As this has come up in three of my recent conversations- yes, Russia DOES run winter-time, and yes, we ‘switched the clocks’ over the weekend, leaving the time difference between me and all of you the same (unless you’ve just jetted off somewhere exciting).

Don’t worry if you are confused- so is Wikipedia (when I last checked), and my phone- which I had to lie to to make the time work properly. Coincidentally, my phone now believes that I live in Minsk.

This change to the Winter time is a new law after  Medvedev had implemented a permanent summer time in 2011. After reports that the well-being of cows were suffering, winter time was reinstated. (If you think I’m joking, then you need to realise how often I have come across the cow story- I think its about 5 times, once in the Russian media and four times as the western media delights in the logic.)

You all do have a point though- in the spring, our clocks won’t change again. It seems that the legislators prefer only confusing the country once every three years, as opposed to twice every year.