Russia

Welcome to Business in Russia! To be a successful business person in Russia, one must understand the Russian society, cultural practices and business etiquette.

Language- Russian is offical language; Russians also know English Pride- Russians are proud of their country; they take pride in living in difficulty, being able to successful in situations that others could not; also proud of cultural hertiage Money-Russian Rubles; 1 US dollar is about 28 rubles
 * __Russian Society and Culture__**

__**Russian Customs**__ Names- Russians have three name; Use all three if you are in a formal environment, the first two names if you are a friend or first name only if you are a close friend or family member to the person Greetings- Man/Man: Very firm handshake; Man/Woman: Less firm handshake; Woman/Woman: three alternating kisses on the cheek, starting on the left cheek Gifts- If invited to dinner, bring a small gift of gratitude; if a child is to be born, wait until the child to born, then give the gift

Appearences- Men should wear business; women wear business suits with a skirt that covers the knees; both wear polished shoes Meetings- Can take about 6 weeks to schedule a meeting; can be canceled on short notice; be punctual; meetings can be slow, very slow, so be patience Negotations- Russians view compromise as weakness, also they see agreements as win-lose, never win-win; Age and rank are very important to Russians; have written materials in both English and Russian; Russians will lose their tempers, walk out the room or threaten to end the deal just to get their way, they will also use time against (like if you have a deadline); Remember, the deal isn't sealed until you all sign the contract
 * __Russian Business Etiquette__**