How to Send Flowers from America to Russia
To send flowers from America to Russia, order on the website of a florist that delivers inside Russia, pay online with your US card and choose a delivery time in the recipient's local time. At Pyat Tsvetov foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa, city delivery costs 500 RUB, and in large cities a bouquet can arrive 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed.
Calls from the United States are a regular part of our day at the shops in Saint Petersburg, and they tend to start with the same three questions: will my card work, when should I order, and what is appropriate to send. This article goes through them in that order and adds the details that make an order from across the ocean arrive exactly as planned.
Will an American card work, and what will it cost
Customers in the US are often unsure whether a Russian flower shop can take their card at all. We accept foreign bank cards: you pay online on our site, and the payment is processed by Robokassa. Some US banks flag a first international payment as unusual, so if the transaction is declined, approve it in your banking app or call your bank and try again.
The delivery price is simple. Within the city it is 500 RUB. If the recipient lives in a remote district or a suburb, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, before anything is sent. Russian cards, SBP and Yandex Pay are accepted too, which helps when a relative in Russia wants to share the cost. The full conditions are on the delivery and payment page.
Because the bouquet is assembled in Russia and delivered by our courier, there are no shipping charges from the US, no customs forms and no risk of a box of flowers sitting in a warehouse. You pay for the bouquet and the delivery, and that is the whole order.
Russian dates that Americans tend to miss
The calendar of flower occasions in Russia is different from the American one, and this is where most senders from the US get caught out. International Women's Day on March 8 is the biggest flower day of the year: women of every age, from colleagues to grandmothers, expect flowers. Russian Mother's Day exists but falls on the last Sunday of November, not in May, and it is far quieter than March 8.
September 1 is Knowledge Day, when schoolchildren bring bouquets to their teachers, so it is a lovely date to send flowers to a niece or grandson starting school. Winter has two dates: New Year is the main family holiday, and Orthodox Christmas follows on January 7. Our article on New Year's Eve vs Orthodox Christmas explains which one to choose for whom.
Birthdays are celebrated in Russia much as in the US, with one superstition: many people do not like being congratulated before the actual day, as it is thought to bring bad luck. Schedule the bouquet for the date itself, not the day before, even if it is more convenient for you.
Bouquets we can deliver
What a bouquet says in Russia
Flowers in Russia carry more meaning than many Americans expect, and recipients notice details. A bouquet of single stems should have an odd number of flowers; even numbers are brought to funerals. Red carnations are tied to memorial days and veterans, so they are not a romantic gift, and older people may still read yellow flowers as a hint of parting.
On the other hand, generous bouquets are normal and appreciated. A gift that might look extravagant at an American office is perfectly ordinary for a birthday in Russia, and women of all ages receive flowers from friends and colleagues, not only from husbands and boyfriends. Our guide on what flowers not to send to a Russian woman covers the less obvious mistakes.
For most occasions you cannot go wrong with roses for a loved one, soft mixed bouquets for a mother or grandmother, and seasonal flowers - tulips in spring, peonies in June, chrysanthemums in autumn - for friends. Browse the bouquets catalogue by occasion if you want to narrow the choice quickly.
Time difference from the East and West Coast
Russia keeps the same time all year, while the US moves its clocks, so the gap changes in March and November. Saint Petersburg and Moscow are 7 hours ahead of New York in summer and 8 in winter; from Los Angeles the difference is 10 or 11 hours. Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok are further ahead still.
A practical consequence: if you order after dinner in California, it is already the next morning in Russia. Set the delivery date and time in the recipient's local time. You can choose express delivery, 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed in large cities, an exact time with a margin of plus or minus 30 minutes, one of the windows 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or a pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead.
In Saint Petersburg delivery is around the clock. Customers in the US use this for flowers at the first minute of a birthday or before breakfast, which they can arrange during their own afternoon.
Filling in the order and the card
Russian addresses have several layers: street, building, sometimes a building section (korpus), then entrance, floor and flat. Write all of them, plus the intercom code in the comment if you know it; a precise transliteration is fine. Give the recipient's Russian mobile number with the +7 code, because the courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival.
The card with your text 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. A short English message works, and one line in Russian transliteration, such as 'S lyubovyu iz Ameriki' (with love from America), makes it personal.
If the recipient is not at home
With senders in another country this happens more often than locally, simply because you cannot check plans in person. If nobody answers, we agree a second delivery the same day, or, with your consent, hand the flowers to a neighbour or the concierge. For a surprise, give the number of a family member who can quietly make sure someone is in.
Any question before or after the order can be settled by phone at 8 (812) 507-67-05. Once the flowers arrive, a reminder to trim the stems, use cool water and keep the vase away from radiators will help the bouquet last a week or more.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay with an American bank card?
Yes. Foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa when you pay online on the site. If your bank declines the first payment, approve it in your banking app and try again.
How long does delivery take after I order from the US?
In large Russian cities express delivery arrives 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also pick an exact time, a time window, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead.
How much is delivery?
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order.
Can I send flowers anonymously?
Yes, delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender. If you want the recipient to know, sign the free card.
Which date should I avoid for a birthday?
Avoid the day before the birthday: many Russians consider early congratulations bad luck. Schedule the bouquet for the date itself in the recipient's local time.
Ready to send a bouquet?
Pick a city, choose the flowers, and we will hand them over with a photo confirmation.
Choose a city →