Russia Post Code: How the Six-Digit Index Works
A Russian post code, called pochtovy indeks, is a six-digit number with no letters or spaces, for example 190000 or 101000. The first three digits identify the region or a large city, and the last three point to the specific post office that serves the address. Every street address in Russia has one, and it is written as part of the address on letters, parcels and online order forms.
Customers sending flowers from abroad ask us about post codes almost every week: whether the code is required, where to find it, and why a form rejects their entry. Below we explain how the system is built, give examples for major cities, show the correct address order and cover what matters for a courier delivery of a bouquet.
How the six digits are structured
The Russian index was introduced in the Soviet period and still follows the same logic. The first three digits form the code of a region or a large city, and the remaining three narrow it down to one post office branch. Codes ending in 000 usually belong to a main post office of a city, which is why 190000 and 101000 are so often quoted as examples.
Large cities have several leading groups because one three-digit block is not enough for them. Moscow codes mostly begin with 1, in the range from 101 to 129 and beyond, while Saint Petersburg uses codes from 190 to 199. Regional cities usually have a single group: Novosibirsk codes start with 630, Yekaterinburg with 620, Kazan with 420. Neighbouring districts in the same region can share the first three digits and differ only in the last three.
An index never contains letters, dashes or spaces, and it always has exactly six digits. If a form refuses your entry, check for a stray space at the end or a zero dropped by a spreadsheet; codes do not start with zero, but they often contain zeros in the middle, and those must stay.
Post code examples for major Russian cities
For orientation, here are the leading digits of several cities our customers ask about most. Saint Petersburg: 190 to 199. Moscow: mostly 101 to 129, with newer areas using other 1xx groups. Novosibirsk: 630. Yekaterinburg: 620. Kazan: 420. Nizhny Novgorod: 603. Samara: 443. Krasnodar: 350. These prefixes tell you the area but not the exact branch, so always use the full code for the specific building.
A city-centre code is not a universal substitute. A parcel addressed to 190000 when the building really belongs to 197198 will still reach Saint Petersburg, but it may sit in the wrong branch for days. For courier delivery the damage is smaller, though an accurate code still helps confirm that the address exists and is spelled correctly.
The quickest way to get the right number is to ask the recipient, who sees it on every utility bill. If that is not possible, look it up by the street and house number; our guide to Russian postal code lookup shows three fast methods.
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Writing a Russian address in the right order
Russian addresses are written from the smallest unit to the largest when you write in Latin letters for international post: recipient's full name, street and house number, flat number, city, region if needed, the six-digit post code and the country. Inside Russia the post code is often placed at the end of the address block or on a separate line, and both forms are accepted. What matters is that the code is complete and matches the street.
Words such as ulitsa (street), prospekt (avenue), naberezhnaya (embankment), dom (house), korpus (building block) and kvartira (flat) appear in many addresses. Korpus and stroenie are important: one house number can include several separate buildings, and a courier needs to know which one. Copy these parts exactly as the recipient gives them, even if they look redundant.
Write the city in its standard English spelling, such as Saint Petersburg or Moscow, or in transliteration, and keep the street name in transliteration rather than translating it. A street named after a person stays a name, not a translated phrase, which is what a courier will see on the building sign. Our article on the Russia postcode shows several full address examples.
Do you need a post code to send flowers in Russia
For a courier delivery of flowers, the street address, house, building and flat matter more than the index. The courier navigates by the address and calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. Customers still ask whether to fill in the post code, and our answer is yes when you know it: it helps the operator check the district and confirm the delivery cost faster.
City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, and the post code is one of the clearest signals of whether an address is inside the city or outside it. In Saint Petersburg, for example, some addresses with a city name actually belong to suburban settlements with their own index.
Apartment buildings add one more detail: the entrance number, floor and intercom code. These do not appear in a postal address at all, yet they save a courier more time than any post code. Our guide to sending flowers to a Russian apartment building explains what to put in the order comment.
Common mistakes customers make with Russian codes
The most frequent mistake is entering a foreign post code format, such as letters from a UK postcode or a five-digit US ZIP, into a Russian address field. The second is copying an old code from a years-old envelope: codes rarely change, but new residential districts receive new branches and new numbers. The third is using one code for an entire city, which works for the main post office and nowhere else.
Another source of confusion is the flat number written into the index field or the house number merged with the code. Keep each part in its own field and check the six digits before paying. If the recipient's address is in a new building, ask them to confirm both the code and the exact building name, since developers often sell flats under a project name that differs from the official address.
Ordering a bouquet to a Russian address
Once the address is ready, choose a bouquet in our bouquets catalogue. We deliver across Russia; in large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, or you can choose an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead. In Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock.
Payment is online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay, and foreign bank cards are accepted via Robokassa. Delivery is anonymous by default, and a card with your text is free. If the recipient is out, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with your consent, leave the flowers with a neighbour or concierge. Pyat Tsvetov has three of its own shops in Saint Petersburg and has delivered flowers since 2011; for address questions call 8 (812) 507-67-05. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How many digits does a Russian post code have?
Six digits, with no letters, spaces or dashes. The first three identify the region or large city, the last three the post office.
What is the post code of Saint Petersburg?
Saint Petersburg uses codes from 190000 to 199999, and each district has its own. 190000 belongs to the main post office, so for a specific building look up its exact code.
Where does the post code go in a Russian address?
For international writing it usually follows the city and region, before the country. Inside Russia it is often placed at the end of the address block; both forms are accepted.
Is a post code required for flower delivery in Russia?
A courier navigates by the street, house and flat, so the code is not the deciding detail. It does help confirm the district and the delivery cost, so add it if you know it.
How do I find the post code for a Russian address?
The easiest way is to ask the recipient, as the code is printed on utility bills. Otherwise look it up by street and house number in an online postal code search.
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