Post: #1

Just back from 12 days in Russia. I spent three days in Moscow and the rest in shit holes like Vorkuta,Vorgashor,Kotlas. Great trip but at times utterly brutal. Anyway a few thoughts and observations to share. Experts may or may not agree:

1. It is expensive. No I mean really expensive! Moscow is stupid. Paying 5 or 6 pounds for a pint of beer is normal on places like Tverskaya street or other central areas. Hit the suburbs if you are on a budget but even then it's not cheap.

2. Don't expect prices to drop too much in the provinces. The issue is lack of choice. I rocked up in Kotlas and the only central hotel I found charged 50 pounds a night and it was utterly shit,no sheets and situated above a club that blasted music until 5 am. I might have found another but after 24 hours on a train I could not be assed hitting the streets searching. Your best bet for cheap food are canteens where 5 pounds can get you a semi decent meal and drink of juice.

3. The shit holes are rough. Groups of Gopniks stroll about and eye you. Taxi drivers try to rip you off. Service staff are utterly rude. I asked one waitress in a cafe if she could repeat something slower as I don't speak great Russian. Her reply was "you are in my country,I'll speak as fast as I want". It can wear you down after a while and all you want is to see a friendly face or meet a friendly open person to communicate with.

4. Pretty much no women in the provinces gives a shit that you are foreign. Not once did a waitress or hotel worker hear my accent and ask where I was from. I spent 24 hours in a train carriage with a girl from a shit hole called Syktyvkar. Not once in those hours did she ask where I was from. Moscovites are more inquisitive than hell hole residents.

5. You have to be up for doing approaches. If not then stay home or use Mamba. Nothing falls into your lap in Russia. Don't think that as a foreigner women will come over to you,you have to be an approach machine. If you are not confident in approaching go elsewhere. Everything that happened I had to make happen.

6. Take a laptop with you. I was expecting everywhere I went to have internet cafes. I was wrong and it cost me big time as I could not use Mamba to pipeline. A city as large as Vorkuta had no internet cafe. I had wifi in places but could not use Mamba on my phone so had to struggle. I don't use Mamba as a rule but when it's minus 30c you need it as street game is tough.

7. In the shit holes you must be switched on all the time. Hesitate and you lose an approach opportunity. If a girl looks and smiles at you go straight in,another invitation might not happen for a week. Example: I got a taxi ride in my first hour in Kotlas. Three girls on a side walk saw me drive past and started waiving and smiling ( they know a foreigner when they see one ). I hesitated to tell the driver to stop by which time we were down the road out of sight. Wrong decision,I never met any friendly types in the town after that. Stay switched on and pounce immediately. When I did I had success more so then cold approaching without first getting a smile.

8. The shit holes are boring as hell. I have a mate who once told me how he had met good looking girls in Russian towns but it was so dull there that he could not physically bring himself to hang around for the dating ritual. I snorted at that idea a little. Then I number closed a nice 20 year old girl in a shit hole called Vorgashor. Kind of girl you'd marry back home. We had a date and told me she would like to go to a club with me on Friday. The problem was it was Tuesday and I could not bring myself to wait. It was so utterly dull there. If you are hitting shit holes take a wing who speaks your language. You will have a much better time. I would have been much more high energy with a good mate to have a laugh with. Would have done better too.

9. Eye fucking happens a lot but it does not equate to interest necessarily. In my country when eye fucked I can go in expecting a positive response from the girl. In Russia I was eye fucked a lot but when I then approached I often got little response. In the end I stopped noticing.

10. Negging worked less well than at home. It worked but I had to do it much gentler. It's not true that it does not work at all but be careful.

11. Dress for the weather! I unexpectedly went to the Arctic and only had European clothes. It's hard to be motivated when your feet are freezing and you are shivering with cold.

12. English levels in the provinces are appalling. I never met one girl in 9 days who I could have a decent conversation with in English. My Russian was always better than their English. I could work with that but if you speak zero Russian I think you'd be fucked unless you struck lucky.

13. You need to be in the country for at least 10 days to get anywhere or at least I do. It was only on my last two days that I was well into my rhythm and doing well. The provinces I got no action but numbers and dates but again I could not stay long enough to follow through. A native can probably get a close after three dates. I felt I would need 4 or 5.

