Flowers in the Post: What Works, What Does Not, and the Better Option for Russia
"Flowers in the post" usually means letterbox flowers: buds and greenery packed flat in a slim box that fits through a door slot, which the recipient arranges at home. This works well within one country with fast mail, but fresh flowers do not survive international post, so for someone in Russia the practical answer is a ready bouquet made and delivered by courier on the date you choose.
Customers abroad ask us about this quite often, especially those used to the British letterbox format. Below we explain how posted flowers work, why they fail over long distances, and how to get a similar result for a recipient in Russia, with a few florist's notes on choosing and caring for the flowers.
How letterbox flowers work
A letterbox bouquet is built for the post rather than for the vase. The flowers are cut in tight bud, the stems are wrapped in a water-holding sachet or gel, and everything lies flat in a box a few centimetres deep. The recipient opens it, trims the stems, and arranges the flowers in their own vase, often following a printed guide. The appeal is that the box does not need anyone at home to receive it.
The format favours sturdy flowers that tolerate a day or two without proper water: alstroemeria, carnations, spray roses, chrysanthemums, eucalyptus. Delicate flowers such as peonies, hydrangeas or ranunculus bruise easily and rarely travel well in a flat box. That is why letterbox bouquets tend to look similar to each other and smaller than a florist's hand-tied bouquet of the same budget.
The finished result depends on the recipient. Someone who enjoys arranging flowers gets a pleasant small project. Someone elderly, busy or without a suitable vase gets a box of loose stems and a task, which is not always what the sender had in mind.
Why posting fresh flowers to Russia does not work
Cut flowers have a short window between cutting and the vase. In a letterbox box they cope with one or two days in transit; international parcels to Russia typically spend far longer than that in sorting centres, aircraft holds and customs, in temperatures ranging from freezing in a Siberian winter to heat in a summer warehouse. By the time such a parcel arrives, the flowers are past saving.
There is also the question of rules. Many countries restrict sending live plant material across borders, and customs checks add days on top of normal transit. Even when a parcel is not stopped, nobody can predict the delivery day closely enough for a birthday or an anniversary.
The address format adds another layer. Russian apartment blocks need the entrance and flat number, and the post often leaves a notice for the recipient to collect a parcel at the office. A gift that has to be fetched from a counter after a week is not the experience people hope for when they search for flowers in the post.
Bouquets we can deliver
The alternative: a bouquet delivered by courier
For a recipient in Russia, the closest equivalent to flowers in the post is a finished bouquet delivered by courier. You choose it online, and it arrives already arranged and ready for a vase. We deliver flowers across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for suburbs and remote districts the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
Timing is far more precise than any post. In large cities express delivery is possible 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also choose an exact time with plus or minus 30 minutes, one of the windows 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead, which is the easiest way to hit a birthday from abroad. In Saint Petersburg, where we have run our own flower shops since 2011, delivery is around the clock.
The letterbox format has one real advantage, which is that nobody needs to be home. With courier delivery this is solved differently: the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, and if the recipient is out, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, leave the flowers with a neighbour or a concierge.
How to order from abroad, step by step
Start with the bouquets catalogue and choose by occasion. Read the composition, not only the photo: the number of stems and the main flowers tell you how the bouquet will look in a flat and how long it will last. For a long-lasting gift, look for chrysanthemums, alstroemeria, eustoma and spray roses, the same sturdy flowers that letterbox services rely on, but here they arrive already arranged.
Fill in the recipient's name, full address with entrance, floor and flat number, the door code if you know it, and a phone number that the person answers. Choose the date and time by the recipient's local clock, since Russia spans eleven time zones. Then write the text for the card, which is free. Delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender, so sign the card if you want to be recognised.
Pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Foreign bank cards are accepted, with payment via Robokassa. All the terms are on the delivery and payment page, and for any question you can call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Keeping the post feeling: letters, cards and pressed flowers
Part of the charm of flowers in the post is the personal, handwritten side. You can keep that with a courier bouquet by putting real thought into the card: two to four lines, the recipient's name, the occasion and a sign-off they will recognise. Cards are often kept long after the flowers have gone, so the text is worth a few minutes.
If you also want to send something by mail, a letter or a postcard travels well and can arrive on its own schedule. Some people slip a few pressed flowers between the pages of a letter; dry, flat petals survive transit where fresh stems do not. Combined with a fresh bouquet on the day itself, this gives both the surprise at the door and something to keep.
A note on etiquette for those not familiar with Russian customs: give an odd number of stems in small bouquets, as even numbers are associated with funerals. In large bouquets of 25 stems and more the count no longer matters.
Caring for the bouquet once it arrives
Whether flowers came through a letterbox or by courier, the care is the same. Trim 1-2 cm off each stem at an angle with a sharp knife, remove the leaves that would sit under water, and place the flowers in a clean vase with cool water. Letterbox flowers in tight bud need a day or two in warmth to open; a bouquet delivered by courier is already at its best.
Change the water every one or two days and recut the stems each time. Keep the vase away from radiators, direct sunlight and fruit, which releases ethylene and makes flowers age faster. With this routine, roses usually last about a week, and chrysanthemums and alstroemeria often stand for two.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send fresh flowers to Russia by post?
In practice, no. International parcels take far longer than cut flowers can survive without water, and live plant material is often restricted at borders. A bouquet delivered by courier is the reliable option.
What are letterbox flowers?
They are flowers packed in bud in a flat box that fits through a letterbox, with the stems kept moist in transit. The recipient trims and arranges them at home.
How do I send a bouquet to Russia from abroad?
Choose a bouquet in the catalogue, enter the recipient's address and phone, set the date and time, and pay online. Foreign bank cards are accepted via Robokassa.
What if the recipient is not at home?
The courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival. If the recipient is out, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, leave the flowers with a neighbour or a concierge.
How much does delivery cost?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For suburbs and remote districts, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
Ready to send a bouquet?
Pick a city, choose the flowers, and we will hand them over with a photo confirmation.
Choose a city →