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The Man in Seat 61

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The Russian rail system is one of the largest in the world, and trains serve almost every town and city in Russia.  Train travel is a safe, comfortable and inexpensive way to get around.  In fact, it can be safer to use Russian trains than internal flights!  It will certainly be cheaper and far more interesting.  This page will help you understand Russian train system, choose the right train & on-board accommodation for you, and buy your train tickets securely online from a reputable source.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  The Foreign Office now advises against all travel to Russia because of the war between Russia & Ukraine, see www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia .  I have left this page as is, but Real Russia is no longer trading because of sanctions and the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru is currently unreachable.

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How to check russian train times & fares, booking tips, moscow to st petersburg by train :  a quick guide....

Traveller Ian Newberry reports:   "on May 19 I travelled from Moscow to St Petersburg on high-speed Sapsan train 156 leaving at 13.00.  Departure was punctual and the staff greeting passengers could not have been better - they all speak English as well as Russian.  The service on the train was extremely good and in business class a full 3 course meal was served with wines and spirits all included in the price of the ticket.  Information was supplied through screens and announcements in English as well as Russian. The train is very comfortable and arrived 5 minutes ahead of schedule at 17.40.  If one wants to avoid a night train then this is a very civilised way to travel, on a par with any equivalent TGV or ICE available in western Europe."

Moscow to St Petersburg option 1:  By Sapsan high-speed train in 3h55

All baggage is X-rayed before you board a Sapsan, so arrive in good time for your train...

Moscow to St Petersburg option 2:  By sleeper train, including the famous Krasnaya Strela (Red Arrow)

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Buy tickets online from Real Russia

You can buy tickets online in plain English from www.trains.realrussia.co.uk , with good after-sales service if you need it.  This system is good for checking Russian train times, too, even if you plan to buy tickets at the ticket office.  You can use it to buy Russian train tickets wherever you live in the world.  If you live in the UK they can also sort your Russian visa & visa support .

Which tickets can Real Russia sell?   They sell tickets for any mainline train journey within Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Lithuania, Kazakhstan and the other ex-Soviet states, also for international journeys to or from those countries, for example Moscow to Berlin or St Petersburg to Helsinki, and also for Russian sleeping-car services within Europe, for example Paris-Moscow, Paris-Berlin or Budapest-Sofia. 

Reservations officially open 60 days before departure, but Real Russia allow you to request tickets up to 180 days ahead and they will contact you for payment when the price is confirmed.

Can anyone buy tickets using this system?   Yes, you can buy tickets online with a credit card whether you live in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, or wherever.

How are tickets delivered?   If your train is e-ticketable, an e-ticket will be emailed to you.  If it's not, tickets can be collected free of charge at Real Russia's offices in Moscow or St Petersburg or they can be sent to any address worldwide.  Postage to a UK or EU address costs around £12-£15.

Who run this service?   Is it reliable?   This service is provided by Real Russia, a reputable joint UK-Russian company which has got very good reports from users.  Real Russia can also sort out your Russian visa & if necessary, Belarusian visa .

Booking tips :  Look for a train marked Firm if there is one. Firmeny trains are the best 'quality' trains, with modern coaches and good on-board service.  'TBC' means the system cannot provide a price for that particular train automatically, but they'll contact you with a cost by phone or email.  Note that even babies & infants need to have a ticket booked for them, even though they travel for free.

Buy tickets online at rzd.ru

You can also now buy Russian train tickets direct from Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru which now has an English version.  It's a bit fiddly and not as user-friendly as Real Russia, but there are no fees and it does work if you persevere.  It accepts some overseas credit cards, though not all.  It may currently reject US-issued cards, though perhaps not all.

How to buy tickets at the station

Other agencies who can arrange russian train tickets, svezhy veter - www.svezhyveter.ru/sv/rutrains.htm, way to russia - www.waytorussia.net, what are the trains like , the three types of train, the three classes of accommodation, life on board russian trains.

