Russian mail order brides are famous all over the world, right alongside mail order brides from South Korea and the Philippines. Ever since the practice of mail order marriages started several centuries ago, many of the first European ladies to start responding to ads from American frontier men were Russian.
Once the age of the Internet came along, the practice of Westerners looking for Eastern European mail order brides has only increased. Yet, in recent years people are more and more talking about Slavic brides more broadly and not just about Russian mail order brides. So, are Russian ladies still the gold standard for men looking for foreign wives?
What kind of women become Russian mail order brides?
When talking about Russian brides, people often think about tall blonde East Slavic women. And while this is indeed the most common ethnicity in Russia, it’s important to remember that the Russian Federation is actually quite ethnically diverse.
According to most current statistics, ethnic Russians make up about 77% of the country’s population, with most of those living in the larger cities in European Russia.
The other ~23% are made up of Tatars, Chechens, Ukrainians, Bashkir, Chuvashs, Armenians, and other ethnicities. In the eastern parts of the country there are also lots of work immigrants from China and South Korea.
Many of the people from these ethnicities live in the poorer and more sparsely populated areas of Eastern Russia, and many of them are also interested in becoming mail order wives even if few among them have the opportunity to try it.
So, most of the Russian women you’ll see trying to become mail order brides will be Slavic ladies from the larger urban centers. Some will be young girls looking to immigrate to the West, and many of them will be poor girls who know they won’t have many economic opportunities in Russia.
At the same time, there are also many more mature Russian women who’ve already had a previous marriage and don’t want to marry a Russian man again due to fear of domestic violence or economic hardships.
In other words, most of the Russian mail order brides who look for Western husbands tend to do so for socioeconomic reasons. Yet, this doesn’t mean they aren’t also looking for a genuine relationship and a stable and loving family life.
In fact, the main social reason for Russian ladies to want to live abroad is because they want a better life and marriage built upon mutual respect and love – something many of them don’t feel they can reliably get in Russia.
What are the Top 3 sites to meet Russian women?
Nowadays, there is an overabundance of international dating sites, marriage agencies, “love tours,” and marriage brokers, all promising easy and successful relationships with foreign women.
Of course, it’s usually not that easy, and many such marriage agencies, brokers, tours, or other services rarely offer anything even close to a “perfect match.” The reason for that is simple – they act as middlemen who try to arrange your future relationship for you but are only interested in getting paid, not in the actual long-term success of your married life after you pay them.
Instead, the more reliable option for single men who want to marry Russian mail order brides is to find their future foreign bride personally via an international dating website services.
Such mail order bride websites often take a bit of time to find the right person for you. However, the benefit is that you can more fully and genuinely get to know the Russian woman you’re chatting and video calling with, and make sure that she is the right person for you.
There are risks even with this method, however, which is why it’s important to use the right dating site. Here are our recommendations:
1. SakuraDate
An excellent place to meet mail order brides from both Asia and Europe, SakuraDate has a great assortment of features for text and video communication, including lots of free features. There is also a top-notch matchmaking system to make sure that the mail order bride you’re talking to online is as likely to be a good match as possible.
2. EasternHoneys
EasternHoneys has a very reliable profile birth certificate verification system, making it one of the safest dating sites for mail order brides out there. There are also great service discounts for first-time users, as well as a very large database of mail order brides, very convenient online communication features, pictures and video exchange system, and more.
3. LoverWhirl
For those looking for truly serious relationships, few sites are better than LoverWhirl. This online site combines a great matchmaking search function, lots of free features, a very affordable credit system, and excellent account verification system.
Why should you look for Russian mail order brides?
Russian girls are famous for their stunning beauty and are often even compared to real life dolls. This alone is enough for most Western men to search for relationships and marriage with such a woman.
Naturally, Russian brides are much more than just real life dolls too – smart, educated, hardworking, family-oriented, these women have many of the qualities lots of men feel Western women lack.
A Russian bride has a strong interest in being treated with respect, but she also knows she has to earn it and not just demand it.
In other words, if you’re doubtful that, in real life, these women can possibly live up to the many positive online myths spread about them – they very often can.
The Pros and Cons of dating and marrying a Russian bride
Life with a foreign wife offers plenty of great opportunities as well as some interesting challenges. So, before you start your search for a Russian wife on any of the various dating services out there, here are some Pros and Cons to consider.
Pros:
- Russian mail order brides are typically raised with a strong sense of family values. Every woman is different, of course, but most Russian brides looking for marriage will have the traditional family values lots of men in the West are looking for.
- The majority of Russian women looking to live abroad are aware of most Western cultural trends. This doesn’t mean there won’t be a period of cultural acclimatization and assimilation, but especially Russian women from Moscow and Saint Petersburg are well aware of what life in the West entails.
