Age Range. What is yours and why?

[JR]

JR - there is only one false argument in your otherwise elegant and clear reasoning. Women in FSU don't have to date older guys. Neither from Russia nor from USA. Do you really think it is better to live in the middle of American nowhere with a guy who's 5-10y senior of your own father, rather than live in your native beautiful city/town with a guy of your own age? There are plenty of FSU young guys for sex, there are plenty of young guys who think marriage. Seriously, I think you are fooling yourself.  

Mies, thanks for the good word about my post. But I never stated and know quite clearly that FSUW don't have to date older guys. I understand completely that they are "willing" to accept such a situation because of some perceived advantage, whatever that my be in their own minds.

I cannot say if it is better for them to live anywhere in this world other than their current situation. It is for each individual to decide what is "better" for them and why. 

I don't think I'm fooling myself about anything. I am pretty honest about what I am doing and why. I have been down this road before and had a lot of "those" beliefs in the beginning. They were dispelled very quickly. My ex took several steps down on the socioeconomic ladder when she married me and moved to America. It was always perfectly clear to me that she had no desire to move here.

Why would I believe that anyone would want to leave their family, friends, familiar environment, pets, extended family, country...in short, everything familiar and loved to go be with a stranger in a strange country? I have no delusions about this. There are only two primary reasons for someone to do such a drastic thing with their lives:
1. Love
2. A perceived socioeconomic advantage.

[OlgaH]

Same experience with me. I was lucky enough to befriend a whole lot of AWs who celebrated and supported my relationship with my wife. They've even gone as far as inviting her to do different things with them as a group, and individually, to help in her acclimation.

and same experience with me. Robert has wonderful friends and among them are AWs. Since the first days I have felt their warm welcome and their help. I love to spend time in their company.  

[Boethius]

Hi Boethius, medicine is a higher education than engineering.   So I guess you agree with me that the number of women compared to men dominated the medicine field in FSU.    

Why do you say that?  The areas of study, in terms of years, were comparable.

There were a lot of male doctors as well.  But, medicine was not considered a prestigious profession. 

[Ooooops]

I agree, there is the times when the "threat" factor comes into play among the reactions of local women but Boethius has something of a point when he says many of the locals are just not interested in figuring the newcomer out and it is up to the newcomer to make the running. Much will depend on the direction they choose to take.

Old proverb says that "If Mohammed won't come to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed".   Pretty self explanatory...       You want to make friends - make affords.   If you don't then why do you care what they think?

[Simoni]

and same experience with me. Robert has wonderful friends and among them are AWs. Since the first days I have felt their warm welcome and their help. I love to spend time in their company.  

Same situation here.  The vast majority of Marina's friends are AW.  After all, we live in America. 

Her friends come from ladies that live here in our condo (250 homes in this one building), people she meets just by living in this city and being out a lot, friends from my job, and friends from church.  She does have half a dozen RW friends, but they are just part of the mix, including a best friend back in Ukraine that she Skypes with several times a week.

The longer your wife lives here, the more her friendship roll will be filled with AW.

In terms of the OPs original question, I'll add a twist.  Marina's friends are from just about every decade.  That is the natural way it is in life--the person is the key--not their age.

[Misha]

The longer your wife lives here, the more her friendship roll will be filled with AW.

Very true. It is possible meet people in a number of ways. Here is an example. My mother was telling me that she was at the playground with my sister as they were babysitting. They were talking in French. She notices a young blonde woman with, in my mother's description high heels and very tight fitting capri pants, was at the park with her child. She asked my mother what language she was speaking. My mother says French, and then asked her what language she was speaking. She said Russian. So, of course, my mother tells her that her daughter-in-law in Russian and naturally a conversation begins.... My wife may end up with another Russian acquaintance LOL.

Simoni is right, when you live your life, you will meet people whether they are neighbors or people in the playground with their children. Over time, most of these will be American (or Canadian) simply because you live in the United States (or Canada).

[IAmZon]

Quote "Simoni is right, when you live your life, you will meet people whether they are neighbors or people in the playground with their children. Over time, most of these will be American (or Canadian) simply because you live in the United States (or Canada)."

Simoni is ALWAYS right or, at least as far as I know.

[Mir]

That's not true.  Women dominated in professions such as medicine and education, but men dominated the technical fields in Soviet times.  A lot of times, what a Soviet would describe to me as an "engineer" would be a technician in the West.  Furthermore, even though women dominated in medicine, all the major advances of the USSR made in the medical field (geriatrics, opthamology, orthopaedics-the USSR made world recognized advances in these fields) were made by men.   

