Snob, a Russian-language, general-interest magazine that caters to the global Russian elite is set to launch in New York on Wednesday, almost a year after it began distribution in Britain.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the magazine will have an initial run of about 20,000 copies of its September issue, selling for $8 a copy.

The magazine's title is an acronym of the Russian words for accomplished, independent, educated and thriving.

The magazine, launched in Russia in 2008, is the brainchild of Vladimir Yakovlev - founder of Kommersant, the first private daily business newspaper in Russia. He perceived a need among affluent Russians living abroad for a way to connect and communicate about topics such as business, culture, food and sex, the report adds.

Published ten times a year, Snob aims to compete less with other Russian-language publications than with high-minded US titles such as The New Yorker and Vanity Fair.

The publication is owned by Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian metals magnate and owner of the New Jersey Nets.