Introduction to Russia

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 Factsand tatistics

O Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than a ninth of the Earth's
area. Russia is also the ninth most populous nation with 142 million people. It extends
across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning 9 time zones and
incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's
largest reserves of mineral and energy resources. It has the world's largest forest
reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's freshwater
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  orthern Asia, bordering Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km,
Estonia 294 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, orth Korea 19 km, Latvia 217 km, Lithuania
(Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,485 km, orway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
 Factsand tatistics
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 : Moscow

[
 
: 143,782,338 (July 2004 est.)

Ethnic Make-up:

Russians 79.8%, Tatars 3.8%, Ukrainians 2%,

Bashkir's 1.2%, Chuvash's 1.1%, Chechens
0.9%, Armenians 0.8%, other 10.4%


 Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other

 Factsand tatistics

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Of Russia's estimated 150m population, it is thought that over 81% speak the official language of
Russian as their first and only language. Most speakers of a minority language are also bilingual
speakers of Russian. There are over 100 minority languages spoken in Russia today, the most popular
of which is Tartar, spoken by more than 3% of the country's population. Other minority languages
include Ukrainian, Chuvash, Bashir, Mordvin and Chechen. Although few of these populations make up
even 1% of the Russian population, these languages are prominent in key regional areas.
 Factsand tatistics
Climate
Climate ranges from steppes in the south, through humid
continental in much of European Russia

Subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north.

Winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia.

Summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
 Factsand tatistics
Climate
Mountains in the south obstruct the flow of warm air masses from
the Indian Ocean, while the plain of the west and north makes the
country open to Arctic and Atlantic influences.
Most of Northern European Russia and Siberia has a subarctic
climate, with extremely severe winters in the inner regions of
Northeast Siberia (mostly the Sakha Republic, where the Northern
Pole of Cold is located with the record low temperature of
í68 °C/í90.4 °F).

The strip of land along the shore of the Arctic Ocean, as well as the
Russian Arctic islands, have a polar climate.

The coastal part of Krasnodar Krai on the Black Sea, most notably
in Sochi, possesses a humid subtropical climate with mild and wet
winters
 Culture differences
O Concept of time

Meetings and negotiations are slow.

Russians do not like being rushed
Russia is a moderate time culture and
traditionally schedules and deadlines are viewed
as flexible. However, the expectations of
intercultural and global expansion have caused
the Russians to adopt relatively strict standards
of adhering to schedules.
When working with people from Russia, it¶s
advisable to reinforce the importance of the agreed-
upon deadlines and how that may affect the rest of
the organization. Successful cross cultural
management will depend on the individual¶s ability to
meet deadlines. Russians often use time as a tactic,
especially if they know that you have a deadline.
 Culture differences
O Õork ethics
It is a good idea to include technical experts on your negotiating team.

Russian executives prefer to meet with people of similar rank and position.

Russians see negotiations as win-lose. They do not believe in win-win scenarios.

Russians view compromise as weakness. They will continue negotiating until you offer
concessions.

Expect a long period of socializing and getting-to-know-you conversation before business is

discussed.

Nothing is final until the contract is signed. Even then, Russians will modify a contract to suit
their purposes.

Do not use high-pressure tactics as they will work against you.

 Culture differences

O Relationships
O Although Russians value firmness and dignity, it is advisable to appear
approachable and friendly as well
O Most Russians do not trust people who are 'all businessǮ . Russians may lose
their temper, walk out of the meeting, or threaten to terminate the
relationship in an attempt to coerce you to change your position.

Meeting Etiquette
The typical greeting is a firm, almost bone-crushing
handshake while maintaining direct eye contact and
giving the appropriate greeting for the time of day.

Õhen men shake hands with women, the handshake is less firm.
Õhen female friends meet, they kiss on the cheek three times, starting with the
left and then alternating.
Õhen close male friends meet, they may pat each other on the back and hug
 Culture differences
O Gender Differences
O Russian men are more likely to exhibit an
internal locus of control and need for
challenge, while women are more likely to
exhibit an external locus of control and need
for affiliation.

O Age Differences
O Russians generally value and respect age, rank
and position as well as status and technical
expertise specially when it comes to business.
O The most senior person reaches decisions.
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O By the 18th century, the nation had greatly
expanded through conquest, annexation, and
exploration to become the Russian Empire,
which was the third largest empire in history,
stretching from Poland in Europe to Alaska in
orth America.
O Russia established worldwide power and
influence from the times of the Russian Empire
to being the largest and leading constituent of
the Soviet Union, the world's first
constitutionally socialist state and a recognized
superpower, that played a decisive role in the
victory in Õorld Õar II
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O The Russian family is dependent upon all its
members.
Most families live in small apartments, often
with 2 or 3 generations sharing little space.
Most families are small, often with only one
child because most women must also work 
[
outside of the house in addition to bearing
Russians are proud of their country.
sole responsibility for household and Patriotic songs and poems extol the
childrearing chores. virtues of their homeland.
They accept that their lives are difficult
and pride themselves on being able to
flourish in conditions that others could
not.
They take great pride in their cultural
heritage and expect the rest of the
world to admire it.
 amingmnventins

O Russian names are comprised of:

First name, which is the person's given name.

O Middle name, which is a patronymic or a version of the father's first

name formed by adding '- vich' or '-ovich' for a male and '-avna' or '-
ovna' for a female. The son of Ivan would have a patronymic of
Ivanovich while the daughter's patronymic would be Ivanovna.

O Last name, which is the family or surname. In formal situations,

people use all three names. Friends and close acquaintances may
refer to each other by their first name and patronymic. Close friends
and family members call each other by their first name only.
 iftivingtiquette

O Gift giving using takes place between family and close friends on
birthdays, ew Year, and Orthodox Christmas.

O If you are invited to a Russian home for a meal, bring a small gift.
Male guests are expected to bring flowers.

O Do not give yellow flowers.

O Do not give a baby gift until after the baby is born. It is bad luck to do
so sooner.

O Russians often protest when they are offered a gift. Reply that it is a
little something and offer the gift again and it will generally be
accepted.
 åiningtiquette

O
If you are invited to a Russian's house:

O Arrive on time or no more than 15 minutes later than invited.

O Remove your outdoor shoes. You may be given slippers to wear.

O Dress in clothes you might wear to the office. Dressing well shows respect
for your hosts.

O Expect to be treated with honour and respect.

Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served. This may be
turned down out of politeness. Asking 'are you sure?' allows the hostess to accept your offer.
 ablemanners

O
Table manners are generally casual and continental.

The oldest or most honored guest is served first.

You will often be urged to take second helpings.

Men pour drinks for women seated next to them.

Leaving a small amount of food on your plate indicates that your hosts have
provided ample hospitality.

Do not get up until you are invited to leave the table. At formal dinners, the
guest of honor is the first to get up from the table.
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