Cheek kissing is the most common greeting in Russia now. It is customary to “kiss three times, on alternate cheeks.”

But Never kiss your girl on her forehead in Russia. Kissing someone on their forehead is reserved for funerals. Kissing a loved one at the funeral reception is a tradition.

And do not kiss or shake hands across the threshold of the door step; this is traditionally bad luck for Russians.

If you have already learnt what flowers your woman prefers, buy them! Choosing flowers may also provide you an opportunity to show your aesthetic instinct.
The bouquet may be extravagant and not necessarily expensive.

Red roses symbolize love. White ones are often given as a present at weddings. Besides Russians usually do not present yellow flowers, as they are a symbol of separation. Though young girls are not that prejudiced, and like flowers of different sorts and colours.

A Russian woman may be embarrassed to receive expensive presents at your first date.

But Russian woman is kind, and has a good sense of humour, she will be glad to all the presents coming from your soul. And nearly all Russian ladies love surprises and prefer individuality. They can appreciate your good taste and desire to make her feel happy and unique.

St Valentine's Day is not a traditiional Orthodoxal Christian festival. But Russians love new holidays, and they adopted it very quickly, though not so long ago. St Valentine's day became very popular in Russia now.

It became especially popular among students and youth. Couples get together, make parties, go to restaurants. On this day all the restaurants are decorated with candles, fresh flowers, heart baloons, have special offers.

At parties couples play romantic games, whisper romantic words to each other, give presents.Girls and women love all the presents, but flowers, sweets and teddy bears are the most popular among youth. Married couples prefer jewellery.


Friends send messages and mails to each other. At home married couples make romantic suppers with burning candles and good music. It is not an official holiday, but very much loved by young people.

The men in your life may leave you, children grow up, parents pass away. The only ones who are there for you, from cradle to grave, are your sisters.

Sisters certainly do speak their own language. In fact, a simple wink, gentle smile or nod is usually enough for one sister to know what another is thinking. So, what can be better than a sisterly love?..

For us, our relationship is one of the longest, deepest ones in our lives. We have warm memories of growing up together, playing dress-up and having pillow fights. As adults, we are best friends and confidantes. My sister and me permit each other an honesty that we won't allow anyone else. We know for sure my sister is someone who will tell me the truth when I ask questions. She wants the best for me. And we can take that honesty when it's given with love.

We always feel it was a gift to be given a sister who brings so much joy and pleasure to our lives. We have always felt ”blessed” to have a close sister.

A thing that always causes a lot of arguments is the problem of age difference. Certainly not all the Russian women and girls share the same attitude to the difference in age with their future husband. But there are quite a few young beauties, trying to find a tower of strength, a husband, able to provide a good life level and education to future children and who could be a bread-winner in case of need. In this case a lot of men that are above 40 match this ideal perfectly. But actually there are not so many couples where a wife or a husband ( that’s even much more rare ) is 20+ years younger than their partner. Most likely she or he will be interested in the beginning of the relationships but than they will probably realize that they have too little in common.

Russia is a vast country. And many different people live there, of different nationalities. Russian people try to keep to their nation and race while creating a new family in most cases, but there are no strict rules on the question. People are absolutely free in their choice. And international marriages are not rare, especially in big cities.

As for me, my father is half Greek, my mother was Russian. I’ve always been proud of my Russian and Greek roots, and always wanted to visit Greece. Two years ago I managed to do it and fell in love with Greece from the first sight. I got to love its nature, landscape, sea and people. And I appreciated their history, antique cathedrals, national customs and traditions, their ethnic cuisine and wine.

Is there a Russian girl who wouldn't dream of love and marriage to crown it? Brought up on fairytales she believes in love and waits for her prince to come. Sometimes, during her whole life. The Russian classics teach us that love is the most sublime of all human feelings. For example, the Russian writer Ivan Bunin contended in his works that love is the only means to attain happiness in earthly life. Love is still the major factor for a Russian woman in choosing her partner.

Any Russian woman would like to be the object of chivalrous admiration, to receive flowers and poems written especially for her. However the image of an ideal lover doesn't interfere with love for a real person, not always so positive as she would like. One can often come across such an explanation of the paradox: 'Somebody has to love him as well.' And she can forgive a lot to the person she loves: alcoholism, unfaithfulness, lies and non-chivalrous behavior.

Russian woman in love is characterized by all-conquering forgiveness, a bent for self-sacrifice, passion, devotion, faithfulness, disinterestedness. Therewith she has a tendency to carry her feelings almost to the point of absurdity, to idealize her man, to give her identity, to view her lover as a prospective husband. But if one treats her with contempt, she is capable of ardent hatred.

In Russia up to nowadays the most common family type is the one in which wife is the family Treasurer; husband will give her the money he earns and... this is the limit to his authority over money matters. It is not vital in a Russian family, who cooks, cleans and does the washing and who earns the money. Each tries to meet the requirements of a specific situation. Spouses make roughly equal contribution to the family budget.

The attitudes of modern russian women towards money vary. Some follow the principle 'don't put off till tomorrow what you can spend today', others plan, how much and for what purpose to spend in minute details. The disconcerting Russian life makes the woman plan thoroughly the family budget: the wages day used to be fixed and this allowed it to plan 'from the one wage to the next one', so to say; nowadays nobody feels confident about the day to come, and Russian women have learnt to save for a rainy day.