Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
42
Surfing the “Ru-net” Before You Go
Soviet programmers created their own interactive “Web” back in the 1980s,
and today's Runet (
roo
-net), as the Russian-language Internet world calls itself,
is as vibrant as any online community. More and more Russian sites have
English-language pages, and below are a few worth checking out before you
go. The sometimes clumsy translations are compensated for by the informa-
tion and guidance. And, of course, don't forget www.frommers.com, especially
the advice from other travelers on the Russia destination forum.
Museums
•
www.hermitagemuseum.org
: Official site of Hermitage Museum, good for
planning your visit to the museum ahead of time.
•
www.rusmuseum.ru
: Site of St. Petersburg's Russian Museum, a good
introduction to Russian art.
•
www.tretyakov.ru
: Site of Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery, another good
introduction to Russian art.
•
www.kremlin.ru/eng
: Official Kremlin website, with history of the Kremlin
complex itself and excerpts from former President Vladimir Putin's daily
schedule.
News
•
www.themoscowtimes.com
: Site of English-language daily newspaper
The
Moscow Times.
News, weather, exchange rates, entertainment, and restau-
rant listings.
•
www.sptimes.ru
: Site of English-language semiweekly paper
The St. Peters-
burg Times.
•
www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/default.cfm
: Johnson's Russia List is a com-
pilation of articles and commentary about Russia from the English-language
and Russian press, updated daily.
•
www.exile.ru
: Best known for its extensive, audacious listings on Moscow
nightlife and for its caustic, often X-rated commentary on Russian society.
Listings/General Information
•
www.ru
: Calls itself the “original Russian Web directory.” Information-packed
and searchable in English, but rather unwieldy.
•
www.infoservices.com
: The Travelers' Yellow Pages for Moscow and St.
Petersburg, with searchable telephone and address listings in English, includ-
ing nearest metro station and opening hours. Not comprehensive but useful.
3
May 9:
Victory Day. The Soviet Union
lost more people than any other nation
in World War II, and even 6 decades
later the day commemorating Hitler's
defeat is a major Russian holiday. Every
Russian has a relative or friend who
served in what they call the Great
Patriotic War, and the sight of elderly
veterans pinning on rusting medals for
a day is a poignant reminder of one
of the most impressive feats of the
Soviet era.
