Society etiquette in Moscow: ten rules for a business evening

Before the evening

1. Arrival. A guest arrives ten to fifteen minutes before the stated time — not earlier, and certainly not later. A delay of more than thirty minutes to a closed event reads as a rejected invitation.

2. Introduction. Introduce your companion to the host in the first minutes — "Anna, my companion for tonight." No titles, no details.

At the table

3. Seating. At a gala the seating is plotted — you do not move, even if the conversation nearby is dull. At an informal business dinner the guest with a partner sits next to the companion, not opposite.

4. Ordering. The companion first — the waiter addresses her. If the menu shows no prices to the lady (the old protocol), brief her on the budget beforehand; don't comment at the table.

5. Toasts. The first toast goes to the host or the occasion of the evening. You stand for your toast, keep it short, and skip humour if the room is formal.

Conversation

6. Safe subjects: art, travel, sport, cinema, restaurants, recent society events. Your companion should be comfortable with at least two or three of them.

7. Off-limits: politics, religion, personal income, anyone's health, gossip about people in the room. One breach closes future invitations to the circle.

8. Other people's partners. Never compliment the appearance of another guest's wife or companion — it reads as an intrusion. A compliment on the outfit, the bouquet, or the wine choice is fine.

Leaving

9. Departure. Take leave of the host in person, thanking them for the evening. You and your companion leave together, not in separate paths at the cloakroom.

10. The next morning. A short message to the host — "thank you for the evening" — by Telegram or email before noon the next day. That closes the protocol.

Selecting a companion

In the Moscowskiy catalogue the "society-reception experience" filter removes profiles with no relevant background. The editors also re-check each profile on first submission.