What is the best area to visit for a beginner tourist?

[Vincenzo]

Can I ask you a question?
How good is your Russian? None, basic, super advanced?

I would go to a foreign country to learn intricacies of its language only if my level were advanced.

There are many places in the USA to learn the basics.

You can use www.meetup.com and explore the Russian culture at a meeting nearby. Though, 99% of women at these meetups are married.

Also, how can you live and work in Germany without a visa?
Maybe, you should start working on the issue - marry a German woman, get German citizenship...

[Misha]

well i have this belief that if she doesn't have any exposure to english then she has no sense of american culture at all which is a plus for me. ideally i would love to meet a girl have a relationship with her, get married in the US and then we would move over to germany permenantly.

No sense of American culture?!? I hope you do understand that there are tons of American movies dubbed into Russian being continuously shown on Russian television. You would be hard-pressed to find any woman anywhere who hasn't been "exposed" to American popular culture.


Also, what is it that you are so afraid of? Do you really believe that Russian women are all traditional and so very different in outlook from American women? I hate to disappoint you, the differences are not as extreme as you likely imagine.

infact i would want to play in instrumental role in teaching her english so that i can mold her into the woman/wife i want her to be for me.

You want to "mold" her into a wife? Don't you think that any woman will have ideas as to what it means to be a wife? It is hard to "mold" anybody. As for you playing an instrumental role in teaching her English, why in heaven's name would you want to do that?!? I speak Russian fluently, my wife spoke no English when she arrived. It was hellish helping her do her homework even when I was not teaching her. There are things a husband should not do IMHO, and one of them is teaching their wife their language. It is never pretty 

[Misha]

No sir, i feel that being in Germany would be great because she would still be in europe.

Once  i get things worked out. We would marry here and then move over to germany. i have it all setup. it will workout nicely.

Explain to me how you are going to move to Germany. Are you a German citizen? Are you a citizen of a EU country? Do you have the skills needed to be hired to work in Germany? If the answer to all of the above is no, how exactly do you expect to move to Germany and actually live there. I am confused.

[GQBlues]

BHayes-
 
I do hope, when all is said and done and you finally got laid by a RW after mastering the Russian language, that she pleases you. It would be so sad if you got a bad experience and decided you'd much rather woo a Chinese gal instead...
 
I heard it takes about +/- 25 years to master Mandarin.    You'll be seriously well beyond the Viagra zone...

[LAman]

Sound like you were ' marked'  which is usually a result not of your looks but of your behaviour.  Getting marked means that as soon as you leave one cop he notidies the next one in the direction you are traveling to wait for you.

Marked???? It happened over two weeks time( I was there), whether I was with a girl or not and in different areas of city. Maybe I was watched the entire time I was in St Pete's.......jezz, maybe they even marked me the second time I was there 8 months later??? Hmmmmm,not my looks, I don't believe that!!!!

[Vincenzo]

BHayes-
 
I do hope, when all is said and done and you finally got laid by a RW after mastering the Russian language, that she pleases you.

Here are a few useful phrases:


I like the phrase "Is that why you're single?"

[Shadow]

again. thank you for giving positive constructive criticism.  thank you for not going the aggressive insult style. like others have taken to. 

this is not an issue of control. its about the fact that what does she feel her role in the relationship. If her #1 priorty is to keep her man happy, then that would be the only kind of control i want.

i know alot of men who are american who married russian women who live in europe right now and have kids too. i know thses men well and talk to them and have asked alot of questions.

but talking thru the internet like to strangers is not the way to go. i'm not all about arguring just for the sake the sake of arguing. like some of you seem to want to do.

also i don't plan on having a realationship with her here in the USA.  No sir, i feel that being in Germany would be great because she would still be in europe.

Once  i get things worked out. We would marry here and then move over to germany. i have it all setup. it will workout nicely.

but i just have to get things together. it will take a few years but it can work. Like i said, a woman who has had everything handed to her on a silver platter and had the easy life, has the potential to be a spoiled woman.

i'm looking for that hardworking, poor, nice girl who appreciate what she has. A woman going thru that type experience appreciates having a man who loves and can support her.

and to those who claim i will fail and that i have ridiculous ideas well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  thank you Turbo guy for giving positive advice you're a nice guy.

again, why insult me. why not use my wrong point of view as a teachable moment and not "hey you, you're a dumbass for thinking up a plan like that" insult. "you will fail!!" rude tone?

i has was hesitant to come to a forum and Looky as well as shadow and I/O have remined me why i don't come forums. again time to leave have a nice life fellas!

so

If you consider teaching to be offensive that is your choice.

We may be wrong here but try to read your own posts from the point of view of a stranger. Then you might see why we are sceptic of your current ideas, which does not mean that in the coming years you can not be educated to a point where you will manage to reach your goals.