14. Moscow is epic! If it had Kiev prices I'd be there now. Unfortunately it's too rich for my blood but my god what a city full of opportunities. Everyone should go once. Better attitudes than Kiev too in my experience. Never had bitchy attitudes when I chatted to women although I never hit exclusive clubs so might be different there.

17. Despite any negatives I have painted of provincial types I experienced acts of incredible generosity and kindness from random people I met. People shared their food and drink with me. Insisted on showing me their towns. Took me out for meals. Russians are incredibly hospitable far more than in the west. I was on a train carriage full of rough miners covered in prison tattoos,tough menacing looking types who were drunk and fighting with each other ( some got carted off the train by police at Yaroslavl ) but when they found out I was foreign they were generous to a fault and respectful and would not swear in my presence. The women were also sweet and feminine and fun to chat to or go on a date with but they are conservative. MUCH more than in my country.

Overall a great trip. I saw the kinds of places I had always wanted to and now know never to return. Remember I was third/fourth tier not second like Krasnoyarsk or Nizhny Novgorod. It was tough up there on my own. I saw that if I had 2 weeks in a town I would do ok and close a deal but I struggled with boredom after two days in these places so it is unrealistic. The women were also not as hot on average as in Moscow although of course there were exceptions. One great thing that happened was that my language skills progressed on the trip. I have finally reached the magical tipping point where you suddenly get an ear for the language. From now on it will be easier to converse.

My plan is now to enter a university language programme in the FSU. I was thinking MGU in Moscow but I simply can't afford the silly costs so will hit either Belarus or Ukraine.

The Russian provinces are the place maybe to find a wife or LTR but not for bangs. I think we have all discussed this before so new insight there but worth repeating. Also it really is rough travelling there and not for newbies to the region. Hit Ukrainian provincials before Russian ones as they are more accessible and friendly.

Glad I've done it. Seen the very south and very north of Russia and proffered the south by far. Ossetia trumps the north.

Edit: A final thought...There are some incredibly hot older women in Russia. You see women in their 30's who are as hot as anything. I know we all dream of the 19 year old chick but don't rule out these older chicks. I am studying Russian as it will be an investment in my future happiness. I see that if I get fluent and stay in shape I will still be fucking hot 30-somethings well into my 50's whilst my compatriots at home in the UK will be having to make do with washed up old women that nobody else wants. Russian language will be my pension scheme of quality pussy.

Post: #2

Interesting. Going back there for 3 months on Sunday.

Post: #3

Vorkuta, did you check out prices in St Pete?

Post: #4

(03-28-2013 08:03 AM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  Vorkuta, did you check out prices in St Pete?

No mate I didn't make it there unfortunately. However I think it would be fair to say they would not be cheap. I was paying 10 pounds a meal in a shit hole in Archangelsk Region so can only imagine that Pieter is more expensive.

I don't mind paying big prices IF quality and service is returned. However the provinces charge high prices for shit quality. Don't go to Russia unless you can drop $150 a day.

Post: #5

(03-28-2013 08:08 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

(03-28-2013 08:03 AM)worldwidetraveler Wrote:  Vorkuta, did you check out prices in St Pete?

No mate I didn't make it there unfortunately. However I think it would be fair to say they would not be cheap. I was paying 10 pounds a meal in a shit hole in Archangelsk Region so can only imagine that Pieter is more expensive.

I don't mind paying big prices IF quality and service is returned. However the provinces charge high prices for shit quality. Don't go to Russia unless you can drop $150 a day.

Yeah, I think we need to really spend a lot of time in the bigger cities to figure out where the locals save money.

Post: #6

Well the thing is that supermarkets are actually very reasonable. You get decent food at no more than the prices I pay at home,often cheaper so if you have a kitchen to cook in then costs would drop massively. However staying in hotels and hostels ( I am too fussy to use hostel kitchens and eat off their plates etc. ) meant eating out 3 times a day and that means spending $$$ all the time. Also as a tourist looking for company you kind of end up in the central touristy areas and expensive bars etc. If you lived in Moscow or Pieter for example and had social circle you would not need to go to those places.

