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List of TR's:

Kosher Food/ Restaurants:
Kiev:
Taki Da - Glatt (Very good hashgacha) - https://goo.gl/maps/Rr58pZiUZGz
Hours: 12pm to 11pm
http://taki-da.net/en
---
Mendis - Glatt (chabad hechsher) - https://goo.gl/maps/uHuUbyFCMWk - Under/behind the Chabad shul There's a Grocery store & Mikvah there as well.
http://kiev.mendiskosher.com.ua

Synagogue:

Things to Do:

Hotels:

Getting Around:
Uman Transport:
Poyecheli (VIP Luxury Vans, Private Cars, Busses & Shuttles)
They speak Hebrew & Russian mostly (limited English)
Ukraine tel: +380931684959 | +380933790111 | +380633790111
Israel Tel: +972548700200
Whatsapp: +380933790111 +380633790111  +972548700200
Email: poyechali@gmail.com | Website | Facebook

UmanEx (VIP Luxury Vans, Private Cars, Busses & Shuttles)
They speak Hebrew & Russian mostly (limited English) - They are sometimes less reliable than poyechali
Tel/Whatsapp: +380632223030 | Israel tel: +972737878148
Email: 123@umanex.com  |  Website  |  Facebook
Notes:



Moscow helpful information
« Last edited by ckmk47 on December 20, 2019, 10:41:03 AM »

Author Topic: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread  (Read 150799 times)

Offline efflpetzel

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #140 on: December 10, 2013, 08:25:19 PM »
Trip Report - St. Petersburg & Moscow - June 2013

Part 1 - St. Petersburg:

One of the most beautiful cities in the world - and I still can't believe that it's not on Westerners' radar as it should be. We went during White Nights - when insomnia rules, boat cruises don't leave until 12:30 am, fireworks at 2 am, crowds in the streets all night, etc. Still, felt very safe.

White Nights is also a crazy expensive time to be in St Petersburg (even more than the crazy expensive usual). However, the Marriott Pushin:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ledgr-courtyard-st-petersburg-center-west-pushkin-hotel/

at 15k Marriott Points + 5th night free was a steal! The hotel was $500-$800 per night during the time we were there. It was also walking distance to the main synagogue of the city, a kosher restaurant and 40 min or so walk to the center of city (25 min to the 'edge of the center')

Food - Golden Cafe:

http://goldencafe.ru/index.html

I really loved it - it was a mix of Russia / Ashkenazi and Georgian cuisine. The lady who ran it was very nice. It certainly helps that I speak Russian (as it does everywhere else in Russia). Also reasonably priced. Not all items on the menu were available, but everything we had was great.

http://jewishsaintpetersburg.com/kosher/lehaim/

LeChaim is good, a little pricey though. It's inside the Choral Synagogue. The food is good - service a little slow.

Shabbat - we pre-ordered food at LeChaim. Came out to about $35 / per person / meal including vodka, wine, lots of fish etc. The dinner was a little better than lunch, but it was all really good.

Overall city - if you have a chance to go for White Nights (late June) - by all means do so. There is more than enough kosher food to get by and the city, its palaces and scenery is incredible.
can you elaborate more on the stuff you did there.

thanks for the TR

Offline shmuelb

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #141 on: December 11, 2013, 11:34:42 AM »
When you get off the vodka, can you write about Moscow too?  :)
siyag lachachma :-)

Offline DXD

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #142 on: December 12, 2013, 11:21:39 PM »
can you elaborate more on the stuff you did there.

thanks for the TR

Sure:

1. I highly encourage those traveling to St. Petersburg to do during White Nights (end of June)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Nights_Festival

2. Just walk around the city - architecture, palaces, rivers, canals. It was built to be an imperial city and all the best of 18th + 19th century Europe was imported there.

Key destinations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermitage_Museum - rivals the Louvre in scale and substance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevskiy_Prospect - key thoroughfare of St Petersburg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterhof_Palace - some of the most beautiful fountains / palaces...ever. About a 30 min boat ride (boats leave from the Neva side of the Hermitage)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsarskoye_Selo - a suburban palace complex with a dazzling all-amber room
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letniy_Sad - imperial garden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_Paul_Fortress - a fortress & prison complex (Alter Rebbe was imprisoned there)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_Square - the heart of the city
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/monuments/alexander-pushkin/ - a beautiful square surrounded by theatres + museums.

Also - take a Neva river cruise, a rivers and canals cruise. If you go during White nights - you will want to take the ones that leave after midnight. Ballet / Opera are a great option for those interested.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Offline DXD

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #143 on: December 12, 2013, 11:36:55 PM »
When you get off the vodka, can you write about Moscow too?  :)

Yea...ok.

Moscow is quite different than St. Petersburg. While the latter is a living outdoor museum, Moscow is really a rapidly growing (it's already really huge!) boomtown fueled by oil & government.

Highlights of Moscow: Red Square + Kremlin. Sparrow Hills is a nice view of the city. You really don't get the quaint 19th century architecture of St Petersburg, rather it is very much in your face.

Pushkin museum is good (but not great) - after St Petersburg it's quite underwhelming. 2-3 days in Moscow is more than enough.

