LIVING IN RUSSIA
The harsh Russian winter is the greatest fear of many foreigners. However, most of Russia is actually located in a temperate climate zone with comfortable weather conditions. It's a big country and there's bound to be somewhere for everyone. For example, Krasnodar Krai stays relatively warm throughout the winter months. Of course, you wouldn't want to go swimming in the Black Sea in January, but you can certainly take a stroll along the coast in a light jacket. In Siberia, though, winter will bring plenty of snow, as well as harsh temperatures around -20°C. Nevertheless, the air in Siberia is dry and mild, so even minus zero temperatures are fairly tolerable.
Russian universities offer accommodation to all in-person students. The rent is cheap and usually ranges from 1000 to 9000 roubles (USD 12-100). This price generally depends on the comfort level of the rooms and the number of roommates. Many student residences have several different styles of accommodation: rooms for one, two, or three people, as well as family units. In addition to the necessities (bed, desk, chair, closet, private bathroom), rooms are often equipped with a small kitchen. Thes students may also choose to rent private accommodation. The price of rent varies by city and region.
A foreign student needs to have about 200 USD per month to provide himself with food, clothing, necessary subjects for study and cultural leisure. Prices for basic foodstuffs are relatively low, but it is better to go to weekend fairs for fresh vegetables and fruits, which work even in winter. Lunch for students will cost about 250-400 rubles (3-5 USD). University campuses usually have canteens for students, where you can have a budget snack in the range of 150 -300 rubles ( 1,5-2 USD). In many stores, you can use a student's social card to get a discount on a purchase. Cafes, restaurants, grocery and clothing stores and other service establishments provide discounts for students from time to time. Most often, promotions are held on holidays: Knowledge Day on September 1st and Student Day on January 25th, as well as during winter and summer examination sessions.
All students studying in Russia can purchase tickets for public transport (metro, bus, trolleybus, tram) at a discounted price, for this you will need to purchase a student transport card through the MFC or transport ticket offices, depending on the city of stay. The discount is very significant, for example, the cost of a student travel ticket for a month in St. Petersburg is 1075 rubles (12 USD), while ordinary passengers pay three times more per month, the fare in the Moscow metro is 2570 rubles ( 30 USD), student is 85% cheaper. During the academic year, from September 1 to June 15, international students can also buy commuter train tickets. To buy a half-price ticket, you just need to present a student ID at the ticket office. State discounts are not provided for travel in commercial minibuses, air, flights and sea cruises. However, many private airlines, for example, make 10% discounts for students of any country, especially during the holidays.
Foreign citizens will be pleasantly surprised by the cost of mobile communication and the Internet: a good package of services with an unlimited connection can be purchased for 650 rubles (7 USD) per month. To purchase a SIM card, you need to contact any communication salon (MTS, Megafon, Beeline, TELE2 and others). When buying a SIM card, you need to have a passport with you, and you will also be able to install the application of the selected mobile connection on your phone and monitor services and balance. In public places, as a rule, there is free Wi-Fi. It can definitely be found in city cafes, libraries, university buildings, and sometimes even in the subway and ground transport.
Russia is a secular country with no dominant or mandatory religion. People of all faiths, including Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, coexist peacefully in every city across Russia. In Saint Petersburg alone, you'll find churches, cathedrals, mosques, synagogues, temples, and houses of worship for 42 different faiths. Individuals also have the right to call themselves atheist.
Each educational institution has sports complexes and gyms, which are free of charge for students. In addition, sports infrastructure is well developed in Russian cities: often a good sports ground can be found right in the courtyard of your house. You can run, bike, ski and do yoga in the city parks in the fresh air. In addition, many fitness clubs offer students special subscriptions at a discounted price.
Russia is a country with a rich cultural heritage. You will be able to visit various museums and theaters and get to know Russian art better. A variety of festivals for young people are held in Russia – music, theater, sports and language, where students can often take part and show their talents.
A nice bonus: museums, galleries, exhibition spaces, theaters and many other cultural institutions provide students with discounted and sometimes free entrance tickets, but you must have a student ID with you. Information about benefits and promotions should be specified on the website or at the ticket office of each cultural institution separately.
In addition, benefits can be obtained for the use of various online services. The Coursera educational Internet platform, which hosts more than 3,000 different courses, provides free access to classes for students of many universities in Russia. If there is an official email on the basis of their university, students can download the Windows 10 operating system and the Microsoft Office editor package for free, the use of which will greatly help in their studies.
A foreign student can issue a bank card of any bank at its office. If you need to get an additional bank card, you can issue and receive it at a branch of any bank. To issue a card, you need to apply for an opening at a bank branch and provide the required documents. Usually, to issue a card, a foreign citizen will need only his passport.
When choosing a bank, it is worth considering the cost of opening and maintaining an account, as well as the loyalty program offered.
Russian legislation allows foreign students to officially work part-time in their free time, and neither the student nor the employer needs to obtain any special permits for this.
Students are not recommended to work for the first two years of their stay in Russia, as they do not yet speak Russian sufficiently and have not fully adapted to the living conditions in the new country.
A foreign student has to get his medical insurance upon arriving at the final destination. Having insurance, the student can attend public hospitals. The insurance policy is issued for 1 year and its average cost is 90 USD for 1 year. The insurance policy should be renewed annually (for the entire period of study). In case of being sick, the doctor gives you a sick leave from classes.
Full-time international students of state universities studying the bachelor's degree, specialist's degree, master's degree, residency, and postgraduate programs can apply for the temporary residence permit. The student receives the document within two months. The document is issued for the whole period of study at the university and will be valid for 180 days from the graduation. The validity period can be extended provided that the student continues his/her studies in Russia.
Yes, you can. After graduation from university and receipt of a diploma of higher education, you can apply to various companies by sending them your resume for the openings. The universities of Rus-Lanka Campus group offer the career opportunities for their students. The HRs of the biggest Russian companies as Gazprom, Yandex, VK and many others can choose your CV for a desirable position. Russian big market companies are interested in attracting foreign specialists.