So travelling to Russia = expensive but living there = reasonable ( ish ).

Post: #7

EDIT: Looks like you recognized this in your post above as I was writing this one.

I don't think you'd be facing $150 a day if you were there long term and had your own kitchen, metro/bus pass, daily routine, etc. I've seen a youtube video of a Polish girl in Moscow and what she was able to buy at the market for $16. It was enough for several meals (a bag of a dozen potatoes was like $1). Also, if you stuck to day gaming during the week and only hit clubs/bars on weekends you'd save a lot as well I would imagine.

I think we need to examine the tourist vs. resident cost differential a little deeper. Vorkuta maybe you can help that.

Ideally, let's say you had housing accommodation provided on the outskirts of the city (or just cheap outskirt shared-housing on your own wallet). Your daily routine involved several hours of cross-city travel, allowing for ample day game ops as you go about your routine. Cooking in the evenings would also be a given norm. Airbnb a place on Tverskaya or wherever Fri-Sun once or twice a month, otherwise go out closer to your outskirt flat or get a harem and have them come out to your shitty flat (or go to theirs).

Post: #8

This. After Moscow I went to Kiev and decided if I had to choose it would be Kiev only because it is more affordable and logistics were better. In hindsight whilst it still had that FSU edge it did not compare to the excitement and opportunity of a megatropolis like Moscow. I still have no plans to go back because I know I would have to sacrifice to much, but it will remain a fond memory.

(03-28-2013 07:45 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  14. Moscow is epic! If it had Kiev prices I'd be there now. Unfortunately it's too rich for my blood but my god what a city full of opportunities. Everyone should go once. Better attitudes than Kiev too in my experience. Never had bitchy attitudes when I chatted to women although I never hit exclusive clubs so might be different there.

Post: #9

Great post mate. I look forward to chatting to you on skype later. What did I tell you about the cities of 1 million +?

Post: #10

(03-28-2013 07:45 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  Just back from 12 days in Russia. I spent three days in Moscow and the rest in shit holes like Vorkuta,Vorgashor,Kotlas.

Great report.

I had to laugh at that part.

Quote:7. In the shit holes you must be switched on all the time. Hesitate and you lose an approach opportunity. If a girl looks and smiles at you go straight in,another invitation might not happen for a week. Example: I got a taxi ride in my first hour in Kotlas. Three girls on a side walk saw me drive past and started waiving and smiling ( they know a foreigner when they see one ). I hesitated to tell the driver to stop by which time we were down the road out of sight. Wrong decision,I never met any friendly types in the town after that. Stay switched on and pounce immediately. When I did I had success more so then cold approaching without first getting a smile.

This is a great lesson for anyone. I need to do this more often as well.

I have had this happen a million times in my life: Get into a cab and a fly girl is wide open or wants me to talk to her.

I just have to tell the cab driver to stop.

Quote:13. You need to be in the country for at least 10 days to get anywhere or at least I do. It was only on my last two days that I was well into my rhythm and doing well. The provinces I got no action but numbers and dates but again I could not stay long enough to follow through. A native can probably get a close after three dates. I felt I would need 4 or 5.

That is crazy conservative.

Post: #11

damn, great report, wow you really went far north in archangel hey? must have been chappers lad

Post: #12

Vorkuta, great report man. Timing couldn't have been better. I'm planning a month in Kiev, a month in Moscow, then a month in a second-tier city in Russia. Any suggestions? I will be with a friend so I will have a wing the whole time. I'm thinking Novbovorisk, Samara maybe? So many cities I have no idea how to choose. This will be in August too, if that helps with university students being away, etc.

Post: #13

I can agree on Moscow being too damn expensive.
Restaurants (most of the time empty btw, money laundering I guess) at every corner in every streets, with mostly shit food and shit service. Italian food ? Better dodge that one .
Nightlife isn't any better in that regard, spending 7 € for a beer, but I guess there should be also cheaper places.
Then again, game in Moscow is all about having a big bank.

I should add that the currency doesn't help with it , it's all big banknotes with big numbers, you start loosing orientation and feeling when spending it. While in € you really feel every cent going out of your pocket, the russian rubel feels like water... not like the slow creek but more like a raging river.