Whichever class of travel you choose, each coach is looked after by a pair of attendants called a 'provodnik' (male) or 'provodnitsa' (female).  The provodnik will check your ticket at the door to the sleeper when you board.  Shortly after departure, the provodnik will come round to take your ticket and the small bedding fee (less than £1).  You may be asked if you would like a glass of black Russian tea ('chai') - this costs about 15p.  Bedding (two sheets, pillowcase and towel) is then handed out in sealed packs - blankets and mattresses will already be stacked in your compartment.  After a few journeys, you will become quite proficient at making up your bed!

A samovar with unlimited free hot water is available at the end of the corridor - pack some tea or coffee, sugar, cuppa soups or water-based drinking chocolate and bring your own mug.   Most long distance trains have a restaurant car serving drinks, snacks, and inexpensive full meals - reckon on less than £7 for two courses and a couple of bottles of beer.

Security.  Are Russian trains safe for families or single women?

Yes!  There is no need to worry unduly about security on Russian trains, even for families or women travelling alone. How do you think Russian families or solo women travel?  By train, of course, like everyone else!   Just use common sense as you would in a hotel, locking your door at night and not leaving valuables unattended in your compartment.  In addition to the normal lock on the compartment door, 'Spalny Wagon' and 'kupé' compartments have a security latch which stops the door opening more than an inch or two, and which cannot be released from outside.  There's also a safe place for your bags at night - if you have a bottom bunk, there is a metal box underneath the bunk which you can only get to by lifting up the bunk - in other words, for anyone to get to your bags, they will have to shift you off your bunk first..!  Your provodniks will probably also lock the access doors at each end of the corridor at night to prevent unwanted guests.  Men and women share the same compartments in Russia, but it's generally quite safe for women travelling alone.  If you're a woman and find yourself in sharing with three men that make you uncomfortable, just ask the provodniks (carriage attendants) if they can move you.

European Rail Timetable & maps

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map .  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

Recommended guidebooks

Click the images to buy the book from amazon.co.uk, hotels in moscow & russia, backpacker hostels.

www.hostelworld.com :  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance.

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here .  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list .  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data .

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:   1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android .  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card , they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained .  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or Buy from Amazon.com .

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

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6 USEFUL apps for those traveling to Russia

1. Yandex Maps

iOS / Google Play / AppGallery

Yandex is one of the largest technological companies in Russia. Not only is it a powerful search engine, it also has its own digital assistant (‘Alice’), makes a range of smart speakers and gadgets, offers music and TV show subscription services and creates many useful apps for everyday life.

Perhaps, chief among them is ‘Yandex.Maps’. It has detailed maps of all Russian cities, in which you can create a route taking into account traffic, a route with public transport or on foot; you can also view ratings and reviews for cafes, restaurants and other places.

Compared to ‘Google Maps’ and similar apps, ‘Yandex.Maps’ gets ahead in the relevance and completeness of the information. For example, you can not just view the public transport schedule, but, in large cities, you can also see how buses move on the map in real time. You can also download maps of whole cities to use offline.

Apart from that, Yandex integrated the functions from its other services into its ‘Yandex.Maps’ app, so right from this app you can order a taxi, a scooter, food or groceries delivery or even place an order at an online store. All these services you can also install as separate apps.

Keep in mind that foreign bank cards currently don’t work in Russia and you won’t be able to pay with them for any purchase. So, it makes sense to get a Russian ‘MIR’ bank card upon arrival, put some rubles you exchanged on it and link it to payment services. When ordering a taxi, you can also choose the cash payment option.

Apart from Russian, the app is also available in English, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Serbian, Ukrainian and Uzbek languages.

2. ‘ Yandex Metro ’

iOS / Google Play / AppGallery 

Metro maps of all Russian cities that have a subway system can bee accessed in this app.

This app will help you to not only find a route between stations and calculate time, but it will even tell you the time intervals between trains and the most convenient coach to board (at the head, middle or end of the train) for a quick transfer or exit. 

The app is available in Russian and English.  

3. ‘ RZD ’ (Russian Railways) or ‘ Yandex.Trains ’

RZD: Google Play / AppGallery

Yandex.Trains: iOS / Google Play / AppGallery

Russian cities are linked through a multitude of railroads with long- and short-distance trains. In both apps, you can check their schedules and purchase tickets, filling in your passport details.

