Yes, the famous cold!

Hi, I'm Brazilian and I want to go to Russia sometime in the next decade if I don't go bankrupt by then.

If I did, it would probably coincide with winter there (our main vacations are from December to January, when we scorch in the heat while eating a lot of fat as if we could), probably to Saint Petersburg.

Perhaps the biggest fear/obstacle that a Brazilian has when thinking about traveling to the country is not any stereotypical fear about evil Russians or something like that, but (besides the costs) something much more prosaic: cold.

Although there are regions with a not insignificant winter in Brazil and there are even cases of death by cold here (especially considering that our infrastructure and habits are designed to deal with heat and not the other way around), many of us here, when we saw snow, for example, went inside the freezer.

That said, seriously:

A - What to wear or not to wear, what to look for or not to look for in supermarkets and stores, and what to do (or not to do) to deal with winter there.

B - What would be interesting to bring from Brazil or buy as soon as you arrive in Russia?

Keep the following in mind if you can:

1 - Don't be afraid to say things that seem obvious: unlike tourists from the US or the rest of Europe, we have no idea (most of the time) what any negative temperature is in Celsius. If you need to explain it as if I were five years old, do it.

2 - Most importantly: answer what not to do, especially if it is something that native Russians can do regularly but is simply not recommended!

For example: Brazilians are known worldwide for liking improvised solutions, here called "gambiarras", many of them made to deal with heat, heat/cool machines, etc.

Some of these ideas are actually quite clever, but most of them could simply burn down your house, give you poisoning, or melt your hand.

Thank you in advance for your patience and support!