Five Flowers Delivery: How Ordering and Delivery Work
Five delivery, in our case, means flower delivery by Pyat Tsvetov, whose name translates as Five Flowers: a Saint Petersburg florist with its own shops since 2011 that delivers bouquets across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB, you can order express, at an exact time or up to 30 days ahead, and you can pay from abroad with a foreign bank card. If you were looking for grocery delivery under a similar name, that is a different company; this page is about flowers.
Most people who find us from outside Russia want the same things explained before they order: how fast the bouquet arrives, how to pay without a Russian card, what the recipient experiences at the door and how to keep the flowers fresh afterwards. Below are the answers we give in the shop and on the phone every day.
Who Five Flowers are
Pyat Tsvetov opened in Saint Petersburg in 2011 and today runs three flower shops in the city: on Ilyushina Street, on the Obvodny Canal Embankment and on Srednerogatskaya Street. The English name Five Flowers is simply a translation of Pyat Tsvetov, and you will see both on our site and in order confirmations. Orders placed on the site are delivered by us, both in Petersburg and in other Russian cities.
Our customers are a mix of Petersburg residents and people abroad sending flowers to parents, spouses, friends and colleagues in Russia. The second group is why the site has an English version, English blog articles and a guide for reaching us from a different time zone.
Delivery options and timing
In large cities you can choose express delivery: the bouquet arrives 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. This is what customers use for a forgotten birthday or a last-minute apology. If the moment matters more than the speed, choose an exact time, and the courier arrives within 30 minutes either side of it.
The alternative is a time window: 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21. Windows suit recipients who work from home or will be in all day, and they are the easiest option to plan from another time zone. For birthdays, anniversaries and holidays you can pre-order 1-30 days ahead, which removes the risk of forgetting and lets you choose calmly.
In Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock, so a bouquet can arrive late in the evening or very early in the morning if that is what you want. In other cities, use express delivery, an exact time or the windows above. Our Saint Petersburg delivery guide goes into the city's districts and practicalities in more detail.
Bouquets we can deliver
Cost and payment from abroad
Delivery within a city costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the price depends on the distance, and the operator confirms it when confirming the order, before anything is finalised. The bouquet itself is priced in the bouquets catalogue.
Payment is made online on the site. Russian customers usually pay by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Customers abroad can pay with a foreign bank card: these are accepted through Robokassa, so you do not need a Russian account or a relative to pay on your behalf. Full terms are on the delivery and payment page.
Ordering step by step from another country
Start with the recipient's details rather than the bouquet. You need the city, the full street address with building, entrance, floor, flat number and door code, and a phone number the recipient actually answers. Customers who collect this first rarely have problems; customers who guess the address and hope the courier will sort it out are the ones who end up with a second delivery.
Then choose the timing. Check the time difference: Saint Petersburg and Moscow are on Moscow time, but Russia spans eleven time zones, and a 09-12 window in Novosibirsk or Vladivostok is local time there. If you order for a birthday, pre-ordering a few days ahead and choosing a morning window means the flowers arrive before the recipient leaves for work or the celebrations begin.
Next, write the card. A short personal message in English is perfectly fine; many recipients enjoy the effort of a line in Russian written in Latin letters, such as "S dnyom rozhdeniya" for a birthday. Keep it to two or three sentences so it fits comfortably and reads well.
Finally, pay online and keep the order confirmation. If anything about the address or timing needs checking, the operator will contact you, and you can always call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05.
What happens on delivery day
About 15 minutes before arrival the courier calls the recipient to make sure someone is at home and to get past the intercom or gate. This is why a correct phone number for the recipient matters as much as the address. Russian apartment blocks often have a code on the front door, a separate entrance number and a floor, so include all three when you order.
If the recipient is not there, the bouquet is not left on a doorstep. We agree a second delivery the same day or hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge, and the second option is used only with your consent. Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. If you want to be recognised, write your name on the card, which is free and carries any text you give us.
Customers abroad sometimes worry that a surprise will be spoiled by the courier's call. In practice the courier simply says there is a delivery for the recipient; the surprise is in what arrives, not in the knock on the door.
Choosing a bouquet that travels well and lasts
For a delivery, choose flowers that cope with being carried and that will look good for a week or more. Roses, spray chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and carnations are reliable. Very delicate flowers such as peonies in full bloom or tulips in a warm flat look wonderful on day one but fade quicker, which matters if you cannot see the bouquet yourself.
Remember the Russian rule of odd numbers: an odd number of stems for celebrations, even numbers only for memorials. With large bouquets of fifteen stems or more nobody counts, but with three to eleven roses people notice.
Once the bouquet arrives, the recipient should trim the stems at an angle by 2-3 cm, remove leaves below the waterline and change the water every two days. In autumn and winter, keeping the vase away from radiators adds several days to its life in a heated Russian flat.
Frequently asked questions
Is Five Flowers the same as Pyat Tsvetov?
Yes. Pyat Tsvetov means Five Flowers in Russian. It is a Saint Petersburg florist with its own shops since 2011, delivering bouquets across Russia.
How much does delivery cost?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
How fast can flowers be delivered?
In large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also choose an exact time, a time window or pre-order up to 30 days ahead.
Can I pay from outside Russia?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa. Bank card, SBP and Yandex Pay are also available online on the site.
How can I ask a question before ordering?
Call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05. In Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock, so late orders there are not a problem.
Ready to send a bouquet?
Pick a city, choose the flowers, and we will hand them over with a photo confirmation.
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