Getting "taken" in St. Petersburg

[Natalie O. Kononenko]

Dear Fellow List members,
        I just wanted to add a historical note.  It was not too long ago
that St. Petersburg was Leningrad. At that time, there were no ATM's.  One
could not use a credit card and cashing a traveler's check required a trip
to a bank, as did exchanging money.  It is perhaps the contrast between
the Leningrad of the Soviet era and the St. Petersburg of today that is
shocking to some people.  But not everything has changed.  Charging
foreigners and locals according to different fee scales is a Soviet
legacy.  During the Soviet era, the different rates masked the disparity
between the real and the purported value of the ruble.

 Natalie Kononenko

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                  http://home.attbi.com/~lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------