Russian Differences

The Kul Sharif mosque inside the Kazan Kremlin

KAZAN – A Big Mac will cost you 75. A coca-cola will cost you 30. And to go see a movie at a theatre, you’ll have to pay 250. Rubles that is.

The numbers seem less intimidating once you know that 100 rubles is about $3.5 U.S., which means you’ll still only have to fork up about $2 for a Big Mac. But still, the high numbers of prices can shock any foreign person visiting Russia.

Canadian journalist Josh Tapper has been working in Moscow for just over four months and said he tries to think about rubles in dollars when he spends money so he can picture how much he is actually dishing out.

“It’s always funny handing over like 3,000 rubles for groceries or something,” he said, comparing it to grocery shopping in Canada which is usually about $50.

Kazan will be host to thousands of Western and European athletes, tourists, fans and delegates- as it will host the 2015 FINA and the 2018 FIFA championships- who will experience casually handing over a 500 ruble bill at a restaurant.

The Westerners and Europeans will also get the chance to see some of Russia’s most beautiful and cultural structures.

Visitors to the beautiful country will see the Kul Sharif mosque inside the Kazan Kremlin, a big part of the Republic of Tartastan’s culture.

The blue-dome-topped mosque was built in 2005 and was designed to mirror the architect of “Kazan caps”, the hats worn by prior Kazan leaders.

The breathtaking mosque can accommodate about 1,500 people at a time and is welcoming to all incoming visitors; visitors that will come in the thousands over the next few years as Kazan grows as Russia’s sports capital.

Kelcey Wright/FISU Young Reporter (CAN) – Photo by: Luana Cruz/FISU Young Reporter (BRA)