Day 3 - Exploring business, politics, economics,and culture in Moscow

Our day started with an 8am briefing on the Moscow metro by our guide, Olga to prepare us for the ride into downtown Moscow.  Having traveled by Metro in Washington DC on our national trip, most of us were not too concerned about being able to navigate the Moscow metro.  Were we ever wrong!  The first problem was that all the signs in the metro stations were in Cyrillic.  If  we had not been with Olga, it would have been very difficult to distinguish which way we were supposed to be going, to say nothing about where to get off.  The great thing about the Moscow metro is that the trains arrive every 2 minutes.  If you are not able to find a spot, you can be assured that another will arrive shortly.  Another difficult thing about taking the metro at 8am (rush hour) is that you are attempting to share space on a system that moves more than 8 million people a day.  Literally...  We had to push our way on as though we were playing a football game. You would continue to be pushed from behind until either you couldn't push any more or the person behind you couldn't push.  

Pack 'em in!

Needless to say you didn't need to worry about holding onto anything.  To say we were shoulder to shoulder, snug with the person next to us would be an understatement.  Each metro station is unique. We changed trains once and stopped at a few other stations in order to enjoy the incredible artistry of the station designers and visionaries. 

One of the many beautiful Metro stations in Moscow

Our first official business of the day was at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.  We met with Scott Reynolds, the Minister - Counselor for Agricultural Affairs; Deeana Ayala, the Ag Trade Office Director - USDA Foreign Ag Service; George Knoll from the Economic Section; and Eric Lundberg of the Political Section.  The first hour of conversation focused on Russia and it's role in global agriculture as an importer, producer, and exporter.  Some interesting facts we learned include;  the United States represents 5% of all Russian agricultural imports, which totals $1.3 billion per year and there is plenty of room for expansion. Russia has the most arable land of any country in the world (but that accounts for only 7% of it's total land mass).  By comparison, the United States boasts 18% arable land, although the total amount is less.  Almonds and Pistachios account for the largest imported products from the United States.  The US Embassy in Moscow puts out over 100 Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) reports each year. GAIN reports are available on line, providing timely information on the agricultural economy, products and issues in foreign countries.  Our second hour at the Embassy focused on primarily on a Q&A session with the political and economic diplomats.  We learned how Russia's economy under Putin has grown at a rate of 5-6% per year, which accounts for much of his political support.  Russia is the number one oil producing country in the world, and most of this growth is attributed to the price of oil and natural gas.

Class 4l then enjoyed lunch at a traditional Russian restaurant with Sean Michael Thomas, television journalist for Russia Today.  Sean discussed with us life as an American working for the Kremlin.  Sean worked for KSEE 24 in Fresno before accepting his current position at Russia Today.  Sean had many great stories to share.  One of the benefits of working for the Kremlin is that he is able to travel to countries, such as Syria, where he would not be able to go as an American journalist.  He was a generous and entertaining speaker.

Lunch with Sean Michael Thomas

We came back to the hotel for a brief shopping experience at a local market before meeting with our next speaker, Joseph Heilner.  Joseph, an American, is the Chief Marketing Officer working for Rosinter Restaurants, one of Russia's largest restaurant companies.  He spoke to us about how day to day business in Russia works and the culture clash that occurs for an American doing business in Russia with a Russian staff.  The old Russian way of fist pounding, yelling, and head chopping of employees is still very prevalent in the Russian business culture.  It was a great example of how leadership styles in one culture differ from another.  Effective leaders adapt to their business and cultural environment.
This was an important and informative day.  The Q&A feedback was quite fruitful and engaging.  We will miss Russia, but we look forward to further expanding our horizons in Ukraine.  


By:  Elizabeth Silva, Stuart Mast, and Matt Fisher