Living and working in Moscow Living and Working in Moscow Moscow – what can I say? The cliches are pretty well-worn; vodka, fur hats, freezing cold winters, gangsters, billionaires, expensive accommodation etc, etc. To be honest, living here is in many ways pretty much like living in any large European city, which may be a surprise in itself depending on your preconceptions. The public transport system is fine - the Metro system in particular is really impressive with its Soviet mosaics and sculptures – and it works! It is a nightmare during the rush hour, however, and you need to be patient with people who want to shove you out of the way. Taxis are “interesting” – hail down any car on the street and negotiate – fine if you speak Russian, tricky if you don`t (and possibly a bit dangerous). Be careful! Shops, bars and restaurants are generally OK and open much later than in the UK (not difficult, I know). Consequently, Moscow has a reputation for CRAZY night life – a bit over-hyped if you ask me. This is a developing economy and what passes as trendy here might seem a little tacky to you. Most Muscovites seem to prefer drinking a bottle of beer in the street to visiting a bar and there is a real lack of nice local sit-down places – you have to go downtown and pay downtown prices for a night out. That`s alright, though, once you get to know a few places which suit your taste and your budget. You might have heard that Russian food is not too good – that`s a bit of a misconception but again, you need to find places that suit you. Some smaller restaurants do really tasty local food – as long as you are not a vegetarian and don`t mind a fair amount of dill. The weather can be really freezing but you don`t need to worry too much because buildings are well heated and winter boots, coats etc widely available and cheap. By the way, electricity in my apartment has been reasonably reliable, hot water less so – be prepared for some irregularities in basic amenities at times. Other good things – CD/DVD/MP3 discs and players are all very cheap and easy to find – the music selection is OK, film selection not so good. You also need to be a bit blase about intellectual copyright. Culture and history – Moscow`s strong point. This is the real reason you would want to be here. The city has a lot of great places to visit – galleries, theatres, museums, churches, monasteries, Red Square, the Kremlin etc etc. Smaller towns around Moscow are also worth a trip – check out Vladimir and Suzdal, for example. The guide books are good on Moscow history and culture but very weak on bars, restaurants etc – you need to check out the local press for ideas of where to go in the evenings (see the link below). The best guide book? Probably the Rough Guide; the Lonely Planet isn`t far behind though. Saint Petersburg is also within striking distance by train and is a great place to spend a few days. All in all, Moscow is fine as long as you don`t expect too much – a regular city with all the advantages and disadvantages that the description implies. For up-to-date information, go to www.worldwidewired.com and check out the Russian press - Moscow Times will tell you the local news, while Exile will tell you what the expats are up to, warts and all. Steve Wheatley