Archive for January, 2010

Russian Wives and Unwritten Rules (Part 1)

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

Even if you read a dozen of books about Russian wives, Russian culture, customs and traditions, there still will be things which will confuse you, frustrate you and make you wonder. You can not learn the culture well without actually experiencing it and it is very likely that the first time you really experience the culture is when you and your Russian wife will start living together.

I already wrote about Russian traditions and important elements of Russian culture. This article I want to dedicate to unwritten rules, which many Western men are not aware of.

This is a preview of Russian Wives and Unwritten Rules (Part 1). Read the full post (697 words, estimated 2:47 mins reading time)

Marrying a Russian Woman Can Save you Money

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

Marrying a Russian woman is often associated with spending tons of money on marriage agencies, visas, green cards and travel. In reality, these costs are not that bad and if you marry a typical Russian woman, she will show you frugality on a completely different level.

The majority of Russian women are taught to be frugal and I think many of them have the ability to save money in their genes. Russian women know how to cook and are able to make very nice meals even if their refrigerator is empty. I think that the older the woman, the better the ability, because women in their 30s and 40s have lots of experience in creating masterpieces out of nothing and having the full and nicely served table when all they have is three ingredients.

This is a preview of Marrying a Russian Woman Can Save you Money. Read the full post (593 words, estimated 2:22 mins reading time)

Russian Bride and her Relatives: What to Expect and How to Deal with Them

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

They often say that when you marry someone who is close to their family, you are marrying the family as well. If your Russian bride’s family lived closer to you, this would most likely be the case as well. Russians have closer family ties than most Westerners and it is quite common for family members to be actively involved in each other’s lives.

Since her family is going to be thousands of miles away, you don’t have to worry about it too much. However, you will have to deal with your Russian bride’s relatives to some extent anyway, so here are some tips on what to expect and how to deal with it.

This is a preview of Russian Bride and her Relatives: What to Expect and How to Deal with Them. Read the full post (697 words, estimated 2:47 mins reading time)

How to Help your Russian Wife and Your Friends Accept Each Other

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

As if adapting to the new customs, traditions, food and language were not enough, your Russian wife will have to adapt to your friends. You may not think of it as a big deal, since your buddies are probably great and you can’t even come up with a single thing which your new Russian wife may not like. However, speaking from my own and from my Russian female friends’ experience, I can assure you that adapting to your friends may be quite challenging, as well as it might be challenging for your friends to get used to your Russian wife.

This is a preview of How to Help your Russian Wife and Your Friends Accept Each Other. Read the full post (1520 words, estimated 6:05 mins reading time)

What to Expect During First Year of Marriage with a Russian Woman: Russian Food

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

In my previous article I wrote about how tough it might be for your Russian wife to get used to American food and gave you a few tips on how to help her out. Today I am going to help you get acquainted with the Russian food.

Marriage with a Russian woman may be a blessing if you like homemade food and don’t have high cholesterol or blood pressure. Most Russian women know how to cook and this ability comes to them naturally. Eventually she will learn how to make different dishes and will be making the best meatloaf in your neighborhood, but during the first year of marriage with a Russian woman you will most likely be eating Russian traditional dishes made by her.

This is a preview of What to Expect During First Year of Marriage with a Russian Woman: Russian Food. Read the full post (677 words, estimated 2:42 mins reading time)

What to Expect During First Year of Marriage with a Russian Woman: American Food and your wife

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

Food is probably the last thing on your mind when you are getting ready for marriage with a Russian woman. Many guys worry about more significant issues such as the language barrier or the process for obtaining a visa, and neglect something as banal as food.

Food, no matter how trite it sounds, should not be neglected. Food is not the same everywhere, so in order for both of you to avoid food-related culture-shock, you need to know what to expect. Trying to decide what to eat for dinner may not be as important as trying to decide how soon to have children, but it can certainly make your adjustment to each other and to each other’s cultures easier and smoother.

This is a preview of What to Expect During First Year of Marriage with a Russian Woman: American Food and your wife. Read the full post (628 words, estimated 2:31 mins reading time)

Russian Women and Culture Shock: What to Expect and What to Do?

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

Most foreigners who move to another country or even come to a different country for a visit, experience so-called culture shock. Culture shock is a normal process of adapting to life in another country and it is rather inevitable. Here are some tips on what to expect and how to help Russian women cope with culture shock.

First of all, culture shock is not the same as depression. Psychologists say that culture shock consists of distinct phases or stages and most people go through them in order.

This is a preview of Russian Women and Culture Shock: What to Expect and What to Do?. Read the full post (660 words, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)

Surviving holidays with a Russian Woman: Women’s Day and Birthday

Holidays are a very important part of Russian culture and if you were paying attention to my previous articles you should know how to make her first New Year with you special and memorable. Two more holidays which you have to pay special attention to are Women’s Day and her Birthday. In this article I am going to give you suggestions on how make these holidays with a Russian woman extra special.
Because my husband tends to forget Women’s Day every year (even though I nag about it throughout the year), I am going to remind you again: make sure you don’t forget about this holiday. It is very important for a Russian woman. Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th and is an official holiday in Russia and most Former Soviet Union countries. It is as important for Russians as Thanksgiving and Independence Day are for Americans.
Womanhood, motherhood and femininity are celebrated on this day and men are expected to give women flowers, gifts and lots of compliments. This is the only day in the year when it is appropriate for random men on streets give women compliments and wish them Happy 8th of March. Male co-workers frequently organize parties for women they work with and even school kids are giving gifts to their female classmates, siblings, mothers and grandmothers.
It is hard to describe the beautiful atmosphere of this holiday and it will be impossible for you to recreate it, but you can do some things to help your Russian woman miss it less and by making her feel special.
Remembering this holiday and buying a gift in advance would be your first step. Don’t get her kitchen utensils (you can get these some other time), get something more personal and/or romantic. Jewelry, perfume or even a stuffed animal are good “female” gifts for this type of holiday. As an addition to your gift, on 8th of March buy your wife flowers and take her out for dinner. If your schedule allows, you may take her out for movies or on a romantic walk You cannot overdo her first 8th of March in a new country, because unless you live in a Russian community you will be the only male who knows about it and there fore the only male who will give her special attention and appreciation.
Your wife’s birthday is equally if not even more important that 8th of March. Once again, since her family and friends are far away, all pressure is on you, so you have to try and make it perfect. Her birthday is a BIG deal, so don’t let her do any housework or God forbid, fight with her. Russians like to celebrate birthday with family and close friends, with lots of food, gifts and toasts. Her first Birthday away from her loved ones will be hard, so try to treat her like a queen. Take her out for dinner, buy her a nice present or three, do housework for her and tell her how much you love her.
If you already have friends which your Russian wife feels comfortable with, invite them to celebrate her Birthday as well. Keep in mind though, that in Russian culture if you invite someone to a restaurant to celebrate your or your spouse’s Birthday, you are expected to pay for all the food and alcohol, so if you are inviting Russians, expect to pay for everyone. If you don’t feel that generous, but still would like to throw her a nice birthday with Russian friends (if she has any already), invite people to your home instead.
If you can take some time off work and take her to a romantic Bed & Breakfast trip instead, this will make her happy as well.
In Russian culture they say that it is not the gift that matters, but the effort and attention. If you try hard to please her, no matter what you end up doing, she will feel loved and be happy. Her first birthday and 8th of March with you may turn out to be her best ones yet.

by Natalia Chajkovskaya

This is a preview of Surviving holidays with a Russian Woman: Women’s Day and Birthday. Read the full post (1374 words, estimated 5:30 mins reading time)