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Volgograd

Obscure enough to appear on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' as at least a £5,000 question, "Where exactly is Volgograd?" is likely to leave even your most knowledgeable friend puzzled. However, mention that it used to be called Stalingrad and your history buffs and those who have watched 'Enemy at the Gates' will sigh with recognition. Volgograd is frequently overlooked by tourists to Russia and is unlikely to be on the top five destinations list for most TEFL teachers. However, it is one of the longest cities in the world, stretching for over 70 km along the River Volga and offers teachers the opportunity to immerse themselves in Russian history and culture in a way that Moscow (referred to as a different country by most non-Muscovites) cannot offer. History and Population For those still pondering the £5,000 question, the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43) marked the turning point for Russia against Hitler in WW II and is therefore a jewel in the proverbial crown or Russia. Most of the city's population were either killed or fled eastwards during the war. Having since been renamed and rebuilt (haphazardly and with little thought for architectural aesthetics), the city now houses a population of over 1 million, the majority of whom were born locally or have absconded from Ukraine and neighbouring Kazakhstan since 1991. Reminders of the heroism of the locals in 1942-1943 are omnipresent. In addition to the 'Statue of the Motherland' that towers over the city and a well-stocked museum, monuments and statues to the war line parks and side streets. Climate Volgograd's climate is generally 10 degrees Centigrade warmer than Moscow all year round. However, this provides little comfort since temperatures do still fall to -20 degrees in winter and frozen extremities are painful in either city. Although the official start of winter may be December, temperatures flirt with freezing point throughout November. A multitude of layers doubles for padding when you take your first steps along the icy, poorly salted streets in January and indicate to all around from your horizontal position that you are not Russian. Meanwhile, toddlers, grandmothers (Babushkas) and the stiletto-clad will remain upright. Contrary to popular belief, Russia is not always covered in a thick blanket of snow. Volgograd in July and August can be scorching, with temperatures rising to as high as 40 degrees Centigrade. Please note (non-malaria carrying) mosquitoes can be a problem in warm months; so if you are susceptible to bites, please come prepared. Getting to and Arriving in Volgograd After a brief spell of orientation and guidance in Moscow (see Moscow page), you will take the 20-hour train ride to Volgograd from Moscow's Paveletskaya station. Standard compartments sleep four reasonably comfortably on drop-down beds and have space for luggage. There is a constant supply of boiling water on the train and a restaurant car. Alternatively, you can take the bus from Paveletskaya station, which takes 6 hours less than the train despite five short stops along the way. The standard buses don't have a toilet onboard, but are equipped with a TV, reclining seats, heating and air-conditioning. Upon your arrival, you will be met by someone from Language Link (who will speak English) and driven to your apartment, where you will be given fresh sheets, basic instructions in household domestics - boiler, cooker, locks, rubbish bins - and contact details. Accommodation Language Link provides one- and two-bedroomed apartments in the centre of Volgograd that are no more than 30 minutes walk from the office, the main school and a large number of shops, restaurants and services. Whether alone or sharing with one other teacher, you will have your own bedroom and access to a kitchen, bathroom and toilet. All bills (with the exception of the bill for non-local phone calls) will be paid by Language Link. While the flats are not overly luxurious, they are clean, warm and safe. Bedding, cutlery and crockery are all supplied. All flats have a phone and some have a TV and an iron. Washing machines are not provided, though you will quickly master hand-washing in the bath. Telephone, Internet and Postal Services All calls to and from landlines within Volgograd are free of charge. Inter-city calls are not very expensive. International calls fall to as little as 20 US cents a minute for off-peak calls using a local phone card from your home phone; Tario phone cards are readily available locally and provide an explanation for use in both Russian and English. Family and friends can dial Volgograd from abroad using the international code (7) and the local code (8442). Pay-as-you-go mobile phones are available cheaply. However, provided they are 'unlocked', foreign handsets are normally compatible with the local SIM cards. Local SIM cards can be bought easily ($10 for a card, including $10 of credit); international text messages cost about 7 US cents. Limited Internet access is available at Language Link's office. However, there are a number of Internet cafes within a short walk of all accommodation ($1.50 per hour), some of which also have scanners and CD drives available. Post sent from Volgograd to the UK or the US takes about 14 days to arrive, while post sent from the UK or the US to Volgograd takes 5-10 days. It is advised that the school address (written in English or Russian) is used for incoming mail rather than your flat. Volgograd's central post office provides telegraph, Internet and postal services. Electricity Electricity is 220 volt/50 Hz (as in the UK and Western Europe). Plugs are of the two-pin variety so if you are bringing electrical goods from the UK, don't forget to bring continental adaptors too. It is not recommended that you bring electrical items from the US. Adaptors are very