Cultural Do’s and Don’ts of Traveling and Doing Business in Russia
Do’s:
Greetings and Conversation:
Greet Strangers with a Handshake: When meeting someone for the first time, a firm handshake is the common greeting. Direct eye contact should be kept (Cultural Atlas).
Be Aware of Common Greeting Phrases: Some formal greetings include “dobroe utro” (good morning), “dobrey den” (good afternoon), and “dobriy vecher” (good evening) (Cultural Atlas).
In Less Formal Settings, Adjust Your Greeting: The more informal greeting is “privet” (hi). Women will often kiss one another on their cheeks three times, typically starting with the left. Men may greet their friends with an embrace and pat on the back (Cultural Atlas).
Call Others by Their First Name: It is common to address people by their first name in Russia, however, if they are older or of higher status, you should also include their middle name as a sign of respect (Cultural Atlas).
Consider Using the Following Conversation Topics: Peace, current changes occurring in Russia, and the current economic situation. It is also a good idea to ask about someone’s children if you know they have them because many Russians tend to be very proud of their children. If you have a closer relationship with your family, this is also worth bringing up to show that you share their value for family (UT Dallas).
Understand Some Naming Etiquette: Russians’ middle names are created by taking their father’s name and adding the appropriate masculine or feminine ending depending on the gender of the child. This means the child is a “son of” or “daughter of” their father. Female names generally end with an “a”, and when they marry, most women will adopt their husband’s last name (Cultural Atlas).
When Offering Advice or Assistance be Direct: Not being explicit with your intentions might imply that you were only suggesting something, and your advice or offer of help might be ignored instead (Cultural Atlas).
Expect Direct Communication: Russians are generally very to-the-point and concise with their speaking and do not tend to hesitate when offering honest criticism. Humor is often direct as well, and tends to be sarcastic, self-deprecating, and may include what a Westerner might consider inappropriate or politically incorrect jokes (Cultural Atlas).
Be Aware that Casually Touching One Another in Conversation Shows Confidence in the Relationship: Feeling comfortable to reach out and touch someone while speaking means that the individual feels confident in the state of the relationship. Therefore, it is also best to not pull back from this contact when it occurs (Cultural Atlas).
Understand When Affection Is Appropriate: Friends might hug or kiss one another on the cheek, but other forms of physical touch is limited. Physical affection can be openly expressed between a romantic couple of opposite genders, though (Cultural Atlas).
Social and Home Visits:
When Visiting Someone’s Home, Wear Nice-Casual Dress:For instance, for men a nice pair of pants and a nice shirt without a tie is recommended. Women will commonly wear a dress or blouse with nice pants or a skirt (UT Dallas).
Be Aware that Social Events Are More Relaxed: For example, it is acceptable for guests to be 15-30 minutes late to these events (UT Dallas).
When Visiting Someone’s Home for Dinner, Bring a Gift: Appropriate gifts include wine, dessert, or flowers for women, and liquor for men (UT Dallas).
When Entering Someone’s Home, Offer to Remove Your Coat and Shoes: This is polite to offer, and they might even give you a pair of slippers to wear while you visit (Cultural Atlas).
Expect an Offering of Food or Drink: You should accept this offer out of politeness. The drinks of choice are generally coffee or tea, and if you are present around a meal time, it is likely you will be invited to join them for the meal. If given the opportunity, you should return this hospitality to your hosts by inviting them to your own residence (Cultural Atlas).
Offer to Stay and Help Clean Up After a Meal: This is considered polite and a way to thank your hosts’ hospitality (Cultural Atlas).
Business Etiquette:
Establish Personal Business Partners and Relationships: This will be key for negotiating large projects and long-term relationships. Offers of money, gifts and other items can also help (International Trade Administration)(UT Dallas).
Be Patient When Organizing Business Meetings: It can take weeks to make contact and then additional time for confirming a date and location. Also, you should try and factor in bad traffic into any schedule. Also be aware that meetings and appointments might be canceled last minute (International Trade Administration)(Cultural Atlas).
Properly Translate All Business Documents and Communication: Many Russians prefer doing business in Russian. Having a professional translator or translation company for meetings and documents is critical to ensure correct meanings are being conveyed (International Trade Administration).
