Here is a list of official websites and useful addresses so that you can gather all sorts of information about Russia and plan your journey well.

But : like many things in Russia, it is mostly all in Russian. You can use http://www.promt.ru/, or http://www.promt.com/, a free online dictionary.

Official websites :

• www.gov.ru - Russian authorities' website
• www.gov.spb.ru - Saint-Petersburg government's official website
• www.mos.ru - Moscow town hall's website
• www.rg.ru - Official edition of the Russian government (official documents)
• www.kremlin.ru - Information about the Russian president
• www.nalog.ru - Russian tax services website
• www.mid.ru - Russian foreign affairs website, embassy, consulate and international organizations' contacts
• www.rusemlon.org - Russian embassy and consulates in the UK
• www.russianembassy.biz/scotland-edinburgh.htm - Russian embassy and consulates in Scotland
• www.ireland.mid.ru - Russian embassy and consulates in Ireland
• www.russianembassy.org - Russian embassy and consulates in the USA
• www.rusembcanada.mid.ru - Russian embassy and consulates in Canada
• www.australia.mid.ru - Russian embassy and consulates in Australia

Transport, travels :

• www.rzd.ru - Russian railways Arts, entertainment
• www.afisha.ru - Information about the cultural life of Saint Petersburg and Moscow, theatre repertoires, exhibitions, concerts and clubs
• www.museum.ru - Catalogue of the Russian museums
• www.theatre.ru - Information about Moscow's theatres
• www.tophoto.ru - Catalogue of Russian websites dedicated to photography
• www.gramota.ru - All about the Russian language

General Information :

• www.adresa.yandex.ruu - Locates addresses in the largest Russian cities
• www.gismeteo.ru - Russian weather forecast
• www.slovari.ru - Russian dictionary
• www.mojgorod.ru - Russian cities and regions, historical and geopolitical information

Mobile phone operators in Russia :

• www.tele2.ru
• www.beeline.ru
• www.mts.ru
• www.megafon.ru

Money and finance :

• www.cbr.ru - Russian's central bank website; exchang rates
• www.rbc.ru - Economic information agency "Rossbisnessconsalting"
• www.allinsurance.ru - List of the largest insurance companies in Russia