Russian Women Stereotypes: Fantasy vs Truth?
There are many stereotypes characteristic of Russian people in western countries, but many of them are only recollections of the past. Naturally, it is impossible to characterize all women with one feature since they differ by age, nationality, interests, views, etc.
Iryna,
24
Elena,
24
Victoriya,
41
Oleksandra,
38
Julia,
20
Maria,
28
Alla Anastasia,
30
Karolina,
30
Stereotypes about Russian women
Here’re some characteristics western men have of the Russian female and believe most of these girls have the following:
They are flashy
One of the most popular Russian girl stereotypes existing all around the world is that Russian women are passionate for bright female outfits and jewelry. Some males think that they always wear dresses, high-heeled shoes, make-up, and expensive fur-coats. However, if you analyze the casual look of most of the ladies, it does not differ much from most of the world’s fashion trends.
They have specific gender roles
A good example of common Russian stereotypes is traditional gender roles. A woman should take care of her husband, kids, home, be kind, and gentle. However, little men know that there is the highest number of female business leaders in Russia according to Reuters. Moreover, US ladies tend to have equal rights with men and no longer wish to stay home.
They are beautiful
You may hear almost everywhere that the main epithet used next to ‘Russian lady’ is beautiful. Do they mean only appearance? While western men perceive Russian ladies flashy and feminine, there are overweight, masculine and rude women too.
They are perfect hostesses
The thing that attracts western men in eastern ladies is the idea that all of them cook well, are perfect in households and greet guests. At the same time, they still remain beautiful for their husbands. Naturally, these stereotypes date back centuries when women were staying аt home and their husbands were hunting or fighting enemies. Not all modern women in Russia cook at all, while it often happens that they pay for household chores to have everything done.
They are tender and obedient
Who does not want to have a kind and compliant wife? Western men still believe that Russian females raised in masculine culture families obey their dads and husbands implicitly. However, modern women are getting more emancipated and rebellious, so it may be difficult to find women who stick to this old cliche around the whole country.
Though it may seem that contemporary movies, news, books, articles could have already made Russian stereotypes debunked, many representatives of the Western countries still consider local women almost perfect for family life and superior in comparison with ladies from other countries. There is a hint of truth in this viewpoint, but these stereotypes can’t be applied to every woman in Russia.
Local women keep up with the latest world trends and are not ready to remain the same they were a hundred years ago. They also try to take equal positions with men and be honored and appreciated for their achievements at the same high level. Therefore, it is clear that all these stereotypes are only relics of the past and they have nothing to do with most of the contemporary Russian ladies.
