How to Deliver Flowers to Someone in Russia, Step by Step
To deliver flowers to someone in Russia, choose a bouquet in the catalogue, give the recipient's address and phone number, pick a delivery time and pay online; the courier brings the flowers to the door and calls about 15 minutes before arriving. Pyat Tsvetov delivers across Russia, with city delivery at 500 RUB and express delivery in large cities 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed.
We have had our own flower shops in Saint Petersburg since 2011, on Ilyushina Street, Obvodny Canal Embankment and Srednerogatskaya Street, and every day people call us with the same practical questions about delivery. Here are the answers we give in the shop, from the details that make delivery smooth to what the recipient should do with the bouquet once it arrives.
What to prepare before you order
Most delays have nothing to do with flowers and everything to do with the address. Before ordering, find out the full address: city, street, building, entrance, floor, apartment, and the door or intercom code if there is one. In Russian apartment blocks the entrance number matters as much as the flat number, because a large building can have ten entrances, each with its own locked door.
The recipient's phone number is essential. The courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival so the person can come down or open the door. If you want the delivery to be a surprise, do not worry: the courier only says there is a delivery, and by default does not name the sender. We have a separate guide to what information the courier needs, and another for the common case of a missing apartment number.
Decide on the card text in advance too. The card is free, and a short, personal message works better than a long one. Write the recipient's name the way they use it; if you write in English to someone who reads only Russian, keep it to a few simple lines.
Choosing the delivery time
There are four ways to set the time. Express delivery in large cities brings the bouquet 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, which suits forgotten birthdays and spontaneous apologies. An exact time comes with a margin of plus or minus 30 minutes, good for a particular moment such as a dinner or the end of a meeting. Time windows are 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 and 18-21, and you can pre-order 1-30 days ahead.
For offices, we recommend the morning windows: by late afternoon people leave meetings, go home early on Fridays and the reception desk closes. For homes, the evening window 18-21 is the safest on weekdays, and late morning at weekends. On 8 March, 14 February and before 1 September the morning slots are taken first, so pre-order for those dates.
In Saint Petersburg delivery is around the clock. That means a bouquet can arrive at midnight for a birthday, at seven in the morning before work, or late at night after a performance. In other cities plan within the standard windows.
Etiquette affects the order as much as timing. In Russia flowers for a celebration are given in odd numbers, while even numbers are reserved for funerals; this applies to single-stem bouquets, and nobody counts in large mixed arrangements. Yellow flowers are fine for most occasions, though a few older people still link them with parting in a romantic gift. For a teacher, a colleague or a grandmother, a medium-sized bouquet that fits on a table is more practical than an enormous armful.
Bouquets we can deliver
When the recipient is out
Customers often ask what happens if the person is not home when the courier arrives. The courier will try to reach them by phone first. If that does not work, we agree a second delivery the same day, or, only with the sender's consent, leave the flowers with a neighbour or a concierge. A bouquet is not left on a doormat or in a stairwell.
You can reduce the chance of a missed delivery by giving a second phone number, for example of a family member living in the same flat, and by choosing a window when the recipient is reliably at home. For a surprise at work, check discreetly with a colleague whether the person is in the office that day and not on a business trip or holiday.
Flowers in winter and summer
Russian winters are the second big topic in the shop. Cut flowers suffer from frost very quickly: at minus ten, unprotected petals of roses, hydrangeas or eustoma can freeze in a couple of minutes and turn dark and glassy a few hours later. That is why it matters so much that the recipient answers the courier's call and comes to the door promptly, rather than meeting the courier outside. Ask them not to unwrap the flowers on the street or on an open balcony.
Summer has the opposite problem. Heat and direct sun dehydrate a bouquet faster than anything else. If the delivery is to a dacha or an office with no air conditioning, ask the recipient to put the flowers in water straight away rather than leaving them on a desk in the sun.
Seasonal choice helps in both cases. Chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and carnations are very tolerant of cold and travel; peonies and hydrangeas are gorgeous in early summer but more delicate. In winter, compact round bouquets travel better than tall, open ones.
What the recipient should do when the bouquet arrives
After a cold street, let the bouquet rest in its wrapping in the hall for 15-20 minutes so it warms gradually. Then remove the packaging, trim each stem by one or two centimetres at an angle with a sharp knife or secateurs, and put the flowers in a clean vase with room-temperature water. Remove all leaves that would sit below the waterline, because they rot and spoil the water.
Change the water every two days and trim the stems again each time. Keep the vase away from radiators, direct sun and the fruit bowl: ripening fruit releases ethylene, which makes flowers fade faster. A bouquet treated this way stands for about a week, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria considerably longer.
If the bouquet came in a box with floral foam, do not take it apart. Add water to the foam every day so it stays heavy and dark; a dry, light foam means the flowers are thirsty.
How to place the order with us
Choose a bouquet in our catalogue, enter the recipient's address, phone number and the time, add your card text and pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa, which is useful if you are ordering from abroad. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for suburbs and remote districts the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
Once the order is confirmed, the bouquet is prepared and the courier sets off at the right time. The terms of delivery and payment are described in full on the delivery and payment page. If you have a question that is easier to sort out in conversation, such as an unusual address or an important time, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can you deliver flowers?
In large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also choose an exact time with a 30-minute margin, a three-hour window, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead.
Do you deliver flowers at night?
In Saint Petersburg delivery is around the clock, so a bouquet can arrive at midnight or early in the morning. In other cities delivery runs in the standard time windows.
How much does flower delivery cost?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For suburbs and remote districts the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
Can I send flowers anonymously?
Yes, delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender. The free card can be signed or left unsigned, as you prefer.
What do I need to tell you to deliver flowers?
The full address with entrance, floor and apartment, the door code if any, the recipient's phone number, the delivery time and your card text.
Ready to send a bouquet?
Pick a city, choose the flowers, and we will hand them over with a photo confirmation.
Choose a city →