Way to Russia Talk Lounge

jo jo 7 · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:31 pm Post subject: Dachas for rent

Is it possible to rent a small dachas anywhere in or around St. Petersburg? If so, will they have electricity and running water in them?

nikir · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject:

There is one, on the bank of the Neva, called the Zimniy Dvorets. It may have electricity and water. Not too sure though.

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

yes...I have very good connections for you...and up towards finland are lot's of dachas and lakes and it's not a problem. SUmmer and winter can be very nice experience...and some of them are really cute and very nice

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3436

I am sure they have dachas with running water. But those that I saw - and the one our family had - had running water only a few hours a day, usually in the morning.

We filled large buckets with water in the morning and also irrigated the plants and flowers. The restroom was as you can say "natural" without the flushing... Some people had a bath/shower that you could heat with firewood. Somehow it seemed fine and I did not feel it was a big inconvenience until I got spoiled with hotels and luxury in the US and Europe... Smile

And the house was wonderful. The forest was totally unspoiled without what you are used to in the US - tourists, large signs, hot dog stands, rules posted everywhere, etc. And the lake was very nice where we would ride our bikes and swam in the water.

In general, the area north of St Petersburg is very beautiful. There are many pine trees and lakes there.

jo jo 7 · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:23 pm Post subject:

kolobed · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject:

spice, did you ever have problems with the locals? i.e. people stealing shit, being mean...

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3436

kolobed: Not at all. Most people that lived in that dacha community were very nice. All dachas there were built in the 50s by a large engineering/design organzation that build power stations across the USSR. My grandfather was a chief engineer. He was able to receive that dacha (like many other things in USSR, it was not sold, it was given to certain people that worked for the organization). So other people living there also come from engineering backgrounds. Most had college education, so it was a very nice community. Some of my best friends were from that dacha. I visited it when I was in ST Petersbirg in the summer of 2005. While the city and country have changed, everything on a dacha seemed the same - and that's great.

jo jo: First if all, I assume you're asking about the summer. If you are planning to go to Russia in the fall, you won't find too many people on dachas after mid-September. I am sure you can find dachas that have running water. You can find anything in Russia nowadays if you have money. I don't have any info as far as where you can find a reliable and good dacha for rent. Whatever you can find through real estate agencies or the internet would be very expensive and bad because it would be geared towards foreigners and would be some over-the-top hotel-like place for crazy money. I am pretty sure that the best way to find it would be informally through expats or friends. If you plan an extensive trip to Russia, you may get in touch with some expats living in Russia. They may know someone who would be happy to sublet his/her dacha to you for some reasonable amount, because that may still be a good money to get for a week of subletting a dacha where that person may be spending 3 months anyway... You need to know where you're going, so that it's convenience from transportation perspective and is nice in other ways. This is not America where the whole country pretty much looks the same Smile

jo jo 7 · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 3:52 am Post subject:

Okay, thanks spicey. I assume that grills are used to cook with since most dachas have no electricity.

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3436

jo jo 7 · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:10 am Post subject:

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3436

Not too many people stay on their dachas in September, most probably come on weekends in the first 2-3 weeks of September. So if you stay for a few weeks, you will alone and bored most of the time. It can get pretty cold, especially at night (can drop below freezing mark). I would suggest going to dacha only if you go Russia in the summer. And for you, since you don't speak Russian fluently, I would first try to go to dacha for a few days. Tying yourself to some remote place away from the city for a few weeks may not be a good idea.

And to find a dacha you should probably come to Russia first and establish some contacts, as I mention. You don't have a car and don't know your way around russian buses and trains, unlike most Russians. So plan this once you're there.

jo jo 7 · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:21 am Post subject:

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

jo jo 7 · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:56 am Post subject:

Fire_Goddess · Guest