Times have changed and the new generation of Russian brides is very different from what Russian women and girls used to be 10 years ago.

The new generation Russian bride is smart, successful and educated. The conditions in major Russian cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg are similar of any European city. Russian people are proud of their heritage and remember, Russia is still the largest country in the world (nearly double the size of the second geographically largest country in the world, Canada); Russians were the first to send a human into space and Russia's college education level is over 60% of population.

Internet and other modern conveniences such as email and mobile phones are accessible to any person. Russia is a highly urbanized country with the majority of population living in cities, most owing their homes/apartments.

According to some reports there are more dollar billionaires in Moscow than in New York (thanks to very favorable Russian tax policies), and Russia is a primary importer of European luxury cars.

So, what does it mean for the new generation of Russian brides, who are joining online dating agencies today?

I personally think that the Russian and former Soviet Union, Dancers, probably the best in the world.

There are many public and professional dance studio in every town and Russian culture belongs to this art form with deep respect.

For example ..

Look at the picture to catch the absolute perfect posture glipse this incredible dancer.

She looks like she is being suspended by invisible wires, as they do in Cirque du Soleil. And it's pretty hard for me to imagine that it is not so and the only thing I can say, like many others, saw it ..

Have you ever noticed the difference between the inhabitants of province and the city? Does your province girl differ from metropolitan? In what aspects?

Let’s have a look at the definition of the word “province”. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines “province” as referring to “parts of a country outside the capital”. Dr Johnson's dictionary describes “provincial” as “rude; unpolished”. Who’s right?

In Russia, there is a great difference between capital, city, town and country inhabitants. There is a great abyss between provincial and metropolitan girls. But here, we define metropolitan girls – as inhabitants of capitals and big cities, like Moscow, St. Petersburg. Provincial – as all the others.

As you know, the main difference between small towns and big cities is society, and the relationships inside it. The benefit of a small town is the sense of community, more communal attitude. Everybody knows each other, knows the living, habits. The best theme to talk about is gossips: who is pregnant, who drinks a lot or plays cards.

That is why people care what the neighbors can say or think about their daughters and bred them in strict morals or even restrictions.

That’s why provincial girls are more old fashioned, traditionalists, religious, family-oriented. The main goal for women here – is to get married, give birth to children, to keep house. She needs to be modest, to be faithful to husband, to be good cooker.

They haven’t seen life, as it is, and that’s why they are stays emotionally “clean”, so called “tabula rasa”: native, trustful, persons of ready sympathy, loyal and understanding. Such women are true, real in their emotions, in love and hate.

Now I admit the following article can be a little biased, because it came from the English edition of the newspaper Moscow Times ..

But hey ..

I do not think I could have done better to write such an article was inspired by our favorite women in Russia itself.

But in ANYCASE ..

I can certainly relate to this guy.

Americans have chosen the most beautiful Russian women. The first in the ranking of the Russian beauties is the current girlfriend of Cristiano Ronaldo, model Irina Shayk. Incidentally, a relationship with a handsome football player not just glorified her, but also made her wealthier. Now, Shayk earns much more than she used to, and fashion experts predict she will be included in the top ten most influential world's top models.

First Place - Irina Shayk. In the past she was Miss Chelyabinsk 2004 Irina Shayhlislamova, born in a mining town of Emanzhelinsk in the Chelyabinsk region. Now she is a well-known model who trapped one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet.

25-year-old Cristiano who has a contract with Real Madrid gets paid a hefty $40 million a year. According to Western press, the Portuguese had already proposed to Shayk. Ronaldo met Irina while filming TV commercial for Armani. 24-year-old Irina had a chance to work with Guess, Lacoste, Missoni, and La Perla, was a face of Intimissimi brand and appeared on the covers of fashion magazines several time, but only after her romance with Ronaldo she was elevated to the status of a top model, and her payments have soared.

Click here to see pictures

The runner-up is Maria Sharapova. Maria, incidentally, is also about to get married. Her fiancé is Slovenian basketball player Sasha Vuyachich who proposed to the tennis player after Lakers vs. Golden State match in Los Angeles. "We're engaged and very happy," said Vuyachich. "I proposed to Maria on the anniversary of our first meeting. Maybe it looks old-fashioned, but I wanted to act like a gentleman."

