hi there,
Cash is the best thing to take into Russia as travelers cheques can be hard to cash. All currency can be exchanged at banks, hotels or kiosks.
Credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are accepted in most
places but some may turn down American Express. ATM machines are widely available in major cities, but note: they do not have letters on the key pad, so if your PIN includes letters, do remember them as digits.
Using phones in Russia can be difficult and expensive so the best thing is to use the phone at your
hotel or use AT&T or MCI's USA direct services.