Russia is a vast country with the world’s 8th largest GDP at $2.022 Trillion, yet with a Per Capita rate ranked at only 47th. 15.8 Million of it's citizens live below the poverty line, while Putin has spent over $50 Billion on the Sochi Games, the most expensive Olympics (by far) in history.
Russia exports $542.5 Billion (2012 est.) per year, which is mainly petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood and wood products, chemicals, and a variety of civilian and military manufacturing.
Russia’s main export partners are Netherlands (14.4%), China (6.4%), Italy (5.3%), and Germany (4.5%)
While it may seem inconceivable that a boycott could have any real impact to the Russian economy. Boycotting Russian products is more about the optics that get created, in the long run, turning off investors and applying pressure to European governments to make wiser energy resourcing choices.
And off course we as individuals can do our part. Russian products are widely sold around the world and very likely where you live. Luckily there is an easy way to identify them. Although the brands themselves may not be recognizable as Russian, all products originating from Russia carry the numbers 460 — 469 at the beginning of the product bar code.
So be sure to put products with bar codes beginning with 460 — 469, back on the shelf.
Unfortunately many of the Russian Corporations are cushioned from any direct impact of a product boycott initiated in the west as they don’t have any real brand presence there. Of all the Top 100 ranked Russian brands, there was only one that was internationally recognizable, the national carrier Aeroflot (and incidentally the contracted carrier for Manchester United - if there are any football/soccer fans out there. That may be a titbit we should leave for the lead up to the 2018 World Cup, which is planned to be hosted by Russia). Of course with international brand exposure through advertising at the Olympics, I'm sure many of the top brands are hoping their measly international recognition with be improved upon.
in he mean time the most visible retail products seems to be vodka. Dovgan, Gold Symphony, Standart, Hrenovuha, Kauffman , Kubanskaya, Moskovskaya, Narodnaya, Pyatizvyozdnaya, Putinka, Rodnik, Ruskova, Russian Standard, Shustov, Starka, Stolnaya, Youri Dolgoruki. And the two best known Russian vodkas, Russian Standard and Stolichnaya.