RUSSIA TIME ZONES - RUSSIA CURRENT TIMES

Russia uses nine standard time zones, Kaliningrad Time UTC + 3, Moscow Time UTC +4, Yekaterinburg Time UTC +6, Omsk Time UTC + 7, Krasnoyarsk Time UTC + 8, Irkutsk Time UTC + 9, Yakutsk Time UTC + 10, Vladivostok Time UTC + 11, and Magadan Time UTC +12.

You will often see time zones represented similar to UTC +3 or GMT+3. As an example, the UTC + 3 in Kaliningrad Time refers to that time zone being 3 hours ahead of UTC or Universal Coordinated Time, or if it is represented as GMT + 3 it refers to that time zone being 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The same is true for each of the Russia time zones. Many places in Russia show time zones offsets as a reference to the current local time in Moscow. Staying with our example, Kaliningrad Time would be referenced as MSK-1 as they are one hour behind Moscow Time.

Recent time observance changes in Russia:

On March 27, 2011 Irkustsk moved its time zone observance to the Krasnoyarsk Time Zone. It did not adjust its clocks one hour ahead on the start of daylight saving time which occurred on March 28, 2011. This resulted in Irkustsk observing the same time as the Krasnoyarsk Time Zone

On March 28, 2011 the number of time zones in Russia was reduced from eleven to the current nine. The Udmurt Republic and Samara Oblast which had been observing Samara Time (UTC +4) began observing the Moscow Time Zone. Kemerovo Oblast began observing Omsk Time and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Kamchatka Drai, which had been observing Kamchatka Time (UTC +12,) began observing Magaden Time.

On February 8, 2011 Russia President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree that daylight saving time would be observed in Russia on a year round basis. The decree was ratified as a bill by the Russian Parliament, or State Duma, on April 19, 2011. Russia began daylight saving time on March 27, 2011 and each time zone will remain on such time year round.

Russia is considering further changes which would result in the country possibly reducing the number of time zones in use. It is thought that these changes will help facilitate trade and commerce not only within Russia but also with Asia and Europe.

When traveling in Russia be aware that most airlines and airports follow local time but many railroad schedules follow Moscow Time. Kaliningrad is an exception and Sakhalin Railway typically shows both local and Moscow times.

Russia Time Zone Map