Low-Cost Lodging Options for Travelers in Russia : Youth hostels in Moscow and St. Petersburg now offer cheap beds . . .and reservations.

It’s now possible for budget travelers to find low-cost youth hostels in Russia. Even better, you don’t have to merely hope there might be space available; you can reserve a bed before leaving home or while traveling in Europe.

Russian Youth Hostels (RYH) is a 3-year-old, privately owned, American-Russian joint project. Although the logo of Hostelling International appears on some of their material, the St. Petersburg and Moscow hostels are not officially part of the Hostelling International network.

The first project of Russian Youth Hostels was the St. Petersburg hostel. A five-story, 18th-Century building, it has been completely renovated. The owners have tried to give it Western styling while maintaining the building’s pre-revolutionary Russian charm with spacious rooms and high ceilings. Last year was its first full year in operation.

Up to 56 travelers can be accommodated in rooms shared by three or four persons. Guests are charged $16 per night, including continental breakfast. Guests also have use of kitchen facilities and a television room.

The St. Petersburg hostel is in the city center at 3rd Sovetskaya Ulitsa, 28 (also known as 3rd Rozhedstvenskaya Ulitsa, 28); from U.S. phones 011-7812-277- 0569. This is about a five-minute walk from the train station that serves Moscow, and is close to tourist areas.

At the hostel you can also arrange overnight train travel to Moscow, theater and ballet tickets and tours. It’s also possible to book trans-Siberia and trans-Mongolia rail travel.

RYH does not have its own hostel in Moscow, but travelers can reserve beds in the city at the Moscow International Guest House, Bolshaya Pereyaslavskaya Ulitsa 50, Floor 10; tel. 011- 7095-971-4059, fax 011-7095-280- 7686. It’s a 10-minute walk from the Prospect Mira Metro station.

This Western-style hostel, which opened in March, can accommodate 100 travelers. There is an English-speaking staff, a lounge with a television, kitchen and laundry facilities, an international telephone and fax services. Accommodations in four-bed rooms can be booked through the RYH for $10 per person per night.

The hostel/guest house also rents single rooms for $20 and double rooms for $26, and has a travel service that helps to arrange visas and sells train tickets. Rail fares from Moscow (subject to change with currency fluctuation): to St. Petersburg, $10 for first-class travel in a two-bed compartment; to Berlin, $152; to Prague, $66, and to Warsaw, $56. Trans-Siberian train travel ranges from $175 to $200.

Before leaving the United States, travelers can make reservations at the Moscow International Guest House and get help with obtaining visas by contacting Russian Youth Hostels, 409 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Building 106, Suite 390, Redondo Beach 90277; tel. (310) 379-4316, fax (310) 379-8420.

One of the most likely cities for travelers to visit en route to Russia is Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Travelers can find budget accommodations in the center of the city (near the harbor) at Eurohostel, Linnankatu 9, SF-00160, Helsinki; tel. 011-3580-66- 44-52. From there, you can also make reservations for the St. Petersburg hostel.

Eurohostel has single, twin and triple rooms, and each guest is offered a complimentary morning sauna. There are also laundry facilities, guest kitchens and a cafe.

You can also make reservations for the St. Petersburg hostel in person at the following European offices:

* YHA Travel Store, 14 Southampton St., London WC2E 7HY, England; tel. 011-44-71-836-1036.

* DJH Berlin Office, Templehofer Ufer 32, D-1000 Berlin 61, Germany; tel. 011-49-30-262-3024.

* Estonian YHA, Liivalaia 2, EE0001 Tallinn, Estonia; tel. 011-372-244-1096.