How to Order Flowers to Send to Russia from Abroad
To order flowers to send to Russia, choose a bouquet in an online catalogue that delivers within Russia, enter the recipient's full address and phone number, pick a date and time in the recipient's time zone, add a card text and pay online. With Pyat Tsvetov the whole order takes a few minutes, foreign bank cards are accepted, and the courier delivers the bouquet to the door anywhere we deliver across Russia.
Our shops in Saint Petersburg have taken orders from customers abroad since 2011, and the same questions come up again and again: how to write a Russian address, what time to choose, what can be paid with a card issued outside Russia, and what happens if nobody is home. Below are the answers in the order you will need them while filling in the form.
Step one: choose the bouquet with the recipient in mind
Start in the bouquets catalogue and think about the person rather than the photo. For a mother or grandmother, customers most often pick soft roses, chrysanthemums or a mixed seasonal bouquet in pastel tones; if you are sending to a girlfriend or wife in Russia, red or deep pink roses remain the classic choice. Older recipients tend to value flowers that last, so chrysanthemums, alstroemeria and spray roses are good picks when you want the bouquet to stay on the table for a week or more.
Russian flower etiquette has a few firm rules. Celebratory bouquets have an odd number of stems, because even numbers belong to funerals and memorials. White carnations and chrysanthemums in even counts are mourning flowers, and yellow flowers still make some older people think of parting. Our article on what flowers not to send to a Russian woman goes through these pitfalls in more detail.
Size is worth a thought too. Many people in Russian cities live in compact flats, and a huge bouquet with long stems needs a tall vase that not every home has. A rounded, dense bouquet of medium size usually looks generous, fits on a kitchen table and lasts just as long.
Step two: write the address the Russian way
A Russian address is written from the general to the particular: city, street, building number, then building section (korpus) or block (stroenie) if there is one, then the flat number. Add the entrance number (podezd), floor and door code if you know them, because large apartment blocks can have ten entrances and couriers lose most of their time looking for the right one. It is fine to type the address in Latin letters; just keep the numbers exact.
Always give the recipient's phone number with the country code. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, and without a phone number a delivery to a block of flats becomes guesswork. If the bouquet is a surprise, the call does not spoil it: the courier only says that a delivery is on its way, and delivery is anonymous by default, so the courier does not name the sender.
For offices, add the company name, the floor and the name of the person at reception who can accept the flowers. Business centres often require couriers to be announced in advance, and a note in the order comment saves time at the entrance. If you are sending to several offices at once, see our guide on flowers for multiple Russian offices in one order.
Bouquets we can deliver
Step three: pick the date and time in the recipient's time zone
Russia covers eleven time zones, so a delivery time that sounds right to you can fall in the middle of the night for the recipient. Saint Petersburg and Moscow share one time; Yekaterinburg is two hours ahead of them, Novosibirsk four, Vladivostok seven. Whatever time you select in the order, enter it as the recipient's local time and double-check the date if you are ordering late in your evening.
There are several delivery formats. You can choose an exact time, plus or minus 30 minutes, which suits a surprise at a restaurant or a doorstep greeting at a planned moment. Time windows of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 and 18-21 are easier when you only need the flowers to arrive on the right day. In large cities, express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, and in Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock.
For fixed dates, order in advance: you can pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead. This matters most for 8 March, New Year and Valentine's Day, when demand in Russian cities rises sharply. Winter holidays also have their own calendar, with New Year and Orthodox Christmas on 7 January, and our article on New Year's Eve vs Orthodox Christmas explains when each greeting lands best.
Step four: write a card that sounds like you
A card with your text is free, and for someone sending from abroad it is the part of the gift that carries your voice. Customers often ask how long it should be. Two to four short lines work best: the name the recipient knows you by, the occasion, and one personal detail, such as a memory, a joke you share or a promise to visit soon. Long messages squeezed onto a small card are hard to read.
Many people write to Russian relatives in Russian even if they speak another language every day, and older recipients appreciate it. If you write in English or in Latin letters, keep the sentences simple. Because delivery is anonymous by default, sign the card clearly unless you want the recipient to guess; an unsigned bouquet is fun for a secret admirer and puzzling for a grandmother.
Step five: pay, then know what happens on delivery day
Payment is made online on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. Foreign bank cards are accepted, with payment processed through Robokassa, so you do not need a Russian card or a relative in Russia to pay for you. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. The delivery and payment page lists the details for each option.
On the day, the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. If nobody is home, the bouquet is not left outside the door: we agree a second delivery the same day, or hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge, and only with your consent. Give a phone number where you can be reached as well, in case the courier needs a decision from you.
Once the bouquet arrives, a short message to the recipient with two care tips helps it last: unwrap it, trim the stems by a centimetre or two at an angle and put it in cool, clean water away from radiators. If you have any question while ordering, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05 and we will help you complete the order.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay for flowers to Russia with a card issued abroad?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted, with payment via Robokassa. Online payment by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay is also available on the site.
How fast can flowers be delivered in Russia?
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 1 to 30 days ahead.
Can I write the Russian address in English letters?
Yes. Write it from city to flat number, add the entrance, floor and door code if you know them, and always include the recipient's phone number.
Will the recipient know who sent the flowers?
Only if you sign the card. Delivery is anonymous by default, and the courier does not name the sender.
What if the recipient is not at home?
We agree a second delivery the same day, or hand the bouquet to a neighbour or concierge with your consent. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival to avoid missed deliveries.
Ready to send a bouquet?
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