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Russian Dating Advice: What You Should Know (Tips)

Written by Benjamin Simard

Last updated on April 16th, 2022

Table of contents:

Dating In Russia, What Are The Rules?
Dating In Russia, Where You Should Go?
Dating In Russia, Is It Expensive?
Dating In Russia, Is It Safe or Dangerous?

Unfortunately, many men in the West today suffer difficulty in finding someone to share their lives with at home. In Western countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries, finding a single attractive woman has almost become impossible for ordinary men, especially after 40. Nevertheless, along with this development, Russian dating websites have become more popular and prevalent than ever. Searching the internet for single Russian women, you find hundreds of international websites that offer to meet an attractive Russian woman. Thus, providing hope for single Western men who can’t find an attractive woman at home. However, to optimize your chances of finding the perfect Russian woman, there are some dos and don’ts when it comes to Russian dating. Foremost, understanding how Russian women think and how their beliefs and value systems are put together will give you a major advantage when you want to date a woman in Russia. Therefore, understanding something about Russian culture and history is worthwhile if you are serious about dating a Russian woman.

As you probably already know, Russia used to be a part of the Soviet Union that was ruled under a communist dictatorship. In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed, and Russia was now an independent state. However, it took some ten years after the collapse before Russia started getting back on its feet. During this period, life in Russia was hard on its people with corruption, lack of necessities, and sky-high crime. For women, life was particularly difficult as men in Russia always have tended to drink too much vodka and be somewhat abusive towards women. Thus, if you want to date a single Russian woman drinking too much alcohol is not going to fly. Also, since many Russian men are brutes having a kind and caring nature will take you much further with a Russian woman than a man who is full of himself and thinks he is the king of the world. Russian culture is still very male-dominated, but more and more women in Russia have, through Western media, gained an understanding that a life with a man can be different than what they are used to. Thus, many Russian women dream of a life with a caring husband who also knows how to be a good father.

Consequently, when you start communicating with a single Russian woman, it is a good idea to bring forward you a more gentle and considerate side of yourself. Discussing issues such as family, children, and how you work emotionally will give you a lot of points with most Russian women. Also, try always to be honest even though the truth can sometimes feel embarrassing or you think that it will make you look weak. Trust to Russian women is everything, and most women in Russia are used to men they can’t trust. Therefore, by being honest about issues men in Russia normally would not even discuss, you show a Russian woman that you are different. When it comes to issues such as your social status, income, and what you do, women in Russia are not generally impressed by materialistic men, simply because men in Russia with money tend to be even more obnoxious than other men. You’ll find that as long as you don’t have a problem putting food on the table to most Russian women, an ordinary Western income will suffice. Besides, salaries in Russian are low compared to Western standards, and thus, if you make 50.000 USD a year or one million, to a Russian woman, 50.000 USD is a lot.

Dating In Russia, What Are The Rules?

Dating in Russia is quite different from dating in Western countries and even compared to other Eastern European countries like, e.g., Ukraine. Everything in Russia is old-shool, and thus there are some rules or a Russian dating etiquette that a Western man has to follow if he wants a relationship or marriage to a Russian woman. Most women in Russia grow up being told by their mothers that they have to be careful about men, dating, and sex. And thus, a Russian woman will most likely put you to the test to see if you, for one, are serious about her and two, how far you are willing to go when it comes to pleasing her. Also, when dating a Russian woman, the man pays for all dating activities, and moreover, he has to prepare what to do. Traditionally most Western men invite the woman to meet at a nice restaurant or coffee house on the first date. However, planning for something more extraordinary like a picnic is advisable if you want to make a unique impression.

Also, when dating in Russia, it is your responsibility to arrange transport. A lot of Russian women don’t own cars, and taking the bus when you have dressed up for the occasion meeting you is inconvenient. Hence, you have to rent a car to pick her up yourself, or if you are not comfortable with driving in Russia, you have to take a taxi to her house and wait till she comes down or out to greet you. If you meet a Russian woman through a marriage agency, they can most often arrange transportation to an agreed location, as well. During the date itself, you have to prove the perfect gentleman, pulling out chairs, lighting her cigarette, pouring her wine, and making sure that she gets everything she desires. Also, if your date is taking place in a restaurant, make sure the one you have found is high-end as you don’t want to come across as someone who is not willing to spend a decent meal on your date. To find the best restaurant in the city where you are staying, you can ask around or see if you can find one by walking around.