If I break down your posts you want a woman who:
- has as main objective to worship  and please you
- should have a poor and bad life so she will be grateful for the prince that rescues her
This comes from your own posts, I am just reflecting what you write.

I will not contest that it is possible to find such women, though if you want to find them in abundance Ukraine and Russia are not the place to look.

Most of what you write seems to be influenced by what we call agency hype. As you plan to take a lot of time, you will be able to find out for yourself what is real and what is fiction.

[TheTraveler]

...to find a nice level headed girl in her 20's who doesn't mind not having kids who is nice, beautiful and cheerful...

You're looking for a twenty-something girl who doesn't ever want to have kids?  Why's that?

[TheTraveler]

Women from a small town have a simple reason to marry a foreigner, they want out from their life and get a rich one. That means they will be moving on to a better candidate if you can no longer provide what they need.

Good and bad women can be found anywhere.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is generally lacking in life experience, intelligence, or both.  Hopefully, you're not one of those.

[Shadow]

Good and bad women can be found anywhere.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is generally lacking in life experience, intelligence, or both.  Hopefully, you're not one of those.

I am knowingly over-generalizing against the concept that women from a small town will be easier to "keep".
You are right, there are good and bad women everywhere, and a good woman for me may be a bad one for you. In the end all it takes is to find one that you can live with, or not live without.

[TheTraveler]

We're all good!  And glad to hear that you've found yourself a good 'city' girl!

[nygna_pomosh?]

You're looking for a twenty-something girl who doesn't ever want to have kids?  Why's that?

If you consider teaching to be offensive that is your choice.

We may be wrong here but try to read your own posts from the point of view of a stranger. Then you might see why we are sceptic of your current ideas, which does not mean that in the coming years you can not be educated to a point where you will manage to reach your goals.

If I break down your posts you want a woman who:
- has as main objective to worship  and please you
- should have a poor and bad life so she will be grateful for the prince that rescues her
This comes from your own posts, I am just reflecting what you write.

I will not contest that it is possible to find such women, though if you want to find them in abundance Ukraine and Russia are not the place to look.

Most of what you write seems to be influenced by what we call agency hype. As you plan to take a lot of time, you will be able to find out for yourself what is real and what is fiction.

......hmm.....
The Traveler (why "the traveler?") you gotta change it, sounds like you are a good guy, but the nick name is kinda..  :-) Thanks for sticking up for the ladies!!!

[jeff9556]

Once  i get things worked out. We would marry here and then move over to germany. i have it all setup. it will workout nicely.

Just learn German, you will need it. BTW have you ever been to Germany? Why not just move there first, if that is where you want to live, or are you just planning to go there because apparently she will want to live in Europe? What if she comes from Vladivostok? Wouldn't it be better to move to China?

i'm looking for that hardworking, poor, nice girl who appreciate what she has. A woman going thru that type experience appreciates having a man who loves and can support her.

You sound like someone with very limited relationship and life experience. Your logic is flawed to say the least. Its been said often enough that she who wishes to move for economic reasons may not have the best intentions...

again, why insult me. why not use my wrong point of view as a teachable moment and not "hey you, you're a dumbass for thinking up a plan like that" insult. "you will fail!!" rude tone?

i has was hesitant to come to a forum and Looky as well as shadow and I/O have remined me why i don't come forums. again time to leave have a nice life fellas!

No one is insulting you, you just have a very thin skin. What you do not appreciate is how far from reality you are, so far its actually quite hilarious. Can you blame these old hands for having a few laughs?

Its no ones job to teach you anything, again a rather unrealistic expectation. Its your job to learn, however instead of doing that you chose to react. You might want to work on that demeanor yourself.

My guess is what you experience as insults are in fact simply advisories that are in-congruent with your view of reality. In other words - you're not hearing what you want to hear. You simply want to be validated, to have your ideas endorsed. When that didn't happen you felt rejected. Time to toughen up a bit.

I might suggest you need to be open to suggestion, new ideas and plain old good advice - ask more questions rather than providing naive answers. Above all else live in the moment! All your plans are future based, what about here and now? What action are you taking right now to achieve success? You say you will learn Russian, you will travel, you will move to Germany. Why not just start writing to RW now? What are you so scared of?

Regarding learning Russian, I suggest you first work on your English. RW who wish to communicate in English need good English, case and grammar are not optional additions. There is nothing stopping you from communicating now with RW, in English, as there are plenty who are quite capable of doing so. To assume they are all born with silver spoons in their mouths and an unrealistic sense of entitlement is rather insulting, really.

[RaccoonBrother]

With "beginner tourist" as the prime variable, I'd say St. Petersburg (my wife's home town).

I've been to Kiev a few times. So much, much more in Peter.

[ML]

With "beginner tourist" as the prime variable, I'd say St. Petersburg (my wife's home town).

I've been to Kiev a few times. So much, much more in Peter.

Including many more cold and dark days.

