RussiaKevin Patterson

Country Information Population:141,837,976 Religion: mix of Russian Orthodox,

Muslim, and Buddhism Russia is the largest country in the

world Russia’s land is 1/7th of theWorlds land Russia covers 8 time zones

Other Information The origin of the flag is said to have come from Peter the Great. Russian currency is the Russian Ruble and is .0306 of a U.S.

dollar Russia’s flag has 3 sections The sections are white, blue, and red Russia’s flag is similar to Norway's

Things to know before traveling Due to civil and political unrest, the U.S. advises

you not to go to North Russia There are still bombing and terrorist acts in North

Russia The U.S. advises you not to drive at night and

Russia has a zero-tolerance for alcohol The U.S. embassy has had reports on attacks on

U.S. citizens by “skinheads” or other extremist While visiting Russia, be alert to your

surroundings, take the same precautions against assault, robbery, or pickpockets that you would take in any large U.S. city

A Few Words Hello-привет Goodbye-до свидания Thank You-спасибо Where is the bathroom?-Где находится туалет?

I don’t know-я не знаю

Making Appointments Make your appointments far in advance and do

everything you can to avoid cancelation Don’t attempt to schedule your trip to Russia at the

end of July or during the month of August, when that is the time families are taking vacations

The Russian day begins early but it is difficult to foresee daily activities due to constant last minute changes.

Allow time for each appointment, not only may the appointment start late, but they might last longer than planned

Business hours are generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Business Dress Russian proverb-"they meet you depending on

how you're dressed and they say good bye depending on how wise you seem.“

Russian families spend more money on their clothing than any families in the nation

Those who can’t afford the name brands prefer to dress in the cheaper but well made clothing, than the fake products throughout the country

If you’re a man your best bet will be to wear a suit or tie, but not the same one everyday

Jeans and sneakers can be accepted casual wear

Topics of ConversationGOOD BAD

Politics Challenges of living in

Russia History Children Feelings and hopes for

the future World War II

Personal Questions Compliments Art (if you don’t know

the Russian artists) Holocaust Czar and monarchy religion

Addressing Others Only close friends address each other

with the first name Addressing yourself with your family

name is acceptable Learn titles of everyone you meet Refer to new people with a Mr. or Mrs. Russians use date of birth to

differentiate between people with the same names

Acceptable Behavior Eye contact is important Smoking in public place is still a

common occurrence The “thumbs up” is generally a good

gesture Wearing your coat and winter boats in

public places such as the office and theater is unacceptable

It’s insulting to point at someone with your forefinger

Gift Giving Russians take pleasure in giving and

receiving gifts Cheaper gifts do not have to be

wrapped but expensive ones should Gifts for children are opened in

private while adult gifts are opened in public

When invited to a Russian home bring a dessert gift

Flowers for women are a good idea

Negotiating Your business card should have a Russian

side with the degrees you earned in college Have a contact outside of the negotiation

who is an expert in Russian law While you conduct your presentation in

English, any promotional items should be in Russian

Russians few compromises as a sign of weakness

Praising and rewarding someone in public is viewed with only suspicion

Entertaining Business breakfast is not popular,

instead business dining is becoming popular

The business dinner is usually the time for “sealing the deal”

The center seats are reserved for the more senior officials

Don’t begin eating until after the toast

Your hands are expected to stay visible through the whole meal

Dining Chilled soups based on kvass Kholodets- large boiled meat in soup

Bilini- pancakes usually eaten on festivals

Medovukha- sweet, low-alcoholic drink

Pirozhki- stuffed pies

Conclusion Russians will expect you to be on

time There are certain subjects you should

never talk about Always book your appointments

ahead of time and try not to cancel Always use Mr. or Mrs. until you know

the title of the person Know where your going, Russia is the

largest country