How to Order Flowers to Someone's House in Russia
To order flowers to someone's house, choose a bouquet online, enter the recipient's full address and phone number, pick a delivery date and time, add your card text and pay. With Pyat Tsvetov the whole order takes a few minutes on the site, the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arriving, and the card with your message is free.
In our Saint Petersburg shops we have been taking these orders since 2011, and the same questions come up again and again: which address details matter, how to keep it a surprise, what happens if nobody is home, and how to pay from abroad. This guide answers them in order, so you can send a bouquet to a home address with confidence, whether the recipient lives in the next district or in another Russian city.
The details you need before you start
Most delivery problems start with an incomplete address, not with the flowers. For a Russian home address you need the city, street, house number, building or block number (korpus or stroenie) if there is one, the entrance (podyezd), the floor, the flat number and the door code if the building has an intercom. Russian apartment blocks often have several entrances from different sides of the building, and without the entrance number a courier can lose a lot of time.
The recipient's phone number is just as important. Our courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival, and that call is what gets the door opened. If you want the delivery to be a surprise, you can still give the number: the courier simply says there is a delivery and does not have to name the sender, because delivery is anonymous by default.
Also note the recipient's name exactly as they use it and any useful hints: a dog that barks, a concierge on the ground floor, a gate that only opens from the inside. These details go into the order comment, and they make the difference between a smooth delivery and a phone call to you at an awkward hour.
Choosing a bouquet for a home delivery
Customers often ask us what size is right when the flowers are going to someone's flat rather than to an event. A home bouquet should fit the space it will live in. A huge arrangement looks spectacular on the doorstep but can be hard to place in a small Russian kitchen or living room, while a medium bouquet of 15 to 25 stems fits a standard vase and still looks generous. Browse the bouquets catalogue with the recipient's home in mind.
Think about who will look after the flowers. For an elderly parent, choose long-lasting, low-maintenance flowers such as alstroemeria, spray chrysanthemums, carnations or firm roses, and avoid very thirsty flowers that need daily attention. For someone who loves flowers and has time for them, seasonal choices like tulips in spring or peonies in early summer are a real pleasure, even if they last a little less.
Russian flower customs still matter in many families. For a celebration, give an odd number of stems in a small bouquet, since even numbers are associated with funerals. Avoid all-white chrysanthemums for birthdays and anniversaries for the same reason. If the recipient has small children or cats at home, mention it when you call, so we can suggest flowers that are less of a concern, as lilies, for example, are toxic to cats.
Bouquets we can deliver
Picking the date and time
Timing is where home deliveries differ most from office ones. People are usually at home in the morning before work and in the evening, so these are the safest windows unless you know the recipient's routine. We offer delivery at an exact time with a tolerance of plus or minus 30 minutes, or in a time window: 09 to 12, 12 to 15, 15 to 18 or 18 to 21. In large cities, express delivery takes 1 to 2 hours after the order is confirmed.
For birthdays, anniversaries and holidays like 8 March, pre-order. You can place the order 1 to 30 days ahead, which removes the risk of a last-minute rush and lets you send the flowers to arrive first thing in the morning on the day. In Saint Petersburg delivery is around the clock, so you can even arrange a bouquet to arrive late in the evening, as long as the recipient is happy to open the door.
If you are ordering from another country, count the date and time in the recipient's time zone. Moscow and Saint Petersburg are on Moscow time, but Russia spans many time zones, and a delivery to Novosibirsk or Vladivostok happens many hours ahead of Moscow. Check the city's local time before choosing a slot.
If nobody is home, or it has to stay a surprise
The most common worry we hear is what happens if the recipient is out. Our courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival. If the recipient is not there, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, hand the flowers to a neighbour or the concierge.
For a surprise, the call is still part of the plan, and it rarely spoils anything. The courier does not name the sender, and the recipient learns who the flowers are from only when they read the card. If you want to keep it secret until the moment the door opens, you can coordinate with someone else in the household and give their number instead. We explain more options in our guide to surprise flower delivery in Russia.
If the recipient is away at the time you planned, for example on holiday, a hotel delivery is sometimes the better choice. Our article on birthday flowers to a hotel with a personal note covers what to check in that case.
Writing the card
The card with your text is free, and it is the part of the gift the recipient keeps. Write two or three sentences: name the occasion, add one personal detail and sign it. Without a signature the recipient may not know who sent the bouquet, because the courier does not name the sender. You can write in English, Russian or both; many senders abroad add a single line in Russian for an older relative.
Keep it simple and specific. "Happy birthday, Mum. I wish I could be in the kitchen with you today" says more than a long verse. For a thank-you: "Thank you for looking after the cat while I was away. These are for your windowsill." Check the spelling of names, as the card is printed exactly as you write it.
Paying and placing the order from abroad
Payment is online on the site. You can pay by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay, and foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa, which is what most customers abroad use. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. The full conditions are on the delivery and payment page.
If anything in the address or timing is unclear, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05 before you pay. A short conversation about the entrance, the door code and the best time to find the recipient at home saves far more time than it takes, and it means the flowers reach the door while they are at their freshest.
Frequently asked questions
What information do I need to send flowers to someone's house?
The full address with house, building, entrance, floor, flat and door code, plus the recipient's name and phone number. Add any useful hints, such as a concierge or a gate, in the order comment.
What happens if the recipient is not at home?
The courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival. If nobody is in, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, leave the flowers with a neighbour or concierge.
Can I send flowers to someone's house anonymously?
Yes. Delivery is anonymous by default, and the courier does not name the sender. Only the card, if you sign it, tells the recipient who the flowers are from.
Can I choose the delivery time?
Yes. You can choose an exact time within plus or minus 30 minutes, a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, express delivery in large cities, or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead.
How much does home delivery cost?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs, 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.
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