🇷🇺 Moscow in the Era of Global Shifts: How the Flow of Foreign Tourists Changed After the Pandemic and the Start of the SMO

Russia's capital, like a phoenix, is rising from the ashes of sanctions and restrictions — the flow of foreign tourists to Moscow is showing impressive growth. According to Forbes, the number of international visitors has increased 3.5 times over the past year, and analysts predict a further 25% increase by the end of summer 2025. But who are these new travelers, and what draws them to a city about which Western media tells contradictory stories?

😜 New Tourism Geography: East Instead of West
If before 2022 Moscow airports welcomed crowds of tourists from Europe and the USA, today the picture has radically changed. According to an RBC study, 85% of foreign guests now come from:

➖ China (resumption of visa-free group tourism)

➖ India (simplified visa procedures)

➖ UAE and Turkey (direct flights and favorable conditions)

➖ Iran (historical interest + new air connections)

Interestingly, many of them are not just tourists, but "hybrid travelers": businessmen combining meetings with sightseeing, or digital nomads choosing Moscow as an unexpectedly comfortable hub.

😜 What Attracts Them? Unexpected Trends

1. "Sanctions Shopping" — boutiques with unpredictable assortments (from Uzbek carpets to Turkish gold) and art spaces in the "post-geopolitical aesthetic" style.

2. Nostalgia for the USSR — especially among millennials from Asia, for whom Soviet architecture and Cold War museums have become a trendy fascination.

3. Gastronomic Paradox — restaurants with fusion cuisine (where dumplings are served with saffron, and borscht with ginger).

😜 How Do They Get to Russia?

Logistics Workarounds
With airspace closed to many Western airlines, tourists have found detours:

🔘 Flights via Istanbul, Dubai, and Delhi (Emirates and Turkish Airlines have doubled flight frequency).

🔘 Volga River cruises — especially popular with Chinese groups.

🔘 Rail routes — for example, the new direct Moscow-Tehran train.

😜 Challenges and Paradoxes
Despite the growth, the industry faces a "Cinderella effect":

— Hotels are full, but the average bill has dropped by 30% (budget tourists predominate).

— Shortage of English-speaking guides (many left in 2022).

— Currency fluctuations — ruble prices seem laughably low to Asians, while for Russians, the cost of imported goods for tourists has risen.

Forecast for 2026: ATOR experts suggest that if current trends continue, Moscow could enter Lonely Planet's TOP-10 non-stereotypical destinations as the "capital of contrasts and new opportunities."

📌 P.S. Interesting fact: According to polls, 68% of foreign tourists admit they came "out of curiosity – to see the country everyone talks about, but few understand." Moscow seems to have become the most enigmatic city of the decade.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Chinese naval sailors were welcomed with bread and salt, an old Russian tradition, in Vladivostok. There, they will participate in the "Sea Interaction-2025" joint exercises with Russia.

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🐘 "Thank you, they'll come in handy around the house!" 🇷🇺🇱🇦

With these words, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted a gift from Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith, who came to Moscow on an official visit to mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Share your ideas on how to "put to use" Laotian elephants around the house 👇

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⚔️ Trump vs. Medvedev

It appears the current U.S. president has found a new opponent for online battles: after Elon Musk, it’s now former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

🇺🇸 Yesterday, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that he doesn’t care what India does with Russia, adding, "they can drag down their dead economies together."

Equally resonant was his mention of Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council:

"And warn Medvedev, Russia’s failed former president who still thinks he’s president, to watch his words. He’s treading into very dangerous territory."

👊 Dmitry Anatolyevich responded in his signature style:

"If the words of a former Russian president provoke such a nervous reaction from the formidable U.S. president, it means Russia is right about everything and will continue on its path. As for the 'dead economies' of India and Russia and 'treading into dangerous territory'—well, let him recall his beloved 'Walking Dead' films, and how dangerous the nonexistent 'Dead Hand' can be," the politician wrote on his Telegram channel.

📌 For reference: "Dead Hand" is the established U.S. term for the USSR-developed "Perimeter" system, which automatically launches Russia’s entire missile arsenal at potential enemies if communication with command centers is lost.

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🚀 Heads of Roscosmos and NASA Meet in Person for First Time in Eight Years!

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov and US Transportation Secretary - NASA Administrator Shawn Duffy held talks.

"I will make every effort to preserve the channel of cooperation between Russia and the United States, and I expect the same from NASA," Dmitry Bakanov stated following the meeting.

