Dating with a Ukrainian or Russian girl usually begins with cautious correspondence which lasts for a few months and is followed by a man's visit to Ukraine or Russia. Some men make haste and would prefer to invite the Ukrainian woman to their country at once so that she could see the place where she is supposed to live after the marriage. But the usual practical recommendation for a foreign man is to display curiosity and visit the possible future bride's country first. Why so? There are several reasons for doing that.

1. You will be able to meet with several Ukrainian women and make the best choice

Some our foreign customers feel pangs of conscience that they are corresponding and meeting with several Russian or Ukrainian women simultaneously while they look for serious relationship and want to marry only one woman. Actually, there is nothing bad about meeting with several Ukrainian women during your visit, it is common practice and no girl would expect that you come to Ukraine or Russia to meet with her only.

During a week's visit to Ukraine, the foreigners usually meet with up to seven beautiful women, and sometimes they decide to stop meeting with others and concentrate their efforts on the Ukrainian or Russian girl they found the most attractive. Some customers have more time and come to Ukraine or Russia for a month or two and meet with a larger number of ladies and then arrange meetings with some of them again.

It would be best to meet with only those Russian or Ukrainian women with whom you had corresponded for some time, whose photos you liked and who seem to be interested in your personality. When you see several absolutely new women for the first time during a short time-span and know nothing about them, it may be difficult for you to tell about your interests, hobbies, values and expectations for five or six times and you may get confused with the girls' interests. So, it would also be wise to think of the optimal number of women you plan to meet during your visit to Ukraine or Russia.

2. You will be able to see the real conditions in which girls lived before meeting you

There are a few false stereotypes in minds of numerous customers who come to Ukraine or Russia in search of wives for the first time. One of them is that living conditions in those countries are below poverty level, and another one is that Ukrainian and Russian girls are looking for rich husbands and take great care about how much money a man earns. When foreign men arrive in Kiev or Moscow or even a smaller Ukrainian or Russian town, they discover that the women they meet with are dressed perfectly well, do not starve and have absolutely normal living conditions. They also see a large number of expensive night clubs and restaurants, enormous private cottages, luxurious Mercedeses, Porches, Maserattis, Audis and even Maybachs and understand that people in Ukraine and Russia are not as poor as they had thought before.

The point is that social layers in former USSR countries are in stage of formation, there is a layer of extremely rich people, a small middle class and a layer of people who just have enough money for food, living and clothing. Anyway, most Russian and Ukrainian girls are not looking for rich husbands as their priority number one. If they had such a goal, they would more easily find a rich husband in their own homeland without language and culture barrier. The secret is that those women are looking for romance, love, care and security. They certainly pay attention to the prosperity level of their future husbands, but not as the most important factor.

When you come to Ukraine or Russia, you will see numerous women who are dressed very well, have a nice make-up and are well educated. About half of them also speak good English and even visited some foreign countries before. When you come, that will be a nice opportunity for you to get rid of old stereotypes and to learn new people and their way of living!

3. You will meet with the Ukrainian girl's relatives and friends

There is a saying in Russia, 'tell me who is your friend, and I will tell you who are you'. Sometimes, it is even more important to see a lady's friends and relatives to understand better what kind of personality she is. If you find out that her friends drink much alcohol and use swear words each sentence they pronounce, you'd better think why she chose such a company. And if you see a company of intelligent and bright people, that is an additional advantage to your lady.

It is also important to see the Ukrainian or Russian girl's parents, their values in life and their relationships. It often happens that girls follow the patterns in relationships which existed in their families, but not always. You can observe and pay attention to your intuition which will tell you whether that family style is comfortable for you. You also have to know that unlike in European or American cultures, the connections between parents and children in Russian or Ukrainian family are much stronger. Children often live together with their parents even after they are married, or visit them often and discuss the details of their family life with them. You don't need to compete with parents in the girl's heart or to be jealous, just accept that she loves them and will pay attention to them even after the marriage with you.

Even a century ago, it was parents' decision whom a Russian or a Ukrainian girl would marry, so subconsciously if you manage to produce nice impression on them, you will have more chances to be accepted by the girl!

4. You will learn amusing facts about another culture and your bride's values

Life has many examples when because of cultural differences funny things happen. One Ukrainian girl, who married in Ireland, used to take off a bedspread, because in Ukraine they are used as decoration, and not for sleeping, and Ukrainian people sleep just under the blankets. Her husband observed that, but said nothing. When she got cold at night, and took the bedspread on to get warmer, he asked, 'Now tell me, why did you take that thing off'?. She was surprised to know that Irish people sleep under bedspreads. Another couple lived in Italy where a Ukrainian girl's mother-in-law was surprised that the girl is going to have a walk with her baby at 3 degrees Celsius above zero. She simply didn't know that weather in Ukraine is much colder and women could walk with their babies at a temperature 10 degrees Celsius below zero.

You can also learn more about cultural traditions and rituals, facts about Ukrainian and Russian history, art and architecture. Some customers have a pleasant experience of inviting a Ukrainian woman to the Kiev Opera House which is at the same time amazing by its architecture and performances and low in price. Russian and Ukrainian cities and towns have lots of interesting places where you can go on excursions.

5. It is much simpler for a foreigner to visit Ukraine than for a Ukrainian woman to visit a foreign country

When a foreign man makes a visa to Russia or Ukraine, he undergoes a much simpler procedure than a Russian or Ukrainian single woman who plans to go abroad. Ukraine even introduced a visa-free regime for citizens of EU, USA, Japan and some other countries, when you can just buy a ticket and come with your passport only.

At the same time, if a lady tries to get a visa, she will need to provide about 10-15 documents certifying her income, state of family, etc. At the slightest suspicion that she can stay as illegal immigrant (and single ladies automatically get under such suspicion if they have no kids staying in Ukraine or Russia during their travel), she gets refusal even without explanation of reasons. That is why many ladies prefer not to undergo such unpleasant procedure and will better meet with you on the territory of their homeland.

Of course, later on when you have serious intentions for marrying that particular Ukrainian or Russian lady, it would be wise to invite her to your home and display your hospitality and care for her. Her interest in you will help her to cope with all the difficulties of getting a visa to your country. Then, if you find out that your values coincide and there are mutual feelings, nothing will prevent you to have success and happiness in your family life!