2.2 Russians are missing!

[Misha]

With this new figure you have educated us to, 63.03 average life of Russian man, what a remarkable, sizeable increase in five short years.

This is a sign that life is getting better, not quite as difficult or dangerous as in the past, fewer regional conflicts, and one must assume, less alcoholism.

Yes, though it seems to be a bit too sizable of an increase  Here is my wife's example. Since she has been living in Canada (will be 5 years in September), three of her four uncles have died, and the reason was alcohol and all died before reaching the age of 60. The one uncle she has left still have few more years before he reaches the age of 60...

[mendeleyev]

Gator, nice to have you weigh in on the topic!

Now, to be serious.  You wrote "That is just my take on the age issue."  And you have a lot of experience as an intelligent observer.  Do a significant percentage of 20-something RW lack the maturity or whatever  to be a wife in Russian society?

Nationality is not the issue as almost any young person, male or female, usually experiences significant life changes and maturing processes in their early to mid 20s. The lady she becomes at 29 may not reflect the girl she was at 24. All one has to do is brouse on-line profiles (American, Russian, Ukrainian, Canadian) and see how many 20 somethings have already been through one short marriage.
 
There is a joke about wealth and age difference couples: The 45 year old husband announces that due to economic belt tightening that 25 year old wifey should learn to cook and clean because he plans to layoff the 55 year old maid/cook. She replies that this is unfair and proposes instead that the husband learns to (satisfy her in bed) so they can layoff the 30 year old chauffeur.   

[mendeleyev]

Jack, just a footnote:

With this new figure you have educated us to, 63.03 average life of Russian man, what a remarkable, sizeable increase in five short years.

I agree that it seems to be an amazing change. The actual increase came over an 8 year period as the previous census reflected 2002 numbers and the new data is from 2010. Still however whether 5 or 8 years, hard to fathom such a quick improvement. Until more data is released I am working under the assumption that the 2010 data is more accurate in that it was done using more sophisticated technology (with some exceptions as detailed earlier) than previous attempts.

Official and full nationwide census studies:
- 2010
- 2002
- 1989

(Smaller studies were done in 1992 and 1996)

We understand the tremendous upheaval, economic and societal, that marked the late 80s to early 2000s. My guess is that the numbers from 2010 are a more accurate reflection of conditions today, versus numbers posted in 1989 and 2002.

[Gator]

Nationality is not the issue as almost any young person, male or female, usually experiences significant life changes and maturing processes in their early to mid 20s. The lady she becomes at 29 may not reflect the girl she was at 24. All one has to do is brouse on-line profiles (American, Russian, Ukrainian, Canadian) and see how many 20 somethings have already been through one short marriage.

The answer I would expect.  When I first started dating RW in 2002 I was amazed by how many of them married at a much younger age than AW.  Now that RW can get reasonably paying jobs in the workplace, it seems that many are now opting to wait until they have more life experiences and some foundation in a career.

BTW, good joke.   

What is the alignment of RW with RM by age?  Do many hot 20-something RW take advantage of their looks to secure sponsorships with older RM?  If this is prevalent, who do the 20-something RM date?  Who is being left out?  Many men claim that the 40+ RW is largely ignored, although that was not my observation for fine looking specimens.  Any thoughts on why? 

[mendeleyev]

What is the alignment of RW with RM by age?

 

Generally, RW date RM in their own age group/comfort zone.

Do many hot 20-something RW take advantage of their looks to secure sponsorships with older RM?

 

Very often. It is now more acceptable culturally.

It would seem that most end up at some point in a marriage with someone closer to their own life experience. When these young things do finally settle down a few will marry a financially secure older man if she is free to come home a little late on some nights with no questions asked. If he is extremely wealthy and can afford to be jealous then she'll come home on time and keep her eyes out for a good chauffeur.

If this is prevalent, who do the 20-something RM date?  

The same 20 something girls when their sponsor is away. Many sponsorship arrangements are with the girl living separately in a nice apartment provided by the man. That keeps him out of trouble with his wife.

[Shostakovich]

 

Generally, RW date RM in their own age group/comfort zone.


  

Very often. It is now more acceptable culturally.

It would seem that most end up at some point in a marriage with someone closer to their own life experience. When these young things do finally settle down a few will marry a financially secure older man if she is free to come home a little late on some nights with no questions asked. If he is extremely wealthy and can afford to be jealous then she'll come home on time and keep her eyes out for a good chauffeur.

