Here are a few Russian phrases that will take you a long way

See also Practical Moscow Orientation Tour

Those marked in yellow are a must to learn.

 

English	Russian translation and transliteration	Comments
Do you speak English?	Вы говорите по-английски? Vy govorite po-angliyski?	Learn to read faces before talking to people. And precede this question with "Izvinite" or "Dobry den" for a better result.
Thank you	Спасибо Spaseebo
Please, you are welcome	Пожалуйста Pozhaluysta
I am hungry. Could you please spare some change?	Я хочу кушать. Подайте, сколько можете. Ya khochu kushat. Podayte, skolko mozhete.	Literaly: I want [to] eat. Give [me] whatever you can.
Where is the nearest subway station / telephone?	Где ближайшая станция метро/телефон? Gde blizhayshaya stantsiya metro / telefon?
I am a foreigner and I am lost. Could I use your phone please?	Я иностранец и я потерялся. Можно воспользоваться вашим телефоном? Ya inostranets i ya poteryalsya. Mozhno vospolzovatsya vashim telephonom?	Normally stores and offices would not let you use their phones, but after this phrase they will. Russia is knows for its hospitality to travellers, and you will encounter traces of it even in Moscow.
No, I don't need that.	Нет, не нужно Nyet, ne nuzhno	Literaly: No, not needed. Expect to be overun with matryoshka vendors in the Orbat and Lenin tomb guides in the Red Square. That's when this or next phrase will come handy.
Fuck off	Otyebis (sing.), otyebites (plural or polite form)	Be morally and conceptually prepared to use this powerful expression if the softer version (above) fails to help.
I don't speak Russian	Я не говорю по-русски Ya po-russky ne govoryu
Excuse me, where is....	Прошу прощения, где находится.....? Proshu prosheniye, gde nakhoditsya .....?	Then you can just point to the map....

If planning to spend more than a few days here take a couple of hours to learn the Russian alphabet:

А - A

Б - B

В - V

Г - G

Д - D

Е - Ye

Е(with two dots on top) - Yo

Ж - Zh

З - Z

И - I

Й - I

К - K

Л - L

М - M

Н - N

О - O

П - P

Р - R

С - S

Т - T

У - U

Ф - F

Х - Kh

Ь - ignore

Ы - I

Ъ - ignore

Э - Ae

Ю - Yu

Я - Ya