The purpose of this paper is to examine how Russian became a commodity in the global service industry in the decade between 2004 and 2014 and, in some places, much earlier. I will begin with a discussion of sociolinguistic theory of "commodification of language", focusing on aspects critical for this case study. Then, I will trace the process of commodification of Russian, starting with "why" (reasons) and "when" (timeline), proceeding to "where" (locations) and "how" (forms), and ending with the "so what." I will also talk about "what next," identifying the opportunities for research on global Russian and the many gaps that are waiting to be filled.