It is not always a numbers game.
Even in UK the number of female graduates is more then the men.
However if you look at the number of consultants men are in the lead and when it comes to professors majority are men.
Inventions and advances are not due to the effort of a single person. It is the work of a whole team, quite often the leader of the team is a male professor. So even if the team had 20 women, the professor’s name will be credited with the advancement.

[Boethius]

Very true, Mir, but I was thinking specifically of Filatov, Pogosov, and the Kiev Institute of Geriatrics.  In the two former cases, their discoveries were not directly the result of research, and were made independently (i.e. not in a lab).  In the latter case, when it was a leader in the field, Kiev's geriatric team was all male.  I don't know if that is still the case.

[mies]

Mies, thanks for the good word about my post.

Anytime, JR ;-)

There are only two primary reasons for someone to do such a drastic thing with their lives:
1. Love
2. A perceived socioeconomic advantage.

i'd add 3 more reasons:
3) being short-sighted
4) adventure (was my reason #2 in addition to love -wanted to see the world and live in as many places as possible before i settle down and get kids)
5) "hyperbolic thinking" - people tend to think that in future/in new country they will be stronger, more capable, will have more opportunities, etc etc

[OlgaH]

Hi Boethius, medicine is a higher education than engineering.   So I guess you agree with me that the number of women compared to men dominated the medicine field in FSU.    

kievstar, wiki has a good article about engineering   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering

Till October Revolution the Universities' doors were almost closed for women in Russia. In 1862 only three women including Nadezhda Suslova were allowed to study in the Medical Academy, but in 1863 the Academy doors were again closed for women due to the Government order. In 1872 the first medical courses were opened for women and the first medical institute for women opened its doors in 1897 in St. Petersburg.

Even nowadays, for example, number of males in such specialization as surgery prevails over number of females.  

There were a lot of male doctors as well.  But, medicine was not considered a prestigious profession.  

Such profession as a doctor always has been a prestigious profession in Russia, of course it depends on a specialization and location as well. If you can read Russian you can google the rating of prestigious professions in Russia.  

[gemini]

Anytime, JR ;-)

i'd add 3 more reasons:
3) being short-sighted
4) adventure (was my reason #2 in addition to love -wanted to see the world and live in as many places as possible before i settle down and get kids)
5) "hyperbolic thinking" - people tend to think that in future/in new country they will be stronger, more capable, will have more opportunities, etc etc

One more reason: children
1) More opportunities to get a better education;
2)There is no draft;
3) I should not worry I would have to live with my daughter-in-law. 

[gemini]

Such profession as a doctor always has been a prestigious profession in Russia, of course it depends on a specialization and location as well. If you can read Russian you can google the rating of prestigious professions in Russia.

I graduated from Russian medical school. We had 4 different classes: Internal Medicine-, Pediatric, Dental and Sanitary inspectors. From 150 students in my pediatric class about 25-30 were men. The situation was really bad for the doctors in 1990th. The doctors were not able to support their families. Several my classmates male doctors left medicine and became businessmen. There were 70-80% of women in all hospital I use to work. The male doctors were mostly accumulated in surgery and some other professions where they managed to make more money.
It was always prestigious profession but mostly "woman's" because of low payment.

[OlgaH]

The male doctors were mostly accumulated in surgery and some other professions where they managed to make more money.
It was always prestigious profession but mostly "woman's" because of low payment.

Yes, I agree. You will not meet so many males who are pediatricians or district doctors (участковый врач), the doctors in the district polyclinics  are mostly females because of low payment.
I remember very well 1990s. Our neighbour, a doctor in narcomania and alcoholism was doing pretty good, the abortionists at that time also had overfulfilment of the plan.

[Boethius]

Interesting.  It was not a prestigious profession in Ukraine.  They also had the same problems with getting paid, and many moved to Russia.

[Boethius]

deleted

[gemini]

HAHA.  And in my case, it will no doubt be vice versa .

I know it sounds funny but it is very serious problem.

I was married before and it's was not very successful, my ex-husband who was  8 years older than me, was very much depended from what his mother has to say, every  thing happening between us was always discussed with my mother in law. This women took  control over our young family and it's broke our relationships. We got divorced.

It is pretty typical situation, especially when young couple has to live with parents in a small apartment.