When dating in Russia, there is also a dress code, and thus you have to make sure you look your best. The woman you are meeting has spent hours on her hair, clothes, and makeup. Thus, when going to Russia, make sure to bring a suit or at least something semi-formal. Casual clothing like jeans and a t-shirt, which you see on dates in most Western countries, is a no-go in Russia. Also, there is a chance that it will be perceived like you don’t care what you look like even though you are meeting an attractive woman who has made a huge effort to look beautiful for the occasion. Another dating rule in Russia is that a man can not expect sex or even hold hands after only one date. Casual sex as a concept more or less does not exist in Russia unless you are in big cities like Moscow or St. Petersburg, where women have adapted to more relaxed Western standards regarding casual sex. Thus, when dating a Russin woman in the beginning, don’t get too disappointed if she will not sleep with you.

Dating In Russia, Where You Should Go?

As you most likely know, Russia is the biggest country in the world, covering 17,098,242 square kilometers and with 11 time zones. Taking the train from Moscow to Vladivostok takes weeks, and even flying within Russia can be very time-consuming. Thus, when you desire to date a Russian woman, it is important where she lives and where you are going. Moreover, within Russia, there are many cultural differences between, e.g., West Russia and the Far East. In the Far East, many people still live like Westerners lived 50-100 years ago, whereas, in the West, you find modern cities like Moscow with over 11 million people and with everything a Western cosmopolitan city has to offer. Likewise, when it comes to looks, e.g., women in the Far East look more Asian with brown eyes and dark hair, whereas Russian woman in the West looks traditionally Caucasian with fair skin, blue or green eyes, and high cheekbones. Furthermore, Russian women in the Far East are shorter and have more round bodies than West Russian women, who tend to be tall and slim.

Nonetheless, dating in Russia requires that you do your research before going. Also, there is a big difference between if you are going to a big city like Moscow or St. Petersburg or a smaller mining town in Russia. Attitudes and cultural beliefs vary greatly between the big cities and the smaller towns, especially when it comes to women. In the big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, women tend to be Westernised when it comes to most matters; however, compared to Russian women from smaller towns, they are not nearly as easy to approach. And thus, from a dating perspective, if you want to meet a single Russian woman going to some of Russia’s smaller cities will give you a higher success rate. Also, in cities like Moscow, prices for everything are much higher than in smaller cities. As a matter of fact, Moscow is one of the most expensive cities to visit and to live in worldwide. So if you are on a budget, it is definitely a better idea to travel to some of Russia’s smaller towns or cities. However, if comfort and recreational activities are important to you in the smaller towns and cities, nothing much goes on.

What is more, when you get out of the big cities, the women to men ratio explodes compared to Moscow and St. Petersburg, i.e., in some towns and smaller cities you’ll find 2-3 women for each man living there and thus again from a dating perspective is it not a bad idea going there. Also, mentally and culturally, women in the smaller towns or cities find Western men much more interesting than women in the big cities. In the big cities, they are used to Westerners, whereas in the smaller town and cities, you don’t often meet someone from the West. Another thing to consider is your own age and if you are the adventurous type or not. Traveling in Russia is an adventure on its own; going on old busses and trains that dirty and if you are in the Far East, where there might even be chickens on the roof, is not for everybody. Likewise, most Western men going to Russia naturally don’t speak any Russian, and nobody outside the big cities in Russia speaks any English; thus, you to be prepared to get along with a few Russian words together with a dictionary and language translator app. downloaded from the internet.

Dating In Russia, Is It Expensive?

Men often write our website with questions regrading if dating in Russia is expensive, and our standard answer is; well, it depends. As we mentioned above, Russia is a vast country, and everything within Russia varies depending upon where you are located. However, when you plan on how much money to bring to Russia when you are going to meet and date a single Russian woman, it is expected that you pay for dinners, lunches, visits to museums, movie tickets, nightclub visits, transportation, etc. no matter if you are in a big or small city. Thus, if your date is in Moscow, prices are high, whereas if your date is located in a smaller town is can be very cheap compared to Western prices. Going out for dinner at a lavish restaurant or a fancy nightclub in Moscow can be extremely expensive. Moscow has a population of over 11 million people, and out of the 11 million people, you have an assessed 1.5 million people who are millionaires in US Dollars. Also, Moscow is home to the world’s third-largest number of billionaires.

