July 07, 2023

Rolling in Rubles


Rolling in Rubles
The Bronze Horseman, St. Petersburg, Russia. Pavel Inozemtsev, Unsplash.

St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov has endorsed legislation that would implement a resort fee within the city, as part of an initiative to enhance the development of resort infrastructure, according to an official statement released by the city administration's press service.

Effective from October 1, 2023, the resort fee would begin to be collected from tourists starting April 1, 2024. The fee is set at 100R (just over $1) per person per day and will be collected by hotels, hostels, and other temporary lodging establishments.

The funds acquired through the levy will be allocated to the reconstruction, maintenance, and repair of resort infrastructure, with a specific list of projects to be determined by the government.

The press service specified that the resort fee will not be imposed on tourists for their first day in St. Petersburg. Furthermore, the legislation includes more than 20 groups of individuals to be exempted from the fee, including individuals working within the city on employment or service contracts, as well as those who possess a registered residence in St. Petersburg.

Russia's Resort Fee Act was passed in July of 2017. In December 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended the act's validity through December 31, 2024, adding St. Petersburg and the Sirius federal territory to the list of participants of the Resort Fee Act. The Altai, Krasnodar, and Stavropol Territories also collect a resort tax from tourists, ranging from 50 to 100R. Failure to pay the fee can result in an administrative fine of 500 to 2,000R.
 

You Might Also Like

21 Slices of St. Petersburg Life
  • May 01, 2003

21 Slices of St. Petersburg Life

Thousands upon thousands of pages have been written about Piter during its three centuries of life on the Neva. But what does it take to understand this strange city like a native? These 20 "signs of life" offer a tiny part of the answer.
Useful Resources for Tourists Visiting Russia
  • August 27, 2013

Useful Resources for Tourists Visiting Russia

A compendium of 13 useful websites for persons interested in traveling to Russia, covering everything from the latest visa information to cruises, to what not to do when in Russia (etiquette).
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955