5.

Living in Russia may initially appear scary, but this beautiful nation can provide expats with a
really unforgettable life experience.

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world, spanning nine time zones and a
territory that is over twice the size of the United States. There are roughly 142 million people
living there.

Russian museums, buildings, and monuments all reflect the country's rich historical and cultural
heritage. The pristine environment also gives foreigners the chance to take advantage of such
natural beauties as Lake Baikal and the stunning mountains, deserts, rivers, and forests.

Brushing up on these topics beforehand could help you fit in since Russians are incredibly proud
of their rich cultural heritage and, when living in Russia, you may be invited to discuss their best
artists, classical musicians, and authors even in business scenarios.

In fact, families frequently go out together because children are welcomed practically
everywhere in Russia. Children will enjoy riding their bikes or sledges outside on a warm
summer day or a chilly winter weekend, taking in the melting snow puddles in the spring and the
changing leaves in the changing seasons.

The city can appear to be relatively peaceful and child-free during the summer months because
many expat families decide to take extended summer vacations back home.

Russia is commonly referred to as the most expensive country in Europe to live in, and many
analysts predict that this will continue to be the case for a good number of years to come.

For the third year in a row, Moscow was ranked as the fourth most expensive city in the world
for expats in the Mercer cost of living survey from 2012. As the 28th most expensive city in the
world, St. Petersburg moved up one spot in the rankings.

However, if they give up some of the comforts they associate with home and embrace a more
local way of living, expats may find that life in Russia is within their means. While housing costs
here can be extremely high, other expenses include groceries and public transportation and petrol
can be attained easily.
6. Fortunately for expats, the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2016-
2017 places Russia's education system, which is among the best in the world, at number 43.
Additionally, the nation's adult literacy rate, which is the fourth-highest in Europe, was 99.73%
in 2018.

The best prospects in Russia are for senior managers and entry-level foreign workers. When
Russians who study abroad come home, they are still Russians in heart and most usually lack any
prior professional experience.

Recent grads from the United States and Europe approach problems differently than young
Russians do. When networking and applying for jobs, it would be beneficial to concentrate on
your particular method of problem-solving.

Entry-level foreigners frequently accept lesser pay, making them more marketable.

Middle managers frequently lack the local expertise required to perform well in a Russian work
environment. Since all of your daily interactions in these positions will be in Russian, it doesn't
make much sense to hire an expat.

That is not to suggest that if you have experience, it is impossible to find work in Russia. Simply
said, it will be harder, and you'll have to make big compensation concessions.

Senior managers, on the other hand, are not as in demand as they were before to 2014, when the
ruble plummeted, and their hiring has become considerably more expensive. Nevertheless, there
are still openings in Russia for senior managers with specialized skill sets. You might need to
make a pay concession.

7. The government or individuals with close ties to government leaders own the bulk of TV
channels and stations. As a result, the government entirely controls the majority of television
programs, which has an impact on what residents can watch without restriction.

The opportunity for Russia to develop a high-tech economy is ideal, but bureaucracy is impeding
all efforts. Things move slowly. However, this hasn't prevented others from trying; in recent
years, high-tech neighborhoods and parks have been created.
These regions contain technologically advanced towns and educational institutions that
concentrate on developing additional cutting-edge initiatives to enhance the quality of life for
locals.

Unfortunately, imports of hardware and software are how the majority of the Russian IT business
operates.

8. The fact that the world's greatest nation is highly centralized—80% of all financial potential is
concentrated in Moscow, where two-thirds of all foreign investments are made—underscores
this.

Status symbols are very important because of the enormous gap between the powerful and the
less powerful. In all company encounters, whether through visits, negotiations, or collaboration,
behavior must reflect and portray the status roles. The strategy should be top-down and give
clear instructions for every assignment.

On closer inspection, one may discover that Russians tend to downplay their individual
accomplishments, contributions, and capacities both at work and while interacting with others.

Scientists, researchers, and doctors are frequently expected to live on a very low level of living,
and they talk humbly about themselves. Although domineering behavior may be tolerated from
the boss, peers do not value it.

The situation in Russia is getting worse, according to the World Economic Forum's (WEF)
ranking of the Global Gender Gap Index. For instance, Russia dropped from 75th to 81st place in
2020.

Russia was placed 122nd out of 190 in 2019 and subsequently dropped to 116th out of 187 in
2020, according to the World Bank Group project "Women, Business, and the Law," which
gathered data on the laws and regulations that limit women's economic possibilities.

The Russian Federal State Statistics Service, estimates that 78.8 million women, or 54% of the
population, reside there. Compared to men, women are less involved in the economy. For
instance, in 2019 there were 70.6% more males than women employed, with 55.4% of women
working.

The gender pay gap is one of the issues women encounter when trying to develop in their
careers. With the same degree of skill, women make 28% less money than males.