Muslim Friendly Russia: Vladivostok Winter Mosque Travel and Halal Food
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Muslim friendly Russia travel account follows the original winter trip to Vladivostok, with halal food, mosque visits, streets, weather, and photos kept in the same order. It is written for readers planning a practical halal travel route in Vladivostok.
Vladivostok is a port city in the Russian Far East. Chinese tourists can enter with an e-visa. The visa is valid for 30 days, allows a stay of up to 8 days, and requires you to enter and exit Russia through Vladivostok. The e-visa is free and requires no extra documents, just a passport photo. You fill out an application form on the official website and get the visa in 48 hours.
I chose Vladivostok for my New Year's trip mainly because it is cheap. For 5 days and 4 nights, two people spent less than 6,000 yuan. Airfare was 3,000 yuan of that. The flight from Beijing to Vladivostok takes about two and a half hours. A one-way ticket was 350 yuan. The return flight was a bit more expensive, but it stayed under 800 yuan if you avoid peak times. Food and accommodation cost about 500 yuan per day, even while choosing quality options. Most tourist spots don't charge admission. If I planned the trip again, I could keep the cost for two people under 5,000 yuan.
Except for a few Korean tourists, Vladivostok is mostly white Russians. English is not widely spoken, so use a translation app to communicate. Walking the streets feels just like being in Europe, but prices are much lower than in Europe.
Before leaving for the airport, print your e-visa and keep it in your passport, as you must show it when checking in.
After arriving at Vladivostok Airport, you can exchange money for Russian rubles. One Chinese yuan is worth about 10 rubles. I only exchanged 800 yuan, about 8,000 rubles, for the 5 days, and that was enough. Most places take cards. Note that exchange counters will not accept torn or marked banknotes.
The photo below shows the girl at the currency exchange window. Once you start walking around Russia, you will realize her looks are just average, as there are model-like handsome men and beautiful women everywhere.
It is best to buy a local Russian SIM card at the airport. A 7-day unlimited data plan costs about 40 yuan. This lets you browse the internet freely, which is important because Google Maps is essential. Even with international roaming, Chinese SIM cards cannot access sites like Google, and you need Google Maps to check local transport.
You can call a taxi at the airport. Tell the ticket window your destination, and the staff will tell you the price. You pay first, then they send a car, so you won't be overcharged. A taxi to the city costs about 150 yuan. I suggest taking a bus or train instead. The bus is about 5 yuan, and the train is about 23 yuan. The trip takes an hour. I took a taxi when I arrived but took the train back, and the train is more comfortable.
In Russia, you will see both left-hand drive and right-hand drive cars on the road at the same time.
You can stay near the train station because most attractions are within walking distance. The city center is small. We stayed at the Equator Hotel in a suite for about 300 RMB per night. It had a sea view and was very comfortable.
This is a Vladivostok bus. It looks old but runs smoothly. You don't have to wait long. Board through the back door and exit through the front. Pay the driver 23 rubles when you get off. Don't worry if you don't have exact change; the driver will give you change.
Older Russian women wear mink coats, but you don't see many young people wearing them.
When Muslim travelers go out, the biggest concern is finding halal restaurants. I searched for local halal restaurant information before leaving, but unfortunately, I found only one certified halal restaurant after arriving. It is Belyy Barashka, also called White Lamb, shown in the picture below. It is an Azerbaijani restaurant owned by an Azerbaijani, located a five-minute walk from the seaside.
The picture above shows the restaurant's Russian name. Walk along this alley into the courtyard to find the restaurant.
We called the restaurant before going to ask if it was halal. The owner answered and said it was definitely halal.
This place is quite famous locally. The owner told me his restaurant is the only halal restaurant in the area. My later experience showed me that this one restaurant was enough for my food needs for the next five days.
The waiter asked where we were from, and I said Beijing. Then they handed us a menu with Chinese on it, which really surprised me, even though the Chinese on the menu was clearly translated by Google.
This shop specializes in Caucasian and Central Asian dishes, though you can also eat Russian-style food. During our five days, we came every day except for January 1st when they were closed. We tried different dishes each time, and every dish was delicious. The price was about half of a similar restaurant in Beijing, averaging 30 RMB per dish, and we spent about 150 RMB for two people each time.
This is the service button below. Press it if you need service. Do not shout for the waiter here; it is very rude, and no one will understand you anyway.
The restroom is very clean and pretty. It smells good and has hand cream. Their restaurants and cafes are generally very clean, and the restrooms are cleaned every hour.
The young man flirting at the bar below is actually one of the waiters. He is very handsome. It seemed like he was off duty that day and invited some friends over for a meal. The restaurant staff and the owner seem like a family, which is very heartwarming.
