Although Russia is a wonderful country, there are some things you should know and know before your arrival.
The passport is something basic. If you are going to do anything in Russia, it is very important that carry your passport at all times. You will be asked for this for anything from buying a phone card or returning something at a store to enrolling in college.
All your documents in order. In Russia everything related to documents is taken very seriously, which means that you have to pay special attention that the data is well written and, above all, that the documents you are going to present are current.
When calling be careful. Whenever you are going to make a phone call from Russia, keep in mind that you are going to spend a good amount, since calls, even within the same country, are quite expensive.
Commissioned ATMs. Most of Russia's banks belong to the government. This means that even if you are withdrawing money from your bank's ATM, they charge you a small commission for it.
Card purchases. Purchases with cards within Russia can become very heavy, since in many points, they do not accept cards without you having the pin code (which must be given to you before leaving your country). Also, if you want to buy something online from a Russian page, prepare to suffer, since banks complicate online purchases and sometimes, you must end up going to the store to look for the product.