travel tips ► FALLING ICICLES

Beware of falling icicles in winter. The icicles form on the gutters and edges of city roofs and can grow to be quite large. Every year there are reports of people dying from being hit by icicles. This is serious - it almost happened to me. So, in the winter, it is best to always be alert, look at the roof tops and don't walk directly under the eaves of roofs. Also, during winter months the city employs roof or icicle cleaners whose job it is to rid the roofs of icicles. When they are at work, stay far away because they knock the icicles off and they come crashing down to the sidewalk. Beware!

One more problem during Russian winters is icy streets. Since the weather is so unpredictable, it can get warm and everything begins to melt and then it suddenly gets cold again and the melted water turns to ice overnight! This is fine if it snows a bit, but in any case remember that the streets here are not taken care of very well by the local government. In some places and mostly in downtown area the streets are sprinkled with sand or salt, but still lots of icy patches remain. So, look out and keep your balance!