LGBTQ Russia holiday advice

It would be wrong to consider all of Russia to be vehemently anti gay. It’s a vast country, and Russians aren't all stony faced stereotypes, either. Remember the spoof footage of the near naked air cadets twerking and gyrating to the Benny Benassi club classic tune 'Satisfaction'? After posting on social media they found themselves in hot water and all but hung out to dry in the Russian media. However, parts of the Russian public hit back. College students, military cadets and even a couple of St Petersburg pensioners copied the performance in online protests across the country. The Kremlin was silenced and eventually backed down from earlier calls for expulsions. State prosecutors even admitted that there was actually nothing illegal about what the cadets had posted, and it turned out that the majority of Russians weren't all that bothered. Was it really that different to watching a bare chested Putin riding bareback on a pony?

Despite the findings of British TV presenters, such as Reggie Yates in his Extreme Russia – Gay and Under Attack documentary produced by the BBC in 2015, the majority of Russians aren’t violent and wouldn’t wish harm on the LGBT community or anyone else – especially visitors to their country. However, conservative attitudes persist. Opinion polls taken when the Propaganda Law was being discussed in 2012 found less than 10 percent of Russians opposed the law, and nearly two thirds of all Russians considered homosexuality ‘morally unacceptable and worth condemning’. By 2015, an independent survey on homophobia found more than 80 percent of those surveyed were still in favour of the law banning homosexual propaganda.

The LGBT community in Russia has a voice. There are also plenty of 'gay-friendly' clubs and same sex nights in Moscow and St Petersburg. Women only nights in the capital are becoming increasingly popular. Venues will often have a double life turning from an everyday establishment by day into something quite different after dark. This is how it works in Russia. You need to know the right people, the places to go and how things operate before you can truly feel comfortable. Mobile phone apps allow for more discrete hook ups although reports of fake accounts encourage an air of caution, especially for those not tuned into the telltale signs. Don't think that just because the police or security services are patrolling nearby that your safety is guaranteed, either; far from it. Vigilance, discretion and caution are the key watch words in Russia.

Russia is vast, and attitudes vary across its expanse as much as the landscape. Sightseeing with a small group in Moscow and St Petersburg will bring you into close contact with urban Russians, while on cruises around Russia’s Far East, you’ll encounter little more than Arctic wildlife. Taking the Trans Siberian Railway will take you across remote tundra, of course – but it will also place you in close proximity to Russians living and working in rural areas, who use the train to commute and visit family. For same sex couples considering this as a holiday, it’s definitely best to have an open and honest chat with your tour company to gauge their opinions.

It’s completely understandable that many LGBT – and non-LGBT – travellers would be keen to boycott Russia. However, we don’t believe anyone should ever be prevented from exploring a country as a result of their gender or sexual preferences. If you do want to visit, don’t be put off.

Do your research; talk to tour operators. All of our tour operators are LGBT friendly and they will be the best people to speak to regarding staying safe and travelling with confidence in Russia. Companies should ensure that accommodation owners, especially outside St Petersburg and Moscow, are happy to host a same sex couple sharing a double room prior to booking. Finding out more about local culture and traditional customs is fundamental to having a deeper travelling experience, wherever you are in the world, and Russia is no different. Learn a few key phrases before you leave and tailor a tour to include a gay-friendly local guide or join a small guided group. Your tour operator, and guide, will be able to tell you where’s safe to visit and where is safer avoiding – Chechnya, for instance. If you’re not sure about accommodation or if a situation makes you uncomfortable, an emergency contact number, to someone that you trust, can be invaluable.