This dish is made by baking mushrooms with cheese and belongs to Caucasian cuisine.
This is a salad made with shredded cheese, raw salmon slices, and some vegetables.
This is a lamb flatbread from Central Asian cuisine, commonly known as dalo nang. Squeeze some lemon juice on it before eating.
These are Central Asian steamed buns (baozi) with thin skins. They are similar to the ones in Xinjiang and contain soup inside.
Caesar salad with cucumber, cilantro, tomato, onion, and pomegranate seeds.
This is a very thin flatbread (nang) used to hold salad or meat sauce.
This is Azerbaijani pulled noodles (latiaozi) shaped like flat boards.
Grilled salmon glazed with maple syrup.
Grilled chicken wings served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.
I drank many kinds of tea, but this fruit tea was my favorite.
Greek salad with avocado, cheese, and blueberries.
Cheese flatbread (nang). You can smell the cheese when you tear it open.
This is grilled sturgeon (xunyü), which has a stronger flavor than salmon.
Turkish kebab wrap, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
The Russian beet soup (borscht) lives up to its reputation. You must try it; it is truly rich in flavor and leaves a lasting impression.
These are the mini dumplings (shuijiao) that locals eat often. Dumplings are also a traditional food in Central Asia.
Grilled vegetables, including eggplant, zucchini, and tomato. People in the Caucasus region love eating grilled vegetables.
Chickpea puree soup (hummus soup), which is very thick. Chickpea puree is a common food for people in the Middle East.
Uzbekistan-style pilaf (zhuafan), made with dried apricots, raisins, and long-grain fragrant rice.
This restaurant has a complete variety of dishes, and the food looks just like the pictures on the menu. The service is excellent. We find it relaxing to dine here every day. After we finish, the servers clear the dishes promptly, and we just sit, drink tea, and chat. They stay open until late at night.
On New Year's Day, both restaurants and malls are closed, and only supermarkets stay open. We bought halal sausages at the supermarket; "МУСУЛЬМАНСКИЕ" means halal. We also bought some flatbread (nang), caviar, and shredded kelp, and we were still able to make a delicious meal.
Russian caviar is especially cheap; this big box only cost 20 yuan.
Caviar, sausage, and sea cabbage make for a nutritious, high-quality, and affordable meal. You shouldn't treat your stomach poorly when traveling.
Everywhere I go, I make sure to visit the local mosque. The mosque in Vladivostok is not finished yet, but I still managed to find a place for namaz. I searched for "Primorsky Region Kazyat Muslim Office" on Google Maps and found this prayer space in a residential area about 6 kilometers from the city center.
There were no Arabic signs outside, only Russian. I pushed the door open and saw a star and crescent symbol on the wall, confirming it was a mosque.
It is on the first floor of a building and covers about 300 square meters. I did not see any staff, only two children. We did not speak the same language, but I said salaam to them and they replied.
Russia actually has many Muslims, but they are mostly concentrated in the European part of the country. Vladivostok is in the Far East, where the number of Muslims is very small.
The bookshelf was filled with books in Russian.
The prayer timetable is in Russian, which shows that Islam has successfully integrated into Russian life.
I found news online that Vladivostok was set to build its first local mosque in 2020, funded by Tatars with 100 million rubles.
I saw the renderings and really like the architectural style of Russian mosques, which varies slightly from place to place. Next time, I want to visit the local mosques in Kazan, Dagestan, and Chechnya.
For shopping in Vladivostok, perfume and purple gold jewelry are good deals. During Christmas, perfume is discounted to about one-third of the price in China, but the discounts end after New Year's Day.
Here are a few photos of the scenery I took with my phone.
This is the seaside. Although the shallow water is frozen, it is not too cold. The daytime temperature is around minus 8 degrees Celsius, and the nighttime temperature is around minus 15 degrees, which is about the same as Beijing.
Below is a panoramic view of the city taken from the highest point in Vladivostok.
Russian ladies who just came ashore after a winter swim.
In the distance is the lighthouse used as a filming location for the movie Soul Mate (Qiyue yu Ansheng).
A father walks with his son by the sea. I noticed that many Russian families only have one child because the cost of raising kids is a heavy financial burden.
Russia has a very well-developed railway system. I tried it once and it felt very comfortable. Vladivostok station is the end of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which starts in Moscow and is 9,288 kilometers long.
The last train to the airport leaves at 18:00 every day.
The Russian girls in the waiting room all have long legs, big eyes, and high nose bridges.
Finally, here is a photo of me from behind. I found a telescope by the sea that costs 20 rubles to use. You can see Russian warships in the distance because Vladivostok is a Russian military base in the Far East.
