MAIL IN ST. PETERSBURG

• Letters, cards and postage
• Mailing your card or letter
• Central Post Office (Glavpochtamt)
• Local post-offices
• Receiving mail in St. Petersburg
• Express Mail

MAIL

Sending regular mail to/from Russia is not as complicated as it once used to be. The national mail system is gradually becoming more reliable and delivery times shorter. On average, a letter to/from USA takes about 3 weeks to be delivered, to/from UK - 10 to 14 days. If you need faster communications you will have to rely on express-mail, speedy mail arrangements or electronic communications (fax or e-mail). Nevertheless, it is always a good idea to send a nice card to someone you care about - and that usually is not urgent.

Envelopes, postcards and postage stamps are usually available from small postal desks at tourist hotels. Alternatively, you can buy them at the Central Post Office (Glavpochtamt) or at one of local branch post-offices (over 400 offices throughout the city). Postcards and envelopes are also available from Rospechat newsagent kiosks, and cards can be found at most bookshops (e.g. Dom Knigi on Nevsky Prospect).

Always make sure that you pay the proper postage for your letters and cards. Though inflation in Russia is not as high as it was a few years ago, postal rates occasionally change at short notice. Here is a current quote on international postage (rubles/US$):

	Regular	Airmail
Letters (under 20 grams)	3,000 / $0.52	3,500 / $0.61
Letter by recorded mail	7,500 / $1.30	8,000 / $1.39
Postcards	2,000 / $0.35	2,500 / $0.43
Postcards by recorded mail	6,500 / $1.13	7,000 / $1.22
N.B. Ruble prices subject to change on short notice

Your hotel might have a postal desk, which is a good place to mail your cards or letters. Otherwise, the simplest way of mailing a letter with the right stamps attached is by putting it in one of the blue mail-boxes. These can be found near all local post-offices and at different locations throughout the city. Every post-office has another mail-box indoors.

A very conveniently located post-office is at Nevsky Prospekt near the Grand Hotel Europe and across the street from the Gostiny Dvor department store. Go inside and walk up the stairs. The stamps/envelopes/cards counter will be just in front of you and the mail-box is in the end of the hall near customer P.O. boxes.

You can mail your cards or letters at the Central Post Office (at Pochtamtskaya Ulitsa 9). Put your letters in the international mail-box in the lobby or take them to window 24, where a clerk will weigh your letters, put an Air Mail sticker and postage stamps on them (if necessary) and send them directly to the mail-processing room. Sending a letter from the Central Post Office might reduce your letter's delivery time by 1 or 2 days.

If you want to send your letter by speedy mail or express-mail, please refer to the relevant topics.

The American Express office at Grand Hotel Europe (Address: Mikhailovskaya Ulitsa 1) will hold mail and messages for card holders and users of American Express traveler's cheques. Mail (letters only, no parcels) will be kept at the office for up to 30 days. A mailing address for St. Petersburg is:

American Express
P.O. Box 87
SF-53501 Lappeenranta
FINLAND

Mail is brought from Lappeenranta to St. Petersburg's American Express office daily, at no charge. When you come to collect your mail bring along your AmEx card or traveler's cheques as well as your passport (or other ID). Office telephone number is 119-60-19.

Westpost at Dom Aktiora (Address: Nevsky Prospekt 86) offers post boxes in Lappeenranta with daily pick-up and delivery to its offices. Non-client visitors can have their mail delivered to: PL 8, SF-53501, Lappeentanta, FINLAND for a $1 fee. You can pick it up at the Westpost office. You can also become a Westpost basic client for $20

Post International at Nevsky Prospekt 20 offers post boxes in the USA from which mail is forwarded to you. The fee is $50.

For receiving faxes and e-mail see the relevant sections.

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