Flowers, Please: What to Say and Ask When Ordering Flowers in Russia
"Flowers, please" in Russian is "Tsvety, pozhaluysta", and in a flower shop people more often say "Buket, pozhaluysta", a bouquet, please. The phrase opens the conversation, but the florist will immediately ask who the flowers are for, what the occasion is and what size you have in mind, so it helps to know those answers in advance.
In our shops in Saint Petersburg, where we have worked since 2011, the same questions come up every day, from tourists, from people visiting family and from customers ordering from abroad by phone or on the site. This guide collects them: the words you need, what a good florist will ask you, the etiquette that matters in Russia, and how to get a bouquet delivered when you cannot come in person.
Useful Russian phrases at the flower counter
"Tsvety, pozhaluysta" (flowers, please) and "Buket, pozhaluysta" (a bouquet, please) are enough to start. Stress falls on the last syllable of "tsvety" and on the second syllable of "pozhaluysta", which most Russians shorten to something like "pazhalsta". If you want a particular flower, name it: "rozy" are roses, "tyulpany" tulips, "khrizantemy" chrysanthemums, "piony" peonies.
Numbers matter more than you might think, so learn "odin", "tri", "pyat", "sem" (one, three, five, seven) and use them as "pyat roz, pozhaluysta", five roses, please. To ask for wrapping say "V upakovke, pozhaluysta"; to ask for a card, "Otkrytku, pozhaluysta". "Skolko stoit?" means how much does it cost, and "Spasibo" is thank you.
If your Russian runs out, do not worry. Florists in Saint Petersburg are used to foreign visitors, and pointing at a ready bouquet or showing a photo on your phone works perfectly well. Showing a picture of the colours you like is often more precise than any description, in any language.
What the florist will ask you, and what to answer
The first question is almost always the occasion: a birthday, a date, a visit to someone's home, an anniversary, a thank you or condolences. The answer changes the choice completely. Bright mixed bouquets suit a birthday, deep red roses say romance, soft pastel flowers are safe for a mother or a colleague, and white and dark-red flowers in an even number are reserved for mourning.
Next comes the recipient: age, relationship to you and anything you know about their taste. Older ladies in Russia tend to love roses, chrysanthemums and lush classic bouquets; younger recipients often prefer seasonal flowers, loose shapes and natural wrapping. If the person has allergies or small children and cats at home, say so, because lilies have a strong scent and pollen that stains, and some customers ask us to remove the stamens.
Then size and budget. Instead of naming a number of stems straight away, tell the florist how the bouquet will be used: carried on a walk, given at a restaurant table, put in a vase at home for a week. A compact bouquet is easier to hold during a long evening, while a vase-ready arrangement or a box is better when the recipient will not be home for a while.
Bouquets we can deliver
Russian flower etiquette in five rules
Odd numbers for happy occasions, even numbers for funerals and memorials. This is the rule foreigners hear most often, and it still matters, especially with older people. In large mixed bouquets nobody counts the stems, but for a small bunch of roses or tulips always choose three, five, seven or nine.
Give flowers with the wrapping removed if you hand them over in person indoors, unless it is decorative paper that is part of the design. Men traditionally hand flowers to women, and it is perfectly normal to bring a bouquet when you are invited to someone's home, especially for the hostess. A bouquet is also expected on 8 March, International Women's Day, and on 1 September, when children take flowers to their teachers.
Yellow flowers once meant separation and some older people still remember it, so for a first date or a mother-in-law pick another colour. Carnations are associated with Soviet holidays and war memorials and look formal; they are fine for Victory Day or a veteran, less so for a romantic gift. Potted plants are a good present for someone who already has a vase full of flowers.
Keeping the bouquet fresh once it arrives
The most common question after delivery is how to make the flowers last. Remove the packaging but keep the bouquet tied, cut 2-3 cm off each stem at an angle with a sharp knife and put it into a clean vase with cool water and the flower food that comes with it. Leaves below the water line should go, because they rot and cloud the water within a day.
Change the water every two days and recut the stems each time. Keep the vase away from radiators, direct sun and fruit: in winter Saint Petersburg flats are very warm, and a bouquet next to a hot radiator can lose two or three days of life. Roses, chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and carnations usually last a week or more with this care, tulips four to six days, and they keep growing in the vase, so trim them shorter if they start to bend.
If roses arrive with closed buds, that is normal: they open gradually in a warm room over one to three days. A drooping head usually means an air bubble in the stem; a fresh cut and a few hours in deep water fix it in most cases.
Ordering flowers to Saint Petersburg and Russia from abroad
Most of our foreign customers never stand at the counter: they order for a mother, a friend or a partner from another country. Choose a bouquet in our catalogue, enter the recipient's address and phone number and pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Foreign bank cards are accepted, with payment processed through Robokassa.
City delivery costs 500 RUB; for suburbs and remote districts the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. In Saint Petersburg we deliver around the clock. In large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, or you can choose an exact time within 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. Full terms are on the delivery and payment page.
The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. Delivery is anonymous by default, so the courier does not say who sent the flowers; the card with your text is free and is the way to sign the gift. If nobody is home, we agree a second delivery the same day or leave the bouquet with a neighbour or concierge with your consent. For any question about the order, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Writing the card: short Russian wishes that work
A card in English is perfectly fine, but a line in Russian is always noticed. For a birthday write "S dnyom rozhdeniya!", Happy Birthday; for a general occasion "S prazdnikom!", happy holiday; and for a thank you "Spasibo za vsyo", thank you for everything. For a parent or grandparent, add "Zdorovya i schastya", health and happiness, which is the classic Russian wish.
Keep the card short and always sign it with your name, since the courier will not name the sender. If the recipient does not expect flowers, a short note explaining the reason saves them from guessing. If you mix languages, put the Russian line first and your own words in English below it, so the recipient reads the greeting before anything else.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say flowers, please in Russian?
Say "Tsvety, pozhaluysta". In a shop people usually say "Buket, pozhaluysta", a bouquet, please, and then name the flower or the occasion.
How many flowers should I give in Russia?
An odd number for any happy occasion: three, five, seven and so on. Even numbers are traditionally for funerals; in large mixed bouquets the count does not matter.
Can I pay with a foreign card?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted on our site, with payment processed through Robokassa. You can also pay by SBP or Yandex Pay.
Can flowers be delivered at night in Saint Petersburg?
Yes, in Saint Petersburg we deliver around the clock. For other cities you can choose express delivery, a time window or an exact time.
Will the recipient know who sent the flowers?
Delivery is anonymous by default, and the courier does not name the sender. Sign the free card if you want the recipient to know it is from you.
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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