Country Trading Profiles Russia - General information

Political outline | Living conditions | Useful resources | Communications

Political outline

Executive Power: The President is the Head of State. He is elected by universal suffrage for four years.The real center of power in the country, he is the commander-in-chief of the army. The Prime Minister is the head of the government. He is appointed by the President, with the approval of the lower house of Parliament, and manages the everyday business of the country.
Legislative Power: Russia has a two-chamber legislative power. The Parliament, called the Federal Assembly, is composed of: the Council of the Federation (upper chamber), which has 78 seats and the members are appointed by the regional governors and legislative institutions, for a four-year term of office; and the State Douma (lower chamber), which has 450 seats; its members are elected by direct universal suffrage from partisan lists, for a four-year term.
Main political parties: Russia is a State with one dominant party - United Russia (a centrist party) which is in power. Opposition parties are authorized but they do not really have any chance of gaining power. The other important parties in the country are:
- The CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) – a nationalist and communist party;
A Just Russia (born of the merger between Rodina, the Russian Life party and the Russian Pensioners' party in 2006) - a center-left party, an ally of United Russia;
The LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) - an extreme right nationalist political party;
- The SPS (Union of right-wing forces) - associated with reforms leading towards the free market economy and privatization, it supports western-style capitalism.
Current political leaders: President: Dmitri MEDVEDEV (elected on May 2008) – Independent
Prime Minister: Vladimir PUTIN (since May 2008) – Last president. United Russia Party President.
Next election dates: Presidential election: March 2018

Living conditions

Health and safety

Health precautions: No vaccinations required.
Visitors staying more than 3 months must produce a certificate of HIV-negative status (see this with the Embassy).
Because counterfeiting of medicines has increased so much in Russia, travelers are advised to take with them the medicines they need for their state of health or for treatment.
International hospitals: There are many private clinics, with Western standards. For example, the American Medical Center and the European Medical Center in Moscow, the American Medical Clinic and the Euromed Clinic in St Petersburg.
For further information on sanitary conditions: The pages of the WHO website devoted to Russia (in English)
The website of the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development (in Russian)
For further information on safety conditions: The Current Travel Warnings of the US State Department
The recommendations of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Contact your Embassy: Embassy of Greece in Russia
Leontiefski Per 4
125009 Moscow
Phone: (007095) 2901 446, 775 37 00
Fax: 7716510
gremb.mow@mfa.gr

Emergency numbers

Firemen	01
Police	02
Ambulance	03

Time difference and climate

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Moscow, Kazan, Saint Petersburg (GMT+3 in winter, GMT+4 in summer)
It is %T:%M %A in Iekaterinbourg, Perm, Chelyabinsk (GMT+5 in winter, GMT+6 in summer)
It is %T:%M %A in Novosibirsk, Omsk (GMT+6 in winter, GMT+7 in summer)
It is %T:%M %A in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk (GMT+10 in winter, GMT+11 in summer)
Summer time period: Summer time from March to October

Map of the time zone

Type of climate: Winter is long and very harsh (except around the Black Sea) while summer is hot and short.
The best time to visit the country is without doubt during the months of May and June; July and August can be stifling especially in the big cities.

For further information: Federal meteorological service
Russian meteorological institute

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Useful resources

Communications

Telephone codes: To make a call from Russia to Greece: dial 810 (or +) 30
To make a call to in Russia from Greece: dial 00 (or +) +7
Mobile telephone standards: The international standard GSM leads the market. CDMA-450, AMPS and DAMPS also exist.
Internet suffix: .ru

COUNTRY TRADING PROFILES

General Information

Political outline

Living conditions

Health and safety

Emergency numbers

Time difference and climate

Map of the time zone

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Useful resources

Communications