Tipping is not part of general Russian culture, but has become far more accepted, even expected, in recent years, particularly in the international metropolis of Moscow.
In restaurants, it is standard to leave a tip ranging from the spare change of your bill to 15%, depending on the level of the establishment and the quality of service. It is acceptable to leave no tip in any place where you partially serve yourself (go to the counter to make an order, for example). When in doubt, a 10% tip is a good bet, or more for excellent service. Note that you cannot generally add a tip to a credit card bill. You will need to leave it in cash.
Hotel staff will appreciate a small tip of 20 to 50 rubles. Hairdressers and beauty salon staff do not expect tips, although they will accept them graciously. In both hotels and beauty salons, a general rule of thumb is that, the more they accommodate foreigners, the higher the expectations for a tip are. For example, if you have an English-speaking hairdresser in a high-end salon that caters to expatriates, a tip of 10-15% may be anticipated.
For coat check or luggage attendants, a 20- or 50-ruble bill is acceptable, although most Russians would not tip them at all.
If you have a private tour guide or temporary driver, a tip of about 200 rubles per day, paid at the end of the service, is a nice gesture. If you have a permanent driver, an annual end-of-year tip or “bonus” is appreciated, but not required.
Taxi drivers will be surprised if you try to tip them, particularly if you’ve negotiated a set price for the trip prior to leaving (which is customary).
The superintendent of your building will certainly not expect an end-of-year bonus, however, if you have built up a good rapport or if he/she regularly does a service for you (for example, collect your packages), a small gift or bonus will be gratefully received. Cleaners and nannies are more likely to expect an end-of-year bonus, especially if they are used to working with expats.
