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The Russian-American Phenomenum
By Rev. Paul V. Scholl
July 1996
Since beginning as publisher of Single Again magazine I have watched a
growing area of interest for single again people. Men in the United States
have been drawn to the idea of finding new marriage relationships with
women of Russia because many of those women represent the values and lifestyle
they believe works for a successful marriage. The Russian woman-American
man concept to finding a mate has created a number of new service businesses
which now serve both countries.
Because of this growing phenomenum, we were seeking someone to act as
a spokesperson from one of these companies who would be willing to give
our readers a little more insight into this opportunity for finding an
alternative to the frustrating process of seeking a mate. This is when
we were introduced to Yelena at SASHA International.
Yelena, who serves as the Vice-President for the company, and I met at
her offices to discuss how their company works. We spent a few hours together,
as I wanted to be sure this was not just a high pressure dating service
with a new angle. She was very open to all of my questions, and I learned
a great deal from her about the Russian culture and why this phenomenum
is taking place. After our discussion, this approach to helping people
find a marriage partner really made a lot of sense.
Yelena described many of the seminars, which are held weekly, and how
they often hold get-togethers with their male clients to discuss the Russian
culture. This helps them to learn more about how to respond or act when
corresponding or meeting a hopeful Russian woman. She described how careful
they are in educating these male clients, explaining the vulnerability
of the women because of the language and cultural differences. We even
spoke of the few male applicants that were turned away simply because
SASHA staff felt that they "didn't quite get it", and that they
simply could not understand the differences, which would create a near
impossibility for a successful relationship.
The most interesting aspect of our meeting was reading through the profiles
of women from Russia, what they were seeking in a mate, their values,
and what they feel is important to a successful relationship. Most hold
to traditional values. The conviction for having love, respect, understanding,
support from the husband, a love for children, and a need for both husband
and wife to honor each other in the marriage rang true in virtually every
profile. I had not personally realized the scope to which this company
was trying to bring women of high quality and values together with American
men who believed in the same virtuous lifestyle. The goal here is designed
to helping men and women who hold to similar traditional values to come
together, overcoming any cultural differences through education, ending
in a loving and lasting marriage relationship.
After meeting with Yelena, reviewing the company and it's materials, and
completing the interview for this issue, my viewpoint has changed on international
possibilities for American men. What many see as an oppressive situation
for the woman to many, really is a misunderstanding of the values that
are shared by both the man and woman who own the relationship for themselves.
It is about finding a common ground, a basis for a home life that has
worked for the ages. This really is a way for many to return to what honors
husband and wife most, mutual love, honor, and respect in the form of
a family unit, based on a lifetime commitment.
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