'K, here's the thing - I don't actually own a GSM phone at all. So I'd either be buying one in Russia or buying an unlocked one off eBay. (My phone here is CDMA.) The reason I was leaning toward buying one there was so it would have the native power plugs and I wouldn't have to worry about converting or possibly transforming it. In the UK, I was able to purchase a prepaid mobile with O2 for about ?50 ($90USD, 2500 руб.) With the new information, I'm starting to reconsider...(plus, an English interface would be nice) Maybe grabbing an unlocked quad-band phone for $100-$150 is the way to go.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/region...ional_1176.html says:
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To obtain permission to bring in a cellular telephone, an agreement for service from a local cellular provider in Russia is required. That agreement and a letter of guarantee to pay for the cellular service must be sent to Glavgossvyaznadzor along with a request for permission to import the telephone. Based on these documents, a certificate is issued. This procedure is reported to take two weeks. Without a certificate, no cellular telephone can be brought into the country, regardless of whether or not it is meant for use in Russia. Permission for the above devices may also be required from the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation. Cellular phone rentals are available and recommended.
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Last updated May 2001. I suppose therein lies the problem.