If you are planning to visit Russia during winter months, make sure you are well prepared for the bitter cold. However, as an ice fishing enthusiasts, not even the cold will keep you away. Many Russians love to get out and go to a nearby lake to indulge in ice fishing.

Ice fishing in Russia is a popular past time for many Russians and they have devised a way to stay warm while sitting on the ice for hours. The trick to stay warm during your attempt at ice fishing in Russia is to drink vodka. There is a saying in Russia when it comes to drinking vodka and it roughly translates to warm on the inside and cold on the outside. Though you may scorn at the time, but it genuinely works in keeping you warm.

Once you find a suitable lake to indulge in some hobby ice fishing, find an area on the lake where the ice is less thick. Then you can start sawing, pounding or hacking a hole in the ice. Once your hole is opened, you just need to bring your stool, bait and fishing line.

The prospect of catching fish during ice fishing depends on a number of factors. The first factor is the type of fish you catch is completely dependent on the lake you go to. The second factor and the most important is how long can you stand the cold. At 30 degrees below zero even drinking gallons of vodka will not keep you warm for ever. How long you can stand the cold and how long you can keep yourself warm ensures the success you have in ice fishing. If you have never done ice fishing, Russia might be a good place to experience it. But make sure you carry enough aspirins because you are going to need it after drinking the vodka to stay warm on the cold ice.

In Russia’s landline services, the most important participant is the state monopolist Svyazinvest, presently going through a major reorganization. This company is a result of the Soviet national telecommunication monopoly, and even now, it holds the controlling share of the Russian telecommunication market.

In the early 1990s, the Soviet Communications Bureau (Ministry) discontinued most of its telephone ventures, keeping only its regulatory operations. Yet, the ministry did not leave the market entirely and kept its prevailing share in Svyazinvest. Svyazinvest manages 82 of the Russia’s 87 local telephone operators and holds a minority share in the remaining five. It owns more than 90 percent of the Russia’s local landline infrastructure.

However, Soviet Union left Svyazinvest with more of its telephone infrastructure than it could manage and Svyazinvest began leasing a part of it to other companies. Some of these telephone service operators grabbed the opportunity to grow and some even became strong competitors to Svyazinvest. Analysts say that, presently, Svyazinvest holds 60 percent of the landline telecommunication market, and independents own 40 percent.

There are three main mobile network companies in Russia: BeeLine, Megafon, and MTS. The services, prices, and coverage provided by these companies are rather alike. Mainly they offer voice and text services. The networks cover most cities and rural regions in European part of Russia. They cover main Siberian cities, as well. There are some areas, like small villages, that have no coverage at all. They are so-called “blank spots.”

In addition, a number of local operators provide services in local networks. They do not generally offer national services, and phone calls outside their networks are very expensive. For instance, the local operator BaikalWestCom (Irkuts) offers service only in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. To call via their network to Moscow would be very expensive. When travelling in Russia, using mobile phone services is a good idea, since it is usually much cheaper than calling from a hotel room.