Information
For many of you this will be your first trip to Russia. I understand anxieties about visiting this region of the world, and will
endeavor to answer your questions fully, comprehensively, and
responsibly. Feel free to raise health or safety concerns, or discuss travel logistics,
or address the issue of cross-linguistic and cross-cultural
communication with your Russian lady friends.
Traveller assistance
Need to be met at the airport?
Pasha-the-boss, who has been reduced, for his bad attitude and sarcasm,
to the position of a driver as far as this project is concerned, will be
sent off to the airport to meet you.
Advice on selecting a hotel? I will
try suggesting something that will suit both your budget and your travel
style. Accommodation in Moscow runs from $15-22 for a bed in a
backpacker hostel to $200 in a stylish hotel, but expect to pay
$80-150/night for something appropriate in view of your visit's nature.
Prefer private accommodation? I
watch out for centrally located apartments that offer a good balance
between quality and economy, and will recommend something. Most private
apartments of suitable quality are in the $60-90/night range, and offer
the advantage of home atmosphere. Also, unlike in hotels that discourage
guests, visitors are allowed, and no guard is going to show at your door
demanding them out by 11pm (a common practice here).
Unsure where to shop, eat, exchange money,
etc. etc.?
Overwhelmed by the subway system? My orientation tour will take care
of these and many other questions. We'll spend 3-5 hours going
over the essentials, including key Russian phrases, which will allow you
to be self sufficient in this puzzling and chaotic city.
Count on me for all-around support to make your trip safe, smooth, and effective.
Planning and scheduling
If you need to squeeze a lot of meetings
into a short stretch of time, I can set up your
appointments and streamline your schedule. Drivers, tickets, restaurant reservations will all
be waiting. I do not necessarily recommend rigid planning but if you
prefer it that way I will have everything arranged and reserved well in
advance. It is better, both from the organization and financial point of
view, to have someone on the standby to sort out little issues and
misunderstandings while you are in Russian...
Relationship facilitation
It is nice when the travel logistics go smoothly,
but what determines the success of your trip is whether you meet the right person, and
that you are able to communicate with her,
not just on technical, but on personal and emotional level.
While, ultimately, no one can do this for the two of you, a
helping hand may get things started on the right note.
I can take some awkwardness out of the situation
by introducing you to your e-mail friend. I can suggest topics of
conversation and equip you with phrases, or recommend activities that
will ease you into productive and pleasant communication.
An interview with your lady friend well before
your trip may help you to form a realistic picture of her, thus helping
the relationship to get established, provided it was meant to.
Of technical things, I can do translations, mail
forwarding, or gift delivery "with a personal touch".
Actually, translations are done by Pasha,
and he is no procrastinator. While his style of translation is
"true to the letter", he will insert editorial comments to make sure you really
understand each other's meaning, not just words.
I can also recommend a good interpreter or
act as one, arrange for a few English lessons for your Russian fiancée,
and teach you some basic Russian.
Understanding the culture
Finding yourself in a new culture may be a
disorienting experience. Let's soften the culture shock by reviewing
common behaviour patterns accepted in Russia and going through a quick list of dos and don'ts.
I encourage western men who search for a Russian
wife to spare no time and effort to really understand
the environment your future lifetime mate comes from.
Let's discuss potential obstacles and common misunderstandings.
Not the most pleasant of topics, but discussing problems is better than
dealing with consequences.
Put my training in sociology to good use!
Flower and gift
delivery
Presently I am
researching into delivering flowers and gifts. So far the price of
flowers appears to be on the high end ($40-50 for a decent bouquet, plus
delivery, so the total price is approaching $100) but I am hoping to
find a cheaper source.
I can turn delivering a
few flowers or a gift into something more interesting. It can be used as
a method to establish contact with your e-mail
girlfriend and conduct an interview that may give a glimpse into her
motivation. Usually I'm pretty good getting people to open up,
and with some luck a simple flower delivery can yield you a lot of
information about your friend.
Paperwork assistance
From translations of official documents to
orchestrating the marriage process for those who wish to register their
marriage in Russia.
==>>
International marriage registration <<==
I can even organize a simple but decent wedding.
If things don't work out
In some cases expectations
are disappointed when you meet your e-mail friend in person. Should that
happen, I may have some suggestions on viable alternatives to make sure
that your trip to Russia still brings positive results.
I have a considerable amount
of experience writing effective personal ads or developing profiles for
Russian dating sites. In fact, I recommend this approach over using the
services of marriage agencies that specialize in Western men and Russian
women that expose you to "rich foreigner hunter" type of woman.
