getting cash in Moscow

[Shipley, Linda]

Dear Ian -

Since the crisis, my boyfriend and I have been using Alfa Bank ATMs to get
dollars. The locations I use are on Kutuzovsky Prospect and Old Arbat. They
take either credit cards or debit cards. They do not take a percentage out
when I use my debit card, but they do for a credit card - 2%. If you are
interested, I can check out one of the ATMs and tell you the specific types
of cards they accept.  They have worked consistently for the past year,
although there are cases when certain machines are out of dollars or out of
money all together.  I've usually been able to find at least one machine
that works.   I would recommend this as a viable option, but - as you
probably already know - you should have some back-up options, such as AmEx
or Western Union.

Best regards,

Linda Shipley

-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Helfant [mailto:ihelfant at MAIL.COLGATE.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 1999 9:12 PM
To: SEELANGS at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: getting cash in Moscow


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)