Relationships and bribes (sobornos)

There’s always quite a bit of talk in the expatriate community about the importance of greasing palms to make things move. Undoubtedly, that is the case, though bribes are illegal and you can never be sure if you’re even bribing the right person. However in many other cases, and especially in rural areas, friendship is worth more than money. Though there may be some language barriers, that wouldn’t stop an outgoing developer or builder from visiting the municipality occasionally, asking about people’s families, buying the occasional lunch, and generally being friendly and accessible. Go out and meet your neighbors. Start conversations. If you’re doing a bigger development that might make neighbors nervous, throw a party for the entire community, buy drinks for everyone, and explain what you’re doing and how the community can be involved.