expensive and not overly safe and you could probably pick up the same items in Volgograd or Moscow for a reasonable price. Street-wide power cuts are rare, though more frequent than in the UK and US. It is also not uncommon to descend just your flat into darkness by turning on a light. It is advised that you bring a torch with you to use while fumbling for the fuse box. Water It is not advisable to drink water from the taps or water fountains. Although some Volgogradians do this, our delicate Western stomachs cannot take it so please resist the temptation. Water can be boiled and left to cool, but unless your taste buds and vision are already impaired, it is better to buy inexpensive bottled water. Hot water is available in all flats once you have mastered the gas boiler. Although frequently annoying, the boilers do at least ensure that when the hot water is turned off to the rest of Volgograd for 2 weeks of the year you will continue to smell sweet. Laundry/Dry cleaning Hand-washing, radiators and the drip-dry method are your only option. 'Laundrette' is not in the Russian vocabulary and your students will giggle if you ask where you can find one. Dry cleaning services are available, but will cost you a small fortune. Besides, you are unlikely to be needing your dinner suit or ball gown. Getting Around Getting to and from your house to the main school or Language Link office by day is easiest on foot. If you are feeling cold or lazy, you can take one of the many minibuses or electric buses along the main streets for no more than 30 US cents. Exploration outside the central district is easiest by either minibus or underground metrotram. Public transport generally stops around midnight. Teachers are advised to use authorised taxis for travel late at night or early in the morning (one journey within the central district will cost no more than $1.50 at any time). Taxis can be ordered by phone easily, provided you are conscious enough to remember your phone number, where you are and where you're going. Random cars will stop to offer you a lift (for payment) on the street, but you are strongly advised not to use them (unless, of course, you would normally get into strange, clapped-out cars with one or more possibly intoxicated men in). Crime, Health and Emergencies Volgograd is no more dangerous (and arguably less so) than your average Western city and common sense is your best weapon. Main streets are well lit, but areas around teachers' accommodation are often not. Be on your guard, don't carry obviously expensive items openly and use taxis at night. In the event of an emergency, you should contact one of Language Link's Russian office staff. For the most part, Volgograd is a healthy place to live, provided you avoid the tap water, ice in drinks, and are not planning to undertake any high-risk activities. With the latter in mind, teachers arriving from the UK should note that Russians normally drive on the right (unless there is a traffic jam, in which case the pavement is a possibility) and can often turn left on a green light. If in doubt, huddle alongside a babushka to cross the road. Language Link provides for medical services for all teachers, but does not cover high-risk activities such as skiing, bungee jumping, or swimming the Volga in January. If you plan to do any of these activities, it may be worth taking out some extra insurance from home. (Check the policy carefully to see if it is valid if you are working, rather than just travelling.) Every fifth shop in Volgograd is a chemist/pharmacist for some inexplicable reason. Although a wide-range of foreign items are often available, those requiring specialist medicines (including specific contact lens solutions) are advised to bring them. Dental and optical care, though not covered by Language Link, are considerably cheaper in Russia. Money and Financial Arrangements Language Link salaries are set in US$, but are payable only in roubles (in accordance with Russian law). The rouble has remained relatively stable against the US$ (26 roubles) and the GBP (52 roubles) in 2007. US dollars can be changed easily at Volgograd's post office and exchange offices, but GB? are less easily exchanged outside Moscow. Roubles cannot be taken out of Russia at the time of writing and are therefore not readily available for exchange outside the country. Your salary will go along way in Volgograd, where the average salary of a university lecturer or qualified doctor is around $250 per month. Money can be sent via Western Union to or from Volgograd and it is alleged that some local banks will transfer money into UK and US bank accounts for a $25 fee plus exchange rate costs. Cash machines/ATMs are available in the centre of Volgograd from where you can access your home account, provided you have remembered to bring your PIN number. (Some teachers choose to elect a family member as joint account holders on their home account to ease transactions both ways). Teachers should check their tax and social security situation before leaving for Russia. The UK does not have a reciprocal agreement with Russia for social security and teachers may choose to make arrangements with the Inland Revenue to pay additional national insurance contributions. Depending on the length of time spent abroad and individual circumstances, some UK teachers will be eligible to claim tax back from the Inland Revenue for the financial year before their departure to Russia. The US system is allegedly less complicated. Food and Drink If you can't cook and refuse to learn, it is possible to eat out in Volgograd every night on your salary. In addition to the swarms of cafes offering traditional Russian cuisine for next to nothing, there are a number of reasonably-priced restaurants serving foreign cuisine - Texan, Georgian, German, French, Italian and Chinese. A 3-course meal with drinks is unlikely to set you back more than $10 unless you