Summary: This Muslim friendly Russia travel account follows the original winter trip to Vladivostok, with halal food, mosque visits, streets, weather, and photos kept in the same order. It is written for readers planning a practical halal travel route in Vladivostok.
Vladivostok is a port city in the Russian Far East. Chinese tourists can enter with an e-visa. The visa is valid for 30 days, allows a stay of up to 8 days, and requires you to enter and exit Russia through Vladivostok. The e-visa is free and requires no extra documents, just a passport photo. You fill out an application form on the official website and get the visa in 48 hours.
I chose Vladivostok for my New Year's trip mainly because it is cheap. For 5 days and 4 nights, two people spent less than 6,000 yuan. Airfare was 3,000 yuan of that. The flight from Beijing to Vladivostok takes about two and a half hours. A one-way ticket was 350 yuan. The return flight was a bit more expensive, but it stayed under 800 yuan if you avoid peak times. Food and accommodation cost about 500 yuan per day, even while choosing quality options. Most tourist spots don't charge admission. If I planned the trip again, I could keep the cost for two people under 5,000 yuan.
Except for a few Korean tourists, Vladivostok is mostly white Russians. English is not widely spoken, so use a translation app to communicate. Walking the streets feels just like being in Europe, but prices are much lower than in Europe.
Before leaving for the airport, print your e-visa and keep it in your passport, as you must show it when checking in.
After arriving at Vladivostok Airport, you can exchange money for Russian rubles. One Chinese yuan is worth about 10 rubles. I only exchanged 800 yuan, about 8,000 rubles, for the 5 days, and that was enough. Most places take cards. Note that exchange counters will not accept torn or marked banknotes.
The photo below shows the girl at the currency exchange window. Once you start walking around Russia, you will realize her looks are just average, as there are model-like handsome men and beautiful women everywhere.
It is best to buy a local Russian SIM card at the airport. A 7-day unlimited data plan costs about 40 yuan. This lets you browse the internet freely, which is important because Google Maps is essential. Even with international roaming, Chinese SIM cards cannot access sites like Google, and you need Google Maps to check local transport.
You can call a taxi at the airport. Tell the ticket window your destination, and the staff will tell you the price. You pay first, then they send a car, so you won't be overcharged. A taxi to the city costs about 150 yuan. I suggest taking a bus or train instead. The bus is about 5 yuan, and the train is about 23 yuan. The trip takes an hour. I took a taxi when I arrived but took the train back, and the train is more comfortable.
In Russia, you will see both left-hand drive and right-hand drive cars on the road at the same time.
You can stay near the train station because most attractions are within walking distance. The city center is small. We stayed at the Equator Hotel in a suite for about 300 RMB per night. It had a sea view and was very comfortable.
This is a Vladivostok bus. It looks old but runs smoothly. You don't have to wait long. Board through the back door and exit through the front. Pay the driver 23 rubles when you get off. Don't worry if you don't have exact change; the driver will give you change.
Older Russian women wear mink coats, but you don't see many young people wearing them.
When Muslim travelers go out, the biggest concern is finding halal restaurants. I searched for local halal restaurant information before leaving, but unfortunately, I found only one certified halal restaurant after arriving. It is Belyy Barashka, also called White Lamb, shown in the picture below. It is an Azerbaijani restaurant owned by an Azerbaijani, located a five-minute walk from the seaside.
The picture above shows the restaurant's Russian name. Walk along this alley into the courtyard to find the restaurant.
We called the restaurant before going to ask if it was halal. The owner answered and said it was definitely halal.
This place is quite famous locally. The owner told me his restaurant is the only halal restaurant in the area. My later experience showed me that this one restaurant was enough for my food needs for the next five days.
The waiter asked where we were from, and I said Beijing. Then they handed us a menu with Chinese on it, which really surprised me, even though the Chinese on the menu was clearly translated by Google.
This shop specializes in Caucasian and Central Asian dishes, though you can also eat Russian-style food. During our five days, we came every day except for January 1st when they were closed. We tried different dishes each time, and every dish was delicious. The price was about half of a similar restaurant in Beijing, averaging 30 RMB per dish, and we spent about 150 RMB for two people each time.
This is the service button below. Press it if you need service. Do not shout for the waiter here; it is very rude, and no one will understand you anyway.
The restroom is very clean and pretty. It smells good and has hand cream. Their restaurants and cafes are generally very clean, and the restrooms are cleaned every hour.
The young man flirting at the bar below is actually one of the waiters. He is very handsome. It seemed like he was off duty that day and invited some friends over for a meal. The restaurant staff and the owner seem like a family, which is very heartwarming.
