Building Number in a Russian Address: What to Write So Flowers Arrive
A building number is the number of the house on its street, and in a Russian address it is written after the street name as "dom" (d.), often followed by a block number "korpus" (k.), a structure number "stroenie" (str.) or, in Saint Petersburg, a letter "litera" (lit.). For a flower delivery you need all of these parts, plus the flat number, because one street number can cover several separate buildings. If you are not sure which parts the address has, write it exactly as the recipient gave it and add their phone number.
Customers who order from abroad ask us about this more than about any other part of the form. They copy an address from a message in Russian, see "d. 12, k. 2, lit. A" and do not know which box it belongs in. Below we explain each element as our couriers read it, show how Saint Petersburg addresses differ from the rest of Russia, and list the details that save a delivery when something in the address is missing.
How a Russian address is built, from city to flat
Russian addresses go from the largest unit to the smallest: city, street, building, then flat. A typical line reads "Saint Petersburg, Ilyushina St., d. 10, k. 1, kv. 45", which means building 10, block 1, flat 45 on Ilyushina Street. The street type comes first or last depending on habit: "ulitsa" (street), "prospekt" (avenue), "naberezhnaya" (embankment), "pereulok" (lane), "shosse" (highway). For delivery it does not matter which order you choose in English, as long as every number is there.
The building number itself can contain a fraction or a letter. "D. 15/2" is a corner building that has number 15 on one street and number 2 on the cross street; the courier needs the first number with the street you named. "D. 7A" is a separate building next to number 7, not part of it, and it often has its own entrance from the yard.
The flat number (kv.) is the last element and the one most often forgotten. In a large Saint Petersburg block one entrance can lead to more than a hundred flats, so a bouquet without a flat number has to wait at the door while the courier phones the recipient. We wrote a separate article on what happens with a missing apartment number, but the short version is: always ask for it.
Dom, korpus, stroenie and litera: what each part means
"Dom" is the main building number, and it is always present. "Korpus" means block: in newer districts one street number may cover five or ten separate towers, each a "korpus" with its own number, standing far apart in the same courtyard complex. If the address says "k. 3" and you leave it out, the courier arrives at the right complex but has to walk round several buildings to find the right one.
"Stroenie" (str.) means structure and appears mostly in Moscow and on industrial or office sites: building 5, structure 2 is a separate building on the same plot. "Vladenie" (vl.) means property or estate and is used for business centres and plots outside the usual numbering. If the recipient is in an office, include these parts and the company name.
"Litera" (lit.) is a Saint Petersburg peculiarity. In official city addresses almost every building carries a letter, usually A, even when there is only one building with that number. People rarely use it in conversation, so a recipient may give you the address without it. For a residential building on a normal street the courier will find it without the letter; for a complex with several buildings, ask whether there is a litera B or V.
Bouquets we can deliver
Entrance, floor and door code: the details that save time
After the building and flat, three small details make a delivery smooth: the entrance number (podyezd), the floor (etazh) and the door code (domofon). In older Saint Petersburg buildings entrances are often in the inner courtyard, and the first entrance may be reached through an arch from a different street. If the recipient told you "entrance from the yard" or "arch next to the pharmacy", put it in the comment field.
Many residential complexes have a closed territory with a gate and security. In that case the courier needs either a gate code or a recipient who answers the phone. That is why the recipient's phone number matters as much as the building number: the courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival and can be let in or given directions. Our guide on the Russian phone number format shows how to enter it so the call goes through.
If you want the delivery to be a surprise and do not want the courier to call the recipient, give us at least the entrance, floor and door code. The more precise the address, the less the courier depends on a phone call, and the more likely the bouquet is handed over exactly at the chosen time.
How to fill in the address when you order from abroad
In the order form write the city, street and building in one line, using Latin or Cyrillic letters, whichever you have from the recipient. Our operators read both. Then add the flat number, entrance, floor and door code in the comment. Copying the address exactly as the recipient sent it is better than translating it, because a translated street name can be misread, while the original spelling is what the courier sees on the building.
If you only know part of the address, for example the street and building but not the flat, say so in the comment and give the recipient's phone number. The courier calls about 15 minutes before arriving and will ask for the rest. If the recipient is not there, we agree a second delivery the same day, or with your consent hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge.
For a surprise, a holiday or an early morning slot, it is worth checking the address with the recipient's family or colleagues beforehand. Delivery is anonymous by default, so the courier does not name the sender; if you want to be recognised, sign the free card. Bouquets are in the catalogue, and the conditions for each area are on the Delivery and payment page.
Delivery times, prices and payment for Saint Petersburg and Russia
Pyat Tsvetov has worked in Saint Petersburg since 2011 and has three own flower shops in the city: on Ilyushina Street, on Obvodny Canal Embankment and on Srednerogatskaya Street. In Saint Petersburg we deliver around the clock, so a correct building number at three in the morning matters just as much as at noon. We also deliver across Russia.
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, and that is where a full address helps: the operator can see at once whether the building is inside the city or in a new district behind the ring road. In large cities express delivery takes 1 to 2 hours after confirmation; you can also choose an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead.
You pay online on the site with a bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay, and foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa. If anything in the address is unclear, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05 before placing the order and we will check it with you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the building number in a Russian address?
It is the house number on the street, written after the street name as "dom" or "d.". It may be followed by a block (korpus), a structure (stroenie) or, in Saint Petersburg, a letter (litera).
Is korpus the same as the building number?
No. Korpus is a separate block that shares the main building number, so d. 10, k. 2 is a different tower from d. 10, k. 1. Always include it, otherwise the courier has to search the whole complex.
Do I need to write the litera for Saint Petersburg?
For an ordinary residential building it usually is not needed, because most buildings are litera A. If the recipient lives in a complex with several buildings under one number, ask which letter applies.
What if I do not know the flat number?
Give the recipient's phone number and mention in the comment that the flat number is missing. The courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival and asks for it.
Can I write the address in English letters?
Yes, our operators read addresses in Latin and Cyrillic. Copying the address exactly as the recipient sent it is safer than translating street names.
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