IWC Practical Information Document The International Women’s Club of Moscow wants to help you feel at home in this enormous and often challenging city. We would also like to help you discover the other side of Moscow, the amazing metropolis that has a lot to offer for those who are willing to take on this challenge. Something every expat warmly welcomes is practical information on living in Moscow. So when you meet people, for example during IWC Coffee Mornings or General Meetings, it is always interesting to talk about day-to-day life and the practical problems each of us runs into from time to time, and to learn about each other’s (sometimes very creative) solutions to these problems. There is nothing as valuable as first hand tips from people who have been living in Moscow for some time, who know their way around town and who are happy to share their inside knowledge with others! Just in case you have some questions you forgot to ask during the last Coffee Morning or General Meeting, some basic practical information is included in this document. This document is not intended to be a complete guide to living in Moscow, and it probably is not even a completely correct guide to living in Moscow (things change very fast here), but it contains a nice collection of tips and suggestions that will hopefully be useful for you and your family. If you cannot find the information you are looking for, don’t hesitate to send your question to [email protected] and we will do our best to help you! The IWC team Content IWC Practical Information Document ........................................................................................ 1 The International Women’s Club of Moscow ........................................................................ 4 v History of the IWC ................................................................................................... 4 v Membership of the IWC .......................................................................................... 4 v Organization of the IWC .......................................................................................... 5 v IWC Meetings anD activities .................................................................................... 6 v IWC Charities ........................................................................................................... 7 v Communication with the IWC ................................................................................. 7 v Contact the IWC ...................................................................................................... 8 Language ............................................................................................................................... 9 v Language Schools .................................................................................................... 9 v Mobile Apps ............................................................................................................ 9 v Websites in Russian ................................................................................................. 9 v AuDiobooks .............................................................................................................. 9 v IWC Interest Groups ................................................................................................ 9 Transportation ..................................................................................................................... 10 v Airports .................................................................................................................. 10 v Metro .................................................................................................................... 11 v Buses, Trolleybuses anD Trams ............................................................................. 12 v Minibuses (маршрутка) ........................................................................................ 13 v Taxi ........................................................................................................................ 13 v PeDestrian ............................................................................................................. 13 v Maps anD adDresses .............................................................................................. 14 Phone/internet .................................................................................................................... 14 v Skype / Facetime ................................................................................................... 14 v Mobile Phone ........................................................................................................ 14 v Public Phone .......................................................................................................... 15 v Internet & Wi-Fi ..................................................................................................... 15 Water ................................................................................................................................... 16 MeDical Care ........................................................................................................................ 16 v Clinics .................................................................................................................... 16 v MeDicine ................................................................................................................ 16 Moms anD Babies ................................................................................................................ 17 v Home Deliveries .................................................................................................... 17 v Baby Groups anD Play Groups ............................................................................... 17 v Nannies in Moscow ............................................................................................... 17 Pets ...................................................................................................................................... 18 v Taking your pet in anD out of Russia ..................................................................... 18 v Pet supply stores: .................................................................................................. 18 v Pet care ................................................................................................................. 18 v Pet Hotels .............................................................................................................. 19 v Veterinarians ......................................................................................................... 19 v Stray animals anD shelters .................................................................................... 19 v ADoption ................................................................................................................ 20 Shopping & Leisure .............................................................................................................. 20 v Grocery Shopping .................................................................................................. 20 v FooD sanctions ...................................................................................................... 21 v Home Delivery ....................................................................................................... 22 v Buying Clothing ..................................................................................................... 22 v SeconDhanD, retro anD other markets .................................................................. 22 v Buying Books ......................................................................................................... 23 v Going to the gym ................................................................................................... 23 Finance anD Banking ............................................................................................................ 23 v Money anD Banks .................................................................................................. 23 v Paying a tip ............................................................................................................ 23 v Restaurants ........................................................................................................... 24 Foreign Newspapers anD websites ...................................................................................... 24 v Newspapers anD Magazines .................................................................................. 24 v Useful Websites ..................................................................................................... 24 Useful mobile applications .................................................................................................. 25 Other Moscow expat organizations .................................................................................... 26 Thank you ............................................................................................................................ 26 The International Women’s Club of Moscow Let’s start with a chapter on ourselves, shall we? You’ve just joined us and are probably interested to know what’s going on in the Club. v History of the IWC The IWC of Moscow was founded in 1978 by four women accompanying their husbands on diplomatic assignments. Their idea was to bring women of all foreign