 Russia : Profile
The break-up of the Soviet Union has radically altered the cruising picture in both the Baltic and Black Sea. Unfortunately, while the countries themselves have undergone a profound process of liberalisation, rules affecting the movement of foreign vessels have seen only a limited relaxation compared to the Soviet past. In this respect Russia is the worst culprit and formalities for visiting yachts are just as cumbersome as in the past. Foreign vessels, and their crews, continue to be viewed with a high degree of suspicion and the officials one has to deal with can be just as difficult and unpleasant as their Soviet predecessors. After an initial outburst of interest, the number of cruising boats visiting Russia has levelled off as sailors realise that visiting Russia on their own boat is perhaps not worth all the aggravation. Similarly, it will be a long time before yachts are allowed to use Russia's extensive inland waterway system, which would make it possible to take a yacht from the Baltic to the Black Sea, or vice versa, through the heart of this interesting country. The Russian Inland Waterways Act, passed by Stalin in 1936, prevents all foreign vessels from using these inland waterways. Access to them will only be possible after this law is finally repealed. A few exceptions have been made and some foreign yachts somehow managed to sail from St Petersburg to the Black Sea. The Act has been amended slightly to allow foreign vessels to transit the 30 mile canal from Vyborg to the Saimaa Lake in Finland or to be able to reach some inland ports, such as Kaliningrad. Any requests, however, to take a yacht through the extensive inland waterway system are invariably turned down. In 1997 Boris Yeltsin ordered to open the distance of the Inland Waterways(IWW)from Belomorsk to St.Petersburg for non commercial foreign pleasure boats. Although still in force on paper this order was much bureaucratized since 2005 when the new Minister of Transportation decided to change the regulations which concern getting a permit to sail through the IWW. Even if not always rigidly enforced, many of the restrictions introduced during the Soviet era have remained basically unchanged, so one should not expect the same kind of freedom of movement as is enjoyed by land tourists. Although foreign yachts can now enter Russian coastal waters, obtaining visas and permission for entry remains complicated. An invitation from an authorised body, such as a yacht club, is essential. Russian consulates will issue visas for all those named in the invitation with dates of birth and passport numbers for the period and the ports stated in the invitation. A vessel which takes shelter or stops in a port not specified in the visa can expect difficulties. (There are three Russian ports in the Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland which can be visited by foreign boats. It is enough to specify St.Petersburg in your visa to be able to visit the other two). The lack of adequate facilities for visiting boats, unnecessarily complicated and time consuming formalities, difficult officials and the distinct feeling that many Russians regard foreigners as nothing more than a convenient source of cash, should make anyone planning a visit to Russia consider seriously if the effort is really worth it. Should the situation improve, from the cruising point of view, Russia has three main areas which can be visited, all very different in their own ways. The Black Sea coast is now very much diminished following the independence of Georgia and Ukraine, which also includes Crimea. The main attraction on the Baltic coast is the historic city of St Petersburg, built on the banks of the River Neva and considered the most beautiful Russian city. The sea area between St Petersburg and Kronstadt, inside a man-made seawall, is a popular cruising area for Russian sailors. A highly enjoyable detour can now be made into the Finnish Saimaa Canal which gives access to Saimaa Lake, but whose entrance was barred in the past to foreign vessels. These restrictions have now been lifted by the Russian authorities. The Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad has been open to tourists since 1991, a small region of Russia squeezed between Lithuania and Poland and separated from the rest of Russia. The Far East is more remote and less accessible to cruising yachts, as several sensitive areas are closed to foreign shipping. Weather considerations would probably deter most cruising yachts from sailing to the Arctic ports, which involves a long detour around the whole of Norway. The best facilities for foreign boats is at the St Petersburg Sea Yacht Club. There are two YCs that claim to be the oldest YC in Russia, namely: Sea YC and Central River YC. The Central River YC is the biggest in Russia, it has the easiest access from the sea and is closer to the city centre. Depth limit: Sea YC– 2.5m, Central River YC – 4.0m. Yacht building is gathering pace as there is a great demand for cruising boats. Although not up to western standards, repair facilities are good, as local mechanics are used to improvising when spares are not available. The situation regarding marine supplies and spares is gradually improving. Ordering essential spares from abroad and clearing them through customs can take a very long time. Provisioning can be quite difficult as the yacht clubs are often out of town. There is usually a good selection of fresh produce which is better quality in the markets than in the large stores. Water is readily available, but the quality is sometimes questionable, so it should be treated; bottled water is widely available. Fuel is difficult to obtain, so it is best to order some via a yacht club or agency. There are two regular floating fuel stations at the River YC(of which one is a very modern one).
The climate varies greatly in this vast country, from the subtropical in the southern republics to Arctic conditions in the northern regions. Conditions along the coasts are less harsh although even in the Baltic, winters can be very cold with freezing temperatures for several months. Summer weather in the Baltic is very pleasant with white nights in June and good sailing breezes. Winters along the Black Sea coast are milder, and the summers are very hot; because the Black Sea is virtually landlocked, the winds alternate between land and sea breezes.
Foreign vessels are only allowed to visit ports which are listed on the visa or official invitation. Only the most important ports of entry are listed here, although it may be possible to obtain permission to visit other ports as well.
One needs to apply for a double entry business visa to visit both Kaliningrad and St.Petersburg or/and other Russian Ports.
Baltic: Kaliningrad
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, Kronstadt
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, St Petersburg
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, Vyborg
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Black Sea: Novorossiysk
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, Sochi
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, Tuapse
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Sea of Azov: Taganrog
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Sea of Japan: Nakhodka
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*Indicates a port of entry.
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Related ReportsThe Baltic Sea (10 Feb 2006) Eastward Route In North Pacific (13 Jan 2006) Saint-Petersburg Central (River) Yacht Club (15 Mar 2001) Crossing the Russian frontier (15 Mar 2001)
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