Air-lock lobbies and safe flower handovers

Air-lock lobbies are entrance spaces between two sets of doors that help limit direct airflow between outdoors and the building interior. For a flower delivery, this vestibule provides a transition space, but it should not be treated as a temperature-controlled place to leave a bouquet.

If you are sending flowers to someone in Russia, the entrance arrangement matters as much as the apartment number. A locked outer door, a second intercom or a concierge desk can affect where the recipient meets the courier. Here is how to plan that handover, protect flowers as they come indoors and give useful instructions when ordering from abroad.

What an air-lock lobby does

In an apartment block, office or hotel, an air-lock lobby usually means a small vestibule with an outer door and an inner door. The space helps interrupt a direct draught when people enter and leave. In ordinary buildings, the term does not necessarily mean an airtight chamber, a specialist ventilation system or doors that mechanically prevent simultaneous opening.

Its effectiveness depends on the entrance itself: whether the doors close properly, how often people pass through and whether the space is heated. Glass walls and a sheltered appearance tell you little about the conditions inside. For flowers, judge the actual setting rather than assuming that anything behind the first door is safely indoors.

When carrying a bouquet through, let one door close before opening the next where practical. Keep stems and flower heads clear of door edges, and avoid propping a door open while you search for an apartment number. Follow the building's access rules; flowers do not require anyone to bypass a lock or obstruct an entrance.

Why a vestibule is a handover point, not flower storage

Cut flowers can be affected by freezing conditions, drying draughts and excessive heat, with sensitivity varying between flowers and their condition. There is no single safe outdoor waiting time for every bouquet. A lobby that feels comfortable for a person wearing a coat may still be a poor place for exposed petals, especially beside a frequently opened door.

Keep the bouquet's protective wrapping in place during the journey through the entrance. Do not unwrap it outside to inspect the arrangement or take a photograph. Carry it without squeezing the flower heads, and keep it away from door mechanisms, wet floors and the stream of air coming through the outer doorway.

A radiator or hot air outlet is not a useful shortcut for warming flowers after a cold journey. Move the bouquet to a suitable indoor room instead of leaving it beside entrance heating. If the flowers have become very cold, avoid stripping off all their protection immediately beside a heat source; allow a gentle transition before arranging them.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 1 white lilies

$19

Bouquet of 1 pink lilies

$19

Bouquet of 3 gerberas mix

$21

Give entrance instructions that someone can actually use

Before ordering, collect the city, street address, building number, entrance and apartment or office details. Add the recipient's contact number and any essential access information you are authorised to share. If the building has several entrances, identify the right one with a fixed feature such as its number, rather than a description that depends on where someone is standing.

Describe the sequence through the lobby in plain language: for example, 'Use entrance 2; the intercom is beside the outer door; the concierge desk is beyond the second door.' Include only details you know are current. If access requires the recipient to come downstairs, make that clear instead of assuming the courier can reach the apartment.

You can contact a manager on WhatsApp to agree the address, timing and card text, get help choosing a bouquet and request a photo of the bouquet before delivery. Mention the air-lock lobby when it changes the handover arrangements. A short, accurate access note is more useful than a long description of the whole building.

Choose timing around the recipient's availability

For an entrance handover, choose a time when the recipient can answer their phone and receive the flowers. A lunch break or meeting may make a seemingly convenient address difficult to use. If you are arranging delivery from another country, check the recipient's local date and time before agreeing the schedule, particularly when your own day has already changed.

We deliver flowers across Russia. In large cities, express delivery is available in 1–2 hours after the order is confirmed; you can also arrange an exact time with a margin of plus or minus 30 minutes, or a window of 09–12, 12–15, 15–18 or 18–21. Orders can be placed 1–30 days ahead. Choose an option that leaves the recipient able to respond.

The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so a surprise bouquet may still involve an advance call. If the recipient is absent, we agree a second delivery the same day or a handover to a neighbour or concierge with the sender's consent. A shared lobby should not be assumed to be an agreed unattended drop-off point.

Make the shared-space handover considerate

An air-lock lobby is a passage used by residents, visitors and people carrying bags or pushing prams. Arrange the exchange clear of both door swings and the main walking route. Take the bouquet into your hands before dealing with a photograph or reading the card, then move indoors so other people can enter without squeezing past the flowers.

For someone receiving flowers at work or in a shared building, think about how public the gesture will feel. A large arrangement can be awkward to carry through security doors or place beside a desk. When browsing the Bouquets catalogue, consider the recipient's available space and how they will carry the flowers after the handover, as well as your preferred colours.

Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. A card with your text is free, so sign it if you want the recipient to know who sent the flowers. For a colleague or a less familiar acquaintance, a brief message explaining the occasion helps avoid ambiguity; flowers and colours do not carry one universal meaning for every recipient.

Bring the bouquet indoors and complete the order clearly

Once the flowers are inside, prepare a clean vase with fresh water. Remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline and recut the stem ends with a clean, sharp tool before arranging them. If flower food comes with the bouquet, follow its instructions. Choose a position away from radiators, direct heat and a draught from the entrance.

Check the water daily and replenish it as needed, keeping submerged foliage and debris out of the vase. If the water becomes cloudy, clean the vase and replace the water. Remove fading flowers as the bouquet develops. Different stems open and age at different rates, so judge their condition individually rather than expecting the whole arrangement to change at once.

To order, choose your bouquet and agree the recipient details, delivery arrangement and card message. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. See Delivery and payment for the ordering context. Online checkout uses CloudPayments: check the payment options displayed there, as acceptance of every foreign card is not guaranteed.