Questions to experts
Legal experts answer your difficult questions about Russia. You are welcome to ask right now!
Q:Several years ago, my husband and I went on an unforgettable safari in Kenya. Today, Africa is very turbulent and we would not risk going there again. We asked ourselves where else we could see pristine nature and we thought of Russia. Does your coun
March 31, 2011 Elizabeth, Glasgow
A: Answer researched by Olga Senina
Summer
is the best time for travel in Russia, and the opportunities for ecotourism are
much greater than commonly thought, although accessing Russia’s most unique
ecological area requires some ...
Q:I would like to know whether I can travel in Russia without formal invitations and prepaid services.
March 15, 2011 Pietro Giannone (Italy)
A: Answer researched by Olga
Senina
This option is available to
citizens of countries that have signed a visa-free agreement with Russia, such
as Ukraine, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, according to Anton Alekseev, a lawyer at
Yakovlev ...
Q:I am an experienced chef who has sharpened his skills through long years of hard work. I have many credentials and certificates confirming my achievements. I plan to go and work in Russia soon. Can I work in Russia if I have no secondary education ce
February 11, 2011
A: Olga Senina
If you intend to work in Russia as a chef, there
shouldn’t be any problems, according to Natalya Abtseshko, an associate with the International
Projects Group at VEGAS LEX law firm. ...
Q:Does Russia have workplace safety and occupational health standards for workers and miners in mining industry regions?
December 7, 2010
A: Prepared by Natalya Fedotova
The legislation on workplace safety standard was introduced a relatively short time ago in Russia, on Jan. 1, 2010, said Kira Koruma, head of the litigation and ...
Q:Now that Russia has embraced the corporate governance principles promoted by the OECD, to what extent will they apply to the local reality? Will they serve Russian society well?
November 4, 2010
A: The Nov. 17 meeting of the OECD Public Governance Committee in Paris will look into Russia’s track record of compliance with the Organization’s principles, according to OECD Russia office advisor ...
Q:Does anyone know what Russia's visa policy will be for the Sochi Olympic Games?
October 14, 2010 Tom Davenport , US
A: If you want to visit the Sochi 2014 Olympics, do not worry about all the visa red tape: special regulations will be in effect during the Games, according to Dmitry ...
Q:President Dmitry Medvedev talks a lot about innovations and plans to build a Russian Silicon Valley. In this respect, what has changed in terms of inviting highly qualified specialists to Russia?
September 13, 2010 Jim Rash, UK
A: “Amendments to the law ‘On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russia’ took effect on July 1, 2010, and the amendments obviously facilitate entry into Russia for highly qualified ...
Q:I would like to know whether I can get Russian citizenship, given that my parents were Russians who emigrated to Argentina. I would also like to know what places are worth seeing, what some of the key values are, and where I can learn Russian. Thank
September 7, 2010 salomé siplis
A: by Natalya Fedotova
Having close relatives or parents who used to live in the USSR does not give you any advantage in applying for Russian citizenship. You will have to ...
Q:I am planning to visit my Russian friends on holiday. What are the things I absolutely have to know about day-to-day life in Russia that will help me avoid any misunderstandings?
August 25, 2010 Paul Kartavin, Amsterdam
A: By Anna Varenova and Vladislav Kuzmichev
Most Russians are very hospitable, but as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Every country has its own rules and attitudes ...
Q:Am I right in believing that Stalin has been getting more popular in Russia in recent years, with the effects seen not just in everyday life, but also in politics? What are the reasons behind this development?
May 12, 2010
A: The rise of Stalin’s popularity in today’s Russia is an illusion, says Mikhail Vinogradov, who heads the Petersburg Politics Foundation. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the state propaganda machine ...
Q:I’ve heard that corporate raiding is gaining momentum in Russia and that even personal ties with top officials offer little protection. Is there a way for someone to protect their business against bandit raids in Russia?
May 12, 2010
A: Hostile takeovers in whatever form, take place all over the world. The methods vary depending on the situation in a particular country, the level of bankruptcy legislation, as well as ...
Q:Dear Sirs,
we are doing serious business with India in the field of modular housing system. Coincidential we have been approached by reputated Indian Doctors for medical Nano technique who intent to establish two Nano-Tech facilities (one in
April 27, 2010 Dietrich Barnickel, Dresden, Germany
A: If you have any suggestions, ideas and projects related to the Innovation Center, please, send them to the following e-mail: idea@renova-group.ru
You can find more info here:
http://www.renova.ru/html_eng/
Q:Thank you in advance for your reply.
My question is: do you have Christian festival tomorrow? Or during April, And what's the name of it.
I don't want to miss the opportunity to send greeting card for my friend
Many thanks
March 27, 2010 Farid Dabousi, Syria Damascus
A: Christian festival, or Easter, will be celebrated next Sunday, on 4th April 2010. In Russian it is called "Paskha".
Q:I am accustomed to the rectangular grid plan of the majority of American cities. I move to Moscow to work. I’m told that here all the transport systems are based on “circles”. What are these circles, and what is it like to travel in this city of circ
March 26, 2010
A: Karina Zheguleva
Like some of the old cities of Europe (Paris, Vienna), Moscow has a so-called radial-circle structure, established earlier in its history. The main routes which spread out like rays ...
Q:When I was on a tourist trip in the Arabic world recently, we were not allowed to drink water from the tap. And what about Russia? Is it all right to drink water from the tap in our megacities, and how clean is the air here in buildings where busines
January 26, 2010
A: Karina Zheguleva, Russia Now:
In Russia’s greatest megacity, Moscow, it is possible to drink water from the tap. This is the authoritative statement made by Mosvodokanal, the state body that monitors ...
Q:We are a Danish company providing trade and consulting services. We would like to register a representative office in Russia. What is the procedure for doing so?
Thanks in advance.
Managing Director
MSc Roxanne Zigon
January 17, 2010 Roxanne Zigon, Denmark
A: Karina Zheguleva
“The entire procedure for opening a representative office of a foreign legal entity in Russia can be divided into two stages,” says Ksenia Kononova, a lawyer with Padva&Epshtein Legal ...
Q:I want to start a business in one of Russia’s large cities. Do I need to register the business, and if so how do I go about the process?
December 28, 2009
A: Karina Zheguleva, Russia Now:
If you decide to start a business in Russia, you have to register. “If you are serious about opening a business in Russia, you first have to ...
Q:I like attending national feasts in various countries. What is the Russian feast that gives you the best feel for Russian culture?
December 17, 2009
A: Karina Zheguleva, Russia Now:
The most vivid idea of the sweep and exuberance of Russian merry-making is probably conveyed by Maslenitsa (roughly equivalent to Shrovetide) at the end of winter. Maslenitsa ...
Q:I’ll be spending a couple of weeks in Moscow before Christmas. I’d like to bring along my wife and kids, aged 3 and 7. Where can we go to amuse our little ones? Isn’t the Moscow winter a bit too cold for them?
December 17, 2009
A: Olga Senina, Russia Now:
Don’t be afraid of the cold. You are not going to Chukotka or Yakutia where temperatures drop to -50 degrees centigrade in winter. Cold snaps when the ...
Q:What is the situation regarding genetically modified (GM) standards in Russia's food industry?
October 2, 2009
A: Olga Senina, Russia Now:
Growing genetically modified plants is banned in Russia, says Natalya Olefirenko, a co-ordinator of Greenpeace's GM campaign.The national food market could be seen as a "GM-free zone", ...