Post: #14

(03-28-2013 08:21 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  Well the thing is that supermarkets are actually very reasonable. You get decent food at no more than the prices I pay at home,often cheaper so if you have a kitchen to cook in then costs would drop massively. However staying in hotels and hostels ( I am too fussy to use hostel kitchens and eat off their plates etc. ) meant eating out 3 times a day and that means spending $$$ all the time. Also as a tourist looking for company you kind of end up in the central touristy areas and expensive bars etc. If you lived in Moscow or Pieter for example and had social circle you would not need to go to those places.

So travelling to Russia = expensive but living there = reasonable ( ish ).

Vorkuta, your forgetting that salaries in Russia are 1/3-1/2 what they are here. That makes the food/groceries expensive and restaurants extremely expensive for local people.

150/night sounds about right for outside of big cities. Big cities(Moscow and St. Petersbrug) I still maintain that you need at least 500/day as a tourist in living expenses to have a great time.

Post: #15

Some more thoughts that are coming to me...

18. If you hit the provinces time it right. I fucked up by arriving on a Tuesday morning. All the clubs and bars were empty,it was a disaster. The locals cannot afford to go out all through the week and only go out on Friday and Saturdays. I hit a club in Vorkuta called 'Tropicana' ( great gym upstairs too btw which had pole dancing and striptease classes in the evening - I shit you not! ) and I was literally the only patron in there. Therefore if you are hitting provincial places time it with the weekend. I cannot stress how vital this is.

19. The cheapest hotel in Moscow is called the Baikal. It's 1500 Roubles a night but you have a shared bathroom with one other room. It's spotless however and includes breakfast. It's up near Botanical Gardens metro stop. I recommend it for those on a budget but wanting a private room so that you can bring girls back should you score.

20. With conservative attitudes Mamba will be highly beneficial. Build as much rapport as possible before your arrival so that you can cut down on the 4 date timeline to 2 or 3. Not having access to Mamba fucked me up big time. My biggest regret of the trip was taking my gym gear and tub of protein instead of my laptop.

Slubu I am not the best person to ask since the cities I have been to are not ideal for your needs. Partizan knows Ekaterinburg very well so I would pick his brain. If you have a month you will do fine in the provinces but fine means a good quality decent girl or two,not loads of bangs.

Post: #16

Nice report Vorkuta. For myself it just reinforces why I like big cities rather than smaller cities or towns. I've always had more success in big cities, and don't really know what people are talking about when they say you should go to 3rd or 4th tier cities to score. Damn I really need to get to Moscow.

As far as costs go as others have said you need to try to live like a local. It's not like everyone is a Oligarch. If it were me, I'd try to make it work in Moscow rather than struggle in 3rd/4th tier cities. I checked out Air BnB a while back and found a couple of reasonably priced central places. Based on weekly rental and sole occupancy of apartment. Checked out the neighborhoods on google streetview and they looked fine. From the limited amount I know about the Russian mentality I'd say that something like Air BnB is right up their alley. A good way to extract money out of free space. An old ex-Muscovite work colleague explained to me that after the fall of the USSR occupants who had been living in places for a long time where pretty much given their apartments. I'm guessing if they then move, like she did, they are free to rent them out.

Post: #17

(03-28-2013 11:19 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  20. With conservative attitudes Mamba will be highly beneficial. Build as much rapport as possible before your arrival so that you can cut down on the 4 date timeline to 2 or 3. Not having access to Mamba fucked me up big time. My biggest regret of the trip was taking my gym gear and tub of protein instead of my laptop.

Super report ! I have used Mamba extensively for Ukraine where I plan another month long trip this Summer. For the Ukrainian girls I personally found Mamba to be 50% pro's, 25% semi-pro's and 25% regular girls. I'm pretty good at spotting the differences between the girls now. Most of the regular girls tend to only have their profile for a short time on Mamba since they tell me they bombard with sex tourists.

Is it the same situation with girls based in Russia ?

Post: #18

Awesome posts Vorkuta, as usual I might add! One question regarding safety. Did you feel threatened or noticed any overly aggressiveness from the guys specially in the smaller cities or at night in clubs when approaching or talking/dancing to local girls?

Also, dress wise, would you recommend to dress stylish in the provincial towns or to keep a low profile and blend in with the locals?

