Western telephones with dozens of features can now be all over St. Petersburg and be bought at most ELECTRONIC GOODS. They should work on "Pulse" as well as "Tone" and have "Redial" and "Pause"; speed-dial memory is especially useful in Russia. To use your "Redial" button when accessing numbers through "8", dial "8" first, the "Pause" button twice and then the number. To redial, you simply push "Redial", the "Pause" waits again for the tone after "8".

Don't buy the cheapest phone, they burn out from voltage fluctuations. Western phones can be installed by rewiring the plug. Easier yet, bring or buy an adapter outlet to rewire into the Russian outlet and just plug in the phone. They work. Radio Shack in the USA, now has adapters.