Moscow
Russia · Europe/Moscow · UTC+3
Moscow is Russia's political and commercial capital and the country's primary international gateway.
Business hours & meeting culture
- Working hours
- 09:00–18:00
- Workweek
- Monday to Friday
- Culture
- Russian business meetings are formal and decision-makers tend to be the most senior person present. Meetings can run long.
- Meeting tips
- New Year holidays (January 1–8) effectively shut down business for the first week-plus of January. May has multiple back-to-back public holidays.
Travel & logistics context
Quick reference for business travelers — climate, currency, and language.Currency and language are country-level. Climate may vary across the country.
Climate
Long cold winters with limited daylight; summers pleasant.
Currency
Western cards no longer work since 2022; cash and local bank cards required.
Language
English limited outside top hotels and global firms.
🤝Business etiquette
- Greeting
- Firm handshake with eye contact; do not shake across a doorway (superstition).
- Cards
- Russian-language side appreciated.
- Gifts
- Nice gift on first meeting; avoid items in even numbers (funerals); good quality alcohol welcomed.
- Tipping
- 10% common at restaurants.
- Dress
- Conservative business; heavy outerwear in winter.
- Dining
- Toasts integral; do not refuse first vodka toast without a real reason.
Time difference vs. major business cities
Computed for 2026. Daylight saving will shift these by an hour during transitions.
| City | Time zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 🇯🇵Tokyo | Asia/Tokyo | +6h |
| 🇮🇳Mumbai | Asia/Kolkata | +2h 30m |
| 🇦🇪Dubai | Asia/Dubai | +1h |
| 🇬🇧London | Europe/London | -2h |
| 🇺🇸New York | America/New_York | -7h |
| 🇦🇺Sydney | Australia/Sydney | +7h |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | America/Los_Angeles | -10h |
| 🇨🇳Shanghai | Asia/Shanghai | +5h |
Public holidays in Russia, 2026
Commonly observed national holidays. Regional holidays and bridge days are not included. See also the global holiday calendar.
- 2026-01-01
- 2026-01-02
- 2026-01-03
- 2026-01-04
- 2026-01-05
- 2026-01-06
- 2026-01-07
- 2026-02-23
- 2026-03-08
- 2026-05-01
- 2026-05-09
- 2026-06-12
- 2026-11-04
Plan a meeting with Moscow
Use the meeting planner to compare times across multiple cities, with weekend and holiday awareness.
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