Krasnoyarsk

 

The international code for Russia is +7, the code for Krasnoyarsk is 391.

Public phones are not very common. International phones can be found in the post offices, where you prepay your talk to a cashier English is very unlikely to be understood.

Mobile phones are carried by almost everyone, including children. Prepaid SIM cards with Russian federal number are sold for many national and local telecommunication providers: BeeLine Билайн, MTS МТС, YeniseyTelecom Енисей Телеком, Megafon-Krasnoyarsk Мегафон-Красноярск, all around the city. The mobile standard is GSM 900/1800, however some operators still provide the DAMPS service. SMS usually costs around 1 ruble $0.05 US, one minute of talk is around 5 rubles $0.20 US.

You cannot be charged for incoming calls unless use the roaming but may need to pay a fixed price of $0.50 US for a call. There is a pretty good coverage from all of the major cellular providers in the city neighborhood, but the phone may work in deep uninhabited valleys as well as far from relatively large towns.

Internet cafes are not common, but Mobile GPRS in Russia is usually very cheap, 5-10 rubles per megabyte. There are many local ISPs that offer high-speed Internet connection via ADSL, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Wellcom IMT-MC 450 but they all require signing an end-user agreement and very unlikely accept foreign passports and understand English as well. Modem access usually 40-56 kbps is much easier to buy.

Internet cards can be bought in any post office and some supermarkets, they contain login, password and the ISP modem phone number. Several free Wi-Fi Internet access points are available in the public places:

Traveler's Coffee

Mira st. ñƒð». ðœð¸ñ€ð° 54. wi-fi is about 100 rubles per 100 mb. setting up is not instant, but as long as you get through the instructions, all is ok. good coffee, some simple cuisine and fine lounge music are nice additions to your temporary work environment.

Coffee House English School

Restaurant, on lenin st. has a very helpful english-speaking staff and free internet terminals and wifi.

Though generally safe for the experienced traveler, Krasnoyarsk can be a tricky destination for someone not familiar with the region and culture. The downtown areas are pretty much safe all night, but in the suburbs it's highly recommended not to walk alone after dark. If you are 15-30 years old, the neighborhood of student dormitories living blocks without balconies, usually 9-story, the inside of living districts and street cafes can be dangerous for you even at the day time due to the chances to meet drunk bullies who can be easily provoked, for example, by your unusual or not athletic look. Other places of higher risk are large market places and the railway station: be sure to keep your cash out of view and out of pickpockets' reach.

Avoid asking the police for help unless it is really necessary. If possible, communicate with the hotel staff and security first, because communication with local policemen may be unpleasant due to both the language barrier and their usual rudeness, or even dangerous, especially for non-European-looking foreigners (although police in Krasnoyarsk is far from being as dangerous as in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Sadly, this is a national problem in Russia: there is not much difference between police and criminals.