Want to discuss your search
strategy? Please write, call, or talk to me in person.
Scam and manipulator
control
Outright attempts on your wallet are easy to
recognize. Requests for visa and ticket money, sick mother stories and
such are the trademark of crude straight-forward scam. These situation are
usually self-evident.
Women who specialize in extracting money
from western men by doing something that seem to lack an English word ("raskrutka"
in Russia, literaly "roll out") present a harder challenge...
[CONTINUE]
Interpreting photos and letters
To realize how far from reality are the
pictures you see you would need to read instructions in the Russian side
of a typical dating site.
The same applies to writing letters. You
only need to see how and to what extent Russian women are coached how to
write to meet the expectation.
As a result, both appearance and personality
are nearly inaccessible to someone attempting to establish a long-distance
relationship.
To some extend I can "deconstruct" textual
and visual information to help you get to the essential person.
Rates
Examples of rates
Ask for quotes!
Alternatively, you can specify your budget and objectives, and I'll see
how we can squeeze the most out of a given amount.
Remember that my involvement will often save you
a considerable amount of money, often more than the cost of my services.
I am definitely the best when it comes to
budget accommodation in Moscow and to procuring tickets at local prices,
based on several years of experience taking care of backpackers as an
associate of Uncle Pasha's Consultants & Facilitators. Tell me about your
travel plans and budget constraints, and I will propose how to stretch
your dollar the most.
About me
Biographical note
 Born in Tomsk, Siberia.
Graduated from the Tomsk University in 1996
as a sociologist, with specialization in self-organization processes in
society, and then continued in the Moscow Institute of Sociology.
Those interested in my work in sociology
please see [list of publications].
Joined Uncle Pasha's
Consultants and Facilitators in 1999 where, in addition to overall
office management and accounting, I'm specifically responsible for the
"Russian Brides" project.
Full contact details
E-mail:
olesya1111@yandex.ru
SEE HER SITE
WWW.RUSSIANGIRLFRIDAY.COM
Preferred form of contact is e-mail that is
monitored continuously.
In matters that cannot wait please do call.
Remember the time difference: Moscow is GST+3, or EST+9. That is, your 8am
is our 5pm, and your 11pm is our 8am next morning.
|
Olesya
and Pasha - Thank
you for taking care of the trip's logistics, but I am truly grateful for
the ongoing "communication and cultural sensitivity consulting", for lack
of a better term... As you know, I've taken your advice about staying in
Russia. Without it many of Luda's behavior patterns would have remained a
puzzle. The paperwork is nearing its end and we are looking forward to the
challenge of returning to the States....And yes, I will be happy to talk
to my compatriots who are thinking of requesting your assistance, and feel
free to post the above, without my name and e-mail of course..
SK
------
...E-mail exchange with
Russian ladies was a breeze. The speed with which you processed our
correspondence defied the image of Russia. And thank you for helping me to
put things in perspective. It now looks like I'm coming in June if I can
get a week off work.
MT
-------
RELATED READING
A little article with some advice I wrote
a couple of years ago.
An informative and perceptive
article contributed by one of our site's visitors
Also
see his travelogue
Lots of information on Elena
Petrova's sites. We particularly recommend
-------
What
are Russian women like? My compilation of quotes and pictures from a
variety of sources -------
A compilation of notes
for the story on trade in women (soon) -------
Concerned about scam? You may want to
read www.russia-scam.org
...more dating scam links
Leaving Katya by Paul Greenberg.
A must to read for anyone contemplating a Russian-American love affair.
Information, hints, discussion:
www.global7network.com
www.russianfoods.com/russian-women/
Winston's articles
Part 1
Part 2
(see also his travelogue at
http://www.americanwomensuck.com/
travel_logs/wwu777/index.htm
Background checks:
www.allrussian.com
For $100 or so they will check if your Russian bride
has a criminal record. Positive feedback. I think out "Gift delivery and
interview" for $150 gives more live sense of the person but if you are
interested in verifiable facts, they are a good choice. -------
Know a good resource on the subject of
Russian women and western men? Tell me. Contributions of materials, from
stories to scholarly theorizing, welcomed.
Please write to
olesya1111@yandex.ru
NEW
OLESYA1111@YANDEX.RU
WWW.RUSSIANGIRLFRIDAY.COM
|
clear
and concise list of support
services for Russian bride seekers