In the ‘Yandex.Trains’ app, you can also mark your favorite regular trains to get back to them more conveniently.

Remember, here you will also be unable to pay for your ticket with a foreign bank card, so use the advice from point 1 above. Or purchase your ticket with cash at the train station.

Both apps are available in English and Russian, while the ‘RZD’ app is also available in Chinese. 

4. ‘ Google.Translate ’ or ‘ Yandex.Translate ’

Google.Translate: iOS / Google Play

Yandex.Translate: iOS / Google Play / AppGallery

Both apps can translate speech, copied text or even text in a photo.

Instant translation through your smartphone camera is also available. Just point it at a text in a foreign language and you’ll see the translation over the original text. This is a necessary app if a cafe or a restaurant has no English-language menu. It also works with screenshots – for example, of Russian-language websites and apps that don’t have the required language available.

5. ‘ Ostrovok.ru ’

iOS / Google Play

This is the largest aggregator of Russian hotels, hostels and apartments for rent, in essence, a Russian ‘Booking.com’, with very similar search and results filter tools.

This service only allows you to pay with a Russian bank card; however, many properties offer a cash payment option upon arrival. You can book a stay in advance from abroad, even without a card.

6. VPN-services

To gain access to Facebook*, Instagram*, X (ex-Twitter) and LinkedIn in Russia, install a VPN-service in advance. All these social networks are blocked in the country. That being said, using a VPN is not prohibited by Russian law. Not all VPNs work well in Russia, so it’s best to download several apps on your phone before your trip and make a choice in favor of a paid one, which is usually more reliable.

*Instagram and Facebook are products of Meta, a company that is recognized as extremist on the territory of the Russian Federation.

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Russian Railways: Keeping our passengers and staff safe during a pandemic

Posted: 10 June 2021 | Dmitry Pegov | No comments yet

Dmitry Pegov, Deputy Managing Director of Passenger Services at Russian Railways (RZD), details the thorough measures that were and continue to be taken to ensure the health and safety of passengers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every year, millions of Russians choose to travel the country by rail. In 2020, despite COVID-19 restrictions, Russian Railways (RZD) welcomed almost 870 million passengers; 68 million on long-distance trains and 802 million on suburban trains.

Throughout it all, we paid close attention to ensuring the health of both our passengers and our employees. Moreover, Russia is very large, and passengers can end up spending several days on our network; our trains, which travel along the Trans-Siberian Railway, almost the entire country from west to east, will spend almost a week going from Moscow to Vladivostok. You could say that the train is practically a hotel or even a second home for our passengers, so it is important that they feel comfortable and safe while they are with us.

We have always fully complied with sanitary standards, but COVID-19 made them even stricter, and we are sticklers for adhering to them. To keep new coronavirus infections from spreading, we are carrying out a whole range of measures to ensure passengers’ safety.

Getting trains ready for the trip

It all starts before the trains depart. We disinfect all surfaces using antiviral agents, and we also do it more often during the trips, too: before the pandemic, we cleaned twice a day, and now it’s four times a day. All handles and handrails inside the trains are wiped with disinfectants.

Before the voyage, a technical inspection is carried out for each train, with diagnostics and inspections carried out to ensure that the ventilation and air conditioning are working properly.

All new trains, as well as those that have undergone major remodelling, are equipped with a cleaning system and air disinfection. The air entering from the outside is cleaned by a filtration system and interior air is disinfected using ultraviolet lamps.

Inspections are carried out on all trains before they depart.

On the network

All long-distance passenger trains are equipped with non-contact thermometers, and our conductors take the body temperature of passengers as they board the train and during the trip as often as doctors recommend, depending on how long the trip lasts: at least once per trip if the train is travelling for up to five hours, and at least twice a day if it’s longer, as well as any time that a passenger requests it.

If a passenger feels unwell and has a temperature, medical workers will attend to them at the nearest station. Before the doctors arrive, the train crew will follow all instructions and precautions in accordance with regulations.

On high-speed trains travelling up to five hours in one direction, passengers are required to wear a mask; on other long-distance trains running several days and nights, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks is advised.