opt for either the one Japanese restaurant ($30) or the 'English Bar' (nothing remotely English about it, but some nice seafood dishes). The pick of the restaurants in the central district are: Bochka, a German-themed restaurant, with live music on Friday nights; Cafe in the Alley, serving Georgian cuisine (the eggplant caviar alone is worth it); Manhattan, serving American food interpreted the Russian way with bizarre 1980s decor; and The White Horse, a pub with grub, live music on Fridays, and a lot of Russian English speakers. Out of the centre, students and taxi drivers will direct you to the Buddhist-run vegetarian restaurant (extremely cheap and tasty) and Texas. Baskin Robbins opened up in Volgograd in winter (an odd choice of timing) 2003, but coffee shops and sandwich bars are scarce. However, Western clothes shops and shopping malls are increasing in number every week and it is unlikely to be long before a McDo makes its way to the city. Needless to say, vodka is extremely cheap ($3 for guaranteed quality). A bottle of Russian red wine or champagne can be bought for the same price, but unless you have a very strong stomach, this sickly red wine is best avoided. The champagne and filtered beer, however, is a good complement to any meal and where else will you be able to slurp an entire bottle of fizz or 3 litres of beer and eat a 3-course meal for the price of two Starbucks lattes? When in Rome, etc……………… Shopping Erase from your mind all visions of queues for basic foodstuffs. Though far behind Moscow in the cosmopolitan stakes, Volgograd has a number of good-sized supermarkets, a well-stocked fruit and veggie market and hundreds of kiosks offering anything from bread to phone cards. Shopping malls are popping up - sporting Nike, ECCO, Benetton, Mango et al. - and though Russian tastes (fur, mock-leather, and misspelt English slogans on t-shirts) may frequently differ from Western ones, you should find most things you need in Volgograd. Be warned, if you are female and of more than UK size 12 proportions, you will have a limited choice of tasteful clothes anywhere in Russia and are advised to do your shopping before you leave home. In addition to alcohol and cigarettes (less than $1 for a pack of Marlboro and as little as US 20 cents for some foul Russian brands), the main shopping bargains in Russia are CDs, DVDs and stoneware. Pirate copies of CDs and DVDs will cost around $4 and $7 respectively and are of varying quality. Some record labels do however offer genuine CDs at around $6 that are only for sale in former Soviet Union states and DVDs are often available up to a year before they are released back home. The absence of sufficient numbers of tourists to justify over-priced tat (or even post-cards that aren't war-related) is a mixed blessing, but you can still find the odd Russian souvenir. Hospitality If the Russian experience is all new to you, you may initially feel that you have entered a world where smiling is a criminal offence. However, underneath the often serious exterior, most Russians are extremely and hospitable. Should you be invited into a Russian household or to join a Russian-hosted celebration there are a number of points of etiquette to remember. Firstly, don't arrive empty handed - flowers (in odd numbers only and not yellow), chocolates, and/or alcohol are the norm, but gifts from home will be increase your popularity further. Secondly, unless you are well versed in the ritual, do not undertake to match your hosts in any vodka drinking contest; if you can't abstain completely, join them for the first few toasts (to health & happiness all round) with juice at the ready and laugh with them at what light-weights Westerners are. If you are invited to a Russian banya (sauna), think carefully about how relaxed you are about your nakedness and how friendly you are with your hosts before you accept. Although the banya experience should most definitely be tried, all modesty often goes out the window after a few drinks in the 'chill-out room'. Likewise, but for safety reasons, think twice before you join your hosts in the post-banya dip in the ice-cold pool or snow. Entertainment and Sport Volgograd's nightlife is limited to restaurants, two central nightclubs, two bowling alleys, a couple of remarkably modern cinemas, and a couple of theatres. The nightclubs have had differing reviews, but by far the safest for foreigners is Piranya (complete with bowling alley) on the bank of the Volga in the centre of town. The more down-market Molotov Cocktail has had its fair share of violence and is certainly best avoided unless accompanied by trusted locals. If you are keen to strut your stuff on the dance floor, be warned that these clubs are reminiscent of school discos and thus breaking into a sweat while dancing will mark you out as a foreigner almost immediately, whereupon you will willingly or not become a magnet for those wishing to practice their present perfect ("I have never danced with a foreigner", etc). The cinemas offer all the new releases in Russian, while a number of international plays (in Russian only) are performed at the musical theatre and the central theatre. Too warm to provide good skiing or skating facilities, Volgograd offers opportunities for all-weather sports, such as swimming and football. There are a large number of swimming pools scattered about the city (though these require an easily obtainable health certificate from a Russian doctor) and Volgograd's water polo team is reportedly the best in the country. If you prefer to watch than to take part, the Sports Bar and the House of Officers regularly show international and national football games. Alternatively, if you are lucky enough to have a television in your flat, you can watch anything from ballroom dancing to acrobatics. Apply Online N.B. Please be sure to place 'Volgograd' in the space allotted for 'Preferred Posting (first choice)'.