Mail service. The post office system in Russia is responsible for "communications" (svyaz) which includes postal service, telegraph, intercity & international telephone calls, and accepting subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. Postal pick-up boxes (pochta) are blue and white. Mail is delivered daily to your post box in your building. Outbound airmail to the UK & USA takes about three weeks and is reliable. Inbound mail is less reliable and can take three weeks or more. American Express provides a four day service for its card holders. Private mail services (see ) take about ten days and are quite reliable. See MAIL AND POST BOX SERVICES.

Main Post Office (Glavpochtamt) provides all services including the mailing of international letters and packages, domestic letters and packages, express mail, subscriptions, post restante & the sale of stamps for collectors. Note: packages must be wrapped at the post office.
Fact. All distances in Russia are measured from the "Main Post Office", Glavpochtamt.
Myasnitskaya ul., 26/2.................928-63-11
Tel...........924-02-50 Tel..............928-60-05
Mo-Su 8-19:45; M. Chistye Prudy

International Post Office (Mezhdunarodnyy Pochtamt) is a special post office for international mail where they do customs clearance for international parcels, etc.
Varshavskoe shosse, 37.................114-45-84
Fax...........114-45-70 Tel.................114-46-45
Mo-Su 9-20; M. Nagatinskaya

Central Telegraph (Tsentralnyy Telegraf) is the main office for send telegrams. Many district post offices and telegram posts accept telegrams. See TELEGRAM.
Tverskaya ul., 7................................924-90-04
Fax...........292-51-52 Tel.................924-47-58
Daily 8-22; Eng; M. Okhotnyy Ryad

Express mail service is part of the International CIS express mail service and works rather well. . EMS operates out of a separate building on Konnogvardeyskiy bulv., 4. EMS takes about 1 week, private express parcel (DHL) takes 2-3 days. There are actually two different express mail services which makes it confusing. See EXPRESS MAIL & PARCEL SERVICE.