Mail Service to Russia?

[mendeleev 68]

In March and April 2022, USPS, UPS, FEDEX, and DHL all stopped sending anything from the USA to Russia.  This has nothing to do with the formal sanctions regime.   We still have not found means of sending anything to Russia except asking relatives in Europe to intermediate or carrying it ourselves in luggage when we go there.

 

The situation is analogous to VISA and Mastercard shutting down ATM access in Russia to US banks at about the same time, absent anything by governments compelling action at that time. There are still a couple large and many medium-sized banks in Russia that are not blocked by OFAC and remain able to receive US-originated wire transfers intermediated by SWIFT.  This aspect of the situation is fluid and changes from time to time.

 

These are elements of the economic blockade that catch folks like us in the middle.

 

It is possible for Russians to send mail to us in the USA and they do get delivered.

 

[millefleur 5,050]

  On 7/9/2023 at 4:19 PM, mendeleev said:

We still have not found means of sending anything to Russia except asking relatives in Europe to intermediate or carrying it ourselves in luggage when we go there.

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There are some 3rd party companies who are doing it.

 

https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/336063-how-to-send-parcel-to-russia-2023

 

I have not used any of these services but in theory they work.

[blaze203 6]

It is frustrating. My Russian beau's mother passed in 2019 and he had to put his father in a senior facility because he could not manage by himself. Then covid hit and then the war. His mother's ashes are still in the apartment in Moscow and we have no idea how to get them here. That apartment was destined for demolition and we cannot even find out what the status of that is (supposedly a new building was supposed to be built and everyone would get a new apartment there). We have no idea how to manage it all. I-130 is in process for his father. I guess he could try taking the ashes with him when the time comes but we'd prefer to have them shipped. Unfortunately I am the researcher in the family but speak no Russian :(. I do have family in the Netherlands. Is it possible to ship from Russia to there?

Edited July 27, 2023 by blaze203

[millefleur 5,050]

  On 7/27/2023 at 10:37 PM, blaze203 said:

I do have family in the Netherlands. Is it possible to ship from Russia to there?

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It might be! Have your family in NL look around and see if shipping to Russia is an option.

[millefleur 5,050]

@blaze203 it looks like this service will ship to NL:

https://timesavingmachine.ru/express-dostavka/evropa/

 

Can your Russian speaking spouse help you out? You'll probably need some Russian language to navigate this. 

[blaze203 6]

  On 7/27/2023 at 11:04 PM, millefleur said:

@blaze203 it looks like this service will ship to NL:

https://timesavingmachine.ru/express-dostavka/evropa/

 

Can your Russian speaking spouse help you out? You'll probably need some Russian language to navigate this. 

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Thank you, I think I came upon them before. Google translate does a decent job. They claim to ship to the US. The fact that it's cremated remains doesn't help. My beau is so busy, I try to help but yes, it would require his help.

[millefleur 5,050]

  On 7/28/2023 at 12:07 AM, blaze203 said:

They claim to ship to the US. The fact that it's cremated remains doesn't help.

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It's legal to ship them. Just have to follow the basic protocols, label the box properly and fill out the customs form. 

 

I also saw that this company ships to the US. Could be worth contacting them to see if they can just do it directly.