Does A Russian Citizen have to have a BTA in order travel to to the USA?

There is no such thing as a BTA Basic Travel Allowance

This is something invented by Nigerian scammers designed to take money off, and used by other scammers as it took off. So if you have anyone asking you for money for a BTA then they are trying to scam you, simple as that, and don't trust anything they say, don't give any personal info or any money.

You can read about people being taken in by this all over the place, so don't get suckered in.

http://www.country-couples.co.uk/datingtips/basic-...

http://www.romancescam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7...

http://www.cybercrimeops.com/forums/showthread.php...

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1162368

... and loads more links if you look for yourself

There is no BTA, however, the approval of the visa is dependent on financial ability of the applicant to pay for the trip. It means that you have to prove that you have a stable job, real estate, savings in Russia. A person needs to bring all that documentation to the interview at the consulate. The officer at the consulate will determine if a person has financial ability and possessions, so that the person has a lot to lose in case he/she decides to stay in US illegally.