Question about SperaSoft, working in Russia

Rurouni Strife

Hi all. I've been freelancing for 2 years now and I'm at the point where in addition to looking for new clients, I'm also looking to get back into a studio. I was recently on the phone with an external recruiter/headhunter about opportunities. There's another topic I'll probably ask about later from this same conversation. Anyway, she mentioned and pushed SperaSoft. I looked into them and they seem huge, legit, and honestly kinda cool. My interest is peaked. 

However, the positions (9 month contracts) they are hiring for are all in St. Petersberg, Russia. 

My question is for anyone who's worked out Russia...How big of a transition is it? How does banking work? Am I taxed on my earnings in the US as well? Do they pay in dollars (So 70K USD = like 4 million rubles)? How does that all work?

Thanks!

alekseypindrus

I think noone will answer such questions because of NDA and lack of people who worked in such conditions.
You should ask Sperasoft staff directly. They are indeed huge & legit, can't say about cool — didn't worked there.
I think they are our biggest gamedev outsource company.

First of all, do you speak russian? If not, you will not be able to live here comfortably. Not so much people know english especially in places like stores and so on.

And it will be even harder to find yourself a place to live in. I'm not sure you will be able to do it without help from company who hired you. Again, language barrier.

Banking: usually companies in Russia have a contract with bank, it will issue a plastic card for you and you will be paid directly to it with russian roubles only.

And don't hope for 70K dollars, especially for contract job. People will correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I now, salaries there are usually no more than 150K roubles per month. Convert it to USD and you will have roughly 27K dollars per year.
Don't know if they have a different numbers for people from outside of CIS countries. I'm almost 100% sure they don't.

As for taxes, they are done by employer (at least it's true for full-time on-site jobs). And if they said that you will get 150K roubles per month, you will get exactly that and all your taxes are done by employer; so you will cost to them 150 + all the things russian government will ask for.

I can give you some VK links and you can talk with people from Sperasoft directly. No managers tho, only concept artists an so on.

Rurouni Strife

@alekseypindrus, I appreciate that. You kind of helped already when it came to money which was one of my biggest concerns. I spoke to the recruiter I was in touch with. I'm contractually obligated to the University I teach at as well as morally obligated to my students to finish out the term (ends in June). That wouldn't work out with their plan. So I won't be going.

Some of the other things you mentioned-housing and such-were supposed to be handled by the company. But everything would have been SUPER difficult for me. I'm all for learning a new language but I'm not picking up Russian in a short amount of time

dzibarik

Sperasoft is an outsource studio, so their main advantage is that they have good artists  relatively cheap. If you are from west I doubt you'll find their salaries competitive.