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Safe and sound in Kazan
I'm in my apartment in Kazan. My landlady brought the cable modem for the internet and I set it up, but it didn't work because there was no money on the account. Makes perfect sense. These things are all pre-paid in Russia. So I wandered to the nearby convenience store where there is a Qiwi bill paying machine. Popped 500 rubles in ($15), went home, and voilà internet access!
Of course, the Qiwi machine takes a percentage of your money. I'd better track down the provider's store if I want to do it cheaper next time.
These machines are pretty neat. You can pay for your phone, your internet... heck I could even pay for my World of Warcraft account... um... that is, if I had one. The machines are not quite as ubiquitous as ATMs, but they are pretty close. You can find them at most subway stations and many underground pedestrian passageways.