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

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

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