Be on Time for All Business Meetings and Appointments: It is expected that the foreigner be on time, however the locals you are meeting may arrive later, and this could be intentional to test your patience as a potential business partner. Do not get upset, and also do not be surprised if meetings run late or start late (UT Dallas)(Cultural Atlas).
Allow for Some Casual Social Conversation Before a Meeting Commences: It is standard to allow plenty of time for socialization before a meeting’s primary business begins (Cultural Atlas).
Be Aware that Compromise Is Not Always Seen Positively: For some Russians, compromise is a sign of weakness, so they will try to avoid this during negotiation. When making modifications to a deal they might ask for significant concessions from the other party while only offering small modifications they were already willing t0 offer (UT Dallas)(Cultural Atlas).
Be Aware of Negotiating Habits of Russians: Russians are often very emotional during negotiation, and outbursts of anger or walkouts are common. Russian negotiators act as a unified force, with one person typically holding authority. It is also important to note that “final offers” are generally not the end of negotiation, and it is often beneficial to hold out for a little while longer to get a more beneficial deal (UT Dallas)(Cultural Atlas).
After a Meeting, Consider Sending a Follow-Up Email: This is to summarize what took place in the meeting as you interpreted it to occur and to clarify details (Cultural Atlas).
Understand that Russian Business Generally Operates Under a Strong Hierarchy: Power structure and status is very important in business, and their traditions relating to this hierarchy should be respected. Complying to speaking order etiquette and seating arrangements will help to increase comfort for Russians. That being said, it is best to address them as a group rather than as individuals (Cultural Atlas).
Be Aware of Some Etiquette Related to Drinking Alcohol: Men should serve drinks to the women seated beside them, but it is impolite to pour wine backhanded. Furthermore, expect that any opened bottles of alcohol will be finished before the meal ends (Cultural Atlas).
Leave Some Food on Your Plate when Done Eating: This signifies to your host that you had plenty to eat (Cultural Atlas).
General Information:
Dress or Pack Warmly: The need for winter clothes is not uncommon October through late May, and temperatures can drop to -20 degrees Fahrenheit in places. Temperatures in the teens are more common though (International Trade Administration).
Learn Some Russian if Possible: English is not as common of a second language to easily find as in other countries, so to get by in day-to-day activities, it is advised that you learn some basic Russian and have a translator app available (International Trade Administration).
Understand the Importance of Family: Family is the most important facet of life for many Russians. They rely heavily on one another, particularly within the immediate family, and there is an expectation that family members support and help one another. It is not uncommon for multiple generations to live together both for this reason and out of financial need (Cultural Atlas).
Respect the Elderly: Elders are highly regarded in Russian society, with them often holding the highest position within the household. It is also fairly common for grandparents to help a great deal in raising their grandchildren. It is generally expected that their children will help to care for them in their old age (Cultural Atlas).
Give Up or Offer Your Seat to Elders and Pregnant Women: This is considered polite and respectful, and might also be be extended to mothers with small children (Cultural Atlas).
Be Aware that Russians Will Often Refuse to Accept a Gift at First: This is done out of politeness. You should persist in offering them the gift, though, because after their initial protest, they will generally accept the present (Cultural Atlas).
Try and Fulfill Requests for Favors from Others: By completing a favor for someone, you are proving to them that they can trust you. It is also likely they will return a favor for you in the future (Cultural Atlas).
Consider Giving Flowers for Many Russian Special Occasions: For dates, a child ‘s first day of school, and as a gift to a host/hostess, flowers are a popular present. Try and ensure there are an uneven amount of flowers, though (other than for funerals), and understand that the bigger the bouquet, the better the gesture (Cultural Atlas).
Image taken from Vientamnews.vn
Gender Considerations:
For Women in Business, Feel Free to Wear Dresses, Skirts, Suits, or Pants: Business women usually wear well-tailored, dark suits with good dress shoes. It is often better to wear skirts and dress conservatively without overly flashy colors (International Trade Administration)(UT Dallas).
Women Should Cover their Heads when Entering any Russian Orthodox Church: (UT Dallas)
For Men, Dress Well in Professional Settings:How the businessman dresses plays a lot into his professional image. Men also do not generally take off their jackets in business negotiations (UT Dallas).