- Russian brides are famous for their stunning beauty and that reputation is well-deserved. Like other Slavic brides from countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, or Poland, a Slavic Russian woman will usually be tall, slim, young, with fair skin, exceptionally gorgeous, and with long, flowing blond hair.
- The education levels of Russian people vary wildly depending on which city and area in the Federation you’re looking at. On the whole, however, Russians have some of the highest tertiary education degree attainment rates in all OECD countries – 63% for the 25-34 age bracket, compared to the 44% average for other countries. This means your future Russian wife will likely be exceptionally intelligent, well-educated, and will have plenty of good career opportunities.
Cons:
- A Russian bride moving to the West may struggle a bit with loneliness and homesickness. This is to be expected as she’ll be away from all her friends and family. Fortunately, there are large enclaves of ethnic Russians in the U.S. and Western Europe, so your bride will have ample opportunities to search for fellow Russians and new friends too.
- Russian women are known to be quite headstrong and willful. This isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, but many men make the mistake to think that if Russians respect traditional family values, therefore a Russian bride will be “subservient” to her husband. Needless to say, that’s usually far from the case.
- Even on the most reputable international mail order website or service, scams can happen if you’re not careful. Russian brides, in particular, often have a bad reputation in that regard, whether deservedly or not.
- Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the sociopolitical relations between the Russian Federation and the global West have been a little tense. This shouldn’t necessarily be a problem for Western husbands looking for marriage with a Russian woman, but on occasion, it can be a problem during your future life together.
Russian brides vs other Slavic brides vs Western brides
Russian women may have many awesome qualities, but how do they really compare to relationships with Western women or to other Slavic women like those from Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, and others?
For one, Russian ladies tend to be much more headstrong and confident than many other Slavic brides. Russians, as a whole, are famous for their natural pride – whether you see that as a positive or a negative is up to you.Russians are the most numerous Slavic nation too, and there are millions of Russian immigrants already living in the West, which can make it easier for your future bride to get used to her new life.
At the same time, many other Slavic nations are already a part of the European Union, which makes the traveling and immigration to the West much easier than it is for a Russian bride.
Culturally, Russian brides are similar to other Slavic ladies in that they have much stronger family values than Western women. They tend to be more traditional too, compared to the more progressive and feminist Western brides, although that doesn’t mean a Russian wife doesn’t want to be treated with respect and has no interest in having personal freedom.
In which Russian cities should you look for Russian ladies?
As ethnically diverse as Russia is, it’s even more diverse geographically. This huge country includes anything from sand deserts to frozen tundras, as well as all types of settlements from the smallest hamlets to some of the largest, oldest, and most impressive cities in the world.
In terms of where you’d want your future wife to be from, we’d strongly recommend to focus your search on the country’s larger urban centers. This isn’t to say that a woman from a more rural area can’t make for a phenomenal spouse. However, there are bound to be much fewer cultural differences and a lesser language barrier if you date a woman from a larger Western Russian city.
Moscow
The capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow is an impressively large city with its population of around 13 million people. This is one of the oldest large European cities and, until not too long ago, it used to be one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in.
Even though the latter isn’t the case anymore due to various economic factors, Moscow remains a cultural, economic, and technological global hub. Unsurprisingly, a Russian woman from Moscow will be much more likely to be highly educated, cultured, and intelligent than a mail order bride from any other part of Russia.
Saint Petersburg
The second largest metropolis in Russia, Saint Petersburg has a population of over 5.6 million people. Formerly known as Leningrad, Saint Petersburg is similar to Moscow in most aspects – it’s an incredibly old city full of centuries-old historical and cultural landmarks, but it has also become very modernized over the last few decades.
Located on the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, Saint Petersburg has millions of young, well-educated, and beautiful Russian women, many of whom are quite interested in the idea of moving to another country.
Novosibirsk
A drastically different city from the other two, Novosibirsk has a population of only about 1.6 million but is nevertheless the third largest city in the country. What’s more, Novosibirsk is situated deep in the Central Asian part of the country and is the center of the Siberian Federal District of Russia.
Novosibirsk is also a relatively new and industrial city. It was created at the end of the 19th century and then had to be almost completely rebuilt after the Russian Civil War. During the Soviet Union, however, Novosibirsk became an industrial hub, hosting countless massive factories.
Today, Novosibirsk is home to numerous large corporations and office spaces. Women from this eastern city have various career opportunities, but many are nevertheless interested in moving to any other country that’s economically and culturally better off than Russia.
Yekaterinburg
Named after Empress Catherine The Great, Yekaterinburg has a population of about 1.5 million people. It’s located in the Western-Asian part of Russia, in the Ural Federal District.