Consequently, the entrance fee for a lavish nightclub can be 1000 USD per person, a bottle of wine easily 500 USD, a cola 50 UDS, and so forth. On the other hand, if you go to a smaller city or town in Russia, 100 USD will cover dinner for two, a nightclub visit, and a taxi home to where you are staying. Therefore, to answer the question, if dating in Russia is expensive, it is impossible to give a set answer. Besides, you also have to consider the personality of the woman you are meeting, her age, and her expectations of you. For example, if the woman you are meeting is 38 and has two children, there is a good chance that she is not very interested in fancy nightclubs and staying out all night. More likely, she will rather spend time in the park with you and her children. In contrast, if the woman you are meeting is 25 and lives in Moscow and you in your correspondence have given her the impression that you are a party king. Then she’ll most likely expect that you take her to a fancy nightclub to dance the night away.

To sum up, dating in Russia is an adventure that can be relativity cheap or very expensive depending on your approach. Nonetheless, it is for sure an experience of a lifetime and where you, with some effort and a little luck, will end up with a beautiful woman by your side. And to put a price on that seem somewhat an abstract exercise. Also, for some men, spending thousands of dollars on a night out is normal, whereas it is just not possible for others. Generally, if you are outside the big cities in Russia, everything is cheap compared to Western standards. Transport, accommodation, and food will outside the big cities be around 75 USD a day, and then you don’t have to save on the pennies. Whereas in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, most likely you are looking at from 500 USD and up daily. Anyway, thousands of single Western men each year manage to meet, date, and marry a woman from Russia, and in retrospect, they never seem to complain that dating in Russian was too expensive no matter how much money they spend when meeting a single Russian woman the first time.

Dating In Russia, Is It Safe or Dangerous?

Generally, traveling to Russia to meet a single Russian woman is safe in most places. If you are going to Moscow or St.Petersburg, these cities are just as safe as most cities in Europe, and if you take the necessary precautions, you got nothing to fear. Naturally, you should not flash money or expensive electronics and don’t walk around intoxicated. Also, in 2014 the city of Moscow introduced a tourist police task force to improve the city’s image and ensure that foreigners at all times would be safe. When it comes to thefts, violent crimes, and terrorism, the risk is generally lower than in most European countries. However, if you somehow find yourself in the outskirts of a big city like Moscow, you are probably better of getting into a taxi and head back to the city. There are poor areas, and Westerners are seen as easy targets for theft or holdups. Likewise, it is possible to encounters scammers that will try and cheat out of your money. They often present themself as guides and offer their services, they speak some English and have a map they will like to show you. Nevertheless, if you tell them to go, they will leave you alone.

However, one thing that is dangerous in the big cities in Russia is traffic. People in Russia generally drive like maniacs, and traffic in Russia always for Westerners seems like a chaotic dance of random events. Thus, you have to super careful crossing streets and try to avoid it altogether. Most big cities in Russia have underground tunnels for pedestrians, and even though you have to walk an additional block, you are better off finding a tunnel. When it comes to Russian hospitals and healthcare, before you come to Russia, ensure that you have health insurance covering your entire trip. If something happens, you want to go to a private clinic or hospital, which costs money and tends to be expensive. If you travel to more remote areas of Russia to date a woman, some places are not safe at the moment. These areas would be the border with Ukraine, where cities such as the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk are extremely dangerous for Westerners.

Also, the North Caucasus region is still an unstable and potentially dangerous area. Especially Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachayevo-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, and Chechnya. As a Westerner, these are not places you want to go for a date, no matter how beautiful your date is. In these areas of Russia, there is a risk that you could be taken hostage or for ransom or just disappear without anybody ever seeing you again. Likewise, in the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia where you find self-proclaimed militarized borders with the Republic of Georgia. In conclusion, when dating in Russia, you are pretty safe under most circumstances as long as you take the necessary precautions as you would traveling to any other country in the world. However, before you leave your home country, make sure to check the appropriate websites where you find the most current updates on the safety status is where you are going. Likewise, check with the woman you are meeting if there are any precautions you have to think about before coming to her city.