However, Moscow does have a fairly impressive Jewish / kosher infrastructure. We ate at Rimon, inside one of the two main synagogues of the city. It was excellent

http://shamash.com/kosher/search.php?Recno=00914&Comm=two

It's located inside the Choral Synagogue, 10 min walk from Red Square and worth a visit in itself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_Choral_Synagogue

I was impressed by the Jewish museum. Inside of it is a kosher version of the desert chain 'Shokoladnitsa'. May be the best cakes I have EVER eaten.
http://www.mievr.ru/?lang=ENG

Lots of other kosher options in Moscow, but we did not get a chance to try more.

Feel free to PM me with questions.

Offline chff

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #144 on: December 13, 2013, 06:53:14 AM »
Anyone been in SIP?

Offline DXD

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #145 on: December 13, 2013, 10:05:45 AM »

Offline boropark123

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #146 on: December 16, 2013, 05:59:13 PM »
Anyone know of a car rental that would let me rent in poland and enter ukraine just for the day

Offline rg

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #147 on: March 27, 2014, 02:12:39 PM »
my son and 50 bochrim are going for first days pesach  to help  chluchim in russia and ukraine.
They are flying with aeroflot to moscow but have no visa to enter russia.
They have a 9 hour stop over in airport.
Does anyone know if United has a lounge there?
Any other lounges? I have Ink cards that I can get him on.
 Does that give him free access to lounge in airport ?
thanks so much

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #148 on: March 27, 2014, 02:15:30 PM »
my son and 50 bochrim are going for first days pesach  to help  chluchim in russia and ukraine.
They are flying with aeroflot to moscow but have no visa to enter russia.
They have a 9 hour stop over in airport.
Does anyone know if United has a lounge there?
Any other lounges? I have Ink cards that I can get him on.
 Does that give him free access to lounge in airport ?
thanks so much


United has no lounge there, Perhaps with Ink/PP you could him in to something.

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #149 on: March 27, 2014, 02:20:56 PM »
50 lubavitch bochurim might trigger the 4 hour minimum to be enforced for the first time in history
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline robbie

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #150 on: March 27, 2014, 02:23:51 PM »
my son and 50 bochrim are going for first days pesach  to help  chluchim in russia and ukraine.
They are flying with aeroflot to moscow but have no visa to enter russia.
They have a 9 hour stop over in airport.
Does anyone know if United has a lounge there?
Any other lounges? I have Ink cards that I can get him on.
 Does that give him free access to lounge in airport ?
thanks so much


He should look into getting a visa, may cost like 150 bucks but for a 9 hour stopover may be worth it.

Offline rg

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #151 on: March 27, 2014, 03:47:48 PM »
Thanks everybody for your help.
not all have the same stopover time.
They are all departing from there to different cities.
my  lubavitshe son is going to ponivez for pesach ;D ( the city)

Offline nbnuti

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #152 on: March 27, 2014, 04:24:33 PM »
Just wondering my friend has a flight to Moscow next week. Was the Liquid ban removed already or still in effect from the Olympics???

Offline BISPRO

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #153 on: March 27, 2014, 06:37:14 PM »
my son and 50 bochrim are going for first days pesach  to help  chluchim in russia and ukraine.
They are flying with aeroflot to moscow but have no visa to enter russia.
They have a 9 hour stop over in airport.
Does anyone know if United has a lounge there?
Any other lounges? I have Ink cards that I can get him on.
 Does that give him free access to lounge in airport ?
thanks so much


Very simple.
Bochurim that going to Russia thy should have a visa since u need the visa for Russia no matter in which city you are.
Bochurim that going to ukriane , which airport thy stop over ? some times thy give issues in the lounge if you not biz class traveler even with card

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #154 on: March 27, 2014, 06:40:51 PM »
Bochurim that going to ukriane , which airport thy stop over ?

He wrote aeroflot, so that is SVO.

Offline BISPRO

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #155 on: March 27, 2014, 06:46:00 PM »
He wrote aeroflot, so that is SVO.

i left my job as a travel agent 5 years ago...

regarding the lounge, i won't trust the airline lounges, go with priority pass.

Offline robbie

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #156 on: March 28, 2014, 01:03:55 AM »
my son and 50 bochrim are going for first days pesach  to help  chluchim in russia and ukraine.
They are flying with aeroflot to moscow but have no visa to enter russia.
They have a 9 hour stop over in airport.
Does anyone know if United has a lounge there?
Any other lounges? I have Ink cards that I can get him on.
 Does that give him free access to lounge in airport ?
thanks so much

Just btw if your son happens to have a Israeli passport he can go to Moscow for free for those 9 hours

Offline NOOCH

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #157 on: April 07, 2014, 08:38:20 PM »
i left my job as a travel agent 5 years ago...

regarding the lounge, i won't trust the airline lounges, go with priority pass.
where can i get a priority pass cert from?

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #158 on: April 08, 2014, 02:40:26 PM »
where can i get a priority pass cert from?


Comes with the chase ink cards collection.

Offline chff

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Re: Russia & Ukraine Master Thread
« Reply #159 on: April 14, 2014, 06:04:59 PM »
regarding the lounge, i won't trust the airline lounges, go with priority pass.

Ummm? This post is so I don't want to say