Russia has a long and turbulent history spanning from ancient Kievan Rus to the current Russian Federation. The country has over 100 ethnic groups and spans 11 time zones across Europe and Asia. While Russian is the official language, many other languages are spoken in the regions. Currently, Russia faces economic challenges from low oil prices and international sanctions. However, the culture remains steeped in traditions like the Russian Orthodox Church, classical literature and art, folk tales, and cuisine like borscht and pelmeni. Business customs are formal and etiquette focuses on punctuality and relationship building. Education also remains highly valued with a literacy rate of 98%.

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INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT
PROJECT REPORT
Sabina Ashurova
AUGUST 1, 2016
FBLA BAA SERVICE ACTIVITY 1

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Table of Contents
Report
History…………………………………………………………………….3-4
Facts………………………………………………………………………....5
Geography & Wildlife……………………………………………………5-6
Politics………………………………………………………………………6
Economy……………………………………………………………….….6-7
Culture……………………………………………………………….…....7-9
Business Customs……………………………………………………………9
Cuisine……………………………………………………………………...10
Travel………………………………………………………………………11
Education…………………………………………………………….…11-12
How Russia Can Benefit from FBLA…………………………………..12-13
Social Media……………………………………………………………13-14
New Project Propositions …………………………………………………14
Recruitment Idea…………………………………………………………..15
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………..24
Appendices
Appendix A: Itinerary………………………………………………….16-17
Appendix B: Budget……………………………………………………….18
Appendix C: Budget Graphics…………………………………………….18
Appendix D: Presentation Outline………………………………………...19
Appendix E: Brochure Inside……………………………………………...20
Appendix F: Brochure Outside…………………………………………….21
Appendix G: Ten Recruitment Ideas………………………………………22
Appendix H: Map of Moscow……………………………………………..23

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History
Russia has a very rich history. Ancient Russia was a collection of cities, which then
formed into what was known as Kievan Rus’. During this time period, Russia experienced
influence from the Mongols, who brought in a wide variety of new factors such as new styles of
dress, foods, and types of entertainment. The Orthodox Church as established in Moscow in the
14th century, making Moscow the spiritual capital of Russia. The Romanov dynasty began in
1613 and came to an end in 1825 with Peter the Great. He banned Muscotive dress for all men,
introduced military conscription, established technical schools, replaced the church patriarchy
with a holy synod answerable to himself, and changed the calendar. However, many of Peter’s
reforms failed to take root in Russia. It was until Catherine the Great that his ideas were
implemented. Not only did she continue Peter the Great’s reforms, she also increased central
control over Russia’s provinces. It was her contributions that increased the state of distress of
peasantry in Russia. Besides the Mongols, Russia experienced invasions from Napoleon, who
failed in reaching his goal of taking over Russia. He chose the wrong time to invade Russia. His
tiring journey ended in the winter because no one was prepared and brought winter clothes.
Many of his men were killed on the journey back to France as a result of the freezing
temperatures. Russia has also experiences a large amount of revolutions, beginning with the
Japanese revolutions and the Russian Revolution. During the Russian Revolution, Russia was
forced to drop out of World War 1. The tsar was overthrown during a coup led by the Bolshevik
party, which was commanded by Vladimir Lenin. He implemented NEP or the New Economic
Policy, which was supposed to help the country recover from the destruction of the previous

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years of war. It brought about a period of prosperity, letting the Soviet government consolidate
its political position and rebuild the infrastructure of the country. When Lenin died in 1924,
Joseph Stalin took the lead as dictator. He forbade the practice of religion. This led to the
destruction of churches, which were sometimes converted to facilities for other uses. Art and
literature were placed under much tighter control, and the radical energy of the Russian Avant-
Garde was replaced by the solemn grandeur of Soviet realism. When World War II began,
Russia was unprepared for the conflict ahead. Industrialization was no where in sight and the
need for converting from civil to military production seemed impossible. Despite an
overwhelming disadvantage in numbers and inferior weaponry, the Russian army succeeded in
holding out against the enormous German army when Hitler invaded. Hitler, just like Napoleon,
chose the wrong season to invade Russia in. He made the same mistakes in not being prepared to
take on the cold, Russian winters. Due to this, Germany was forced to draw back its forces and
head out of Russia. Once World War II ended, the Cold War began. More and more resources
were being used towards military projects, and the government had little to no concern of
improving the quality of life after World War II. Following this period, Russia experienced a
great amount of reformation through leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1991, the Soviet
Union collapsed, and Russia converted from communism to capitalism. The turbulent and
powerful past makes Russian culture even more complex as the government still maintains
concepts from imperialism, communism and capitalism. The great paradox of Russia’s
impressive gains make Russia the historically-rich country that it is today (A Brief)

