getting cash in Moscow

[Ian Helfant]

Dear colleagues -- Here's a mundane question in the midst of the more
abstruse issues which normally get discussed here.  I will be leading
Colgate University's Moscow Study Group this fall and have been exploring
various possibilities for accessing in Moscow the relatively large amounts
of cash necessary to run the program.  We are able to pay our institutional
affiliates via bank transfers, but  several thousands of dollars in cash
will also be necessary.  Does anyone have a suggestion about a better way to
handle this than withdrawing money drawn from an American banking account at
the American Express office (which involves a commission of at least 2 and
as much as 5 percent) or wiring money via Western Union (at an approximately
4 percent commission).  Please respond off line to
ihelfant at mail.colgate.edu.

Thanks!
Ian Helfant
Assistant Professor of Russian
202 Lawrence Hall
Colgate University
315-228-7721 (w)
315-691-4813 (h)
315-228-7176 (fax)