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Hello Slava, Sabine and Marsha,
Thank you very much for the newsletter, it contains interesting subjects about matters, which are helpful to know the way of life of the Russian and Ukraine Lady’s. I hope you understand it is for us Dutch (European) very easy to think in European way of live, sometimes it is very easy to forget Russian and Ukraine values are different as here, you know what I mean?
I also have a question.
My brother and his wife have a 3-year-old daughter and she is going to kindergarten, there is also a child from a Ukraine woman and a Dutch man in kindergarten.
That lady (I don’t know her) said to my sister in law that Dutch language is easier to learn for Russian or Ukraine people than the English language and that some people in Russia and Ukraine have had Dutch lessons in their time at university.
Have you ever heard of this? Is Dutch language easier to learn and is Russian easy to learn for Dutch people? When I hear Putin on television here I don’t understand a word of what he is saying. It is subtitled.
Best wishes,
Martin, Zutphen, Netherlands
Dear Martin,
Thank you for kind words!
One begins to think about the differences between nations when he faces it directly in his life, doesn’t he? Sometimes it is too late and it is impossible to glue the relationship as a broken cup. And then we tell to ourselves: “If I could have known it before!” That’s just the purpose we issue our newsletters for. Day after day from 9am till 7.30pm we work with people of the most different nationalities. And it’s been going on for almost 10 years (we will have a jubilee in summer!). We keep a lot of stories in reserve. Besides, we are Russian. We just want you to understand Russian women better.
As for the Dutch language. I think that you had misunderstanding. It is very difficult to find an education establishment in Russia where the Dutch language is taught. English, German and more rarely French are taught in schools since the age of 7 and later in Universities and Academies. So, if to speak about availability, then it is easier to start learning these languages. And if you mean the complicacy of the language, I think that every language requires hard work and patience, but it also depends on some personal characteristics. Some people learn 3-4 foreign languages easily, some speak their mother tongue with difficulty. But I’ve heard more than once that Russian is as difficult as Chinese or Japanese. It seems that it is easier to learn languages if to shut your eyes to its complicacy! :))
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First of all I enjoy your site with all the beautiful ladies and the way you organize this. Also the newsletter is a periodic event which I enjoy reading. But as you mentioned that, Quote "Russian people celebrate Christmas together with Catholic world" I would like you to know that Christmas is a Christian holiday and NOT specific a Catholic holiday. Catholicism is a religion based for the Latin world while the Christian religion is for the whole western world.
The fact that in Western Europe and many other places people are Catholic has a historical background. In the name of the Catholic Philips II from Spain in 1492 Columbus received a sponsored assignment to make the world catholic if not free willing then by torture. As what has been carried out throughout America by Cortes and in Europe by Alva and other Spanish Conquerors. Except for Holland, Scandinavia and what is now known as UK. Personally I am not religious. I am a pragmatic realist.
Thanks anyway.
John
It seems to me that Christmas is a holiday that joins together the whole world including pragmatic realists. :)
Certainly, Christmas is celebrated not only by Catholics. Here in Russia we have Orthodox Christianity, that’s why we are not familiar well with all the branches of Christianity and we didn’t want to offend anyone. Thank you, John, for this historical information.
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Thank you for your recent newsletter. I read the letters and your replies with interest. We all talk about Russian or Ukrainian women leaving their families, jobs and homes to move to a foreign country. I understand that this must be a great shock to women and must be traumatic. My question is, have any western men ever moved over there and left their family and friends behind to make a life in Russia or Ukraine. If they haven't, how do you think they would get on?
Mark – England
What an interesting question, Mark!
Among our clients there hasn’t been anyone who wanted to live in Russia. Or more precisely, I remember some people who loved everything in Russia, who told that Russia was the place where they would like to live. But! All of them keep living in their homeland and are not going to leave it. :)
Nevertheless, I know that there are bold men who relocated to Russia. Some of them start dating service. :))
The problem here lies only in money. If you have savings you can live on here – then no problem! If you don’t, you will have to look for a job. And you won’t be satisfied with locak jobs. Salaries in Russia are very low. You will have to seek an offshore job to earn the same money as you earn at your homeland, but spend money in Russia. If it is possible for you, if you have business in Internet, that’s ok. But there is one more reason why foreigners don’t rush to live in Russia – climate. While I am writing these lines, it is –18 C outside (-0,4 F). The winter in Russia – with snow and the temperature below zero – lasts no less than 4 months. In spring and autumn it is warmer, but we still have to wear a coat and warm boots. The summer is short. In Ukraine the climate is milder, as it is closer to the south and some towns are at the Black Sea. I am sure there are more people who would like to stay there :)).
I also want to note that foreigners spend a lot of money here. Meals in restaurants and cafes, lodging are very expensive. On a short vacation you can afford to spend 30 dollars for dinner for two persons, but if you constantly have meals in restaurants three times a day, then how much is it?
But for these two problems, I think, there would be much more people willing to stay in Russia!
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