This dish is made by baking mushrooms with cheese and belongs to Caucasian cuisine.
This is a salad made with shredded cheese, raw salmon slices, and some vegetables.
This is a lamb flatbread from Central Asian cuisine, commonly known as dalo nang. Squeeze some lemon juice on it before eating.
These are Central Asian steamed buns (baozi) with thin skins. They are similar to the ones in Xinjiang and contain soup inside.
Caesar salad with cucumber, cilantro, tomato, onion, and pomegranate seeds.
This is a very thin flatbread (nang) used to hold salad or meat sauce.
This is Azerbaijani pulled noodles (latiaozi) shaped like flat boards.
Grilled salmon glazed with maple syrup.
Grilled chicken wings served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.
I drank many kinds of tea, but this fruit tea was my favorite.
Greek salad with avocado, cheese, and blueberries.
Cheese flatbread (nang). You can smell the cheese when you tear it open.
This is grilled sturgeon (xunyü), which has a stronger flavor than salmon.
Turkish kebab wrap, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
The Russian beet soup (borscht) lives up to its reputation. You must try it; it is truly rich in flavor and leaves a lasting impression.
These are the mini dumplings (shuijiao) that locals eat often. Dumplings are also a traditional food in Central Asia.
Grilled vegetables, including eggplant, zucchini, and tomato. People in the Caucasus region love eating grilled vegetables.
Chickpea puree soup (hummus soup), which is very thick. Chickpea puree is a common food for people in the Middle East.
Uzbekistan-style pilaf (zhuafan), made with dried apricots, raisins, and long-grain fragrant rice.
This restaurant has a complete variety of dishes, and the food looks just like the pictures on the menu. The service is excellent. We find it relaxing to dine here every day. After we finish, the servers clear the dishes promptly, and we just sit, drink tea, and chat. They stay open until late at night.
On New Year's Day, both restaurants and malls are closed, and only supermarkets stay open. We bought halal sausages at the supermarket; "МУСУЛЬМАНСКИЕ" means halal. We also bought some flatbread (nang), caviar, and shredded kelp, and we were still able to make a delicious meal.
Russian caviar is especially cheap; this big box only cost 20 yuan.
Caviar, sausage, and sea cabbage make for a nutritious, high-quality, and affordable meal. You shouldn't treat your stomach poorly when traveling.
Everywhere I go, I make sure to visit the local mosque. The mosque in Vladivostok is not finished yet, but I still managed to find a place for namaz. I searched for "Primorsky Region Kazyat Muslim Office" on Google Maps and found this prayer space in a residential area about 6 kilometers from the city center.
There were no Arabic signs outside, only Russian. I pushed the door open and saw a star and crescent symbol on the wall, confirming it was a mosque.
It is on the first floor of a building and covers about 300 square meters. I did not see any staff, only two children. We did not speak the same language, but I said salaam to them and they replied.
Russia actually has many Muslims, but they are mostly concentrated in the European part of the country. Vladivostok is in the Far East, where the number of Muslims is very small.
The bookshelf was filled with books in Russian.
The prayer timetable is in Russian, which shows that Islam has successfully integrated into Russian life.
I found news online that Vladivostok was set to build its first local mosque in 2020, funded by Tatars with 100 million rubles.
I saw the renderings and really like the architectural style of Russian mosques, which varies slightly from place to place. Next time, I want to visit the local mosques in Kazan, Dagestan, and Chechnya.
For shopping in Vladivostok, perfume and purple gold jewelry are good deals. During Christmas, perfume is discounted to about one-third of the price in China, but the discounts end after New Year's Day.
Here are a few photos of the scenery I took with my phone.
This is the seaside. Although the shallow water is frozen, it is not too cold. The daytime temperature is around minus 8 degrees Celsius, and the nighttime temperature is around minus 15 degrees, which is about the same as Beijing.
Below is a panoramic view of the city taken from the highest point in Vladivostok.
Russian ladies who just came ashore after a winter swim.
In the distance is the lighthouse used as a filming location for the movie Soul Mate (Qiyue yu Ansheng).
A father walks with his son by the sea. I noticed that many Russian families only have one child because the cost of raising kids is a heavy financial burden.
Russia has a very well-developed railway system. I tried it once and it felt very comfortable. Vladivostok station is the end of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which starts in Moscow and is 9,288 kilometers long.
The last train to the airport leaves at 18:00 every day.
The Russian girls in the waiting room all have long legs, big eyes, and high nose bridges.
Finally, here is a photo of me from behind. I found a telescope by the sea that costs 20 rubles to use. You can see Russian warships in the distance because Vladivostok is a Russian military base in the Far East.