If a passenger doesn’t have their own PPE, then masks, gloves and antiseptics can be purchased from the conductor.

Of course, we constantly remind our passengers of the need to comply with safety measures: each carriage has a list of recommendations for personal hygiene and precautions, including wearing masks while travelling, and important information is also broadcast over the train’s loudspeaker.

At train stations

PPE can also be purchased at ticket offices, pharmacies, vending machines and retail stores located in the train stations.

An array of anti-epidemic measures have also been implemented at all train stations and stops since March 2020. To maintain social distancing in lobbies, ticket halls and waiting rooms, there are upright indicators and floor markings showing how far away from each other it is safe to stand, and seating sections in waiting rooms are labelled with seating recommendations.

Station employees ventilate and clean the premises using safe disinfectants with a wide range of antimicrobial effects on a regular basis. Surfaces that passengers regularly come into contact with – such as door handles, railings, handrails, seat armrests and tables – are given special attention. Antiseptic dispensers are also available for visitors, as are disposable bags to keep personal belongings from coming into contact with surfaces. Several railway stations also use non-contact infrared thermometers to take passengers’ temperatures.

Medical stations are additionally equipped with anti-epidemic agents and hand-held non-contact infrared thermometers.

Station employees ventilate and clean the premises using safe disinfectants with a wide range of antimicrobial effects on a regular basis.

Ensuring the health of our workers

Employee health is a big priority for our company. The frontline personnel of RZD undergo additional briefings on safety procedures so that they know what to do if they come into contact with someone with symptoms of an infectious disease. All employees that interact with passengers are provided with masks, gloves and antiseptics.

In addition, RZD personnel who are in daily contact with large numbers of people undergo mandatory medical examinations before taking their shift, with a focus on identifying employees with symptoms of acute respiratory infections.

Frontline staff periodically take PCR COVID-19 tests, and the train master or conductor can travel only after testing negative.

RZD was also one of the first companies in the country to provide its employees with vaccinations against COVID-19 . The first vaccination points were opened on 23 December 2020 at two Russian Railways Medicine healthcare facilities, and vaccination centres are equipped with all of the necessary medical equipment. Cold-chain logistics are used for the storage and transportation of the vaccine, and everyone who receives a vaccination receives a certificate. Any employee that wants to be vaccinated and has no medical contraindications has the opportunity to do so.

Related topics

Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Passenger Experience/Satisfaction , Station Developments , The Workforce

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Russian Railways (RZD)

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Get a Russian train ticket

• Pick your route and date
• Choose your train and seat
• Pay with your credit card (local payment options available on the Russian version of the website)
• Congrats, your ticket is ready

Firm trains timetable

How do i book railway ticket.

• Choose route and date. You will have a selection of trains, seats\berths and prices.
• Pick your desired train connection and seat(s)
• Pay securely with your credit/debit card (available for customers worldwide) or through local payment systems (available in Russia only)
• Your electronic ticket will be issued right away

How do I cancel my ticket and get a refund?

Any railway ticket purchased with tutu.ru can be cancelled and refunded. This will be in accordance with Russian Railway rules.

Tickets can be returned on our website or at the ticket office of any railway station in Russia. For this you will need to provide your ID (passport) and electronic ticket number.

If you paid for your ticket by credit or debit card, the amount will automatically be refunded to your card. In all other cases you will receive your refund in cash at the ticket office.

Returning your ticket is subject to a cancellation fee. It means that any service fees will not be refunded and you will also incur a cancellation fee.

The refund depends on the amount and method of payment. For each returned ticket, there is approximately 500rub lost.

Please note, when returning a ticket within 8 hours after departure, cancellation charges are significantly higher.

Can I pay by card? Is this secure?

Yes, you can pay by credit or debit card. Payment is processed by gateline.net.

Gateline.net was developed to comply with international safety standard PCI DSS. This payment processing gate passed v3.1 compliance audit.

Payment gate Gateline.net accepts Visa and Mastercard credit/debit cards, including 3D-secure: Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode.

Payment form Gateline.net is optimised for different browsers and operating systems, including handheld devices.

Almost all Russian Railway ticket agencies work through this payment gate.

