Vladivostok City Information
What you need to know about staying awhile
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Vladivostok Times is a local newspaper produced in English.
I. Transport back to top
Airport – the airport is located 40 km out of the city, and a taxi mob is waiting in the arrivals terminal. The real price should be between 800 and 1000 rubles, though you may be offered 2-3 times that if they find out you are a foreigner. The ride takes about an hour. If you're on a budget, you can take a bus for 60 rubles. Buses depart from the airport parking lot, to the right when you step out of the airport (next to a small café, marked «êàôå» in red letters). Bus 107 stops at several central locations, including the train station. It departs from the airport every hour and its schedule is posted on a board next to the café (although the schedual is not always exactly abided by). The ride will take between 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic. It's a good way to see the city coming in.
Train Station – the train station is in the center of the city, at Aleutskaya 6. To buy tickets to long-distance locations, the kassa (ticket office) is located in the back of the train station near where the trains leave from. It’s most easily accessed by walking down the steps next to the front entrance and around the building – just follow the signs pointing to the “Kassovoi Zal” (ticket hall). To buy tickets for the elektrichka to close villages and regions, the kassa is right inside the front entrance to the left. The Trans-Siberian Railway to Moscow will cost you $250+. Trains to Harbin, China will cost around $50.
Public transport - Within downtown, walking is always the fastest due to the traffic jams that plague the city. If you have a ways to go you’ll need to take a bus or trolley – busses are a little faster and cover more areas. One ride costs 11 rubles and you pay the driver as you disembark.
Taxis - We recommend using Taxi Volna (dial 516996). Unlike some other taxi companies, they’re always on time in our experience. It's better to use a company than call a gypsy cab as you know the price is fair (not to mention it's safer). It shouldn’t cost any more than 200 rubles to get anywhere inside the city. From or to the airport a taxi will cost about 900 rubles.
Boats run to Japan (Niigata and Fushiki) and cost about $235 one-way. South Korea can also be easily reached by ferry for about $300 roundtrip.
Visa - Before making any major trip (even within Russia), make sure you ask about visa and registration restrictions!
II. Post and Email back to top
Post Office and Telegraph
Central post offices in Russia also sell stamps, envelopes, fax services, Internet time, and Telegraph services. Address: 2a Verhneportovaya St., Vladivostok, Russia Tel.: +7 4232 400909. Several post offices in Vladivostok offer Internet time.
Private mail services
DHL has an office in Vladivostok. There are also some less expensive private mail services established mainly for expats – usually they advertise in the local English papers. If you will be in town for several months and need to receive important documents it is worth opening an account. Otherwise, it’s just not worth it, given the easy access to email these days. For sending postcards and letters, the Russian post is just fine although slow, but know that packages sent from America sometimes still have “difficulties” getting to recipients in Russia.
Internet Cafés
There is an Internet café located in the Kodak Center near the FENU dorms (ul. Fokina 6) and another in the Central Post Office (see above).
For Wi-Fi and a more interesting atmosphere, you might try Phone Club (Pavlenko per. 6a. Tel: 404447), where besides Wi-Fi each table is equipped with a telephone and an address book for the other tables – you’re allowed to call the other tables in the club free-of-charge.
Other options include Iguana at ul. Svetlanskaya 23a (inside the Svetochny Passazh; note it is only open until 10 pm) and Matrix (ul. Svetlanskaya 5).
III. Coffee, Food, and Hangouts back to top
Traditional Russian. Nostalgia (Pervaya Morskaya, 6/25) - located near the train station, this well-known restaurant serves good quality Russian dishes for fair prices, and is also an art gallery and souvenir shop. For a cheaper Russian option head to Blinnaya (Ul. Admirala Fokina, 18).
Italian. In the Primorye hotel, Pizza M (Ul. Posetskaya, 20) has decent Italian-style pizza. A meal will cost you between 450 and 750 rubles. Mauro Gianvanni (Ul. Admirala Fokina, 16 and Okeansky Pr., 9) – run by an Italian, this restaurant, which has two locations, has arguably the best pasta in town, with homemade noodles. It’s a bit pricier than Pizza M.
Japanese. Yamota (Ul. Admirala Fokina, 23b) has a large sushi selection and the staff is super friendly. Floor to ceiling windows give the place great natural lighting as well as make this a good people-watching spot. You can eat in or order inexpensive sushi to go at Tochka Sushi (Pervaya Morskaya, 6) – they have a delivery service (Tel: 711-711).
Indian. You’ll find mouth watering Indian food at Bombey (Ul. Fontannaya, 15/2).
Fast and Cheap. Magic Burger (Ul. Svetlanskaya, 44) offers Russian-style fast food. They pre-make the burgers, then grab them from a bin already bagged and toss it into the microwave for 25 seconds, bag and all. The burger (actually more of a small, fat cutlet) comes with mayonnaise, ketchup, sauerkraut, and pickles. The taste is surprisingly not bad, and it’s worth it to come here just to check out the rag-tag crowd that shows up. If you’re looking for something that resembles a more Western idea of a fast-food hamburger, you’ll have more luck at Royal Burger (Ul. Batereinaya, 3a; Okeansky, 88; Svetlanskaya, 56). which also offers veggie burgers and is open all night. Ali Baba Fast Food (Ul. Pogranichnaya, 6/3) is likely be a vegetarian's favorite with middle eastern fast food like Falafel!