Be Aware of Some Persistent Gender Roles: Although communist Russia did much to decrease the rights gap between genders, since its fall, some gender roles have resurfaced. Women have equal rights in the workplace and in education, however, the idea of women handling domestic duties has continued regardless if they have a job. Men dominate social and political circles. Women are also expected to be feminine and well-groomed, while for men being too well-kept in their appearance might cause people to question their masculinity and sexuality (Cultural Atlas).
In Dating Situations, Expect the Male to Try and Impress the Female: Dating is more formal, and generally with the intention being marriage. Women are generally aloof and it is common practice for the male to have to impress her through romantic gestures (Cultural Atlas).
Understand the General Expectation of Being in a Relationship, Especially for Women: It is viewed somewhat unfavorably to be single for extended periods of time. Legal marriage is generally preferred over casually living together, however divorce is very common. For women to be unmarried in their later years causes their social status to drop significantly regardless of other facets such as wealth or their job title (Cultural Atlas).
Be Aware of Expectations of Chivalry for Men: Men should do things such as pay for a woman’s food, hold the door for women, and help them carry objects (Cultural Atlas).
Avoid Smiling too Often: Smiling at strangers is not expected, and smiling too often can imply that someone is unintelligent (Cultural Atlas).
Avoid Talking Loudly: This is considered rude, and Russians are generally more reserved and somber (UT Dallas).
Don’t Greet Someone in a Doorway or Other Threshold: This is rude and can imply the individual is not welcome inside. There is also a superstition around it that greeting someone in this way will result in arguing with them (Cultural Atlas).
Never Refer to Someone by Only Their Middle Name: In formal settings the middle name is used, however it must always be paired with the individual’s first name. In the past calling someone by their middle name was calling them inferior because servants were addressed this way. Friends might still do this as a joke, but it is best to avoid as a foreigner to avoid causing offense (Cultural Atlas).
Don’t Use Titles such as “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, or “Ms.”: These titles are not used in Russia, instead the use of middle names is preferred (Cultural Atlas).
Never use Someone’s Surname to Their Face: Surnames are primarily reserved for formal documentation or when discussing the individual with someone else to clarify who you are talking about (Cultural Atlas).
Don’t Call Someone by a Nickname Unless Given Permission: Using a nickname overly soon may seem condescending or overly familiar. Russians prefer more formality when first getting to know someone, so it is best to wait before addressing someone this casually (Cultural Atlas).
Avoid Publicly Criticizing Someone: If you need to point out a mistake, it is best to do it directly with the individual, and if possible, while the issue is still occurring so they can correct it. It is best to offer your help in fixing the mistake, if applicable (Cultural Atlas).
Avoid Expressing Judgement Towards Others: Russians have a general distrust towards their government’s ability to help the current socioeconomic situation and are very understanding of the burdens it places on their fellow citizens. They are much more empathetic towards those who have made questionable decisions because they tend to hold the situation more at fault than the individual. It is best to keep judgements to yourself (Cultural Atlas).
Conversation Topics to Avoid Include the Following: The government and current president of Russia, politics, failures of the past relating to the Soviet Union, criticism towards communism and Soviet achievements, jokes about Russian men being drunks and women being mail-order brides, past wars, and generally, try and avoid coming across as patronizing or condescending (Cultural Atlas).
Do Not be Put Off by Casual Swearing: In casual settings, swearing is rather common, so try to avoid taking offense (Cultural Atlas).
Social and Home Visits:
When Offering a Gift to Your Host, Never Give a Yellow Gift: Avoid giving something yellow to a friend, host, or romantic interest because the color yellow is said to imply disloyalty. Blue is a good color of gift to give to a friend instead (Cultural Atlas).
Business Etiquette:
Avoid Involving Government-Related Institutions with Commercial Activity: Although not necessarily illegal in the United States, involvement by business people with government-related institutions such as military-industrial complexes, research institutes, production facilities, and other high tech areas can result in investigations and potential charges of espionage (International Trade Administration).
Do Not Attempt to Complete Business on an Incorrect Visa:Visas are given for specific purposes, so do not attempt to perform business on a tourist visa or you could risk being detained or deported (International Trade Administration).
Do Not Expect Meetings or Appointments to End on Time: Although generally arriving on time, Russians do not necessarily view time-keeping overly strictly, so it is common for things to run longer than what was stated and deadlines to not be rigorously observed (Cultural Atlas).
