The Moscow Times Turns 16

To mark its 16th anniversary celebration, The Moscow Times is preparing to print an English-language publication unique in the media market. “Russia for Beginners: A Foreigner’s Guide to Russia” is a book about Russians, written by foreigners with long experience living in Russia. This is a book about the Russia never written about in newspapers.

The authors are foreign top managers of major transnational companies in Russia, including HSBC Bank president Stuart Lawson, Alpha Bank’s director of strategic development Chris Whifer, MTS vice president Cynthia Gordon, Baker and McKenzie managing director Carol Patterson, television anchor and journalist Vladimir Pozner, and others.

The publication’s target audience is newly-arrived foreign managers who face a difficult period of adaptation to the Russian business culture. However, the book will be no less interesting for Russian readers who want to get a view of themselves through the eyes of foreigners, and who are interested in cross-cultural cooperation.

Russian Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina, who wrote the publication’s introduction, supports its goal of minimizing inter-cultural conflicts in the business community. “Russia for Beginners” fosters a positive image of Russia as a country that is open to international economic cooperation.

The book provides information on the rules of daily life in Russia, especially the Russian mentality and the way to do business here. Despite the serious themes the book touches on, the style of the presentation is informative yet easy to read, thanks to numerous real-life stories and amusing incidents from the lives of the expats profiled.

What information does The Moscow Times publication provide to its readers?

• The state, legal and bureaucratic aspects of doing business in Russia;
• Russian politics in the 21st century and its influence on business;
• Investment in Russia;
• Regional development in Russia;
• What makes Russians tick? The peculiarities of the Russian mentality.
• How to converse with Russians;
• Russians’ attitude toward foreigners;
• How to conduct negotiations in Russia;
• Managing teams of employees in Russian companies;
• Human resource management in Russia;
• Russians’ attitudes toward money;
• Women and business in Russia.

The book will be issued in a special decorative package making it an excellent gift for any business contact or colleague.