There has never been a feminist movement in Russia like in Western countries. Russian women have been considered equal to men since the Russian revolution of 1917 that marked the beginning of the Soviet era. However, business ladies appeared in Russia after the Soviet era.

       Social researches have shown that after the collapse of the Soviet Union Russian women adapted to the new trends and changes in the society better than men. The number of successful business women and female business owners in Russia enlarged greatly in the two last decades. After the fall of the Soviet era there have been new opportunities for Russian ladies with university education and motivation to develop a successful career and get managerial position in most Russian companies.

       However, for most successful business women in Russia a successful business life is nothing without a happy family life. In general family is to some extent idealized and highly-valued in this country. A Russian woman is brought up to be family-oriented, and deep family values are fostered in little girls. In most interviews with successful business women these powerful Russian ladies confess that the most important thing for them is not their job but their family, and they do their job for their family. Experts believe that it was the family that motivated most Russian women when times were hard after the Soviet Union collapse to fight in hard economical conditions and try to open their own businesses. And it is the family now that makes many of them take any jobs now to support their kids and help their spouses. So these successful “business sharks” are not afraid to show their teeth and swim along with Russian men.