“The Profession of Negotiation: Who Becomes a Mediator and Why” — Victoria Rusanova for Pravo.ru
The average mediator in Russia is a woman aged 35–54 with a legal education who combines mediation with her main job. On average, she spends ten hours reconciling the parties, conducts sessions in person, and has been practicing for about two years. The editorial team of Pravo.ru investigated who enters this profession and why, why many come to it as a continuation of their career, and how many experts engage exclusively in mediation. Motivations vary. But behind every mediation agreement lie hard work, attention, and patience. And behind every mediator — their own path, both professional and personal.
A mediator is a neutral intermediary who helps conflicting parties reach an agreement. This can be someone with specialized education or any adult citizen without a criminal record — but only in the case of non-professional mediation. To become an expert and obtain the status, one must be over 25, have a higher education, and complete retraining. Such a specialist’s mediation agreements can be certified by a notary and will carry the force of an enforcement order.
Who Becomes a Mediator
Mediators are typically experienced professionals with established careers behind them. According to Pravo.ru’s research, 69% of surveyed mediators are lawyers. Other professions include teachers (26%), psychologists (18%), attorneys (12%), and economists (10%). Only 8% chose mediation as their primary field — most combine it with other work.
Why People Become Mediators
Almost no one enters the profession from scratch. For 93% of survey participants, mediation is not their main occupation but a career extension. Some joined for meaning, others for professional balance.
Some complete training and obtain mediator status but consciously avoid practice. Victoria Rusanova, a lawyer at Prime Advice St. Petersburg Bar Association, underwent specialized training to understand how the procedure works and its benefits. In the end, these skills proved useful not only in her work but also in daily life — as they did for others.