Kostroma Practicalities

ORIENTATION.
Kostroma is stretched along Volga and Kostroma rivers, and the city is divided by Volga river into two parts. One of the central streets is Sovetskaya (Советская) street, that goes from as far as the square, not far to the railway station, to the city centrum. The city centrum is concetrated around the Trading arcades. In you walk down five minutes, you'll come to the embankment of Volga river.

COMMUNICATION.
The phone code of Kostroma is 0942. If you phone to Kostroma from abroad, you should dial 00 (for international access), 7 (code of Russia), 0942 (code of Kostroma) and a 6-digit local number. If you phone to Kostroma from Russia, you should dial 8, wait for a tone, then dial 0942 (code of Kostroma), and a 6-digit local phone number. If you phone to Kostroma from a cellphone, dial 7 (Russia), 0922 (Kostroma), and a 6-digit local phone number.
Inside Kostroma you should just dial a 6-digit number, without any codes.
The post and telegraph offices in Kostroma are easy to find: they have the same logo as the Spanish railways 'Renfe'. (Perhaps one of Kostroma telecom company's bosses went to Spain once, liked the logo on the trains, and decided to have the same for his company). Anyway, the main office is located on the corner of Polipaeva (подлипаева) and Sovetskaya (советская) streets, right after the bridge over the Volga river, which you'll take if you're coming by bus from the direction of Ivanovo or Yaroslavl.
Another office is located on Sovetskaya (советская) street, next to 'Stary Dvor' hotel.
You can make free local phonecalls in Kostroma at the railway station, the phones are just next to the exit.
If you want to use courier post, try DHL office, located on Sovetskaya street, #134, 5-7 minutes by bus or trolley from the centrum to the direction of the train and bus stations..
The internet access is available the computer club located in 'Volga' cinema. It's a bit far from the centrum: you should take a bus or a trolley that'll go to the bridge over the Volga river to the direction of Ivanovo or Yaroslavl. You can ask a local to tell you where the cinema (kinoteatr) Volga is, or hop off on the 3rd bus stop after the bridge.
The mobile phones of 'MTS' and "BeeLine' companies are working in the whole Kostroma region, a minute with 'MTS' costs around $0.50 if you phone inside Kostroma region, and around $0.70 if you phone to Moscow. If you have roaming with any of the two companies, you can easily use your cellphone there.

MONEY.
You can find the currency exchange offices in the Trading arcades (Susaninskaya square, after Sovetskaya street). There's a bank with currency exchange, and where you can make a 'Moneygram' money transfer on Ostrovskogo (островского) street, #37 (phones (0942) 31-13-52, 31-16-25; opened 9 to 16, closed sat & sun).
A cash machine (atm) can be found in the 24-hour supermaket on the crossing of Sovetskaya and Ilyinskaya streets, next to the Trading arcades.
The prices for food and clothes in Kostroma's shops are the same as in Moscow or St Pete. You can have a dinner in a local restaurant for 60-100 roubles ($2-$3.5). The price of accommodation depends on the quality: the cheapest single is 100 roubles ($3.5) in 'Korvet' pier hotel, the comfiest single is $40 US in 'Mash' guesthouse (both hotels are in the centrum).

SHOPPING.
There's a photoshop in the center of Kostroma, in Trading Arcades, where you can buy a photo film, photo accessories, develop and print your film. It's opened from 9 to 19 daily.
The best place to buy food in the centrum is a supermarket on the crossing of Sovetskaya and Ilyinskaya streets (next to the trading arcades), which is opened 24 hours a day.
A bit further to the direction of Ipaty Monastery there are trading arcades with a market inside (on the left side). The main shopping place are the Trading Arcades.

WHERE TO EAT.
It's not a problem to eat in Kostroma, there are quite many bars and restaurants around the city, where you can have a dinner for around 100 roubles ($3.5).
To see something typically local, try 'Slavyansky' restaurant, located in the Trading Arcades, that has middle-range prices ($3.5 for a dinner), and hosts discoteques after 11pm.
Also, many open-air cafes & restaurants working in summer and popular with the locals are scattered around the Trading Arcades in the centrum of the city.
There's a 24-hour cafe at the railway station, where you can have a meal for 70 roubles ($2.5). In their menu they say how many minutes it'll take to prepare the meal, so it's a good option if you're in rush.
The best place to eat we could find is a pizzeria on Sovetskaya street, #29, in the same building as 'Mush' hotel. Pizzas are quite nice (though not really Italian -- too much pastry and not enough spices), and start at 30 roubles ($1) going up to 60 roubles ($2). One smallest pizza, a salad ($0.5), baked potatoes ($0.3), and beer ($0.6) will be enough not to feel hungry. The place itself is beloved by locals and people come here to have a snack or to spend an evening with their families.