Russian Club, The University of Tulsa

Sister City to Tulsa, Zelenograd is a free economic zone located only 40 kilometers northwest of Moscow and 15 kilometers from the international airport in Sheremetyevo. "Tekhnopolis Zelenograd" is a city of industry specializing in high-tech research.

Transportation within Zelenograd itself is cheap and easy. Buses run from 5:00 AM until as late as 1:00 AM. A simple 30-minute journey will take you from one end of town to another. Taxis can be hailed on any street and there are plenty of radio cab companies. Getting to Moscow is also cheap and easy - you can get there by taking a bus, "ekspres" bus (an improvement in comfort rather than speed), a mini-bus to one of two metro stations, or via an local electric train direct to Moscow. The very last bus back to Zelenograd from Moscow is advertised as leaving at 1:00 AM from the metro. You should allow an hour and a half for any journey to Moscow, door-to-door.

Shopping has become infinitely easier over the last few years, to the extent that it's not worth giving a full list here. There are a number of western-style supermarkets. The others are gradually converting from a "kassa" to a cash till system; there is a large open-air market by the railway station and lots of smaller ones dotted around town. There are also plenty of smaller shops and kiosks, some of them open 24 hours. There is even a home-delivery pizza service available.

Sports and entertainment facilities, like those for shopping, have also improved greatly. There are a number of bars and restaurants of varying sizes, prices and qualities open throughout the year. During the summer, open-air bars appear. Most bars offer a good selection of foods and drinks. There are a few restaurants but the best choice for eating out is a trip to Moscow. Moscow is also the place to go for music, theatre, film, opera etc: prices for most (non-tourist) venues are still remarkably low, while facilities in them have vastly improved. Sports available in Zelenograd include swimming, skiing, football, ten-pin bowling, tennis, aerobics, skating, horse-riding, martial arts (sport and exercise are still big things here). The more adventurous might want to try a Russian 'banya'.

Communicating with the outside world is usually successful but at times frustrating - the telephone exchanges are old, which means you may have to dial several times to get through. Calls out of Russia are generally cheaper than calls in.
The postal system is best described as inconsistent - some things sent here have never arrived, but most do. Sending things out can be tediously bureaucratic, but otherwise OK.

The school has a fax and access to the Internet. The schools in Moscow are also connected, and there are Internet cafes in Zelenograd and Moscow.

The climate is basically very hot in summer and very cold in winter, with some wet and muddy bits in-between (although the "bits" have been known to last some time). The problem with winter is length, rather than temperature - if you wrap up warm you'll stay warm - but the long, dark nights can get you down. The reward is the summer, when temperatures of 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit) plus are normal and the nights barely exist. A word of warning though: the weather can be as inconsistent as in Britain, only more so.