This article explores the dynamics at play at play when conducting research on the contemporary upper class in Russia.IT examines the effect of economic and social status divide the between researcher and subjects on how to gain access to interviewees and how to handle the interview situation. Culturally specific expressions of power in social interaction are sought,their characteristics identified and their raiscn d'etre explored.Furthermore,gender related issues encountered throughout the research are discussed;which which commenced at the outset when applying to the ethics board and was evident at The material for this article stems from the author's experiences of conducting narraative-biographical interviews with rich high-status Russians in Moscow between 2008 and 2009