Polina Dzagurova

Polina Dzagurova is the editor of The Moscow Expat Site, the main website for the foreign community living in Moscow. Previously to this, she headed the most successful real estate company in Moscow.

Where do you live and why?

I’m tired of living in the noisy centre. I have a penthouse apartment in the south of the city, overlooking the Moskva River, and we have a dacha (country cottage) only 50 miles out of town where I love to spend time with my little daughter Ulya.

What advice would you give to a tourist? Any must-dos?

Yes, come to Moscow! It’s the best city in the world. Here you can do anything you want. Believe me, I’ve been all around Europe and nowhere is better than Moscow. That’s not patriotic pride, because I wasn’t born here. Forget all the sightseeing stuff—you wanna eat, drink and dance? You’re in the world’s best city for all of that.

What advice would you give a visiting businessperson?

Get qualified advice. Lots of Russians will promise you everything and half of it is untrue. Get a good Russian lawyer to check everything—I mean everything—before you sign anything. A Russian businessman will want to know you as a person before he will trust you. He will probably invite you for supper, or to the sauna, this is a Russian tradition. You’re not gonna double-cross someone when you’ve sweated it out in the sauna with them.

What and where have been your most memorable meals? God, I love Zhioltoye More. I would eat there every day if I could. Vogue Café is great and convenient if I’m out shopping.

Where would you take a client to wow them?

If it’s a serious formal client and we want to talk business, then Café Pushkin. They’ll expect it, it’s the best Russian food in the city. If it’s already a done deal and we’re celebrating, then Shatush—phenomenally good food.

What do you miss about Moscow when you’re away?

The fact that you can hail a car in seconds at any time of the day or night.

I don’t know how people survive in London without that, really I don’t.