Try Not to Be Offended by Interruptions: Throughout meetings it is common for people to speak up with different ideas or to go off on different conversation tangents. Try to stay patient and wait for the conversation to move back to the main subject at hand (Cultural Atlas).
Do Not Over-Emphasize a Strategic Advantage: If you have a known advantage in negotiations, do not abuse this power or reiterate it too often. This can come across as condescending and hurt their pride and their attitude towards working with you (Cultural Atlas).
Avoid Introducing New Ideas or Changes During Negotiation: This may slow the negotiation process as your Russian counterparts may need to receive approval from their superiors before agreeing (Cultural Atlas).
Don’t Over-Rely on High-Pressure Negotiation Strategies: Russians can be very stubborn with negotiation. However, because they do not like to compromise, applying high-pressure strategies might simply make them walk away from the deal (Cultural Atlas).
Dining:
Do Not Wear Athletic Shoes into a Restaurant or Bar: This is viewed to be too informal, and you might even be rejected service (Cultural Atlas).
Never Drink or Eat During a Toast: Russians often give toasts over meals, and they can be quite elaborate or long. You should wait to eat or drink until after the toast is completed and remain attentive throughout its duration (Cultural Atlas).
Don’t Refuse or Forget to Drink to a Toast: This is viewed as very impolite and implies that you do not like the one who gave the toast or that you disagree with them. You should also “clink” glasses with others when the toast is concluded (Cultural Atlas).
General Information:
Don’t Drop Your Guard when Out in Public: Especially when alone in a city, one should always be alert for their surroundings and belongings. Avoid keeping valuable belongings in easy to reach or see locations. Furthermore, when drinking alcohol be aware of the potential for attempted drugging and robbery (International Trade Administration).
Don’t Use Unauthorized Travel Services: It is generally safer to travel in groups, especially if these groups were arranged by a trusted travel agency. Avoid taking unmarked or unofficial taxi services as these can sometimes be a means for robbery or kidnapping. Online ride-sharing apps such as Uber, Yandex Taxi, or GettTaxi are commonly used in major cities though (International Trade Administration).
Avoid Being Publicly Intoxicated: Public drunkenness can actually get someone arrested in addition to simply being viewed as poor manners. Furthermore, contradicting many stereotypes, drunkenness is not viewed positively in Russian culture (Cultural Atlas).
Don’t Pay for Local Goods or Services in Anything but the Russian Ruble: It is illegal to use any other foreign currency. Russians primarily use cash, so it is advised to carry plenty of cash on you for foreseeable expenses, but credit cards have grown in acceptance in larger establishments (International Trade Administration).
Do Not Show the Soles of Your Feet: This is considered impolite and feet are considered dirty. Feet should also not come in contact with any type of public seating (like on a bus or the subway) (UT Dallas).
Don’t Spread Your Legs when Sitting: This is considered inconsiderate (Cultural Atlas).
Don’t Expect People to Adhere to Strict Etiquette when Waiting: Russians are more apt to approach waiting in line more casually, with things such as spot-saving fairly common. They also might not wait for those on public transportation to exit before entering, and getting pushed along in a crowd is not to be unexpected (Cultural Atlas).
Avoid Carnations when Giving People Flowers: Carnations are associated with the Soviet Union’s holidays and funerals, so they should not be given for happy occasions (Cultural Atlas).
Don’t Make Certain Gestures or Risk Causing Offense: The “okay” hand signal common in many Western countries is considered vulgar. Making a fist with the thumb sticking out from between the pointer and middle finger is also an obscene gesture. Resting the hand or wrist on the opposite arm’s inner elbow and gesturing upward with a closed fist is also a vulgar and rude gesture that should be avoided (Cultural Atlas).
Gender Considerations:
For Men, Do Not Appear Overly Emotional or Friendly: Although more prevalent when encountering strangers, men are generally not as expressive as women. Being overly friendly immediately (such as smiling a lot) might hinder people’s perception of your intelligence. With greater familiarity with others, men do become more open and expressive though (Cultural Atlas).
If Part of the LGBTQ+ Community, One Should Avoid Open Displays of Their Preferences: This is intended more as a safety measure as there is widespread animosity towards the community in the form of threats, harassment, and violence (International Trade Administration)(Cultural Atlas).
