Close; if a province is coastal it must be in range of a cored port or adjacent to a full blown city. Bear in mind that there is an event that goes with one of the colonisation ideas which automatically sends 2 colonists somewhere bordering you free of charge although I'm not sure on all the triggers.
Adjacency to a colony does not make somewhere valid for colonising; coastal or not. Screenshots would help if you're having a problem with Russia.
Adjacency to a colony does not make somewhere valid for colonising; coastal or not. Screenshots would help if you're having a problem with Russia.