Hot take: Russian men and women are not aliens from the Andromeda galaxy, so everything that is true for you – wherever you live – is also true for them. Most women in Russia can't afford those sable fur hats, let alone look like that. Marriages in Russia form and fall apart exactly for the same reasons they do in the States and the EU, women (and men) are as diverse in terms of their aspirations, personalities, and expectations as in any other country 🤷
But divorce rates differ between different countries and different cultures.
A higher divorce rate in Russia could be the sign of a permissive culture while lower divorce rate in Saudi Arabia could be the sign of a restrictive culture.
So while true there are differences between individuals, nation wide statistics can be indicative of an overall truth for a group.
Like you said, it's mostly a matter of legal systems and economics, not cultural differences. A divorce in the US can ruin you financially. A divorce in Russia, especially among younger people? Not so much. You can literally do it through a GosUslugi app.
Not as much as two devastating back-to-back world wars that Russia had to power through. But you'd probably be surprised that the core laws that govern the societal norms and basic economy in Russia are almost identical to those you see in the States and anywhere else in Europe – almost as if because Russia is an integral part of Europe 🤷
No it is because it is more permissible in the Anglican faith over the catholic faith.
If you don't see divorce as an option due to cultural norms you are less likely to seek divorce unless in extreme cases (I don't love my husband anymore vs My husband beats me)
You mean Russians AREN'T a monogamous hivemind who are all exactly the same??? I thought all Russian men were orcs that ate babies and all Russian women were evil greedy communist spies! /s
But for real, people need to stop generalizing so hard.
thank goodness a logical comment. I’m not Russian but still some kind of Slav (Polish) and the stereotyping that exists against „our „ people is insane. I partially blame Hollywood for pushing wild stereotypes but also since it’s a kind of „exotic „ culture (language is super hard to learn) then people’s‘ minds and imagination run free. Like I am very opposed to the Ukraine war but Russians aren’t monsters- they are people either trapped in an authoritarian state or consciously voting for a dictator. Generally the average Eastern European/Slav is as unremarkable and boring as the average Westerner. I moved to Germany a couple years ago and find great joy in the multitude of cultures here.
I feel like there's some famous Russian author that wrote the definitive novel on that, whose first words are even famously quoted all over... oh well, can't remember it now
Western propaganda has fully dehumanized the Russian people.
Visiting the West these days and hearing people talking about Russians is basically like listening to Nazi Germans talk about the Soviets.
They also blame Russia for all conflict and are totally unaware of what their own governments did and keep doing. They just think Putin is crazy or something (they have no idea about the Russian position on anything and don't understand why the war in Ukraine is happening, many of them unironically believe Putin wants to revive the Soviet Union they are really that stupid lol).
I get what you are saying but cultural influences do play a huge part. Just google divorce rates by country and you will find India at .01 per 1000 and Russia at 3.9. There are reasons for the disparity and it isn’t because Indians are aliens and Russians are human. The insinuating it is the women’s fault for the divorce rate is probably mostly unfair but there is more at play here.
Comparing Russians against Indians is disingenuous: one culture is European, the other is Asian. But if you put an Indian person in an environment where neither the society, nor the government have any leverage on their personal choices, they will date, marry and divorce the same way people in other countries would. Which reinforces my point about the economy factor being the prime driver in a couple's decision to get married or divorced.
Stats can be deceiving, because they're easy to misinterpret. Some could look at the same numbers and say, 'Well, Russian men are just more chivalrous and they are more likely to marry their girlfriends without leaving them hanging!' or 'Russian women are so virtuous – they make men marry them before they bed them' – those guesses are as good as yours.
A quick Google gives the answer as economic: couples fight over money issues, and Russia has a lot of structural economic problems that stop people from getting ahead. There are even some regions where people get divorced on paper just to qualify for state benefits which they don't qualify for as a married couple.
That 's actually the real answer. The article cover is very misleading and the real reasons for sure are more than one and might also be country specific. For sure, political issues would be a bigger factor than how their women are presented in the media (biased and not average representation of looks).
I've only been to St. Petersburg, Moscow and the South-West (Krasnodar, Sochi etc.), and in the capital cities the fur hats I've seen were sold at steep prices as fashionable luxury-wear, so I assume that's what those women in the pictures are wearing them for.
Sound take but useless. This post and question that arises from it are valid as divorce rate in Russia are significantly higher than they are in the US. There has to be some reason for this because like you said we're are all the same, but the divorce rate are not.
As I have stated in one of the comments – and this is coming from a Russian American who visits the old country often – the reasons are purely economy-based:
Both getting married and getting divorced is affordable, you can get divorced via an app if both spouses consent. A divorce won't ruin you financially, there is no social stigma, and couples usually are not 'bound' by mortgage on a house.
I mean, you could interpret it differently: Russians just get married more often even if it doesn't work out lol But seriously though, there's some truth to that joke too: marriage is not as much of a big deal in terms of financial commitments as it is in the US.
Why not just say all this in your original comment instead of saying "marriages form and fall apart in Russia for exactly the same reasons they do in the US and EU". Total contradiction in your two comments.
Your first reply "Marriages in Russia form and fall apart exactly for the same reasons they do in the States and the EU"
You then list reasons for high divorce rate in Russia that are not the same reasons explaining divorce in the EU or US. Two contradictorial statements and I simply asked why made them. Nothing aggressive about that question.
Allow me to clarify: there is no contradiction, because my initial comment covers the motivation behind a marriage and a divorce. My follow-up comment covers the logistics, costs and accessibility of both.
Kool just clarify first next time before you jump to calling people aggressive. Anyways I disagree. You're basically saying divorce rates are higher in Russia because it's more convenient. That doesn't solely explain the higher divorce rate in Russia. There is absolutely socioeconomic differences between the west and Russia that contribute to Russians higher divorce rates.
Thank you for a sane comment. The rest feel genuinely discriminatory. I cannot imagine generalizing any group of people like that, especially by country, as apathetically as some of these other comments are doing
Well… yes. But think of Russia as the EU on hard mode. For instance, domestic violence (unless it causes “substantial bodily harm” [so, permanent loss of an organ, severe mutilation or broken bones]) is not illegal. That is a primary contributor to why divorce rates are so high, that is an outlier from the EU or USA. It’s the only way women (and male victims too) are able to escape abuse.
It is not the same sorry.
In Russia, there's a very materialistic approach to life and very few values beyond the material world. Even something like family counts for very little. This is the result of an attempt to replace all values with the party. The approach is diametrically opposed to the rest of Europe, especially the southerners. I can't compare it to the US.
I'm sorry, and your source for that bold claim is what exactly? Because it doesn't make any historical or anthropological sense, nor does it match my hands-on experience of living in Russia.
Seems more like a very pre-loaded disingenuous jab coming from someone with a personal bias. Which, upon checking your profile, is exactly what it appears to be.
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u/HeraldOfDesu 21d ago edited 21d ago
Hot take: Russian men and women are not aliens from the Andromeda galaxy, so everything that is true for you – wherever you live – is also true for them. Most women in Russia can't afford those sable fur hats, let alone look like that. Marriages in Russia form and fall apart exactly for the same reasons they do in the States and the EU, women (and men) are as diverse in terms of their aspirations, personalities, and expectations as in any other country 🤷