More visa trouble...

I am trying to get a student visa as I'm going to St. Petersburg to study this summer... however, I can't get through to any of the consular phone numbers to talk to someone about the documentation they need, or the fees. I only see business, tourist, transit and homestay visa requirements online.

Anyone know how on earth I get through to an actual person at the embassy? I've been trying for two days, only to get busy signals and recordings. Or any tips on finding out exactly what I need? The internet has contradicting info on other sites, and I definitely don't have the time to have my stuff sent back.

In my experience, this, i.e., the consular lines being busy, seems to be a "standard trick" of some of the former Soviet countries' embassies. I had the same trouble with the Ukrainian consulates in the US and UK a few years back.

Sorry to not be helpful, but good luck!

Are you studying at a university? Shouldn't they have information on how to get the visa, as the inviting organization?

Way to Russia seems to have decent information, usually:

http://www.waytorussia.net/Practicalities/Student/Visa-Travel-Arrangements.html

Anyone know how on earth I get through to an actual person at the embassy? I've been trying for two days, only to get busy signals and recordings.

Don't forget the 9 May is a major Public Holiday in Russia, so they will in fact have been been closed Mon and Tue!

I assume you are in the US, but you don't mention which city. Might be better to search for info at a local consulate rather than the Embassy itself. The NY one for example has info on student visas and contact details for all the consulates: http://www.ruscon.org/

I have no experience of getting visas in the USA, but in London dealing with the Consulate in person simply became too difficult of few years ago and involved too many hours queueing. It might well be worth spending a bit of money with a travel agent specialising in travel to Russian and let them deal with a lot of the visa legwork for you.

The San Francisco consulate seems to have more information than the NY on student visas. Hope this helps:

http://www.consulrussia.org/visa_frame.files/Visa_Page.htm#STUDENT-VISA

If you really are just going for the summer to study (as I am), and not for a whole semester (I think the cutoff is three months), here's what you need:

The school at which you will be studying needs to get the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or perhaps the Ministry of Internal Affairs can do it too) to issue an official invitation. Get the ball rolling on that ASAP. It can only be issued thirty days before you are due to arrive in Russia. And it can take a while.
While you're waiting for that, get passport-style pictures made. You'll need them for the visa application.
Then, once you get the invitation, fill out the visa application for US citizens (if, in fact, you are a US citizen). It can be found at http://www.russianembassy.org/CONSULAT/Anketa04.doc.
Write a cover letter to the embassy/consulate explaining who you are, why you're going to Russia, and exactly where and what you'll be doing there. You'll want to include the processing time you're requesting on it (see below).
Make a copy of the invitation letter.
Chances are, by this point, you won't have much time until you go, so you'd be best off doing some express processing on the visa, because the embassy/consulate seems to take the maximum amount of time and then some. See the fees at http://www.russianembassy.org/CONSULAT/BSN-VISA.HTM. Be sure to get a money order or cashier's check made out to the Russian Embassy or the Russian Consulate (depending upon where you're sending it).
Put your packet to the embassy together. It should contain the cover letter, application, copy of invitation, the application fee, and your passport. Don't forget to attach a passport-style picture to the visa application.
Get a USPS Express Mail envelope ($14.40) and address it from yourself to yourself. Depending upon the time, either get another Express Mail envelope for your application packet, send it through some courier (FedEx, UPS, DHL), or simple certified, insured mail, and address it from yourself to the embassy or consulate. The Embassy will accept applications from across the US, and their address is 2641 Tunlaw Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20007.
Wait. You'll get the Express Mail envelope with nothing in it but your passport...that now has a visa sticker in it. The visa takes up a full page.
Verify all the information on it, including the dates.

That should get you your visa...hopefully there's enough time to do it.