Russia

Current situation

Russia is kept here for reference only. The information below is the most recent available record and predates the situation described above; figures such as population reflect the last data gathered before the current crisis and may no longer describe Russia today.

Overview

Russia is a country on a scale that resists easy summary, stretching from a Baltic outpost in the west to a Siberian city deep in the interior. Rather than one single destination, it's better understood as a collection of very different urban centres, each with its own character, linked by long rail lines and domestic flight routes.

The capital, Moscow, sits at the heart of the country's political and cultural life, but the major cities beyond it tell a broader story: the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, the southern cities of Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Nalchik and Vladikavkaz, the historic river towns of Yaroslavl and Kostroma, and cities further into the interior such as Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Cheboksary and Krasnoyarsk.

This is a country where distances are genuinely vast, so planning a trip means choosing a region or a route rather than trying to see it all. Russian is the language throughout, and the rouble (RUB) is the currency used everywhere from Kaliningrad to Krasnoyarsk.

Key facts

How Russia breaks down: regions and major cities

Around it and further west lie cities that speak to Russia's historic and Baltic connections: Yaroslavl and Kostroma, both associated with the country's old river-town heritage, and Kaliningrad, an exclave on the Baltic coast separated from the rest of Russia and shaped by its own distinct position on the map.

To the south, the cities of Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don represent the warmer, more open parts of the country, while Nalchik and Vladikavkaz sit further south still, closer to the Caucasus.

Further east and along the Volga, Kazan, Ulyanovsk and Cheboksary form a distinct interior grouping with their own regional identity, while Krasnoyarsk represents Russia's vast Siberian interior, a reminder of just how far the country extends beyond its European cities. Together these sixteen major cities give a practical framework for planning: pick a cluster rather than attempting the whole country in one go.

Costs and money

The rouble (RUB) is the currency used across all of Russia's major cities, from Kaliningrad in the west to Krasnoyarsk in the east, and from Moscow down to Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don and the Caucasus-adjacent cities of Nalchik and Vladikavkaz. Budgeting for a multi-city trip is worth doing with a rough sense of the distances involved, since long-distance rail journeys and domestic flights between clusters of cities form a meaningful part of overall costs, alongside accommodation and day-to-day spending in each city.

Language and etiquette

Russian is the language spoken across the entire country, from Moscow and the western cities of Kaliningrad, Yaroslavl and Kostroma through to the southern cities of Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Nalchik and Vladikavkaz, and on to Kazan, Cheboksary, Ulyanovsk and Krasnoyarsk in the interior. Learning a handful of basic Russian phrases before travelling will be useful in every one of these cities, particularly outside Moscow where English may be less widely spoken.

Regions & places

Common questions

What language is spoken in Russia?

Russian is spoken throughout the country, in every major city from Moscow to Kaliningrad, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnoyarsk.

What currency is used in Russia?

The rouble (RUB) is used across the whole country, including in all of its major cities.

Is Kaliningrad connected to the rest of Russia by land?

Kaliningrad is an exclave separated from the rest of Russia, so it is generally reached by air rather than overland from cities like Moscow.

Sources & method

• GeoNames country — currency, languages, capital · retrieved 2026-08-12T15:10:01+00:00
• Imagery — Wikimedia Commons

Data compiled 2026-08-14 · editorial checks: passed. See our methodology for how Head Your Way sources and reviews travel data.