Over the last decade foreign banks increased their presence in Russia.Foreign banks operating in the Russian banking market pursue diverse strategies. In the 1990s they occupied a narrow niche in the corporate lending market and were involved in transactions in the securities market. Their operations in the retail market were limited. In the 2000s, the subsidiaries of global banks expanded the range of services to become universal banks (Citibank Raiffeisenbank, Unicredit). Some foreign banks are engaged in providing services only to legal persons Banks with foreign capital have their own specifics in conducting credit operations in Russia. Their main customers are transnational corporation branches and the largest Russian enterprises and thus they occupy the most attractive niche in the corporate lending market. The article also reviews the performance of the foreign banks during the financial crisis.
Abalkina A. Foreign banks in Russia: Increased Presence and New Structure of Business // Bankar, 2010, Septembar.