Are Russian Women Reserved?

Recently, I have faced a curious opinion about Russian women, which was suggested by an American man. According to his statement, all Russian women are reserved and cautious and there is no need to blame them for this. Life in Russia is difficult; men are all drunkards and women have to find their ways to survive. Many Western men share this view of the situation. Is it true?

First of all, let's clarify one point. Despite the popular belief, alcohol comsumption in Russia takes far from the first place in the world. But at the same time, being drank in the street is normal for Russia and will not have any serious consequences as it may happen, for instance, in the USA. That’s why there is no need to hide and drink alone at home. Thus, you can see all the alcoholics in the streets. There is no doubt that Russian standards of living are lower than ones of the developed European countries and the USA, but they are not as low as to raise the question of the very survival.

The opinion that all Russian women are very anxious and discreet is formed mostly by the men who tried to communicate with them through different dating sites. The Internet in Russia yet has not become a wide-spread method of communication and contact. That’s why this method of dating arouses some tension. Besides, not all Russian women has fluent English and this circumstance only contributes to their discomfort. Moreover, an effect of the notorious Iron curtain can still be experienced in Russia. Russians can hardly know mentality, moral rules, ethic values and norms of communication of the foreigners. Russians living abroad also suffer from this problem.

Many Russian women who communicate with men through the web really do seem reserved and anxious. They write short standard phrases in their letters and profiles and think long before they reply. But the reason for that is not because of the innate aloofness of their manners, but due to the lack of experience and practice in international communication. They are afraid of being misunderstood or seen worse than they really are. They are also afraid of hurting men's feeling by ignorance or carelessness.

However, in fact, in everyday life Russian women as well as men are open, communicative and emotional. They can easily tell a stranger about their innermost feelings and problems; they frankly speak about their wishes, likes and dislikes. In fact, there is no real demand in psychoanalysts in Russia. Their services are popular in the countries where people are used to hiding and suppressing their actual feelings.