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Facts
The official language is Russian, but there are several other languages used all across the
country. The currency is called the ruble. One US dollar is equal to 64 Russian rubles. Moscow
is the capital and withholds the official residence of the president, which is called the Kremlin.
Russia is currently the prime residence for over 142,470,272 people. It has some of the world’s
most famous ballet companies, such as the Bolshoi and Mariinsky ballet company. Russia is also
bigger than Pluto. On Saturdays, Subbotnik occurs, which is when residents of Russian cities
volunteer to sweep the streets. It was more popular during the days of the revolution, but many
people today still do this. The Russian Federation has over 100 different ethnic groups (Russia)
Geography & Wildlife
Russia is a very diverse country that is located in Eurasia. It spans 11 time zones across
two continents. It is divided by the Ural Mountains. In terms of area, it is the largest country in
the world and is mainly made up of Siberia. To the East, you will find the USA and Japan. To
the West, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are located. To the South, you will find
Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. Russia has nearly 100,000 rivers. Lake Baikal is the
largest freshwater lake in the world, storing 20% of the Earth’s freshwater. Russia’s Volga River
is the longest river in Europe, with a length of 2,293 miles. Russia is home to over 40 national
parks and 100 wildlife reserves. It also has the world’s largest area of forests. However, as a
result of unregulated pollution, the country’s places of wilderness have not been taken care of

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like they should have been. Much of Russia’s land is diverse. Some parts are desert, others are
frozen coasts, marshes and plains. Its forests, steppes, and tundras provide habitat for many rare
animals, including Asiatic black bears, snow leopards, and small, rabbit-like mammals called
pikas. Russia is made up of rolling, treeless plains called steppes. (Fun Russia…)
Politics
The current president of Russia is Vladimir Putin. The head of state is elected by popular
vote every six years for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The President determines the
basic domestic and foreign policy, is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, can veto
legislative bills, resolves issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation, awards state decorations
and grants pardons. The main political party in effect today is called United Russia. It is the party
of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. It is the largest party in Russia and encompasses over 2
million members. The second official political party is the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. It
is led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The platform of the party is based off of mixed economy with
state regulation and an expansionist foreign policy (Johnson).
Economy
The Russian economy is currently in a crisis. Their anticipated recovery has been
delayed, mainly due to international sanctions and low oil prices. In 2015, the GDP contracted

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3.7 percent. There has been an estimated 10% drop in gross domestic income and prices for daily
necessities, such as groceries, have risen to new highs. Russians have been forced to cut back on
purchasing non-essential goods and are now spending more than 50% of their income on food. It
is at its highest levels since 2009. The overall poverty rate rose to 16% in 2015. There have been
slight improvement, however, as a result of the Central Bank’s flexible exchange rate policy,
allowing for the exchange rate alignments to improve in order to support the economic transition.
The World Bank suggests that Russia’s economy faces a long journey of recovery. Russia’s
economy contracted by 3.7 percent last year and the country’s Central Bank expects it will
contract up to 1.5 percent this year. Others are more pessimistic and the World Bank predicted
the economy will shrink 1.9 percent in 2016. Russia’s long-term growth path will depend on the
strength of its structural reforms. Economic reforms designed to bolster investor confidence
could greatly enhance Russia’s long-term growth prospects. Administrative barriers to doing
business, high transportation and logistics costs, and the perception of an uneven playing field all
discourage investment, particularly in the non-resource sectors (Russia Overview)
Culture
The Russian culture is not only known of its famous artistic aspect, but of the way
thinking and living is affected by past tradition. What is Russian culture? It believes in
collectivism and community, generosity and compassion, and most importantly, historical
traditions and customs. Russians are very hardworking people, and believe that the diligence of
Russians manifests itself in an honest and responsible performance of their job duties. The