[JR]

Just curious. My attitude is to familiarize myself with FSU women first by understanding their culture more.

But what areas should i start in first?

Start on yourself first and then yes definately start on yourself first. )
 

[jeff9556]

Including many more cold and dark days.

Unless its summer, at that latitude St Petersburg must have some long days; that extended twilight right into the wee hours. I hear they even have midnight bus tours.

[Turboguy]

I have been there during the white nights and it is basically there is no night.  The parties on Nevsky go on all night as well.  Sleeping with a room overlooking the main street was nearly impossible.
 
I would vote for St. Petersburg from a tourist standpoint.  There is so much to see there that you would never be bored.  Peterhauf, Katherines Palace the Hermitage and lots more. 
 
Personally I found Moscow very intreaging.  It was just sort of cool to stand in Red Square, visit the Kremlin and see the other sites of Moscow and it was always my favorite.
 
Kiev too was one of my favorites, I always enjoyed the vists and felt very comfortable there.
 
Of course if meeting women was my objective I would scratch most of those from my list.  I might leave Kiev on but definately not the other two.

[Gator]

I spent New Year's holidays in St. Piter.  There is so much to do and see.   After 12 days of sightseeing, I still had not seen everything.   
 
The architecture, history, theater and museums give you a glimpse into the grandeur of old Russia.   I spent the money and went to see The Nutcracker on Christmas day at the Marinsky Theater.  Fantastic!  Tchaikovsky premiered his  Nutcracker at the Marinsky in 1892, so its performance is indeed historic.  At the time Russia was ahead of the world in arts.   The 1917 revolution may have helped the peasants, yet Russian arts have never recovered.   
 

Including many more cold and dark days.

Many hours of most days was at or above freezing.  My sinuses would have preferred constant freezing weather.  It was an easy place to walk, and the City each morning after a snowstorm had brushed the sidewalks. 
 
The long nights made it difficult to wake up and get moving before 10am.  Yet, the abundant holiday lighting was turned on for most of the day and it gave the place a festive feeling even amid dark days.
 
 

[RaccoonBrother]

Victory Day, 2008. After watching the show from Red Square on the television (really no need for my wife to translate the commentators' comments, but nice when she could answer questions. Every type of weapon and branch of service was crisply paraded across the Square and the production was impressive.

The day was unplanned and she gave me a choice. Visit her grandfather's grave or go to Piskarevsky Cemetery where close to half a million bodies were buried in anonymous graves. Not even half the dead from the siege of the City. Being functionally illiterate about Russia's price paid during the war, I chose the anonymous graves.

It was perhaps one of the most emotionally moving experiences I have ever had in my travels. Virtually every family lost someone during that 19 months. I watched multi-generational families come, walk slowly and leave their flowers.

As we sat there it resulted in a discussion about her family's losses in the war.

Not on many people's lists of things to see in SP, but it is something few Americans have experienced, and on that Victory Day it was all the more important to see.  I can understand why some Russians are so fiercely nationalistic.

[RaccoonBrother]

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/29/world/st-petersburg-journal-city-that-defeated-hitler-remembers-its-fallen.html

More about the cemetary.

[mendeleyev]

Racoon, as you appreciate the wonder of Piskarevsky, I think you'd very much enjoy Moscow's Park Pobedy (Victory Park) on Poklonnaya Gora (the Hill of Greeting), an expansive outdoor and indoor monument to the Great Patriotic War.

This is one of my favourite "solitary haunts" when I want time to think, reflect and pray. Few things bring the present in perspective like realizing that others have endured great pain and death and that life was not designed to be wine and roses for us 24/7.

1418 fountains, one for each day of the war, flow red at night as a reminder of the estimated 25-28 million citizens who paid the ultimate price during that horrific period. It is an emotionally moving experience especially at night. A central monument, 141.8 meters tall (10cm for each day), stands at attention at the head of the fountains.

There is an impressive indoor museum where you could spend an entire day and the grounds outside would need at least another day to fully appreciate. Both indoor and outside are displays of military equipment from planes to tanks to jeeps, etc.

I'll post some photos from August.

[SANDRO43]

War memorial cemeteries always are an awe-inspiring sight. At Redipuglia, close to the Austrian border, stands our Sacrario for some 40,000 known and 60,000 unknown Italian soldiers fallen in WWI:

My father told me it used to be even more moving many years ago, because they had left many trenches, guns and miscelllaneous war material lying there in their original, then-rusting condition. In Egypt, at El Alamein, stands another Sacrario, built in 1954-58 for the almost 5,000 bodies recovered from the nearby sands, a very dangerous pursuit considering the thousands of mines still littering the area.

The plaque at right is dedicated to the 7th, 8th, 9th and 12th Bersaglieri Regiments who fought there, with a surprising tribute by Erwin Rommel, the Afrika Corps commander:

"The German soldier astonished the world,
the Italian Bersagliere astonished the German soldier."