Travelling in Russia, including customs, lodging, eating out, etc

Planning your first trip to Russia? Your mind must be swelling with questions then.

After all, there always has been a lot of controversy and stereotypes about Russia. The very word Russia summons up quite equivocal (and rather stereotypical) images that tend to baffle, if not scare a foreign person. While with most Western European countries everything is more or less clear, Russia leaves most foreigners completely clueless as to what to expect of it. It is truly hard to find any adequate answers and not to drown in this vast ocean of stereotypes, obsolete facts, and contradictory information that surrounds Russia. Even now that its borders have been open to foreign citizens for over a decade, Russia is still shrouded in mystery. It keeps foreigners wondering… What is Russian life like? Is it safe to be in Russia? Is it difficult to travel to and around it? Is life in Russia expensive? What exactly do I need to bring with me?.. and so on, and so forth. Who can possibly answer such questions about a country better than a native who has been living in it most of their life and knows it inside out? So, let me become your Russian guide to Russian everyday reality to help you form the most realistic impression of what Russia really is like. I would like to begin with something that concerns people most these days – safety issues.

Safety in Russia

One of the most common and least accurate stereotypes about Russia is the one that makes it look like one of the most turbulent places on Earth with the most rampant crime. The recent terrorist attacks in Moscow, regrettably, have only helped to perpetuate the negative stereotype. It is apparent, however, that virtually all of our world, including Europe and the USA have become targets of international terrorism, not just Russia. In this particular sense, one’s personal safety is no longer a matter of geographical location. Rather, it is largely dependent on one’s own behavior.

According to American sources, the crime rate is actually substantially higher in the US than in Russia, although it has increased in Russia since the demise of the Soviet Union. That means that the precautions an individual should take traveling in Russia are identical to the ones recommended elsewhere in the world, including the USA. It is understood that people are most vulnerable to crime in a foreign country. In this manner, in Russia foreigners become easy prey for those who do not exactly mean well. Therefore, I suggest you keep in mind that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and follow some simple, yet arbitrary rules on a day-to-day basis. First of all, avoid flaunting valuables or large sums of cash and flashing your wallet. Secondly, you are strongly advised against walking alone at night or through deserted and secluded places at daytime. Third, be careful striking up acquaintances with strangers. Try to not too attract too much attention to yourself either, especially in crowded public places (unless you want to be eased of your wallet or even worse).

Do not be paranoid, though. Just be wary. Be friendly and open-minded, but do not forget to use your common sense. Hospitability is, beyond all doubt, a Russian national trait, but remember that there are black sheep in every family. So, watch your step as you go and you will be safe and sound.

You might also want to memorize the Russian police and Medical Emergency phone numbers – 02 and 03 respectively. You can dial them toll-free from any public phone. Just in case. Hope you will never have to dial them, though.

I think congratulations to the people in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya.

I can probably guess that these people are quite happy to live among such people Russian ladies.

Russian culture has a long history and tradition and Russians are very proud of it.

Russians consider themselves as a well educated nation. They read a lot, books are cheap, and one can afford to buy 5-10 books a month without serious damage to a family budget.

Russians are also big fond of live performances at theatres and since tickets are affordable (prices in cinemas and theatres are comparable), they enjoy attending theatres: opera, musical, ballet, drama etc.

Usually every city has a few theatres. The theatre culture was developed during the Soviet times when tickets were sold through schools and enterprises: cities were divided into areas and there was a theatre agent responsible for each particular area. The agent would bring tickets for distribution to every enterprise and school in his area and the person responsible for "culture sector" would organize collective visit to the theatre. I think it was an excellent system since people had the opportunity to attend theatres from the early age, starting from attending performances in a Muppet theatre, then moving to the Youth Drama Theatre, then to Drama, Musical and Opera, according to their age. Also attending performances in a company is always much more fun, which contributed to the popularity of theatres. This is how most Russian people have developed their taste for live performances.

Movie theatres are also becoming popular in Russia and they are equipped with the latest sound systems. When Russian people talk about movie theatres, they will usually say "cinema"; if they talk about "theatres", they mean live performances.