having seasons and the countless amounts of activities available and green places/parks to take our dog.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Beach clothes, flip flops, desire for privacy.
4. But don't forget your:
Sense of humor, sense of exploring, patience, and desire to learn and interact with locals.
5. Recommended movies/DVDs related to this city:
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
(for the Kremlin screens), The Russia House
6. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
Any of the DK travel guides, The Master and Margarita
