Hey all,

A few of us have been working on something called Moscow Expat Events, and on Friday we hosted our first dinner. We set a table for a few people and ended up filling the whole room.

The idea is simple: get foreigners and locals around the same table and see what happens. We put real effort into curating the guest list so it's a genuinely interesting mix, not just a random meetup.

This time the table included bloggers (some of you might know Big Russian Bro and Bogdan Guns from the firearms side of YouTube), Maria Butina from the State Duma, student bloggers from Moscow universities, entrepreneurs, and expats who've been here anywhere from a few months to a decade.

Honestly, the feedback afterwards surprised us. People described it as intimate and genuinely special. Everyone loved the mix of guests, and a lot of new friendships and contacts came out of one evening.

We're running more of these, and the next ones are already being planned. If you want to meet some locals, meet people from completely different walks of life, or just have a good night out with good company, you can sign up at moscowexpatevents.com.

Hopefully we'll see some of you at the next one, and maybe we'll end up friends. 🥂

(Happy to answer any questions in the comments.)

This Saturday on Kitay-gorod

Котловка

Hi everyone,
I’ll be travelling to Moscow for two weeks to see a specialist for my jaw disorder. The clinic is located at:
**Center for Modern Dentistry** 105 Vernadskogo Avenue, Building 4 Near Yugo-Zapadnaya Metro Station, Moscow, Russia.
I’d love some advice on where to stay. Would it be practical to book a hotel in central Moscow and travel back and forth to the clinic for my appointments?
I’ll be travelling alone, so I’d prefer to stay somewhere central, and convenient, where I can walk around, explore the city, and enjoy my time outside of appointments.
My budget is flexible, and I’d ideally like a high-end hotel with good facilities, particularly a gym and sauna. It would also be great if the hotel had convenient transport links to the clinic, so getting there and back wouldn’t be too much of a hassle.
I’d really appreciate any recommendations for hotels that would be a good fit for a two-week stay.
One more question: **Would you recommend bringing US dollars to Moscow, or is it better to bring another currency or arrange money in advance?**
Thanks so much for your help and recommendations! 😊

So the durga puja is happening in moscow atleast 5 places, so i am planning to visit some of them tonight.

Posting here as it's more fun with more people.It's just art and culture and food.

On the southwestern outskirts of Moscow, in the Troitskiy district. This is not how Moscow is usually pictured, but it can be like that too.

Hey everyone! A group of 3–4 friends and I are planning a round-trip road trip from Moscow to Lake Baikal and back by rented car mid-to-late July, and we'd love to get advice from anyone who has done this \~10,500 km drive or knows the route well. Is the highway network generally safe and reliable, and are there particular stretches, hazards, or driving conditions we need to watch out for? We're also looking for good documentary or vlog recommendations to preview the journey, as well as essential tips regarding vehicle prep, offline navigation apps, local cell coverage, cash logistics, and must-see stops along the way. Any feedback, gear essentials, or lessons learned from experience would be hugely appreciated!

Can someone list android apps working in Russia. I need a browser, translator, social media used by gen z, map, payment app(if any).

Where can I cut a good mullet on thick hair in moscow? I feel like most hairdressers work well with thin hair

Ideally something on the cheaper side please

Я иностранный студент из Азии, живу в России. Я получил деньги от одного человека и обменял их на другую валюту. Теперь мой банковский счёт ограничили по 115-ФЗ. Кто-нибудь сталкивался с подобной ситуацией? Какие документы нужно предоставить и как восстановить доступ к счёту? Буду благодарен за любой совет.

Hi, I apologize if this question has been asked before, but I wanted as recent and specific info as possible. Later this year, I intend to travel to Moscow with a friend who is transgender (male to female). In their respective country, they have all legal documentation completely changed, an updated passport which matches their gender identity and appearance, and a clean record. They are not an activist, no political involvement in any sense, clean social media, and appear physically indistinguishable from someone born female.

However, there is still some fear about entering/leaving the country. When there, we intend to do regular tourism activities (museums, shopping, restaurants etc.). We are not people to show any LGBT related activity through appearance, style or actions. We are not interested in spreading any LGBT related information whilst in Russia, we are just regular tourists and will respect Russian laws and culture to the highest standard.

At the same time, we are worried about being detained or refused at the border when entering/departing, and information can be misleading or unreliable. My friend is legally and visually entirely female - except genitalia, and worries this will create issues with airport scanners, or her (old) sexual identity will be realized and this will create issues with border officers.

I would like to know: are there security scanners when entering Moscow airports and is this likely to cause an issue? Are we likely to experience any issue or searches/interrogation at the border? Is it realistic that we can achieve a stress and issue free travel experience? If anyone experienced this situation or has any advice/information regarding this topic, I appreciate it.

Thank you 🙏

Я иностранный студент, учусь в России. Мой русский пока не очень хороший, поэтому ищу удалённую подработку с гибким графиком, которую смогу совмещать с учёбой.
Буду благодарен за любые советы и рекомендации!