Here you can find some information about life in Kaliningrad.

Phone calls and internet access

You are able to make free local calls in your host family or rented or shared apartment. Usually, an internet connection in your accommodation is available.

Your mobile phone can be used in Kaliningrad. You can easily switch to one of the local GSM providers. It is also possible to purchase a local SIM card with cheap rates for calling abroad or mobile internet.

There are lots places in the city, where you can find Internet connection (WiFi) for free - in restaurants, bars, cafes, trams and trolleys. 
It is very easy to buy a Russian SIM card with a mobile internet option for using Viber, Whats up and other messengers. For buying it, you will need your passport, registration in Kaliningrad and ca 300 Rubles. The using of it is significantly cheaper than the roaming rate of your usual mobile operator. For calling abroad it is also possible to buy a Russian SIM card with an international calling option.

Time

There is in fact East European Time Zone in Kaliningrad, we are in GMT+2 zone all year round.

In Winter:

when it is 12 in the noon in Kaliningrad, it is 10 a.m. in London, 11 a.m. in Berlin and Warsaw, 1 p.m. in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In Summer:

When it's noon (12:00) in Kaliningrad, it is 11 a.m. in London, 12 a.m. in Paris, Berlin and Warsaw, 12 a.m. in Helsinki and Athens, 1 p.m. in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Eating-out in Kaliningrad

Even if you choose to stay in a host family with half-boarding, you will have to think about eating lunch somewhere. The prices are reasonable in the city. You will be well off with 4-10 euros for a meal (many restaurants serve decent business lunches at the cost of 250-350 rubles).

You can buy food in a store (there are modern supermarkets at every corner) or at the farmers' market, which is fun to do to practice your Russian. Nearest supermarket located at the crossing of Krasnoselskaya and Prospekt Pobedy. There are café, small restaurant and other necessary such as laundry  and dry-cleaner’s.

Attention! Do not drink water from tap. You should buy bottled water.

Money

Russian money is ruble. One ruble is 100 kopeks. The rate of euro exchange is 1 euro = ca 63 roubles. The rate of dollars exchange is 1$ = ca 60 roubles.

Drugs and alcohol

Both hard and soft drugs are illegal in Russia: it is a criminal offence to possess and to take them. Any student found in possession of, or using, any illegal substance must immediately be dismissed from the course and may be prosecuted by the police.

In Russia it is illegal to buy and to take alcoholic drinks for people under the age of 18 and that is also illegal for a shopkeeper to sell cigarettes to children under the age of 18.

The alcohol can only be bought between 10am and 10pm.

If you want to drive a car in Russia, note the zero-per-thousand rule, please. On the streets, the drivers are regularly by street police checked.

Important: We retain our right to cancel student’s lessons in case he/she shows up at the school being in state of alcoholic intoxication and/or drug intoxication. Cancellation reaches whole study day. None of missed lessons is to be moved to another day, replaced or compensated. If student shows up at the school in state of alcoholic intoxication and/or drug intoxication for 3 days in a row and this causes inconveniences for other students and staff of the school, we retain our right to stop rendering all kind of services to this student (i.e. lessons, accommodation etc.) without paying the rest for undelivered services paid by this student in advance.

Illness and emergencies

Free first medical assistance is guaranteed in Russia. Our school staff will contact the doctor in case of illness. The ambulance phone number is 03 or 112.

Telephone codes:

Telephone code for Russia is +7. Kaliningrad code is 4012. So if you are calling to Kaliningrad from abroad you should dial +74012... or 0074012...

Electricity Standard

Electricity throughout Russia is 220 volt / 50 Hz. The wall outlet is configured for a two thin pin adaptor plug.

Important telephone numbers:

  • 112 - Central Emergency Hotline 
  • 01 - Fire brigade (Pozharnaya sluzhba);
  • 02 - Police (Miliciya);
  • 03 - Ambulance (Skoraya medicinskaya pomosh');
  • 04 - Gas emergency service (Sluzhba gaza).

Information desks:

  • 555-200 - Tourist Information Centre in Kaliningrad http://visit-kaliningrad.ru
  • 39-39-39 - Information Service 39 Region 
  • 323 - 323 City Information
  • 555 – 555 City Information
  • 214959 - Address Inquiries.
  • www.2gis.ru - Yellow Pages on-line, off-line free App is on PlayMarket or AppStore availible for using as city map, transport service, yellow pages and navigator.
  • https://www.yandex.ru - Searching on the Russian Internet

Medical assistance:

  • 56-77-11  Private Clinic MedExpert http://med-expert.ru ;
  • 95-51-51 , 21-33-06 Private Clinic MedLux ;
  • 53-45-56 - Hotline City Hospital Kaliningrad, ulista Newskogo, 90 http://www.med-otzyv.ru/clinics/9-russia/58-kaliningradskaya/7639-bolnica-skoroy-medicinskoy-pomoshhi ;      
  • 46-58-68 – Head Doctor, City Hospital Kaliningrad
  • 46-69-89 – Emergency station, City Hospital Kaliningrad
  • 58-59-53, 53-12-76 – Emergency room, City Hospital Kaliningrad
  • 53-11-80  - Emergency station, City hospital for infectious diseases Kaliningrad, ulista Frunse 48 https://inf-bol.infomed39.ru ;
  • 21-96-03 – Reception, City hospital for infectious diseases Kaliningrad
  • 46-14-92 – Head Doctor, City hospital for infectious diseases Kaliningrad 
  • 64-54-72  - Central City Hospital Kaliningrad, ulitsa Letnjaja, 3-5 http://www.cgb39.ru;
  • 64-82-90, 64-14-54 – Order a doctor's visit home, Central City Hospital Kaliningrad
  • 46-23-26, 67-01-22  - First Aid Stomatology Kaliningrad, ulitsa Klinischteskaja, 69 http://osp39.su ;

Dentist services:

Kaliningrad's stomatological clinics offer dentist's services and dentures at the competitive level but for considerably lower prices. Proper documents necessary for insurance purposes are readily supplied.

Transport:

  • 64-36-35 - Information Service, 65-65-01 – Internationale tickets office, 64-65-00 - Reception  - Central Bus station;
  • 99-97-77 - plane tickets reservation http://www.goravia.ru ;
  • 8 (800) 775-00-00 - Hotline Russian Railways http://rzd.ru
  • http://www.skyscanner.ru  - flights tickets on-line;

Taxis:

Attention! We kindly ask you to use a taxi every time you have to reach your apartment/host family house from somewhere in the night. Please do not try to save your money on your health!

  • 666 -111, 60-50-60  – Taxi Weset (cheap)
  • 500-600– Taxi Europa
  • 99-99-79 - Taxi Königsberg;
  • 91-91-91 - Taxi Cobra;

Car rental services:

Usual price is about 40 euros/day.

Services:

Kaliningrad web resources: