Improving Match Potential by Knowing/Using Regional Tendencies

by Ron
(Oregon)

Hi Bob,

Great help to read through your guidance on dating approaches, scams and individual situations. Thanks. I've encountered lots of debates on-line regarding the locations of most attractive women. And of course Russia and Eastern Europe are legendary. Assuming many of us here are truly attracted to the prospect of discovering a well-matched life partner, are you able to comment on the GENERAL importance of regional location within Russia or neighboring countries? For example, for the benefit of my European friends, I might start out thinking ladies in the US tend to be more traditional in parts of the midwest, more liberal/alternative in California and maybe more direct/head-strong in parts of the northeast. Are there reliable GENERAL tendencies in personalty, lifestyle, tolerances, etc. that we might employ as guidance, knowing each individual is unique within any area?

Bob's Answer:

Great question. If you ask a Russian or Ukrainian that, the answer will be ABSOLUTELY, just like you would point out to them the difference between California people and Midwest people here. But personally I think the PRACTICAL answer is "mostly no". Here's why...

The difference between our culture and their culture is such a large gap that we just have a hard time noticing what are relatively small differences between their regions. After living there 5 years you might start appreciating differences, but probably not before then.

I've been to four different Ukrainian cities and one Russian city and find each of them so similar to each other that if you blindfolded me and dropped me in any one of them tomorrow I would have a hard time identifying it.

But one difference that is more noticeable is the big city vs small city/country. In the bigger cities (Kiev, Moscow, St Petersburg, etc.) it is MUCH easier to find more educated people, more English-speaking people, etc. than in the small city/country. And as far as women are concerned, the big city girls can be a little harder to impress where small city/country girls are usually a lot more down-to-earth (just like here :)

But these are all pretty big generalities and just my own observations.