Saturday, July 17, 2010

Traditional Family Values And Russian Women

By Lera Cupidonova

Russia is a place full of history, tradition, and culture. Their excellence in the arts is famous, everything from their classical music, to the ballet, to their beautiful architecture. Aside from the arts when people think of Russia, it is the Vodka and the Matryoshka dolls that may come to mind first. But they pride themselves on many things, with good reason, and family tradition and values is one of them, especially the Russian women.

The women pride themselves on their intelligence, their education, and the fact that they are hard working, not afraid to work for what they want or need. Careers are something that only a few women choose, the majority desire a husband and children. They value the tradition of family which makes most of them marry young, normally between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. Most of them marry before they are independent outside of the home.

A woman who has not married by the age of 25 is usually not looked upon favorably in society; they think something is wrong with them. Even if the woman has a solid career, making good money, that doesn't mean anything. A married woman with children in Russia is considered a well respected woman.

When it comes to marriage, they expect a partnership, a union of equals. They demand respect and appreciation from their spouses. Marriage is very sacred in Russia and the women take this commitment very seriously, they do not stand for unfaithfulness as that rips the whole foundation apart.

As marriage is important, the role of a wife is one of pride. They believe in a man working and providing for the family, while the wife stays at home and takes care of the household and children. She helps a man build up his career, sacrificing her own if she has to in order to do so. Taking care of her husband is one of her main goals, aside from her children. Creating a loving and warm home is a great sense of accomplishment.

These women are considered the best mothers in the world because of their dedication and sacrifice they give to their children. They are always there to offer moral and financial support throughout their children's lives, no matter their ages when they need the help. It is considered a great pride to have a son and the relationship between the mother and son is very strong throughout their lives. With a daughter, there is a lot that they are taught. The mother prepares them on how to run a household, how to cook, sew, and make a good home.

Cooking in Russia isn't a simple process; almost everything needs to be done from scratch. And, it is customary to purchase foods as you need it, not doing a once a week grocery list and stocking up. But Russian women do it lovingly. When they cook for their family, it comes from the heart. As some say, real Russian homes greet you with the smell of a good warm soup in the air.

Russia is a country rich in tradition and values and it is the Russian women who are the backbone of most of that. They dedicate themselves to their families and their husbands, the values are deeply rooted in them and they desire to make others happy. Although some may see them as old fashioned, Russian women are anything but, they just choose to live in a way that makes them happy and feel well cared for.