You can smoke at virtually every Russian airport — outdoors almost everywhere, and indoors in enclosed, ventilated rooms after security at the country’s biggest hubs — the product of one of the more interesting recent histories in airport tobacco policy. The 2013 federal anti-smoking law banned indoor smoking at all enclosed public spaces, including airports — and indoor smoking rooms were closed nationwide. Six years later, in 2019, Russia amended the law to explicitly permit enclosed, ventilated smoking rooms at airports. Most major Russian airports promptly rebuilt their indoor smoking facilities, and today Russia operates one of the more flyer-friendly airport smoking models in the world.
For travellers, this matters: a layover at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, or Vnukovo means you can smoke in a heated, enclosed indoor room without leaving the secure zone. Compare with similar transit at London Heathrow, where only Terminals 2 and 4 have airside smoking areas — and those are open-air terraces, not enclosed rooms; Terminals 3 and 5 require exiting security altogether — and the difference is substantial.
How Russian Airport Smoking Works
The 2019 amendment (Federal Law No. 512-FZ, amending the 2013 Federal Law No. 15-FZ) permits airports to provide enclosed, ventilated smoking rooms accessible to passengers. The rooms are:
- Post-security, available without leaving the transit zone
- Heated/cooled with HVAC ventilation
- Free to use at most airports (Sheremetyevo’s premium Moscow Lounge has a fee)
- Distributed across departure and transit areas at major hubs
The pattern follows European norms more than US ones — closer to Frankfurt or Munich than to LAX or JFK.
The Three Moscow Hubs
Sheremetyevo (SVO). Moscow’s busiest airport, with terminals B, C, D, E and F. Free indoor smoking rooms sit airside on the 2nd floor of Terminal B (near Gate 122) and Terminal C (near Gate 145). Terminal B adds a paid Smoking Lounge on the 3rd floor (around 1,000 RUB, no time limit), IQOS lounge zones run 6:00–23:00 in Terminals B, D, E and F, and the Moscow Lounge in Terminal D has its own smoking room for lounge guests. Covered, heated outdoor pavilions stand at every terminal entrance around the clock.
Domodedovo (DME). Moscow’s second hub. International rooms reopened in 2024 at Gallery E Gates 5 and 8, and since 7 November 2025 three free rooms serve the domestic departures zone — two in Gallery C and one in Gallery D. All are post-security and free to use.
Vnukovo (VKO). Moscow’s third hub, used heavily for domestic flights and smaller international destinations. Four free indoor smoking rooms, all after security — near Gate 18 and between Gates 28-29 in international departures, near Gates 8 and 17 in domestic — plus a smoking room in the 24-hour Art Lounge in Terminal A. Travellers report the formerly IQOS-branded spot near Gate 25 has been scaled back, so ask staff on the day.
Major Regional Airports
St. Petersburg Pulkovo (LED). A free indoor smoking room on the third floor of the domestic departures clean zone, next to the business lounges — open around the clock with short technical breaks, holding up to six people. A separate third-floor room (opened 2025) covers heated-tobacco devices and e-cigarettes, and the Alma Valley restaurant on the second floor has its own smoking area for diners. Marked outdoor areas sit outside the terminal.
Yekaterinburg Koltsovo (SVX). Four indoor rooms: one in the domestic departures waiting area (Terminal A) and one in the international departures level of Terminal B (2nd floor), both open to every passenger after security, plus rooms inside the Emerald (Izumrud) and Topaz business lounges. Hub for Ural region flights.
Kazan (KZN). Airport renovated for the 2018 FIFA World Cup; its indoor smoking cabin post-security is a more recent addition, opened by passenger request. It serves the international departures sterile zone only — domestic passengers use the outdoor areas at ground level before security.
Sochi (AER). Black Sea resort airport, 2014 Olympics renovation. Indoor rooms in both terminals after security — the international cabin sits near Gates 25-26, the domestic one in the sterile-zone atrium — plus outdoor areas for those who prefer fresh sea air. Travellers report heated-tobacco devices such as IQOS are not permitted inside the terminal, even in the smoking rooms.
Novosibirsk (OVB). Siberia’s largest city. Indoor rooms — essential given -30°C winters that make outdoor smoking impossible.
Krasnodar (KRR). Southern Russia, milder climate. Reopened to civilian flights on 11 September 2025; travellers report a departures smoking room airside, and designated outdoor areas sit at ground level outside the terminal — confirm the indoor room on the day.
Irkutsk (IKT). Lake Baikal gateway, Trans-Siberian railway terminal. Indoor rooms.
Tips for Smokers at Russian Airports
- All three Moscow airports have indoor smoking facilities post-security — easy transit
- Sheremetyevo’s free rooms are in Terminal B (Gate 122) and Terminal C (Gate 145); the T-B paid Smoking Lounge and the T-D Moscow Lounge room are the comfortable upgrades
- Vnukovo has four free indoor rooms covering both international and domestic departures; travellers report its formerly IQOS-branded spot has been scaled back
- Russian winters at northern airports (Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk) make indoor rooms essential
- Cigarettes are inexpensive in Russia (~$3-5/pack landside, more at airport duty-free)
- Heat-not-burn devices and vapes are welcome at most smoking rooms; Sochi is the exception travellers flag for IQOS
- For long-haul transit (Asia-Europe via Moscow), Russia’s airport smoking infrastructure is competitive with the best of East Asia
Russia Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security
At a glance — which Russia airports let you smoke after security, in an indoor room, or in an outdoor area: