Russian brides wear
many hats and still manage to keep a good head on their
shoulders. No, we are not talking about the famous ushanka
military hat or Mikhail Gorbachev’s favorite astrakhan. We
speak, rather, of the different roles and duties that are
defined for and expected of Russian ladies:
daughter, bride, wife, and mother. Western men seeking Russian
brides would be surprised to find that these women
courageously take on each role with pride and devotion,
despite the challenges that come with being viewed as “the
weaker sex.”
Voluptuous James Bond villainesses and
graceful ballerinas are the usual knee-jerk thoughts when “Russian
ladies” come to mind, but this narrow view is changing as
the world becomes smaller. A Russian lady is a
woman born into circumstances that could shatter the resolve
of an ordinary Western woman. Russian ladies
shoulder the burden of all gender roles but with limited
economic opportunities.
Russian brides as
dutiful daughters
As daughters (“dochka”), Russian ladies are raised to put
the needs of other members of the family, particularly that of
the father, before her own. The average Russian lady starts
dating in her early teens. Russian women
dating is not very different from dating customs observed in
other parts of the world. Russian singles on
a date usually go out for dinner, and then to a café or a
dance club. Going to the movies, the preferred dating activity
in the U.S., is not as popular among Russian singles.
Men who like to take Russian women
dating are counted on to pay for the date.
The importance of marriage to Russian
brides
The legal age for marriage is 18 years old, and many Russian
brides enter matrimony at a very young age. Getting
married and becoming a mother are the two cornerstones of Russian
brides. The social status of a Russian lady who
remains unmarried beyond the age of 25 is akin to that of a
young spinster, mocked for her “undesirability” and
“unmarriageability.” “A woman without a husband is like an
orphaned child,” goes one proverb that scorns a Russian
lady who “descends” into spinsterhood. This is the reason
why many a young girl’s dream is to become a Russian
bride.
When Russian brides
become Russian wives
When a Russian lady becomes a Russian bride
(“nevesta”), she assumes the dual roles of wife (“zhena”) and,
subsequently, mother (“mat’”). While it is a fact that Russian
wives would sacrifice a lot for families, the devastating
aftermath of “perestroika” has left many Russian wives with
little choice but to take up employment in order to help their
husbands provide for their children. These Russian wives never
yield to hard work and struggle. Russian wives are
reputed to be loving, caring, gentle, and faithful. It is no
wonder that Western men have been smitten by Russian
ladies, searching mostly through Russian dating services,
for that special Russian bride. Russian
brides are hardworking and resourceful, and they assume
all responsibility for household duties and child care.
Resilient and unyielding to hard work, the Russian
wife is beyond categorization. To Western men who consider
the Russian lady as the
perfect life partner, no single word could encapsulate the
essence of the Russian wife. And
to that, we say: Hats off to you, Russian brides!
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