Russia Blog

After spending most of my Monday and Tuesday traveling across the pond to Frankfurt then to Moscow, I was finally ready for my Russian adventure. The International Field Study sets Northeastern apart from other programs as it allows all of its students to study business in another country.

Tuesday - I traveled with a group of five Northeastern MBA’s to Russia, so once we are at the airport, we are greeted by our tour guide, Svetlana, and the small bus we will be taking into Moscow. Before we leave, Svetlana prepares us for what is to come - Moscow traffic can be very unpredictable. Right she is! It takes our group about two hours to complete the 30-mile journey to the hotel. Once we arrive at the Holiday Inn Sokolniki, I realize that this is pretty fancy for a Holiday Inn.

I drop my stuff into my room and decide that I am not tired, so I resolve to look around the hotel. My first stop - the fitness room. Judging by the equipment and the number of people there, I start to think that our market entry project may be better than I had anticipated. My group has completed a Russian market entry project for Under Armour.

After my excursion around the hotel, it’s time to get ready for the welcome dinner. The welcome dinner is being held at a Ukrainian restaurant in the heart of Moscow. In this restaurant, there are live animals, which initially worries me. On our way to dinner, we encounter our second incident with Moscow traffic.  After sitting in Moscow’s worst for two hours, the professor and tour guide decide that it is best for us to take the Metro. This proves to be much faster, and we get to the restaurant in no time.

Once we are there, I am identified to the staff as the vegetarian; I guess this is what the rest of my meals will be like. The meal starts off with a Gutsul salad, then potato latkes for me (the rest of the group has pork), and it finishes with pear strudel. After dinner we take some time to look at the animals, which are thankfully behind a wall. By the time dinner ends, it’s almost midnight and time to head back to the hotel.

Wednesday – I wake early today because of jet lag. I always have so much trouble with this. So I head down to breakfast early. Here, I see the largest breakfast buffet I have ever seen: any type of bread you could think of, eggs, pancakes (which are more like crepes), but also salad. I grab some food and find another Northeastern student. Quickly after I eat, I realize that I am still in my pajamas and no one else is. I guess pink snowflake pajama pants are not appropriate breakfast attire. I start to feel self-conscious, so I run upstairs to my room and change into my business casual for the day.

After breakfast we are off for the day’s activities. First, we meet with U.S. Commercial Services to ask them about doing business in Russia. Then, we have lunch at the Metro Restaurant. This lunch includes salad, borsch, potatoes and mushrooms, and vanilla cake. After this hefty lunch, I am more ready for a nap than a walking tour of the Kremlin.

I think pictures will do better justice to the tour of the Kremlin than my words. All I can say is that it was breathtaking.

Thursday – Today might be the longest day of our Moscow tour. I wake up early and go to the gym for a quick run. After, I go downstairs for breakfast in my business clothes determined to not make the same mistake I made yesterday.

Our day starts with lunch at Tchaikovsky Restaurant. This starts with salad and soup like our other meals, but while the others eat chicken, I get to eat a Russian version of macaroni and cheese.

Next we are off to Dewey and LeBoeuf which is an international law firm. The lawyers here talk to us about legal issues with doing business in Russia. Then we are off to Jones Lang and Lasalle, which is an international real estate firm. At this meeting we discuss the exorbitant real estate prices in Moscow.

After these meetings we are off to Moscow State University Business School to make our presentations. We have a quick snack once we are there, which is good because I need the sugar after our exhausting day.

My group is presenting last and waiting is the worst thing for my nerves. However, we give a fantastic presentation, and everyone seems excited about Under Armour’s prospects in Russia.

Most of my team during the presentation.

Following the presentations, we have a reception where we are able to talk to students and faculty of Moscow State. It’s pretty late when we get back to the hotel, so I Skype with my mom then go to sleep.

Friday – This is our last full day in Moscow. I start my day with the amazing breakfast buffet. Then we are off to our meeting with McDonald’s Russia. Here we discuss the success of McDonald’s in Russia and how it will continue its success in the future.

After we head to lunch at GlavPivTorg. For me, this lunch consist of a garden salad, cabbage soup, potatoes and onions, and chocolate cake.