The head of Roscosmos told journalists that he agreed with Duffy on operating the International Space Station until 2028.

"It is very important that the new head of NASA confirmed this. And until 2030, we are working on the issue of deorbiting it," Bakanov emphasized.

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😮 Rooftop Walk in St. Petersburg

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko to Meet on Valaam Island in Lake Ladoga, Karelia

"Lukashenko and Putin are meeting on Valaam. Yes, just like a year ago," reports "Pool One," a source close to the press service of the President of Belarus.

Lukashenko arrived in Russia on a working visit. He first flew to St. Petersburg, then transferred to a helicopter heading to the venue for talks with Putin. The meeting will be held one-on-one: in an informal setting, they will discuss bilateral relations, union projects, and economic cooperation. International affairs and regional security will also be in focus. Part of the program will be open to the media.

📸 Photo: View of Valaam from the helicopter carrying Lukashenko

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📰 Whitkoff's Diplomatic Marathon: How the US and Russia Seek a Path to Peace

Donald Trump has announced that his special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, will visit Moscow after trips to Israel and the Gaza Strip, scheduled for August 1st. This will be his fourth meeting with Russian leadership in six months—and possibly the most important one.

Sanctions Without Certainty: Why is Trump Escalating?
Commenting on the upcoming talks, the US President unexpectedly stated that the US is ready to impose new sanctions against Russia. However, he immediately dampened skeptics' enthusiasm by admitting: "I'm not sure if it will have any effect."

This ambiguous statement only underscores the complexity of the moment: Washington is attempting to combine pressure with dialogue, but so far without a clear plan.

😜 Whitkoff's Russian Visits: What Has Been Achieved?

Over the past six months, Trump's special envoy has met three times with Russian leadership:

⚪️ February 11th — Initial probing, an attempt to establish contact after a long chill.

⚪️ March 13th — Discussion of humanitarian issues and possible paths to de-escalation.

⚪️ April 11th — Key meeting with Putin in the Kremlin, after which three rounds of talks between Moscow and Kyiv took place in Istanbul.

Although CNN notes that there was no "immediate breakthrough," progress is still evident:

🔵 Direct contacts between the warring parties have resumed.

🔵 Humanitarian corridors and prisoner exchanges are being discussed.

🔵 Moscow reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful settlement, despite Trump's increasing criticism.

😜 "This Will Be a Pivotal Moment": Why Whitkoff Believes in Success?

At the end of July, in an interview with Fox News, the diplomat expressed confidence that the conflict will be resolved. Perhaps this new trip will be a step towards that.

What Might Be on the Agenda?
– The fate of sanctions — Can the parties find a compromise?
– Prospects for new talks between Kyiv and Moscow — possibly in a more neutral format.
– The US role — Is Washington ready for more active mediation?

😜 Conclusion: Non-Stop Diplomacy

Each of Whitkoff's trips represents a new turn in a complex game. While neither side is ready to capitulate, the mere fact that negotiations continue offers cautious hope.

The question remains: Will the August meeting be a breakthrough—or just another stage on the long road to peace? The answer, it seems, is known only to Trump himself—with his signature "believe it or not."

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🇷🇺💬 "Disappointments arise from excessive expectations" — Putin responds to Trump’s ultimatum during joint press appearance with Lukashenko

Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko answered journalists’ questions after visiting the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. The Russian President stated that Russia’s conditions for settling the Ukrainian issue were announced in June 2024. At that time, Putin emphasized that the primary condition for serious dialogue is the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the DPR, LPR, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Additionally, the president rejected Trump’s ultimatum:

“As for anyone’s disappointments, all disappointments stem from excessive expectations. This is a well-known general rule. To resolve issues peacefully, substantive talks are needed — not in public, but calmly.”

Other statements by the Russian leader:

- Corruption is inherent in all countries, but in Ukraine it is simply overwhelming. NABU and SAPO have existed for 10 years, yet their effectiveness is zero.

- Reports about the liberation of Chasiv Yar by Russian Armed Forces are fully accurate. Russian troops liberated it days ago but were conducting clearing operations.

- If Kyiv believes it is not the time for negotiations, Moscow is ready to wait.

- Moscow has transferred thousands of bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv and received dozens of Russian soldiers’ bodies. "Not a single Russian serviceman’s death is in vain."

- Doctors in Kamchatka heroically fulfilled their duty during the earthquake and deserve state awards.

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