 

The same 20 something girls when their sponsor is away. Many sponsorship arrangements are with the girl living separately in a nice apartment provided by the man. That keeps him out of trouble with his wife.

and all is fair in love and war. 

An impression from one of my trips, given to me by a UW, is that while some RM have their pick of the RW lot, many RM get left out as the more desirable RW are loathe to throw in their lot with the $200/mo RM.  Thus a desirable RW, perhaps 30+, or with a child, gets it from both ends: She won't take the loosers or even the average RM and the desirable RM have better options.  Thus the only people who are happy in the FSU are the desirable RM with the hordes of beauties, those beauties (for awhile), and of course the WM who come for the girls with a bit of tread gone.

[mendeleyev]

And I didn't intend to paint a picture that ALL RW/UW have sponsors or are open to that. Frankly, without benefit of scientific data, my guess is that those who are part of such arrangements constitute a very visible minority.

[Misha]

Still however whether 5 or 8 years, hard to fathom such a quick improvement. Until more data is released I am working under the assumption that the 2010 data is more accurate in that it was done using more sophisticated technology (with some exceptions as detailed earlier) than previous attempts.

The question is not only how well the data was collected, but how and whether the data was manipulated 

[mendeleyev]

That also.  

[Jack]

Mendy, just to let you know I can very well believe the figures are up to 63 years now.  Yes it is quite an increase but it's not hard for me to believe those figures are accurate, and I really hope they are. 

It has been difficult seeing many young Russian and Ukraine men, fathers of 55 and 57 years of age, dying unexpectedly or for what we here in the states would consider minor things.   With a very good friend of mine from Kherson only 6 months ago her father fell on a sidewalk in Kherson. He was 56 years of age. From this fall on a sidewalk, he died.

[mendeleyev]

Jack, sorry to hear about that. Must have been tough for her to lose him like that.

I believe that great strides are being made especially in Russia in the quality of medical care. In 2002 or 2003 (?) we took our youngest to a hospital ER after a soccer game injury. This was at a well known hospital in the middle of Moscow yet the one x-ray machine was a mobile unit that rotated between 3 hospitals and because we were there on the wrong day, no x-rays were available for her injury.

It was just in 2007 that Uncle Mikhailovich died and family members took turns being his "nurse" because there were only 2 nurses per floor at his hospital. That included everything from bed pans to bedding changes to bathing to feeding to giving him the medicine we had to run out to obtain from an "Apteka" (pharmacy) down the street.

Today things have improved so much. I just did a story this week on a little 7 year old orphan girl who was flown from Novosibirsk to Moscow for a liver transplant and heart valve repair. What a difference! The quality of care she received and the professionalism of the hospital staff was close to par with anything in the West. We're seeing those positive things more and more and those kinds of factors will also help extend life spans.

Hopefully the days of ambulance crews waiting down on the street level while family and neighbors carried their sick patient down several flights of stairs to a waiting ambulance are long over. I hope that these very positive trends will influence Ukraine to keep up with medical technology and service delivery improvements as well.

One obvious difference between Russia and Ukraine is disposable cash flow in the national treasury. Russia had a large cash stash in addition to massive deposits of energy and metals which have helped Russia weather the world financial crisis at the same time that Ukraine was near bankruptcy. It will take some time for Ukraine to recover but she will.

Of great interest will be the eventual implementation of Russia's plan to divest herself from a national health care system and phase in a model closer to one resembling a private insurer plan. Government will provide the money for many including seniors and the poor below a certain income level, but individuals will eventually have market choices. That will be implemented very slowly as not to disrupt care for citizens over pension age as they have too much invested in the current system.

[mendeleyev]

Upthread was the mention of Russia advertising/promoting ladies to have children, and payments for each child.

Yes, still ongoing. I was reminded of that with this Metro sign:
Sign says that Love of country begins with family.

[Gator]

Upthread was the mention of Russia advertising/promoting ladies to have children, and payments for each child.

Yes, still ongoing. I was reminded of that with this Metro sign:
Sign says that Love of country begins with family.

Very much of a contrast with China and female infanticide.

What are the general opinions in Russia about bordering a country with 20,000,000 military-age men without women?   Meanwhile across the border are beautiful women and the world's largest proven reserves of oil.   

[mendeleyev]

Gator, I'll make another topic of this cause it's an important issue.