Two Minutes at Passport Control: Alican Kutlu’s Saint Petersburg Chronicle

Alican Kutlu spent five nights in Saint Petersburg in June 2026, on a regular tourist visa and in the middle of the White Nights. He wrote to me with a short list of the things that worried him before flying, and then went through them one by one to tell me what actually happened.

It is one of the most methodical accounts I have received: the airport, the hotel, paying for things, the people, safety, transport and the language, each in its own paragraph. Here is his trip at a glance.

Traveller	Alican Kutlu
When	June 2026, during the White Nights
Where	Saint Petersburg
How he entered	By plane, on a regular tourist visa
Length of stay	5 nights
Before flying	ruID registration completed more than 72 hours in advance
Passport control	Two questions, under two minutes
Accommodation	inBox Capsule Hotel, a short walk from the Summer Garden
Payments	Cash only: no foreign Visa or Mastercard accepted anywhere
Getting around	Public transport, using Yandex Maps

What follows is Alican’s own account. I have only tidied up the wording so it reads more easily. Thank you, Alican, for sharing it.

What worried me before I flew

Since February 2022, Russia has been in a special condition, and that made me anxious about my trip to Saint Petersburg. Before I arrived, these were the three obstacles I expected to run into.

1. I know Saint Petersburg is a long way from the conflict area, but because that kind of situation is unpredictable, I thought some sudden security measure might stop me from entering the country.
2. Under the strain of isolation and conflict, I assumed the security officers would be rude, which is something I would rather avoid.
3. Visa and Mastercard cards issued outside Russia do not work there. I have not paid for anything in cash for years.

The airport and passport control: two questions, under two minutes

More than 72 hours before flying, I completed my registration on ruID, the digital profile for foreigners. I also decided to wear formal clothes, partly out of respect for the officers and partly because I did not want to turn up looking like someone on a carefree holiday in a country in that situation.

I was asked exactly two short questions: which flight I had come in on, and how many days I was planning to stay in Russia. That was it. The officials were nicer than in the rest of Europe, and the whole thing took less than two minutes. If you want to know what the full arrival procedure at a Russian airport looks like, none of it turned out to be as heavy as I had imagined.

Where I stayed: a capsule hotel by the Summer Garden

I stayed five nights at the inBox Capsule Hotel, very close to the Summer Garden. It is a quiet, comfortable place and the receptionists speak fluent English. It is accessible 24 hours a day, which matters more than you would think during the White Nights, because you can go out and come back at any hour. I booked a single room, but the dormitory rooms looked clean and quiet too.

Being that close to the centre is what made the whole trip work: everything I wanted to see was within walking distance.

Paying for things: the card logos on the door mean nothing

Some museums and restaurants still display Visa and Mastercard logos. Do not be fooled: none of them accept a Visa or a Mastercard unless it was issued in Russia. And they do not enjoy being asked about it either, so I stopped asking after the first couple of times.

That meant cash for everything, which for me was the biggest adjustment of the trip. It is worth reading in advance how paying in Russia actually works and where to exchange euros or dollars for roubles, because you cannot improvise this part once you have landed.

The people: the kindest I have met anywhere

The residents of Saint Petersburg are by far the nicest and kindest people in the world. They are cool and warm at the same time, and they do not hesitate to offer help. They are in a hurry and patient all at once, which sounds like a contradiction until you spend a few days among them.

Safety: there is a big circle in the centre

There is a big circle in the city centre that is completely free of any chaotic movement. Outside that circle the streets get narrower and the people are noticeably different. I was curious about what that side of the city is like, but travelling on my own I did not feel confident enough to go and explore beyond the safe haven.

And bear in mind that five days are not enough to explore a circle that big. Inside it, walking around during the White Nights is also safe.

The White Nights are the reason I went in June, and they change how you use the city: it never really gets dark, so an evening walk stretches on for hours without you noticing.

Getting around: Yandex Maps does the work for you

Without a single word of Russian, the public transport system built into Yandex Maps works efficiently and never lets you lose your bearings. You put in where you want to go and it tells you what to take and where to get off. It is the one app I would not travel without in Russia.

If you want the details of tickets and fares before you arrive, there is a guide to the Saint Petersburg metro and public transport, and another on how to get from Pulkovo Airport into the city.

Language: the strongest barrier in Russia

The language is the strongest barrier you will face in Russia. Even in Saint Petersburg, English is not in common use, and you should not count on being understood on the street. On the other hand, most of the museums do have their information in English, so visiting them on your own is perfectly doable.

Have you travelled to Russia recently and want to share your experience? Tell me about your trip here and I will publish it in this section, with your name or anonymously, whichever you prefer. Chronicles like Alican’s are the ones that really help the people who are still planning their trip.