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popular religion of Russia is Christian Orthodox (Russian Culture, grandiors.ru). As a result of
this, iconography became very popular. The most known collection of icons can be found at the
Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Another popular destination for Russian art and the prime
location to witness how the tsars lived in the early ages is the State Hermitage Museum in St.
Petersburg. Many of the well known poets and writers include Leo Tolstoy, Fedor Mikhailovich
Dostoevsky, Ivan Bunin, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Alexandor Pushkin, and Mikhail Yurjevich
Lermontov. Russians often reference many of their works in their daily lives. The Mongol-Tatar
invasions in the 13th century have provided Russia with the need for self-identification. In
Russia, the Cyrillic alphabet is used. Folk tales and epics are popular reads for children with
characters such as Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, and Dobrynya. Russian folk songs are
usually humorous and are performed to either the accordion or balalaika. Russian classical music
is very popular as well. Compositions by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky are extremely well known to
most people living in Russia and around the world. Matryoshka (nesting dolls) are one of the
most popular souvenirs for foreigners visiting Russia. Russians also enjoy visiting the Banya,
otherwise known as the sauna (Russian Culture, tradition.wiki). Russian Samovars are also very
famous. They are devices that are used to heat and boil water for tea. The literal meaning of the
word is “self-broiler” because the word “sam” means “self” and “varit” means “to boil”.
Nowadays, you can find both an antique and an electric samovar. Most can be found in a Russian
home and is used as décor. Some Russians are also superstitious. Many try to avoid taking care
of extremely important matters on Mondays because they are known as the toughest days of the
week. Also, one’s Monday is believed to set the pace for the rest of the week. When a black cat

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crosses the street, one must turn to the left and spit three times. The saying “Knock on wood” is
also very common. Russia is a country steeped in culture and tradition with many well-known
customs dating back thousands of years, so be sure to enjoy it when visiting Russia (Russian
Traditions).
Business Customs
Business customs in Russia are very straightforward. Russians appreciate punctuality, so
being on time should always be your first priority. Business cards are handed out freely prior to
business meetings. If you can, have some part of your business card written in Russian even
though many Russians can read or speak English. If the back of your business card is in Russian,
make sure that you used the Cyrillic alphabet. Doing business over the telephone will usually be
ineffective, so make sure to have your business proposition on paper. Business negotiations will
usually take a lot of time. No agreement is final until a contract has been signed. When doing a
presentation, make sure to have it available in both Russian and English. Greetings will usually
include a firm handshake or a pat on the back for males and a kiss on the cheek or handshake for
females. The first meeting is often a vehicle to determine if you and the company you represent
are credible and worthy of consideration for future business dealings. Putting your thumb
through your index and pointing your middle fingers are considered very rude gestures in Russia
(Cultural Etiquette). Appointments should be made far in advance. You should also confirm the
meeting time, date, and location in advance. Business dress is formal and conservative. Men
should wear business suits and women should wear subdued colored business suits with skirts

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that reach the knees. Shoes should be polished. When conducting business in Russia, be sure to
be formal and follow business etiquette (Award).
Cuisine
The dining in Russia, especially in populated cities like Moscow, is very diverse. In
addition, Russia is home to the world’s largest McDonald’s. However, the traditional dishes can
be found in any household or local restaurant. Most traditional Russian food is based off of being
able to eat it through the harsh and cold winters, which is why potatoes, bread, animal
byproducts and pickled foods are very popular. Borsch is one of the most well-known Russian
dishes. Borsch is a beet soup typically served with sour cream. It will usually contain a variety of
vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Pelmeni is also a must-try dish when visiting
Russia. This soup includes little dumplings that can be stuffed with ground meat. However,
Pelmeni can also be turned into Vareniki when sautéed and contains different toppings, such as
jam or cottage cheese inside. Pickled herring is a must-have for the winter time in Russia. It is
served cold, as a side dish, usually for cooked potatoes (Food). Russians also enjoy having hot
tea with deserts after dinner or even mid-day. The most famous Russian deserts are “Ptichie
Moloko” or Birds’ Milk Cake, Chak-chak, Vatrushki, Vareniki, and Zefir (Kuzmin). When
someone invites you to dine in their home, if there is a woman residing in the household, it is
suggested that you bring flowers and a small gift, such as wine, chocolate, or another desert item
to show gratitude and respect.

