As tobacco control measures tighten in the developed western countries, the eastern European and Russian markets are becoming increasingly important for the transnational tobacco corporations (TTCs). The eastern European region, including the Russian Federation, represents the second largest tobacco market in the world after the Asian region. At present, the TTCs own the vast majority of the tobacco manufacturing facilities that produce both western and domestic brands of tobacco products in the Russian Federation. Three tobacco giants—Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco, and British American Tobacco—are the largest outdoor advertisers in the Russian market. According to the Gallup organisation, in May 2000 the three tobacco giants spent a total of US$1 072 250 on outdoor tobacco advertising, and a further $827 713 on advertising in the printed media (http://www.gallup.ru/eng/news/reklama_may.htm).

In recent years, the face of the Russian …