Getting to Tomsk and Living Here
Getting to Tomsk
Tomsk is situated in the geographical centre of Russia. There are different ways to get to Tomsk.
If you enter Russia in Moscow you can travel to Tomsk by train or air.
There are direct trains from Moscow which depart on odd days (1,3,5,7,9....). Trains bound for Tomsk depart from Moscow, Yaroslavsky Railway station late in the evening and arrive in Tomsk in 56 hours. Please be advised that Russian Railway uses Moscow time in time tables all over Russia. There are several trains from Moscow to other Siberian and Far Eastern cities which go through Taiga station or Novosibirsk main station. From those stations you get to Tomsk either by local trains or buses. Detailed information about Russian railway service and time-tables are available at the website of Russian Railways
In you travel by train, the halls of residence are within walking distance (10-15 minutes) from the railway station Tomsk 1. You should just walk along the street on the right side of the street. You will have to cross a street only once, which is right after the railway square. You will walk along the tram line and when the tram line splits you will walk along the right line. The halls of residence will be on the same side (9 floor building which comes right after the big building with columns behind a hence).
From the railway station Tomsk 1 you can also take buses: 10, 29, 27, 77 and get off at Kartashova stop - 3d from the railway station. You can also take trolleybus routes 4, 7 and get off at Kirov Square (second stop after the railway station) Other option would be taking tram 4 and getting off at tram depot stop (second from the railway station) Bus and tram stops are at almost in front of the entrance to halls of residence.
If you arrive in Tomsk from Moscow by plane there are three air carriers serving the route. From Moscow (airport Domodedovo):S7 Airlines and Transaero. From Moscow (airport Vnukovo): UT Air All flights are daily and overnight, departing Moscow late at night and arriving early in the morning. From the airport you can take bus 119 and get off at Kirov Square stop and from there walk about 3 minutes. You can also take a cab from the airport. The fare is around 400 roubles (10 EUR).
If you enter Russia in Novosibirsk airport, we recommend shuttle bus service from the airport to Tomsk (railway/bus station).
Phoning in Russia
Cell (mobile) phones are a very usual thing in Russia. A lot of young people tend to have two or even more cell phones and numbers. A cell phone may not necessarily be indispensable, but it is important for your social connection. Popular carriers in Russia are MTS, Beeline, Tele2 and Megafon. Different carriers have different service plans and rates for users. Detailed information about the companies you could find at their websites or their offices.
A cell phone and SIM- card can be purchased at any cellphone shop. For buying a SIM-card you should present your passport.
Internet
The Internet is a usual thing and there are lots of services which are avaliable on-line. There are numerous intrenet places all over the campus, including halls of residence. All rooms in students' halls of residence are equiped with the Internet. Moreover cell phone companies offer mobile 3G Internet with flat rate for reasonable prices (starting at around 500 roubles a month).
Post
If you want to send postcards, letters, large envelopes or small packages you should visit one of the post offices which are situated all around the city. The price you pay depends on the destination, the weight and the shape of the item that you are sending. Big international packages are processed only at the main Post office which is situated at prospect Lenin, 93.
Detailed information about postal services, regulations, costs and other things you could find at the website of Russian Post.
Please mind also customs regulations, as big or/and expensive parcels from abroad may be tax liable, or may attract additional charges. If you have any questions concerning customs’ services you can find all information at the website of the Russian Federal Customs Service.
Students’ Bank Cards
The students of our university monthly receive their scholarship which is posted to students' bank cards. Students can choose the bank where they want to receive a card. Usually students of our university receive their cards in Sberbank or Gazprombank. International students whose education is financed by the RF Government receive their scholarship posted to their Russian bank cards. Short-term students studying on exchange programmes receive their scholarship in cash. Students on internship practice who do not receive any kind of financial aid could use any ATM machine from various banks to withdraw cash. Foreign currencies can be exchanged in Tosmk only in banks. However, most of the banks can exchange only $US or EUR. For money exchange you will need to present your passport. Before making withdrawal from ATM-mashines you should remember that different banks charge different interest for any banking transactions. Also take into account that your home bank could block your card after your first withdrawal in Russia. So it would be reasonable to inform your bank about your trip abroad.
Transportation in Tomsk
Tomsk has a good transportation system which includes trams, trolleybuses (municipal transport) and buses (private transport). Besides there are numerous taxi companies. At present the fare for the tram and trolleybus is 7 roubles and for the bus is 12 roubles. For municipal transport there is a system of student month tickets which are available right at a tram or trolleybus. There are no month tickets for buses.
More information about Tomsk is available at:
http://www1.admin.tomsk.ru/eng1024
http://iguide.travel/Tomsk#Guide
We encourage all international students to read how to prepare to live in another culture
