Upon my recent visit to Russia, I decided to test NordVPN to see whether it works in the country.
I can confirm that yes, NordVPN works in Russia.
You can use it to access geo-restricted content and websites you can’t access from Russia, such as LinkedIn.
However, there are some caveats.
Keep reading to find out what they are and learn more about using NordVPN in Russia.
Does NordVPN Have Servers in Russia?
No, NordVPN doesn’t have servers in Russia.
That means if you’re looking to access Russian content from another country where it’s restricted, you won’t be able to use NordVPN to do so.
However, you can still use NordVPN in Russia by connecting to servers outside the country.
Best NordVPN Servers for Russia - Speed Test
Whilst in Moscow, I tried using NordVPN’s Quick Connect tool, which finds the best server for you.
It connected me to a Ukranian server:
The QuickConnect tool is the feature that determines the best server for you in terms of speed and server load at the time of connection.
When I requested to be connected to the best P2P server, it connected me to one of NordVPN’s specialized P2P servers in Latvia.
So, it’s possible to use NordVPN in Russia for torrenting – just not the P2P servers in Russia because they don’t exist.
To compare my Internet speed in Moscow with and without NordVPN, I tested the speed when connected to a QuickConnected Server, the best P2P server and a service in the United States.
I also tested a Finnish server whilst traveling through Saint-Petersburg – as Finland is quite close to it, I was hoping for decent speed.
Here’s what I found:
| P2P Server: | Description |
| Baseline (no VPN connection) | 19 ms |
| Ukraine (QuickConnect) | 142 ms |
| Latvia (best P2P server) | 65 ms |
| USA, New York (best server) | 171 ms |
| Finland (connecting from Saint-Petersburg) | 74 ms |
As you can see, there is some speed reduction, but a lot depends on your own Internet speed.
The conclusion is that it’s best to use NordVPN servers closest to Russia, like Finland or Ukraine, unless you need a specific IP address from a country further away.
Why Do You Need a VPN in Russia?
NordVPN used to have Russian servers, but they shut them down in 2019.
The reason is that the Russian authorities imposed requirements on VPNs to block content banned in the country and to connect to the state’s information filtering system.
Doing so would have violated NordVPN’s no-logging and privacy policies, and they’d have been compromising your information.
Such requirements to assist the state with restricting the Internet freedoms are just one reason why you need a VPN in Russia.
The country’s increasing censorship of people’s Internet activities means that anyone can be a target for prosecution if they create content the authorities find to be in violation – from investigative journalists to feminist bloggers.
Even if you don’t consider yourself to be of interest to the authorities, it’s better to be on the safe side in censorship-heavy countries and use a genuine no-logs VPN like NordVPN.
This censorship is possible because Russian ISPs are required to store the data about your online activities on their servers and to turn it over to the authorities upon their request.
If, however, you use a VPN in Russia, it masks your Internet activities from your ISP, thus allowing you to stay off the authorities’ radar.
NordVPN’s RAM-only servers and no-logging policies mean that not only is your browsing data not logged, but also that there is simply no data that can be logged.
RAM-only servers erase any and all data immediately, ensuring that nothing you do online whilst using the VPN is visible to your ISP or authorities.
How to Get and Use NordVPN in Russia?
It’s very simple to get and use NordVPN if you’re in Russia as the interface is quite straightforward.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Get a NordVPN subscription (Grab our exclusive discount).
- Download and install NordVPN on your device – Desktop, mobile or other.
- Log in with your NordVPN account and launch the program.
- Use QuickConnect to connect to the best server or choose a server that you want from the list.
Here’s a screen recording of me using NordVPN in Russia on my iPhone:
It only took a few seconds to find the best server with QuickConnect.
Can You Use NordVPN to Access LinkedIn from Russia?
To access certain websites and applications from Russia, you need to use a VPN.
For instance, LinkedIn, the world’s largest online network for professionals, has been blocked in Russia since 2015 for alleged violations of Russia’s personal data law.
However, a lot of Russian companies still use LinkedIn for recruitment via VPN services despite the block.
I tested NordVPN to see whether I could access LinkedIn from Russia with it, and found that it’s very easy to use NordVPN to access LinkedIn from Russia.
I tested both desktop browser and mobile browser, and it worked fine in both cases.
Can You Use NordVPN to Get a Russian IP Address?
Since NordVPN no longer has Russian servers, it’s not possible to use it to get a Russian IP address.
Does NordVPN Work with Netflix in Russia?
Yes, you can use NordVPN to access Netflix in Russia.
The streaming service works perfectly fine in Russia, but just like with every other region, there are certain titles that aren’t available to the Russian viewers.
If, however, you connect to a server outside Russia, that country’s library will be available to you.
Unfortunately, you can’t use NordVPN to watch Russian Netflix titles like “To the Lake”, as that requires a Russian server.
However, if the titles are available in other countries’ libraries, NordVPN can help you access them – just choose the relevant server and connect to it.
Conclusion
I’ve tried to clarify whether NordVPN works in Russia on the basis of my own experiences and testing.
The answer to this question is two-fold.
Yes, you can currently use NordVPN in Russia.
But only servers outside the country, as NordVPN doesn’t have Russian servers.
