Saint Petersburg, RussiaSmoking policy at Saint Petersburg, Pulkovo International Airport (LED)
Warnings & Caveats
Russian law requires smokers to stand at least 15 meters from any building entrance. Smoking anywhere inside the terminal (including toilets) can result in a fine. Connecting passengers who exit to smoke must re-clear full passport control and security, which takes significant time.
Pulkovo is a largely non-smoking airport, and the only guaranteed option for regular cigarettes is the outdoor designated zone located 15 meters from the terminal entrance on the ground floor. Inside the terminal, smoking is prohibited under Russia's strict public-space tobacco laws. That said, a couple of limited airside options have been reported, so the picture is a bit more nuanced than a flat ban.
Before Security
The landside smoking area is straightforward to find:
Head to the ground floor arrivals/departures level and exit through the main doors.
Walk at least 15 meters from the entrance as required by Russian law. Signage near the transport stop points you to the correct spot.
This is an open-air area with no shelter, so in a St. Petersburg winter you will be standing in the cold. Plan accordingly.
After Security
Options airside are thin and not officially advertised:
One source from August 2019 reported an IQOS booth in the duty-free area where you could use an IQOS heated tobacco device for free. This is not a conventional cigarette area, and its current status is unconfirmed.
An older report (likely pre-2019) mentioned a smoking room in the "Moscow" business lounge in Sector V on the second floor of the former Pulkovo 1 terminal. Note that Pulkovo 1 and Pulkovo 2 were merged into a single terminal in 2013, so the lounge reference may be outdated or the lounge may have relocated. Check directly with lounge staff before counting on it.
A 2023 report from a Russian travel news source describes a smoking area on the third floor of the domestic departure hall, located just past the beer restaurant, described as almost-outdoor with decent ventilation. This is the most recent airside reference, but it has not been independently verified.
Vaping Rules
The IQOS booth in the duty-free zone (reported 2019) suggests that heated tobacco products may be tolerated in at least one designated spot airside. Standard e-cigarettes and vaping devices are subject to the same restrictions as tobacco under Russian law in public spaces, so treat vaping the same as smoking unless staff explicitly tell you otherwise.
Transit and Layovers
If you are connecting through Pulkovo and need to smoke, you must exit the secure zone, go outside to the 15-meter outdoor area, and then re-clear security. There is no airside transit smoking room confirmed as reliably open. Budget extra time if you plan to do this.
Bottom Line
Smoke before security at the outdoor spot near the ground-floor exit. Airside options are unconfirmed and unreliable, so do not count on finding anything past the security checkpoint.
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