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During the Soviet era the question "Does she want me or my passport?" was very relevant, for a relationship with a foreign man meant access to both privilege and exit visas. In the '60s and '70s, foreigners were treated like millionaires by a potential Russian bride who wanted food, jazz records, panty hose, short-wave radios and tape recorders from hard currency shops. Even a foreign sophomore was treated like something between a CEO and Santa Claus. And, in the overwhelming number of cases, it ws the Russian bride linking up with foreign men. This was due to a number of factors. For one, revolution, civil war, collectivization, alcoholism, Gulag and wars resulted in a demographically skewed population in which Russian brides considerably outnumbered Russian men.
From the 1960s through the 1980s, there was no dearth of Russian brides looking for western men with whom to practice their English and perhaps form a stronger bond. By the '90s, Russian women began flocking to sign up with Russian brides dating services. The boom in Russian dating sites - one service, European Connections, claims a readership of more than 70,000 men for its catalogues - was a result both of post-perestroika freedom and Russian economic crisis. This made the lure of the West particularly seductive. Particularly when cast in contrast to the realities of modern day Russian life, where the life expectancy of Russian men is 57 (vs. 75 for women!), alcoholism is rampant and economic difficulties are chronic.
The Russian bride, truly beautiful, wants to meet you!" trumpets the literature of one of the biggest Russian bride dating agencies specializing in finding Russian brides for American men. Of the many Russian bride dating sites doing business in the US, such as RWGlobe.com, most focus exclusively on the "feminine," "family-oriented," and "traditional" Russian bride and the Eastern European bride. The on-line Russian Women forum has more than 800 male members, who can trade information about the agencies and the women they are meeting.
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