Time in Russia facts for kids

Time zones of Russia.

Did you know that Russia is so big it stretches across eleven different time zones? This means that when it's morning in one part of Russia, it could already be afternoon or even evening in another part! Imagine trying to call a friend across the country – you'd need to know their time zone!

Understanding Time Zones in Russia

A time zone is a region that uses the same standard time. This helps people keep track of time consistently, especially in large countries like Russia. Each time zone is measured by how far it is from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is like the world's main clock. Russia also uses Moscow Time (MSK) as a reference point for its other time zones.

How Many Time Zones Does Russia Have?

Russia currently has eleven official time zones. This is because the country is so wide, covering a huge area from Europe all the way to Asia.

What Are Russia's Main Time Zones?

Here's a quick look at Russia's time zones, from west to east:

• Kaliningrad Time (UTC+02): This is the westernmost time zone, one hour behind Moscow.
• Moscow Time (UTC+03): This is the most common time zone in European Russia and is often used as a reference.
• Samara Time (UTC+04): One hour ahead of Moscow.
• Yekaterinburg Time (UTC+05): Two hours ahead of Moscow.
• Omsk Time (UTC+06): Three hours ahead of Moscow.
• Krasnoyarsk Time (UTC+07): Four hours ahead of Moscow.
• Irkutsk Time (UTC+08): Five hours ahead of Moscow.
• Yakutsk Time (UTC+09): Six hours ahead of Moscow.
• Vladivostok Time (UTC+10): Seven hours ahead of Moscow.
• Magadan Time (UTC+11): Eight hours ahead of Moscow.
• Kamchatka Time (UTC+12): The easternmost time zone, nine hours ahead of Moscow.

Changes to Russia's Time Zones

Time zones in Russia have changed quite a bit over the years. Governments sometimes adjust them to make things easier for people or businesses.

When Did Daylight Saving Time Stop?

For many years, Russia used Daylight saving time (DST), where clocks are moved forward in spring and back in autumn. However, this practice stopped in 2011. The president at the time, Dmitry Medvedev, announced that Russia would stay on "summer time" all year round. This meant Moscow Time became UTC+4 permanently.

Recent Time Zone Adjustments (2014-2016)

In 2014, another big change happened. A new law was passed that moved most Russian time zones back by one hour. This meant Moscow Time returned to UTC+3. But some regions decided to keep their previous time or move to a different one. For example:

• The regions of Udmurtia and Samara Oblast stayed at UTC+04:00, bringing back the Samara Time zone.
• Kemerovo Oblast stayed at UTC+07:00.
• Zabaykalsky Krai moved back two hours to UTC+08:00.
• Magadan Oblast moved back two hours to UTC+10:00.
• Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Kamchatka Krai stayed at UTC+12:00, bringing back the Kamchatka Time zone.
• A new time zone called Srednekolymsk Time (UTC+11) was created for some parts of the old Magadan Time zone.

More changes happened in 2016 as local governments adjusted their times to better suit their communities:

• On March 27, 2016, Astrakhan Oblast and Ulyanovsk Oblast moved forward one hour from Moscow Time to Samara Time (UTC+04:00).
• Also on March 27, Altai Krai and Altai Republic moved forward one hour from Omsk Time to Krasnoyarsk Time (UTC+07:00).
• Zabaykalsky Krai moved forward one hour from Irkutsk Time to Yakutsk Time (UTC+09:00).
• Sakhalin Oblast moved forward one hour from Vladivostok Time to Srednekolymsk Time (UTC+11:00), except for one district that was already there.
• On April 24, Magadan Oblast moved forward one hour from Vladivostok Time to Srednekolymsk Time (UTC+11:00).
• On July 24, Novosibirsk Oblast moved forward one hour from Omsk Time to Krasnoyarsk Time (UTC+07:00).
• Finally, on December 4, Saratov Oblast moved forward one hour from Moscow Time to Samara Time (UTC+04:00).

These changes show how complicated managing time zones can be in a country as vast as Russia!

Images for kids

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  Time zone map of Russia from 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Husos horarios de Rusia para niños