Oh, one advice, you need to start a blog asap man! You have a tremendous amount of info about Russia to share that others would love to know.

Keep rocking Gavarich!

Post: #19

(03-28-2013 12:46 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  Awesome posts Vorkuta, as usual I might add! One question regarding safety. Did you feel threatened or noticed any overly aggressiveness from the guys specially in the smaller cities or at night in clubs when approaching or talking/dancing to local girls?

Also, dress wise, would you recommend to dress stylish in the provincial towns or to keep a low profile and blend in with the locals?

Oh, one advice, you need to start a blog asap man! You have a tremendous amount of info about Russia to share that others would love to know.

Keep rocking Gavarich!

Thanks VP!

I was jumped by two guys in a stairwell in Vorkuta. I had been drinking Absinthe all night so was unable to prevent getting a kicking but apart from that I never felt threatened,definitely not in clubs anyway but I could see which of the girls were taken and avoid treading on toes. If you use the usual common sense you should be absolutely fine ( I didn't and got jumped - was totally my fault ).

Having said that,in Vorgashor which is an old Gulag town I was followed by two local guys in the middle of the day. I was walking around empty streets with my DSLR camera taking shots and they were seemingly going to jump me ( might have been paranoia however but they showed all the signs ). Fortunately a taxi passed and I flagged it down and jumped in.

Dress wise: I dressed better than the locals and definitely stood out. Is that wise? Well in the centre of towns it's ok but I suppose if you are walking around the suburbs then you need to be careful. ( See above for results of doing that! )

The fact is though I was in one of the roughest parts of Russia in towns full of rough coal miners and where unemployment rates were through the roof. I think in regular second tier towns things would be much much safer.

Moscow felt incredibly safe and I had no problems there at all even late at night on my own in empty streets.

The blog is under construction. I'll send you the link mate.

Post: #20

(03-28-2013 01:06 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  I was jumped by two guys in a stairwell in Vorkuta. I had been drinking Absinthe all night so was unable to prevent getting a kicking but apart from that I never felt threatened,definitely not in clubs anyway but I could see which of the girls were taken and avoid treading on toes. If you use the usual common sense you should be absolutely fine ( I didn't and got jumped - was totally my fault ).

What was the reason?

Were you just drunk and they were looking for a random beatdown?

Or did you have contact with them earlier in a bar?

Can you bust out this story?

---

I was going to suggest you also need a blog.

Post: #21

What happened for the guys to jump you in Vorkuta?

Awesome to hear about the blog!Can't wait to read it!

Cheers!

Post: #22

(03-28-2013 01:17 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-28-2013 01:06 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  I was jumped by two guys in a stairwell in Vorkuta. I had been drinking Absinthe all night so was unable to prevent getting a kicking but apart from that I never felt threatened,definitely not in clubs anyway but I could see which of the girls were taken and avoid treading on toes. If you use the usual common sense you should be absolutely fine ( I didn't and got jumped - was totally my fault ).

What was the reason?

Were you just drunk and they were looking for a random beatdown?

Or did you have contact with them earlier in a bar?

Can you bust out this story?

---

I was going to suggest you also need a blog.

Ok,the beat down story...

I met a guy in a bar ( he was the barman ) and as he was knocking off as I was leaving I said let's go get a beer together somewhere. So we went to a place and I said 'look I'm new in town,don't know anyone and want to meet some women'. He smiled and said sure. So we went around town to different empty venues. He was big into cocktails as he was a barman and so in this billiard bar where he used to work he made these Absinthe drinks where you burn a lump of sugar,drink the Absinthe and then through a straw inhale the fumes from the burnt Absinthe. It gets you fucked. Anyway he said let's go to my friend's place and get some weed,that way we can go to a club with it and use it to entice girls back to a bang location. I don't smoke but I like such adventures and in my pissed state it sounded like a good idea.