Once we have finished lunch, our tour guide takes us for a walking tour of the Metro. Unlike Boston’s rail system, Moscow’s stations are decorated with art. 

Lenin Mosaic

We also have a boat tour of Moscow scheduled for later tonight, but two friends and I are interested in seeing a sculpture park in Moscow. A few hours before the boat tour, we leave for the sculpture park. But only after we make a stop at the McDonald’s near the hotel, which has been on our mind since the presentation earlier today. Although the sculptures are decorated with umbrellas for a festival, they are still amazing and moving. One downfall of the night is that I chose to wear heels for our entire adventure. By the end, my feet are blistered and throbbing.

Always photogenic - with Stalin

The boat tour of the city was amazing, and we are all very reluctant to say goodbye to Svetlana; but there are so many adventures ahead in Saint Petersburg.

Saturday – After eating a quick breakfast, we are off to the train to Saint Petersburg. We took a high speed train that will bring us to Saint Petersburg in six hours. I decide to sleep for most of the train ride as I still haven’t been able to shake the jet lag. Once we are in Saint Petersburg, we are amazed by how quickly we get through traffic.

That night, a group of us find a bar in order to watch the Champions' Cup. Although I don’t follow European soccer, both of my sisters played in college, so I understand what is going on. The game goes to penalty kicks, which means a late night for all of us.

Sunday – Today starts with another amazing breakfast buffet. Then we take a guided tour of Peter and Paul’s fortress, complete with a musical demonstration by Orthodox monks. The cathedral here houses the tombs of the Romanovs.

After we had lunch at Na Zdorovie. The name of the restaurant is a toast that Russians give for special occasions.

After we took a guided tour of the Hermitage Museum. The pace of the tour was a bit brisk for my taste, but I had to keep in mind that not everyone enjoys art history as much as I do.

That night, two friends and I join the professor for a show at a jazz club. I am completely blown away by the talent of the musicians, especially the vocalist. She even chooses some of her students, who are in the audience, to come up and sing with her. I have to say, she taught them well.

After, I am amazed to find that it is still light out. Because Saint Petersburg is close to the Arctic Circle, the city has extended light hours in the summer and decreased light hours in the winter. We find a pizzeria for dinner. This little taste of home is welcome, as I have been walking on eggshells with what I have been eating.

Monday – Today starts with an early breakfast. Then we are off to the Proctor and Gamble factory in the outskirts of Saint Petersburg. Here we discuss the shaving demands of the Russian market and manufacturing. After, we take a tour of the plant, complete with safety shoes, safety vests, and ear plugs.

Next, we have lunch at Stroganof Steakhouse. Here we dine on salad, vegetables in marinara sauce (meat eaters had beef stroganoff), and ice cream.

After, we visited Data Art. This is an IT company that operates a bit differently than normal companies. The office layout is completely open and it has a game room complete with foosball and an X-Box.

Once we are back from our day’s activities, two friends and I decide that we want to see the Cathedral on Spilled Blood. This is possibly the most ornate cathedral I’ve ever seen.

We also see the Winter Palace on our journey, which ends at a trendy sushi place.

Winter Palace

Tuesday – This was our day to sleep in, and I definitely take advantage of it. After I wake up, the same two friends and I check out the bizarre near the cathedral. Here, we haggle our way to souvenirs.

We run back to the hotel in order to get one the bus for the tour of the Baltika Brewery. Here we talk to the Head of Low Alcohol and Non-alcohol Brands about Russian beer demand. After his presentation, we take a tour of the brewery. The tour culminates in a tasting, which we get to try many of the Baltika brands. 

That night, we have a dinner at an upscale restaurant called Sankt Peterburg. Here we dine on garden salad, crepes, grilled vegetables and rice (omnivores have pork and fried potatoes), and ice cream for dessert. Along with the dinner, we also get a show of traditional Russian dances and songs.

Because this dinner ends late in the evening, many students have a drink in the lobby bar before we have to say goodbye.

Wednesday – I have my final round with the breakfast buffet before I have to pack and hop on the bus to the airport. After a short flight to Frankfurt and a longer flight to Boston, I am greeted by Jim after I go through customs. Although this Russian adventure was amazing, I am so happy to be home.

*The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Northeastern University, its staff, faculty or affiliates and are solely the opinion of Amy Foley.*