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Travel
When looking to travel to Russia, make sure to check the weather often. If you are
traveling in the Spring, be certain that you are bringing a rain coat with you and have an
umbrella handy right when you arrive. Bring comfortable shoes for exploring the cities and
palaces. Always have a warm jacket with you because Russia is not the warmest country. The
Summers are usually cool, with some rainfall. However, in the Fall and Winter, be sure to pack
your warm winter boots, a fur coat and lots of mittens. The best time for traveling to Russia is
late Spring to Summer that way the weather conditions will not be much of a problem. If you are
flying from America, your flight will most likely include a layover. Airline prices will vary.
However, you may be able to find tickets as cheap as $400 roundtrip around September or
October. Make sure to book your flight in advance to ensure the lowest price possible. Don’t
forget to have your passport on you at all times! You will need a transit visa in order to be let
into the country, and your visa will be checked before you can enter other cities or leave the
country. Taxi fares can be negotiated. When visiting restaurants, tipping will range from 10 –
15%. Don’t forget that Russia does not use dollars, they use rubles. Credit cards are used in some
locations, but not all, so always have rubles with you just in case (Travel Tips).
Education
Russia’s education system has always valued high-quality education for all citizens.
Russia’s literacy rate is 98% and exceeds most Western European countries. General education

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lasts for 9 years. Higher education includes receiving the Bakalavr’s (Bachelor’s) Degree, which
usually takes an additional 4 years. Then, people strive to get their Magist’s (Master’s) Degree,
which can take about 2 years. The equivalent of a PH.D. is called Kandidat Nauk. However, that
is the first level. It is followed by Doktor Nauk, which is equivalent to the title of Professor. One
of the great attractions of education in Russia is the cost, especially when compared to the
quality. Degree study tuition can range from $2,000 to $8,000 per year, with other costs (room &
board, books, etc.) ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 per year, depending on location and spending
habits. Most Russian schools are teaching English to students from a young age. Mathematics is
extremely important and most students are required to have great arithmetic skills. Russian
students also have very high levels of knowledge of classic literature written by Leo Tolstoy,
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Alexander Pushkin, and Anton Chekhov (Education).
How Russia can Benefit from FBLA
Business is booming all over the world, so why not prepare students ahead of time for
careers in business and business related fields? In fact, Moscow is home to the most millionaires
in the world. Future Business Leaders of America can provide the rising leaders of tomorrow
with the opportunity to travel to America, earn scholarships for college, gain knowledge about
the business field, and make connections from all around the world. Through the competitive
events, workshops, conferences, community service opportunities, and leadership experience,
Russian students can learn how to be successful in their future careers. With the expansion of
FBLA to Russia, students from all over the world can connect and network with students

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worldwide. This international exposure will benefit not only the Russian students, but American
students as well. This will provide American students with opportunities to learn more about the
Russian culture and will allow for more business transactions to occur between Russia and
America in the future. In addition, because FBLA would work on producing more awareness of
business and business related fields early, more students will be able to develop passion for these
fields early on in their academic and professional careers.
Social Media
Just like in America, Russia’s population has also experienced an extremely large amount
of influence from social media and as new forms of social media develop, Russia has been quick
to embrace them all. Russians don’t just use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They
also have their own versions such as Odnoklassniki, Yandex, and VKontakte.ru. In 2014, 45% of
Russia’s citizens were already active members on various social media websites. Comsore.com
has stated that Russia has the most engaged social networking audience worldwide. This shows
how much potential social media has for promoting FBLA. FBLA already has a wide variety of
successful social media accounts that are always updated with the latest information regarding
conferences, member achievements, scholarships, discounts and more. Many state and local
chapters also have their own social media accounts in order to keep their members up to date on
new chapter projects, events and activities specifically tailored to their interests. If FBLA were to
join the Russian social media websites, they would need a Russian representative to control these
sites and be able to have all of the information in Russia, that way members will be able to

