by Natalia Chajkovskaya

Getting to understand your Russian wife and Russian culture might be overwhelming at times, so I decided to make this cheat sheet in case you would like to refresh your memory. Here are the main Do’s and Don’ts of the Russian culture.

Do’s:

* open doors for your Russian wife and help her put on her coat/jacket;

* remember all Russian holidays and get little gifts and/or flowers for your wife;

* compliment your wife’s looks often;

* take your shoes off before entering your house;

* expect her to open your mail and read your emails (privacy as a word doesn’t exist in Russian language);

* bring gifts for her family every time you go to Russia. The gifts don’t have to be expensive, but make sure they are thoughtful;

* dress up when you take your Russian women out on a date;

* pour drinks for your wife during dinner;

* offer to pour drinks for every Russian woman that sits close to you (if you are in Russian or having a dinner with in a Russian company);

* expect to eat a lot of mayonnaise and sour cream;

* pay for her on every date even if you are not yet courting;

* pay for the stuff she wants to buy when you are courting;

* learn how to pronounce her name correctly (this might be obvious, but some men have trouble);

* expect your Russian wife to feed everyone who comes to your house;

* dress up nicely on holidays even if you are staying home. Russians love the holiday spirit, so make sure you don’t wear sweats on the 8th of March or her Birthday.;

* sit up quietly for a few minutes before you are leaving somewhere. Some Russians believe that you should sit on your suitcases;

* always act like a gentleman. Forget about feminism when you are with your Russian woman. She wants to feel like a lady, so make sure you treat her this way.

Don’t:

* give an even number of flowers to your Russian woman;

* wear jeans with holes in them (unless it is the style);

* tell her that you know that Russia is very cold;

* burp. Remember, act like a gentleman;

* forget about 8th of March celebration and her birthday. Don’t forget about other holidays as well, but these 2 are crucial;

* make jokes about Russia and vodka (these are too corny);

* offer her junk food;

* assume she is having an affair if she puts make up on and dresses up every time she gets out of the house;

* never put your keys or a hat on the kitchen table;

* celebrate her birthday early (it is considered to be a bad luck);

* tell her you didn’t like the gift she bought for you (even if it is horrendous);

* let her carry the groceries and heavy bags. It is a man’s job in Russian culture;

* expect her to learn the art of “small talk” quickly and don’t talk to strangers if you are in Russia;

* post pictures of your newborn baby on Facebook or any other social network sites before she or he is 1 month old (remember, Russians are superstitious);

* drink alcoholic beverages without a toast. This doesn’t apply if you are just having a beer after work, but if you are celebrating something you have to say a toast every time you lift your drink off the table ;

* give your wife a watch as a gift;

* fill a glass being held in the air;

I am sure there is a bunch of other do’s and don’t which I didn’t include, but these in my opinion are the most important.

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