Moscow Time (MSK)
Moscow operates on Moscow Time (MSK). This time zone does not observe Daylight Saving Time.
Time Zone: Moscow Standard Time (MSK) — Standard Offset: UTC+3 (MSK) — DST: Not observed
Country: Russia
This city does not observe Daylight Saving Time. The UTC offset remains constant year-round, which simplifies international scheduling.
Moscow operates on MSK (UTC+3) year-round. Russia abolished DST in 2014, settling on permanent winter time after a failed experiment with permanent summer time in 2011. The constant offset simplifies scheduling but means the gap with Western Europe shifts seasonally — Moscow is 3 hours ahead of London in winter but only 2 ahead during BST.
Russia spans 11 time zones, from Kaliningrad (UTC+2) in the west to Kamchatka (UTC+12) in the east. Moscow Standard Time serves as the reference for the entire country — train schedules, TV programming, and government operations historically run on MSK regardless of local time. While this practice has loosened, MSK remains the de facto national reference time.
The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) trades from 9:50 AM to 6:50 PM MSK, one of the longer trading days globally. Moscow's financial sector, energy companies (Gazprom, Rosneft, Lukoil), and government agencies all operate on MSK. The energy sector's global importance means MSK is tracked by commodity traders worldwide, particularly for natural gas and crude oil pricing.
Moscow is 2-3 hours ahead of Western Europe depending on DST. A 2 PM MSK meeting catches London at 11 AM GMT or noon BST — comfortable overlap. For US coordination, the gap is larger: MSK is 8 hours ahead of New York (7 during EDT). The practical US-Russia overlap for East Coast is narrow: 4-7 PM MSK = 8-11 AM ET.