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understand all of the things taking place in FBLA. With social media, FBLA could rapidly grow
their membership worldwide.
New Project Propositions
A new project that could be implemented in Russia to benefit both the Russian students
and FBLA is to provide 1 Russian student with the opportunity to come to America and compete
at the National Leadership Conference. Because FBLA is not yet a known organization in
Russia, it can become one with the right promotion on social media and the right support from
parents and school administrators. We can have a contest that will test a student’s leadership
potential, FBLA knowledge, speaking and interview skills. Every student that signs up to
compete will have to pay $10 for an entrée fee. If they are chosen, we will provide them with a
ticket to the United States of America in order to network, win scholarships, meet business
professionals, and spread their culture here. In order to be chosen, the student would have to
have 3 letters of recommendation from his teachers, administrators, and mentors as to why
he/she would qualify for this position. The student must provide his/her grades and TOEFL
scores. This project would take time to execute. However, it could provide students with the
opportunity to travel the world and gain knowledge on business or business related careers. This
will allow the student to further develop as a person and improve their English skills as well.

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Recruitment Ideas
I have created a recruitment program that will increase FBLA membership in Russia.
First, we must create social media accounts that will be controlled and monitored by a Russian-
speaking adult. These social media websites will have to let students learn about FBLA and why
they should join. Once they join, we will create a program called Russian Recruit. This program
will provide students with rewards for every new member that joins because of them. We can
have a website to keep up with the amount of members each student has recruited. Every student
will have their own log in, and they will receive points for every student they recruit. Once they
reach a certain amount of points, they will be rewarded with a certification from FBLA. The top
3 people to recruit the highest amount of new members every year from Russia will receive
national recognition at the National Leadership Conference. Also, once a student has recruited 10
members, their own membership will be free. Once we provide them with discounts that all
FBLA members have access to, they will also be more willing to join. If we can also gain
celebrity endorsements from famous Russian actors, musicians, or social media figures, the teens
will be more prone to joining the organization. Once student from Russia visit America for the
NLC, they can hold testimonials about their experiences in local schools to promote recruitment.
These testimonials can be recorded and put on social media sites to increase awareness of FBLA.

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Appendix A – ITINERARY
Sabina Vladimirovna Ashurova
July 20 – 24, 2016
Wednesday, July 20th
12:00pm Depart for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
04:25pm Depart to Moscow, Russia with Lufthansa Airlines flight 445, with
layovers
Thursday, July 21st
12:50pm Arrive in Domodedovo International Airport
04:00pm Arrive at Lotte Hotel Moscow
05:00pm Have dinner at the White Rabbit
06:30pm Explore the Red Square
08:30pm Go back to the Lotte Hotel Moscow
Friday, July 22nd
09:00am Wake up, eat breakfast at the Breakfast Café, prepare for meet up
and presentation at the high schools
12:00pm Go to school and complete presentation on FBLA
03:00pm Have lunch at Buono
05:00pm Explore the city

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Saturday, July 23rd
04:00am Depart for Domadedovo International Airport
06:05am Depart for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Lufthansa flight 444,
with layovers
Sunday, July 24th
02:25pm Arrive in Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

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Appendix B – BUDGET
Round-trip flight: $1,382
Taxes & Fees: $166.62
Hotel: $847.66
Dining: $200.00
Transportation: $20.00
Total: $2,616.28
Appendix C – BUDGET GRAPH
Sales
Round-trip flight Taxes & Fees Hotel Dining Transportation

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Appendix D – PRESENTATION OUTLINE
1. Title
2. What is FBLA? (Mission & Goals)
3. FBLA is the largest business career student organization in the
world.
4. What are the benefits of having an FBLA membership? (Travel,
scholarships, discounts, awards & recognition, networking,
business experience, build leadership skills)
5. SLC
6. NLC
7. BAA’s
8. How to join

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Appendix E – BROCHURE INSIDE

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Appendix F – BROCHURE OUTSIDE

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Appendix G – TEN RECRUITMENT IDEAS
1. Work with other high schools on promoting FBLA and its purpose
2. Provide discounts for membership dues for members who recruit over 10 new
members
3. Provide food at meetings
4. Celebrity endorsement
5. Guest speakers
6. Social Media Presence
7. More scholarship opportunities
8. Community Service projects
9. More global outreach
10. Internships in business and business related fields

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Appendix H – MAP OF MOSCOW

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