Both older and more culturally rich than Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg is often dubbed “the third capital of Russia.” In addition to its rich culture, it’s also a huge industrial hub.
Despite that, as is the case with Novosibirsk, every other pretty woman from Yekaterinburg is either dreaming of or actively looking for a way to move to the West, be it to the U.S., to Europe, or to the European part of Russia.
Kazan
The first predominantly non-Slavic city on this list, Kazan is the fifth largest city in Russia with a population of about 1.3 million people. It’s the capital of Tatarstan and it’s mostly populated by Muslim Tatars.
Nevertheless, the Tatar culture of today is an awesome mix of Slavic Russian culture and classic Tatar heritage. Kazan itself is a bustling modern city with a population that’s well-educated, compared to most other parts of Russia, relatively modern, but also firmly holding to its traditional values and religious view of marriage.
Women from Kazan are taught to be respectful and hardworking, but are also strongly interested in life to the west of not only Tatarstan but Russia as a whole.
How much does it cost to date and marry a Russian mail order bride?
Finding an awesome woman to marry from a country on the other end of the world is never cheap. After all, even just the traveling expenses are almost always in the four-digit range.
Unfortunately, this is just as true for mail order brides from Russia as it is for Asian, Latin, Ukrainian women, and others.
Fortunately, dating mail order wives through dating sites is generally not just safer but also much more affordable than using marriage agencies or other such services. The reason for that is quite simple – marriage agencies charge huge sums of money to arrange dates with foreign brides but then keep a lot of that money instead.
International dating sites, on the other hand, have minor monthly subscription fees or affordable credit systems, all of which rarely amount to more than several dozen or a few hundred dollars at most.
So, let’s break down the different types of expenses you will have to deal with.
Dating expenses
Assuming you’re using mail order dating websites, as this is both the best and most affordable way to go about it, your initial online dating expenses won’t be all that significant.
There are people who end up having to pay thousands of dollars even just for the online services, but this only happens if you’re using the wrong website or if you’re chatting with numerous young girls at the same time and sending way too many real life and virtual gifts to all of them.
Instead, if you approach the whole endeavor in a smart way and only try to court one lady at a time, you likely won’t need to overspend that much.
As for the aforementioned gifts – many people try to overdo it with sending women gifts in the hopes that’d earn their affection. The reality is, however, that a Russian mail order bride who is actively asking you to send her gifts or money is very likely to be scamming you. So, it’s usually best to save the gifts for when you’re certain you’ve found the right Russian bride.
If you stick to such basic tips, you shouldn’t spend more than a few hundred dollars for the online dating at most.
Traveling expenses
Traveling is where a relationship with a Russian mail order bride gets expensive. You would want to meet your future wife in person at least once – or preferably a few times – before you take your relationship to the next level.
Traveling to the Russian Federation from the U.S. or any other Western country usually costs a few thousand dollars for both directions. Additionally, Westerners can’t just enter the country, as Russian law requires Americans and other Westerners to have a bone fide visa before they attempt to enter the country.
While the entry visa part isn’t all that expensive, it is time-consuming and tricky to figure out, especially on your first trip.
Additionally, your stay in the country will likely not be cheap either. Moscow may not be as expensive as it used to be, but you’d still have to pay for at least several days in a hotel, for restaurants, transportation, as well as the dates with your future bride too.
All in all, even just a single trip to meet your mail order bride will end up costing a few thousand dollars at the least.
Visa, immigration, and assimilation expenses
Once you and your Russian mail order bride are ready to move your relationship to the next level, it will be time for her to travel to you. This can be even more expensive, depending on where you live.
Your bride will need to get a visa and a green card, which is a process that can take months and cost anywhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars. Her trip around the world from a city like Novosibirsk to San Francisco or LA will also cost thousands of dollars, especially considering that your future bride will likely have quite a lot of luggage for her long-term stay.
Next, there are the assimilation expenses. Not many Russian brides speak English all that well, and even more mail order brides are likely to have some trouble assimilating into Western culture. The Russian Federation is home to different cultures after all, and many girls will need extra time and effort to get used to life in the Western world, find friends, get a job, and so on.
Lastly, keep in mind that international relationships have additional long-term expenses too. Your Russian bride will likely want to visit her home and family from time to time, which means even more traveling expenses over time, not just in the present.
Is it even legal to look for Russian mail order brides?
Many people intuitively see mail order bride relationships as something that’s probably illegal. There are some countries that have banned marriage agencies (the Philippines being a famous example of that), however, when it comes to simply using international dating sites to meet foreign women, there is absolutely nothing illegal about that.
At the end of the day, going on the internet and chatting or exchanging pictures with a lady from another country is neither illegal nor immoral in any way.
