When I asked him about it his main comment was "all the little markets/strip malls to buy stuff (for me!)". He liked it there...as a tourist.
As for the people he is working with, he has commented that their attitude is very different from Americans. He says that he's used to working with people that can confidently make decisions; related to work. Where he is working, they appear to think more as a group and are always saying that they need to check with someone else before giving an answer.
It's probably hard changing some of the old habits. ;)
Your hubby hit the nail on the head. The most frustrating things about conducting meetings with Russian counterparts is it's extremely rare that the people who sit across the table from you are empowered to make any decisions.