Bed, room, or apartment for rent in Moscow, Russia

April 8, 2007 - THIS PAGE IS OVER TWO YEARS OLD. PRICES MAY HAVE GONE UP. CHECK WITH THE HOST TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT, EXPECT $25/NIGHT ON THE AVERAGE FOR THIS SORT OF ACCOMMODATION OPTION. SEE MORE AT MY ROOMS & HOMESTAYS PAGE. - PASHA

Bed $10/night, room $20/night
Occasionally the entire apartment may be available for $35-40
All conveniences, clean, with a friendly English-speaking hostess

Introducing my friend Maria Leonova, a nature and people photographer and a freelance journalist, and her lovely mother Larissa

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Apartment photos

Pechatniki neighbourhood photos

Staying with Maria's mother Larissa in Mar'yino

Rates & payment methods

Client feedback

Looking for just a place to sleep, as cheap as they get? A couch or a mattress are yours. You will still be more comfortable than in a hostel room shared by 4-6 people. Certainly cleaner and quieter and more room per person than in a hostel. The rate for this basic accommodation is just $10/person/night, which is about half of the accepted "per bed" rate at establishments that cater to backpackers, budget travellers, and touch reality travel enthusiasts.

Need space to call your own? A room is available at $20 night per person or $25 per couple.

The entire apartment may occasionally be available at $35/night. In the majority of cases do expect to share accommodation with me and/or other travellers.

Speaking of sharing, let me jot down some guidelines to make co-existing in one space pleasant and comfortable:

This is a laissez-faire household. No curfew, no rules, no need to ask for permissions to do normal things.
Whatever food you find in the refrigerator is fair game. Do not be offended if "your" food or drink disappear. The amount of brain activity that goes into tracking the ownership of a tomato or a bottle of beer is quite high compared to the value of product. Also my guests are the sort of people who will contribute about as much as they've taken out - and will do so without even thinking.
Observing the proper ritual after visiting facilities is perhaps one things I'll call a "rule".
No problem using the phone to make long-distance calls. Just estimate the amount. Long-distance rates are about the same as in the States. Please don't count pennies.
Visitors are allowed but if they cross the line between "visitors" and "guests", a standard contribution will be expected.
Pick up the phone if it rings. Even if you don't speak Russian you may hear the name of the person the caller wants to speak to.

....I could think of a few more but the above may be enough to communicate how I approach to sharing living quarters.

The location is South-east end of the city, near Metro Pechatniki ("printers"). It is a typical residential neighbourhood developed in early 70s and consisting of huge apartment blocks of all shades of gray. You may think of staying with me not just as a way to make your travel dollars last longer, but as an exercise in authentic tourism. Observe the lives lives of ordinary Muscovites, watch them go to work, stand in queues, struggle to get into the Metro or to start their cars at minus 30, walk their dogs, take children to daycare center, drink on the street, laugh, or quarrel. Stay with me if you need to understand the Russian culture and society as they really are - thick, unrefined, and remarkably robust.

It is not all gloom however. Make a note of the Kuzminki park one train stop away down the line, with an 18th century estate that is one of the hubs of the Moscow cultural life. Kuzminki is great for strolling and jogging. It also has a riding stable.

Inexpensive shopping is available within walking distance. I'll give you an introductory walk around the neighbourhood that will include shops and markets.

Safety. There are very few foreigners living in this area of Moscow, and you are unlikely to encounter scam or extortion that is typical of more touristy areas. A lot of crime is related to drinking, and it may be a good policy to avoid places full of noisy companies. Visiting drinking establishments is inviting trouble. If that reassures you any, I've been living here since my childhood, and I've never personally encountered crime.

This neighbourhood, developed in early 70s during the so-called "stagnation era" under Leonid Brezhnev, is an clear illustration not just of a certain way to build a city, but of a totalitarian vision of the role and place of humans in the production system. Think of these apartment blocks as tool boxes where people are stored after their shift at the factory, and things will fall into place.

PHOTOS OF THE APARTMENT

yourmoscow@yandex.ru
I promise to respond same or first thing next day!

In emergency contact me at 8-916-116-9841 if calling from anywhere within Russia. If dialing from a land phone remember to wait for the dial tone after 8. To call me from abroad, dial +7-916-116-9841.

Established Dec. 28, 2004

Last update: Feb. 2, 2005.