Coffee. Five-O’Clock (Ul. Fokina, 6) – run by a British guy named Barry, you can get a decent cup of coffee and a brownie (or other homemade dessert or pastry) for under 50 rubles, the best price in Vladivostok (at most places coffee usually costs 70 rubles alone). It also opens at 8 am, two hours earlier than most other coffee joints. Coffee Cup (Aleutskaya, 27 - inside the Aleutskaya Shopping Center, 2nd floor) offers good coffee and desserts. We recommend the Napoleon cake – you won’t be sorry! If you’re looking for a large cup of coffee and more of a traditional coffee shop atmosphere, head to Presto (Ul. Svetlanskaya, 15). Belle Bazar (Ul. Pervaya Morskaya, 6/25), a sit down café-restaurant, offers a large coffee menu (including alcoholic coffee drinks) and European cuisine.
Hookas. La Ruzh (Ul. Svetlanskaya, 21) is the most centrally located place to get a hookah (middle eastern tobacco bong), not to mention the hookah is fabulous. Their seating area is very small, however. Myatnyi Truffl (Ul. Aleutskaya, 11) also has good hookas wtih an upscale atmosphere and face control.
Clubs and Bars. Grand Café (Nizhneportovaya Ul., 1) is an upscale restaurant during the day and a prestigious club at night. Expect face control. Street Bar (Ul. Svetlanskaya, 83.) is another popular hangout/club that plays dance music. Entrance fees on the weekends is usually 200 rubles. There are two sports bars in town, SSSR (Prospekt Krasnogo Znameni 111) and Champion (50a Propekt Stolet).
IV. Clubs, Shopping and Culture back to top
For shopping, Svetlanskaya Ul. is the center of town. We recommend you simply take a walk and stop by GUM (the main store at ul.Svetlanskaya 35). You’ll also find plenty of shopping complexes all over the city
Movies. Check out what’s playing at Ocean Cinema (ul. Naberezhnaya 3) or USSURI Cinema (ul. Svetlanskaya 31). There are other theaters in town but these are the most centrally located. Beware, movies are always dubbed.
Theatres and Concerts. For more cultural affairs, you might try one of Vladivostok’s theaters. Tickets may be bought at the theater or from kiosks or even small tables in the streets selling tickets. These are legitimate sellers (at least every time we have tried). Try The Philharmonic Theater (ul. Svetlanskaya, 15) for music, The Gorky Theater (ul. Svetlanskaya, 49) for drama or The Primorsky Puppet Theater (ul. Petra Velikogo, 8) for kid's puppet shows (fun!) or the circus (ul. Svetlanskaya, 103).
Art: You can find local artists’ work at the Primorye Regional Picture Gallery (Ul. Aleutskaya, 12). They also produce their own newsletter, which you can pick up for free at the gallery. Arsenyev Regional Museum (Ul. Svetlanskaya, 20). Entrance for students is 50 rubles and houses a hodge-podge collection on the first two floors, including paintings, stuffed animals that you find in the region, clothing, etc. Presentation is well done. The third floor is an art gallery.
Museums: There are several great museums around, though exhibits are always in Russian. A few include:
Military-Historical Museum (Ul. Svetlanskaya, 66.). Entrance for students is 30 rubles, and their two story collection boasts paintings, weapons, boat models, photos, letters written by sailors about their experience at sea, and a good amount of military equipment, much of which is sitting out back. Rooms are in chronological order, starting with the late 19th century.
Memorial S-56 Submarine (Korabelnaya Naberezhnaya). Entrance is 100 rubles. Crawl through the Soviet sub that sank 10 enemy ships in WWII. Prone to unexpectedly shut down “for technical reasons,” we suggest you don’t leave this one for the last minute. Outside the museum you’ll find a monument to the soldier-sailors from the Primorye region who lost their lives in WWII.
Museum of Military Glory of the Border Troops. Entrance is 50 rubles for students. It contains four floors worth of stuff so you’re bound to find something you find interesting. The fourth floor boasts a set of binoculars you can use to spy on the street below.
Fort No.7. Only accessible by pre-arrangement, this is a must if you’re interested in the military history of the city. It is one of 16 forts built around the city about 100 years ago, with 1.5 km of tunnels.
V. Health back to top
Tap Water - don't drink it. Either boil it for ten minutes or buy bottled water.
Pharmacy and eyeglass kiosks are located throughout the city. They sell medication for just about everything, but mostly in brands you’ve never heard of before. Eyeglass kiosks sell contact lens solution and cleaners in brands you know. Some kiosks can even cut new glasses for you or sell disposable contacts. Make sure you know your eye prescription before you leave home, there is no doctor visit needed.
Exercise - Around town are several Sportivni Zali (Sports Clubs - sometimes Sportivni Klubi). Many of them will demand you have a physical before joining. Two hotels offer fitness clubs: the Hyundai Hotel (ul. Semenovskaya, 29) and the Gavan Hotel (ul. Krigina 2). There is also a World Class (ul. Batareinaya 8) gym (part of an international chain) in Vladivostok as well.
Find Out More!
Student's Guide to Vladivostok
Great Photos of Vladivostok
Internships in Russia
Heath and Safety in Russia
The SRAS Newsletter
Library: What to Know
More Eurasian Regions/Cities
Journal for Students
More Free Resources!
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