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Russia Etiquette
  

Business

  • Businessmen should wear dark suits and nice shoes.
  • Men often do not remove their jackets during negotiations.
  • Women should dress conservatively. Skirts should be worn rather than pants. Avoid flashy or gaudy jewelry and clothing.
  • You are expected to be on time to all business appointments. However, your hosts may wish to test your patience, and will not arrive for an hour or two after the meeting was supposed to start. Be sure not to show anger or disapproval at this tardiness; patience is a very important virtue.
  • Business negotiations will often take a very long time.
  • Some Russians will view compromise as a sign of weakness and will refuse to change their requests.
  • When meeting someone, be sure to remove your gloves as it is very rude to shake hands with gloves on.
  • Do not stand with your hands in your pockets; it is considered rude.
  • Be sure to have plenty of business cards with English on one side and Russian on the other.

Dining

  • When eating at a family’s home, it is acceptable to wear casual pants and a nice shirt without a tie.
  • Social events are very relaxed and it is acceptable to be fashionably late.
  • Loud, boisterous behavior is considered rude in any situation.
  • Refusing to take a drink or a toast is considered offensive.

Gift Giving

  • Gift giving is the norm when visiting somebody’s home. A gift of wine, flowers, or chocolate is acceptable.
  • It is acceptable to give gifts to business contacts, and is sometimes necessary.

Greetings

  • Handshakes are the acceptable greeting. Make sure to remove gloves.

Pelmeni

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup water

Filling:

• ¾ lb ground beef

• ½ lb ground pork

• 2 medium onions, finely chopped

• ¼ cup crushed ice

• Salt and ground pepper, to taste

• Salt, for cooking pelmeni

• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, blend the flour with the salt.

2. With the motor still running, add the egg through the feed tube. Then add the water in a slow, steady stream, until the dough forms a ball around the blade.

3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Cover with a cotton cloth and let stand for 30 minutes.

4. Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until they are thoroughly mixed.

5. Divide the dough in half and shape into two balls. Keep one covered with the cloth while working with the other.

6. On the floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a very thin sheet, about 1/16th inch thick, making sure it doesn’t tear. With a round cookie cutter, cut out circles about 2 inches in diameter. Gather scraps together into a ball and set aside, covered.

7. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil over high heat.

8. Set a bowl of the beaten egg white near you.

9. Place a teaspoon of the filling toward the bottom of one circle. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling to form a semi-circle. Brush the edges with the egg white and press the edges firmly together with the tines of a fork to seal.

10. Boil the one dumpling for 10 minutes to taste the filling for seasoning.

11. Fill and shape the remaining rounds, arranging the dumplings as they are made on a lightly floured baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

12. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer until they are completely frozen. When frozen, transfer to a plastic bag.

13. To cook, bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Drop in pelmeni and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, until they rise to the surface and are cooked through. Serve in a large bowl.