The famous line from the Wind of Change by the Scorpions… Yes, Russia has changed and so has Moscow…
Russia is now UK’s 12th largest export market. Sounds very impressive, and we at Talk Russian noticed the rise in the trade between the two countries not only by the scope of documents we translate for our clients, but also by the number of interpreting assignments we handle in Moscow these days. In a way, Moscow is not Russia, Moscow is like a separate state within a country. It’s even different from other large Russian cities, not to mention the provinces.
On the other hand, Moscow is the accumulation of the country’s wealth and it represents a huge chunk of international transactions. It may not have the natural resources of the largest country in the world, but it certainly has the infrastructure, be it telecoms, finance, retail or construction. The retail market is spectacular, you find most of world’s known brands on the streets of Moscow, including Versace, Armani, IKEA, it even has the icon of the British High Street shop – Marks and Spencer. Russia is now the 8th largest retail market in the world.
Dealing with Russia involves a lot of bureaucracy. You need to notarise so much paperwork, do product certification, deal with Customs clearance… And all this needs to be done in a language which even has a different alphabet from English. You land in Russia, you expect most people to understand you at least a bit, like everywhere else you go on holiday, but they don’t. Not always.
Hence the demand for professional Russian interpreters in Moscow is huge. Attending a trade show or an exhibition – you need an interpreter to push your products and sales literature. Agreeing a contract – it’s very important to talk through all of the intricacies. Resolving a payment dispute – not much chance of finding a solution if you can’t express yourself.
I love being an interpreter. You feel you help people… It’s fun.
[Tip: If you need to get in touch with us to discuss your Russian translation requirements, call us on 0207 0436940 or email enquiry@talkrussian.com]