So we go to a shop and buy beers then hit the suburbs and go into this dodgy old apartment building. Stair smelt of piss,half the hall lights don't work,you know the type. So he leaves me on a landing and goes in the lift to get the weed. I hear two guys talking on the next landing up ( open stairwell so easy to hear ). One guy comes down,mid 20's and big and asks if I have a ciggie. I said no but he could have a beer. He just walked off. Ten minutes later my mate comes back with the weed and an empty plastic bottle to make a bong. Then these two guys come down to us and ask for a ciggie again. My mate says no but the two lads just stand there. My mate is like 'you got a problem? Why you looking at me. I said no' and then lights a ciggie in front of them. This goes on for 5 minutes. I kept out of it and did not sense the danger as I was wasted. Anyway eventually I said let's go and we walked downstairs to the lower landing ( My hands are shaking with adrenalin as I write this ). We light the bong and I take a hit.

Suddenly I hear the lift doors open one floor below and I see one guy running up towards me and the other bigger one running down from the upper landing towards my mate. I just stood there wasted not even reacting until I see my mate take a smack to the face and I am being shoved down the stairs by my attacker. We end up on the floor wrestling and all I can think is 'please don't hit my face'. It's funny how vanity stays with you when under attack. Anyway I was in no position to fight back properly and as my friend was knocked out I had to fight both the guys which meant lying on the floor taking stomps and kicks which actually never heart a bit. I had three jumpers on because of the cold.

So they ran off and I stood up and laughed. In my drunken state I found it funny as much as anything and I had no marks on me. I was relieved I suppose that I still had my teeth in place and wasn't stabbed up. My bag was stolen in the attack and i tried giving chase but I was in no position. My mate woke up and said 'go to your hotel and wait for me,I will call my friends'. I flagged a car down and thought that was it. However an hour later my mate turns up with my bag and phone and camera. Fuck knows how he did it but it's a small city so the grapevine works fast.

Anyway all my fault. I should not have been carrying valuables whilst drunk,should not have been scoring weed in suburban apartments at midnight and should have left as soon as my mate and the other lads started having a stare down.

No harm done and big lesson learnt.

Post: #23

I got assaulted by a landlord in Ukraine. Most of the others I knew well in Ukraine suffered something similar from either police or landlords. Although probably both of us did not follow adequate security practices, it is not in the moral sense your "fault". The moral fault is with scum who attack people for nothing.

If you say no harm was done to you by strangers pushing you down and kicking you, I hope it's true and wish you the best. I am suspicious however, that you are putting a brave face on something that is a pretty ugly experience ( which may be a good way to handle it) . You mention yourself your adrenaline was running high. I don't mind that stuff if I'm riding a mountain bike but in dealing with other people? It seems a pretty unfavorable social environment to me.

Yes, chicks are hot in EE/RU, but there's a scummy, bullying element to the culture. Look how even a guy like Putin who has immense power still acts like a paranoid, sullen bully.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872...22382.html

Or the creepy stuff with the Bolshoi ballet where people at the top of the culture, who should be far beyond gangster behavior ( and I view "gangster" behavior as people who group together to bully others in criminal activity, and I don't idealize it.) did stuff like acid attacks to settle disputes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/...d=all&_r=0

People are white-knighting for EE/RU culture just 'cause they've got the hottest chicks. There's a lot wrong with these places, which is probably why their working class living standard is decades behind the West. The majority of the people are welcoming, but some of the locals I got to know well asked to borrow significant amounts of money.

I can tell you one example I saw-- traveling by train West out of Ukraine into Poland. The Ukrainian tracks were pretty plain with little activity. As soon as we passed into Poland, there were hundreds of miles of construction along the tracks with huge amounts of people working on a new high-speed rail line adjacent to the current tracks. The difference was like night and day.

The problem with some very significant minority of EE/RU people: They don't want to work.

So you get Oligarchs who hide their money in Cyprus, because they know investing in their own country is not a good risk, and a lot of jealous, spiteful people who feel cheated.

Underneath bullying is desperately hidden feelings of inferiority, fear and cowardice. Why this is true is a whole separate anthropological issue.

Post: #24

^^^ I get your point on the bully culture in the FSU, but is it really much safer in 3rd tier Colombia, Brazil, or even parts of Asia?

Post: #25

This has been one of my concerns about visiting Russia, but it sounds like laregely a third-tier shithole problem.

Vorkuta, if you're going to study in FSU, why not Novo or Tomsk as cheaper alternatives to Moscow.