Restructuring of Russian Time Zones?

Those who have travelled across Russia know how easy it is to cross time zones. Moscow and St. Petersburg follow Moscow time, but travel from the western region of Russia to its eastern destinations requires adjustments to watches and sleep schedules. For example, if you fly from Moscow to Novosibirsk or Tomsk, you'll be three hours ahead upon arrival; arrival in Krasnoyarsk will add an additional hour. Russia has more time zones (11) than any other country in the world. President Dmitri Medvedev has proposed reducing the number of time zones in Russia to facilitate both governance and business, but a change in time zones will also affect travel.

The number of time zones Russia can boast represents its size and territorial diversity. Russia has always prided itself on its geographical expansiveness, and Medvedev's proposal to reduce the number of time zones seems like a departure from the grandstanding Russia has often been known for. However, Russia could compromise on the issue, increasing its national efficiency while still maintaining a greater number of time zones than the U.S., which has only 6. This would serve to remind everyone that, while the two countries have historically competed on various world arenas for recognition and stature, Russia is still undisputedly bigger.

BBC article about the proposed restructuring of time zones in Russia: Changing Times in Russia.