Tourism in Russia

Some people skip Western Russia entirely, and go to the very easternmost point of the country - Kamchatka. You have to like bears, mosquitoes, and volcanos, not necessarily in that order

Is it safe for Americans to travel there? (I hope that’s not a dumb question.)

I went on the Trans Siberian railroad about ten years ago. It was fun. I stuck with the group until we hit Vladivostok. It was about a three week trip. I didn’t feel unsafe, of course many people told me to lie to locals and tell them I was from Canada instead of the USA. I figured anybody who saw my passport would know I was American so I just told the truth. There were actually anti America protests by Red Square. It was a bit surreal. It’s a beautiful country, though.

Well-informed Russians are far less likely to attack you for being American these days than to laugh at you and say, "Covfefe". Trump gave the ordinary Russian a lot of joy. The citizenry spent so much of the 20th century behind the 8-ball that they love to get a one-up on the West. Don't think they're not up to speed on what's going on in the States.

I spent a week in each of Moscow and St Petersburg, and we were kept busy day and night looking at gobsmacking palaces, churches, museums and even high-end stores, as well as performances in beautiful theatres both old and new which would send opera and ballet queens into a spin. Vast amounts of money have been spent restoring Tsarist-era buildings and they are in pristine condition. The hotels were way better than those I stayed in the following year in the US, both in terms of comfort and service. (In both cases I was on a quite expensive tour.) The churches are in full use: Putin has no problem with people being religious. Most of the food I ate was fresh and pleasant, but if you go to a fine-dining restaurant you could be at any one in the world. Likewise, the shops are open to all. Moscow streets are peppered with high-end European clothing and jewelry brands, and the department store patronised by the top end of town had the upper end of the ranges of those brands (the clothes-as-art end).

The gangster conditions some visitors witnessed in the 90s are long gone, but you may feel safest on a tour because there's so much we in the west just don't know about Russia. You can't read the street or Metro signs, so you can get lost, and you also can't read signs that say "SECURITY: DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH", which can lead to poor outcomes, just as they would in DC this week. You can't hail a taxi on the street, because in addition to the properly regulated taxi service, there are crims who will pick you up and drive you who knows where and hold you hostage for money. You can't tell their taxis from the legit ones. So if you get lost you're screwed. Additionally, Russians joke that a lot of their customer service officers were trained in the Soviet era, and they will refuse to take your legitimately bought ticket, etc, unless there's a friendly Russian around to call them out on it. (Russians typically treat tourists like New Yorkers do, so don't expect help.)

You can go to places other than the major cities if you want. There are tours to a number of smaller cities, and a substantial cruise industry on the Volga. You might feel safer on a river cruise with a US or European company, but it will only give you glimpses of the treasures on offer in the cities.

If you want to go looking for the dark underside, good luck. I'm sure it's there, but you might as well go to the Ozarks. It'd be unpleasant and dangerous in either case.