5 Things I Learned from Dating a Russian Woman
Don’t let her feed you syrniki. It’s addictive.
I am currently engaged to a wonderful Russian woman (pictured above). If you follow me on this platform, then you know that I write about her frequently (with her consent, of course). If you check out her Instagram, you’ll notice several pictures of an awkward-looking man (me) who’s extremely happy to be along for the ride.
She’s 20, and I am 24. We’re a young couple. Both of us are right between Millenials and Gen Z, meaning that we share the cultural values most common amongst younger generations from both of our home countries (USA and Russia).
Uliana (she also goes by Julie, as you’ll see in my posts) was born in the year 2000, just nine years after the fall of the USSR. Life in Russia has changed considerably since then, but much of the culture has remained.
For instance, almost all of her teachers were trained in the USSR, and so their disciplinary methods tended to be a bit…soviet. In fact, most of the authoritative figures in modern-day Russia are from the soviet era.
This is important to take into consideration when noting many of the traits I have listed below.
And with this, let’s move to item number one.
Femininity is a large part of her personality.
Russia did not start to embrace western feminism until very recently. To be honest, feminism is more of a subculture in Russia than anything else. For better or worse.
Russian media tends to portray western feminism as a radical movement about the suppression of men while romanticizing “traditional” Russian femininity.
In doing so, we see the opposite effect on men. The reason we see so many photoshopped images of Putin riding grizzlies is because men in Russia are expected to be manly as hell. Again, for better or worse.
This brings me to point number two.
Russian women appreciate men who are in touch with their emotions.
Due to the toxic masculinity that plague Russian men, western men tend to come off as very attractive to Russian women for their ability to be caring while maintaining their natural masculinity.
No Russian woman is going to be happy with a man who treats her poorly. Nor are they going to be big fans of a man who expects them to cook and clean for them whenever the man wishes.
Due to feminism, western men are allowed to be in touch with their emotions.
We are allowed to care for a woman, and we are allowed to be cared for.
Many insecure men believe that the amount of machismo a man can give off has a linear relationship to how attractive he is. This is to no fault of their own but is instead attributed to the societal values of which they were raised.
Russian. Women. Love. Cigarettes.
And vodka. But mostly cigarettes.
30.9% of Russian adults (age 15+) use tobacco (men 50.9%; women 14.3%), nearly all of whom smoke cigarettes. (source) This is likely a result of the fetishization of cigarettes in Russian cinema, as well as the tendency of cigarettes to ruin your appetite.
Many Russian women smoke purely because they don’t want to ruin their figures.
The habit of smoking tobacco usually starts at a young age and develops into a dangerous addiction by the age of 18.
Russian food is delicious. Too delicious.
The hardest part of dating a Russian woman is not getting fat. Ever wondered why so many Russian men are fat? It’s because they, too, are dating Russian women.
Syrniki, borscht, gulyas, kvas, kefir. Each dish is more delicious than the next, and almost every dish is the Russian equivalent to what we call soul food.
If you are ever lucky enough to be romantically involved with a Russian woman, then I can assure you that they would very likely love to cook one of the above dishes for you.
But just because Russian food is incredible, doesn’t mean that she does not take good care of her figure.
Beauty is very important to Russian women.
The most beautiful women I’ve met are Russian. This is because, in Russia, most of a woman’s value comes from her appearance. This is an unfortunate reality that comes from a lack of western feminism in Russian culture.
Russian women value a very slim and petite figure over the more popular hour-glass shape that is heavily sought after in America.
Many Russian women (just like women in the US) will starve themselves in an attempt to gain this figure.
A “normal” size for women in Russia is 0–4, and most companies don’t even carry sizes above a 10. (source) Anorexia Nervosa is a crippling reality for women around the world but tends to be more prevalent amongst Russian women.
I am very fortunate to know firsthand what it is like to date a Russian woman. Being engaged to a Russian woman has been the most rewarding experience of my life. It is important to note, however, that these little tidbits are nothing more than generalities based on my observations of my fiancée and her friends.
Just like every American is different, every Russian is different.
Russia is an incredible country with countless nationalities and cultures.
If you would like to learn more, be sure to follow me and check out my past and upcoming articles.
Have a good one!
