Business Etiquette in Russia

DOING BUSINESS IN RUSSIA
Russia, the largest country in the world, has a rich cultural identity that has been shaped and moulded by its distinguished history and vast geography. For those organisations wishing to develop a successful penetration strategy for the Russian business market or employees tasked with working in Russia, an understanding of Russian social and business culture is key to your success.
COMMON FACTS
Population. 143,782,338
Religions. Russian Ortodox, Muslim, other.
Government. Federation.
Language. 81 % of population speak official language. There are over 100 minority languages spoken ir Russia today, the most popular of which is Tartar.
Family. The Russian family is dependent upon all its members, most of families live in a small apartments, often 2 or 3 generations sharing little place.
Culture. Key concepts and values:
Collectivism - throughout its history, Russia has assumed a strong communal spirit that is still reflected in Russian business practices today. Russian collectivism dates back to the peasant farmers, who lived in agricultural villages known as 'mirs' or 'obschina' and worked together in an organised and self-managed community.
Egalitarianism – in Russian business terms, this equates to important strategies of equality, reciprocity and mutual advantage. Russians are very status conscious and believe in co-equals. A "deal" is often thought of from the perspective of equally shared benefit.
‘Dusha’ – the famous and mysterious Russian 'dusha' or 'soul' remains central to everyday Russian behaviour and as a result when building successful business relationships with Russians you will find that mutual liking and emotion will from a strong basis.
PERSONAL INTRODUCTIONS.
A handshake is the common form of greeting.
Business cards are widely used in Russia. If possible, ensure that one side is translated into Russian Cyrilic text.
Initially, business conversations are formal. But Russians like to get to know their business partners in much more informal context before signing deals.
Russian names consists of 3 parts: given name, father`s name and family name.…