Tell me more about electronic ticket and electronic registration.

Purchasing electronic railway ticket with tutu.ru is a modern and fast way to plan your railway journey.

When you buy an electronic ticket with tutu.ru your seat is allocated instantly.

Before boarding you have two options

• online registration (on selected trains only).
• obtain your ticket at the station

Electronic registration (online check-in) is available on selected trains. In order to save time, we advise you to use the electronic registration system. You will get access to this option after payment is confirmed. In order to board the train you will need to have your ID (passport) with you.

You can print your ticket any time before departure at any self-service terminal or ticket office. Please, be ready to enter your ID (passport) and 14-digit electronic ticket number, which you will receive by SMS after payment is authorized.

Is information provided on the website up-to-date?

Definitely yes. We use the same data (System Control «Express-3») as the ticket offices at railways stations.

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Haitians on LI celebrate their heritage amid unrest in Caribbean nation

Abdul Sanz (wearing red shirt) leads class that explores Haiti's history through dance, at the Westbury Public Library earlier this month. Credit: Howard Simmons

As heavy drumming music punctuated the air of a Westbury library room, Abdul Sanz raised his arms high. Sanz swung them in front of the onlookers, then tucked and thrust his hips, almost like ocean waves.

The roughly dozen students repeated his motions and later performed lunges, sways, steps, and other movements that are part of Haitian folklore — a traditional art with some roots in Africa. Some of the movements replicate those of enslaved people working in sugar cane fields, said Sanz, the dance instructor.

“So, it's very important for us to do it [the dance] in our ancestors’ memory,” said Sanz, 21, who is studying dance and civil engineering at Hofstra University.

Last Friday's dance class is part of several events on Long Island in May to commemorate Haitian Heritage Month — an observance that has taken on special significance given the unrest in the Caribbean nation.

Haiti is in the clutches of gang violence, prompting thousands to flee Port-au-Prince, the capital, and leaving more than 2,500 dead and more than 360,000 people homeless. Nearly 2 million people are on the cusp of famine.

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Still, some in the community on Long Island said it's more important than ever to accentuate the country's rich legacy — from its food and music to its status as the West’s earliest free Black republic — to instill cultural pride among Haitians and to deepen knowledge in the broader community.

“We would like people to know about us, to know about the culture, which is very rich and beautiful,” said Marie Sonia Saint Rose-Bienvil, co-founder of Solidarite Haitiano-Américaine de Long Island (SHALI). “And to show a different picture of Haiti.”

And so SHALI put on the dance class — and will help host several other events to commemorate Haitian heritage.

Long Island is home to nearly 33,000 people of Haitian descent, with most living in Nassau County, according to the American Community Survey. But celebrating Haitian heritage is open to all, said Saint Rose-Bienvil.

On Thursday, the organization hosted a Zoom class focusing on mental health within the Haitian community — an important topic as some in the community deal with loss or hear of ordeals in their country. 

On Haitian Flag Day, which is May 18, there will be a celebration at Cornelius Court Elementary School in Uniondale from 12 to 3 p.m. Food will be served. There will also be musical performances of Haitian songs and poems.

An art exhibit at the Westbury Memorial Public Library will be held on May 24 from 6 to 8 p.m., along with an event celebrating Haitian Mother’s Day on May 26. Tickets are on sale for the latter event.

SHALI also walks in a Memorial Day parade in Uniondale — a way to forge a bond between Haitian and American cultures, said Saint Rose-Bienvil. 

“It's an American holiday, but … we are part of the community and we want to participate in that special occasion,” she said.

At the library last Friday, Kathleen Gaskin, of Hempstead, participated in the dance class. She’s of Trinidadian descent but felt the urge to take part in the lesson to “try some new steps” and learn more about different cultures. 

“It's always exciting; it’s always a learning experience — and so is this dance,” she said.

As for Sanz, the dance instructor, he hoped the class and this Haitian Heritage Month left people of Haitian descent empowered, knowing that beautiful things come from their culture.

“And through dance, through culture and through us being proud of where we come from, this is how we’re going to build our country back,” he said.

With The Associated Press

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news. 

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