Directory A–Z - St Petersburg - page 478

www.gay.ru/english The English version of this site includes club list-
ings and tour guides, plus information on gay history and culture in Russia.
www.lesbi.ru An active site for lesbian issues; Russian only.
www.qguys.ru The most popular gay dating website.
www.xs.gay.ru The local gay and lesbian portal. Russian only.
Health
Health insurance for any trip to St Petersburg is necessary (and often a pre-
condition of getting your visa). Note that, officially at least, most embassies re-
quire you purchase travel insurance from a list of companies given on the em-
bassy website. This doesn't appear to be strictly implemented, however: by all
means try sending them a copy of a non-approved policy if you already have
one.
Health care in the city is very good if you're going private. Using public hos-
pitals is not something you should consider, so even if your local embassy
doesn't require valid health insurance, you should definitely purchase it.
St Petersburg does not pose any particular threats to your health, although
you should be aware of the risks associated with drinking the tap water (see
the boxed text, CLICK HERE ). Also be aware that the city was built on a
swamp, which means the mosquitoes are nasty in the summer months. Be
sure to bring plenty of insect repellent. You may also want to bring some
painkillers with you - those post-vodka mornings can be hard work without
them.
Internet Access
Internet access is now very good in St Petersburg. With the exception of
some of the top-end and very bottom-end places, nearly all hotels have free