The venue is the Mayak Hotel at Listvyanka in the Irkutsk region in Eastern Siberia. Listvyanka is a small settlement on the coast of the Baikal Lake. The nearest major airport is Irkutsk. There is a direct flight from Beijing (S7 6312 and S7 6311, the air company website http://www.s7.ru). There are several connection flights via Novosibirsk and Moscow, as well.
The hotel booking is made for the period 15 - 19 September 2024. If you wish to come earlier or to stay longer, you should make necesary arrangements yourself.
Average daily high temperatures at Baikal lake in September are between 18°C and 11°C, rarely falling below 5°C or exceeding 25°C. Average daily low temperatures are between 7°C and -1°C, rarely falling below -5°C or exceeding 11°C. Please check the Russian Meteorological Agency website (http://www.meteoinfo.ru) for the latest weather forecast.
The National Currency is the Russian ruble (RUB). The ruble is the only legal tender in Russia. At the moment, VISA, Mastercard, Maestro, JCB, or American Express cards issued abroad do not work in Russia. Chinese UnionPay cards should be accepted in most places, but not everywhere. It is recommended to take cash (euros or dollars) and exchange it for rubles upon your arrival to Russia, preferably at the airport of arrival. Currency exchange offices are located at the airports and banks. The exchange rate depends on the bank's policy. Please note that banks may charge transaction fees. When exchanging currencies, you must have your passport with you. For up-to-date information on exchange rates, please visit the website http://www.cbr.ru/.
The electricity supply network in Russia is 220V, 50Hz. The European type of plug is used.
Smoking is prohibited in all public places: bars and restaurants, theatres, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions, as well as in educational institutions, etc.
