Mums in Moscow.

[EastwardHo]

Any mums in Moscow?

Have had some great support from ExPat Ru users who have been very supportive but anybody else new here? Am having a really shiiiiiiiiiiiiit time.

Hi EastwardHo and welcome to MN!

I'm not in Moscow (thank goodness I have to add). I mean it's ok for a visit but living there I wouldn't fancy.

What's getting you down?

Have you been in touch with the British Women's Club? Here's their info:

"BWC a non profit social club for women, meets monthly over a cup of coffee and has an organized program of activities for members and their families. Meetings are informal and there is plenty of time to chat and even to shop. Different artisans are invited each month to sell their wares during the meeting. The coffee mornings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at the British Embassy. If anyone would like to attend, contact the Club in advance (by the previous Thursday) at [email protected] as the security guards on the gate can only admit people on the Club?s list. Membership is open to British passport holders and partners of British passport holders. Presently there are about 130 members.
Activities\Membership: [email protected]
General Information: www.bwcmoscow.co.uk "

They were recommended to me but I never got round to it.

EastwardHo, had a read on those ExpatRu forums, sounds really tough out there. I had better stop complaining about life as an expat in Germany! Is it really cold yet? That would kill me especially with a baby. Have you got decent cable/satelite TV atleast? Are your neighbours nice?

Not is Moscow either - but just wanted to say Hi & welcome to MN
There is loads of support on here, whether you are in Moscow, Manchester or Madagascar !

Are you still here EastwardHo? How are things?

Hi EastwardHo! I joined the British Women's Club (website given by SSSandy), as they have an active group for families and children. If you're still around, why not contact them and try it - they also now meet every Tuesday at Cafe Guylian, which is very central (there's a map on the BWC website), except on the Tuesdays when they meet at the British Embassy. All the information is given on their website. I'm sure you'll enjoy their Family Network group (direct email: [email protected])! Moscow isn't that bad, really - look outside today: bright sunshine and clear blue skies! Whereabouts are you living? Also, how old is your child/are your children?

Perhaps she's no longer posting here because she has fallen on her feet and has such a busy social life now Louise.

How long have you been in Moscow, Louise? I'm supposed to be going there over Easter for a visit but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of getting there and about with dd. Think maybe I have been reading too many Polina Dashkowa novels!

Don't worry about it - it's fine here, really. Easter might not be a very good time to visit in terms of the snow melting - it gets very slushy then, and it's a black, dirty slush - really mucky!

Overall, it's not such a bad place to live and there's always a lot going on (24/7!). Despite all the negative stuff that can be read at expat.ru, there's a lot of good stuff too, like creches for younger children in every shopping mall, allowing parents to get on with their shopping (or socialising!) whilst their children play in a supervised area. If you have a young child, though, prams don't work on the uneven pavements or in most shops and on the Metro/Tube (lots of stairs and no lift option). Having said that, most Russians are very child-friendly and will help. If you fly on a Russian airline with a baby or young child, they usually let you on the plane first and take extra special care of you and child during the flight, which is quite nice!

Are you going to be moving here or are you coming for a holiday? If you're coming for a holiday and you have enough time, try and visit other cities and towns, as Moscow isn't the "real Russia" (as with most capital cities). If you're moving here, expat.ru is very useful for general queries and information, and the British Women's Club Family Network is great for children.

and I hope you're right about EastwardHo having no time to post messages here, being too busy with a great new social life

That black slush doesn't sound too good!

Luckily dd is 6 so I won't need to lug a pram up and down steps. Bit worried about all these attacks on foreigners I keep reading about. We wouldn't stick out a mile as foreigners I shouldn't think. Russians here are always approaching me in Russian because they assume we are Russian for some reason. They say dd looks like a picture of a child on chocolate bars in Russia. I can just see me trying to be inconspicious and having this ruined by dd starting to singout loud at the wrong times and give the game away! Just a bit concerned how that will go down.

We're just coming for a visit, Louise so I would like to see St. Petersburg and some of the towns on the Golden Ring but we may not manage it this time round. I thought spring might be a nice time for walking about but from what you said about the slush, it doesn't like it!

Don't worry about what you read in the press about personal attacks in Moscow/Russia, as they're mostly aimed at someone in particular (unless you've got reason to be aimed at, of course!). Most of what's broadcast in the UK and abroad is just hyped up - for the most part I find living here much safer than in London. Obviously you've got to take due care and attention, as you would anywhere in the world, watching out for pickpockets and don't walk down dark alleys etc. Basic common sense really.

Also, there are loads of foreigners here, so hearing a foreign voice isn't that uncommon, particularly in the centre.

The best time to visit St Petersburg is end May/beginning June during the "white nights" when it's so light throughout the night that you can pratically read a book outside. The whole city gets into a really good mood as well, being the end of the winter, so groups congregrate around the bridges as they're being raised and lowered and in parks etc. Autumn is also a good time, with all the golden leaves - very beautiful.

In terms of the Golden Ring towns around Moscow, the best to visit if you haven't got much time are Sergei Posad and Suzdal. You can do them both in a weekend, but you'd need to go on an organised tour or take a car, as it's quite a drive and best to have a Russian speaker to hand. A good route would be to leave for Suzdal early on Saturday morning, stopping in Vladimir for lunch. There's a lovely church there with fantastic icons and an outside walkway overlooking the flat plains. It's only about 30 mins from there to Suzdal. Suzdal is amazing to walk around, with so many churches in one high street, including a monastery and convent. Stay there overnight (try the convent, if it's not already fully booked) and have dinner in the monastery. On Sunday, drive to Sergei Posad. It's a long drive, but worth it. There are plenty of restaurants on the square outside the monastery, then it's about a two hour drive back to Moscow. A packed weekend, but fascinating and great fun.

Your best bet is to have a good read through a guidebook in advance! I hope you have a good trip!

Thanks for those tips, Louise. That trip to Suzdal sounds great. I think we'll do that.

Another vote for Suzdal.
We lived in Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow a few years back and loved every minute of it.