Russia Post Code: What It Is and When You Actually Need It

A Russian post code ("pochtovy indeks") is a six-digit number assigned by Russian Post to each local post office, and it is written right before the city name or at the start of the address, for example 190000 for central St Petersburg or 101000 for central Moscow. The first three digits identify the city or region, the last three the specific post office that serves the street. You can look up the exact code on the Russian Post website by entering the street and building number.

For letters and parcels the code matters a great deal: it decides which sorting centre handles the envelope. For a courier delivery, such as a bouquet you send to your mother or a friend in Russia, the post code is useful but secondary. What gets the flowers to the door is the full street address, the flat number, the entry code and a working phone number. Below we walk through both sides, so you know what to write and why.

How to read a six-digit Russian post code

Every Russian post code has exactly six digits and no letters, which makes it easier to handle than a British or Canadian postcode. The first three digits point to a city or a region: codes in Moscow start with 1 (101000, 109012, 125009 and so on), codes in St Petersburg start with 19 (190000 to 199406 and the like), and other regions have their own ranges. The last three digits narrow it down to one post office, which covers a group of streets or buildings.

A code ending in 000 usually belongs to the main post office of a city. People sometimes write it as a placeholder when they do not know the exact number. For a letter that is risky, because the envelope may sit at the central office before being re-sorted. For a courier it changes nothing, since the courier goes by street and building, not by the post office zone.

Large cities have hundreds of codes, so two flats on opposite sides of the same avenue can have different ones. If you are unsure, check the building rather than the street: the Russian Post online search returns the code for a precise house number, and the recipient's utility bills or parcel slips almost always show it too.

Where the post code goes in a Russian address

Russian Post recommends an order that will feel familiar from international mail: the recipient's name, then street, building and flat, then the town, the region, the post code and, for letters from abroad, the country. Many Russians still write it the older way, starting with the code and the city and finishing with the name. Both are accepted, so do not worry if the address your relatives sent you looks reversed.

A typical St Petersburg address in Latin letters might read: Ivanova Anna, ul. Marata 10, kv. 25, Sankt-Peterburg, 191025, Russia. Here "ul." means street, "d." (dom) is the building, "korp." or "k." is a block within the same number, "str." (stroenie) is a separate structure, and "kv." (kvartira) is the flat. Mixing up building and block is the most common reason a courier ends up in the wrong courtyard, so copy these parts exactly as the recipient gives them.

When you write to Russia from abroad, the country line and the post code are what international sorting machines read first. Put the country in capitals in English, and keep the code on its own or next to the city, never squeezed into the street line.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Do you need a post code to send flowers to Russia?

Short answer: it helps, but it is not what gets the bouquet delivered. A courier needs the city, the street, the building with any block number, the flat, the entry code for the door downstairs and the recipient's phone number. The post code is a handy check that the address really belongs to the city you think it does, especially with Moscow suburbs or new districts that share street names with the centre.

With us the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so a correct phone number does more than any post code. If the recipient is out, we arrange a second delivery the same day, or hand the flowers to a neighbour or the concierge, but only with your consent. For a step-by-step on the details couriers actually rely on, see our guide on adding a flat number and entry code to a Russian address.

Delivery inside the city costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, and that is exactly where a post code is useful: it tells us at a glance whether an address sits inside the city or just beyond it.

How to find the right post code for someone in Russia

The fastest way is to ask the recipient. Most people know their code by heart because they type it into online shops every week. If you want to keep a gift a surprise, look for an old parcel, a greeting card envelope or a delivery receipt with their address: the six digits will be there.

If neither works, use the search on the Russian Post website. Enter the region, the city, the street and the house number in Russian or transliterated, and it shows the post office serving that building. Online maps that cover Russia often show the code too when you click on a building. Check that the result matches the building number, not just the street, since long streets cross several zones.

Write the code down together with the rest of the address in one message and keep it. If you send flowers to the same person for birthdays, March 8 and anniversaries, you will not have to look anything up again.

Sending flowers to an address in Russia: what to prepare

Before you order, gather five things: the recipient's full name, the full street address with building, block and flat, the entry code or intercom number, a phone number the recipient actually answers, and the text for the card. A card with your message is free, and delivery is anonymous by default, so the courier will not name you unless you write your name on the card.

Then choose the timing. In large cities we can deliver 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, at an exact time with a margin of about 30 minutes, in one of the windows 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or on a date you book 1-30 days ahead. For a birthday morning, the 09-12 window or an exact time works best; for an office, pick a window when the person is sure to be at their desk.

Pick a bouquet in the bouquets catalogue and pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. If the address looks unusual, the flat has no number or you are not sure about the entry code, message a manager on WhatsApp: we will check the address, agree the time and card text, and send you a photo of the bouquet before it leaves.

Common address mistakes and how to avoid them

The most frequent problem is a missing flat number. Russian apartment blocks can have several hundred flats and a dozen entrances, and without the number the courier stands at a locked door. Close behind come missing block numbers ("korpus"), an entry code that changed last month, and a phone number with a missing country code.

Write phone numbers in the international format starting with +7, and double-check that the city in the address is the city the person lives in now. Many families have a flat in town and a dacha outside it, and in summer the recipient may be at the dacha. A quick look at the post code helps here: if it does not match the city you expect, ask before you order.

Finally, keep the card text short and in the language the recipient reads. A warm line in Russian, even if you write it in Latin letters, often means more than a long message they will need to translate. Our article on adding a card message to a flower delivery in Russia has examples you can borrow. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.