[Roosh]

Here's my initial impressions (disclaimer: subject to change):

-There are tons of similarities between Ukraine and Russia. Coming here with a Ukraine working knowledge has been very helpful to get started. There have been a couple surprises, but not many. I'm a bit disappointed that they are so similar because it doesn't feel like I'm in a completely new country. Many things are familiar to me.

-Russian girls are way less skeptical of my background (in spite of my Middle Eastern appearance). In Ukraine, a girl will immediately ask "Where are your parents from?" after telling her I'm from the States. I'd be accused of being Turkish as if on trial. In Russia, only one girl has even asked about my ethnicity. Also, I was concerned that girls would think I'm from the Caucuses, but this has yet to happen, so my appearance here is more favorable than in Ukraine, and one girl said I was a "beautiful" man. One guy questioned my background, but after seeing my passport, which I always carry at night, he bought me a drink. I feel more welcome in Russia than Ukraine, and can't say I have experienced prejudice yet.

-There is a slight American god factor. I guess that's a spoiler than I'm not in Moscow. I've had interactions suddenly lift in energy when telling a girl I'm from Washington, but unless she has a sincere interest in wanting to get to know me, it will only be a short term boost. Nonetheless, it's still cool to get such positive reactions just by stating where I'm from.

-Russian girls like beards more than Ukrainian. Girls are stroking my beard like I'm a Persian cat. In Ukraine that never happens. One girl said, "Strong men have beards." I can safely keep a longer beard here. I'm very pleased at this development.

-I have not been face controlled (yet) even though I'm going out alone. I suit up when I go out so maybe that's a factor.

-Russian girls are more fun, sensual, and seductive at night than Ukrainian. These girls really know how to party and let loose. They are friendly and want to have a good time. I also noticed that are incredibly touchy feely, sort of like Brazilian girls (maybe even more so). But as I learned, this should not be confused with strong interest.

-Russian girls get drunk at the club. This is not good for me because my game is more conversational where I try to seek out a real connection. Drunk girls are hard to corral and also have short attention spans. My personality is not loose enough to do well with heavily intoxicated girls in the clubs, especially since I don't drink that much.

-Day game in Russia and Ukraine is close to identical for me so far. There is a aloof vibe when starting and also a directness if you go for the close and she doesn't want to (they will simply say "Thanks but I don't want to meet you again"). I've done less than 10 day approaches but I can't say the vibe is much different. At night the vibe is way looser and more friendly, though going out alone is not that fun. I really need a wingman.

-Girls are much prettier at night. During the day you don't see an overwhelming amount of pretty girls, but at night, it's... amazing. Last night I was in a club with so many beautiful girls that I was frozen for about 30 minutes. This blows away everywhere else but Ukraine. It's pretty clear to me now that if you want beauty, Ukraine and Russia has the highest concentration.

-Girls are polite. They give me a chance when I open, even when they don't like me. They're much nicer than Ukrainian girls. I have not once encountered a rude girl who treated me coldly, even when I approached a half-naked club dancer girl. This is so refreshing after my month in DC where girls (who were much uglier) treated me like dirt for no reason.

-Russian language ability is pretty much required. I have met one girl who was conversational in English so far out of about 20 total approaches. Many girls can understand English, however, if you speak slowly. English is so rare that I wouldn't recommend anyone come to my current city unless you are an upper beginner. I think I take for granted that I can more or less communicate with girls in Russian. This could be a reason for the generally positive responses I get.

-Club girls are extractive. I got tricked twice into buying drinks for girls. They were learning experiences, but girls here are more skilled at extraction than Ukrainian. This isn't to be confused with "scamming" like in Latvia, where a girl will lead you to a scam bar or outright rob you. Here, the girls will use you for attention or drinks if you let them. Their acting ability is strong (they pretend to like you when really they have ulterior motives).

-Entertainment is very expensive. Clubs are not cheap at all, just like in Ukraine. Taxi rides, cover charges, and drinks add up very quickly. On Saturday night I spent $120 without really trying. Coffee shops are also expensive. I really don't understand how these people can afford it based on their income level.

I want to give a shout-out to Slubu's Russia thread. His experiences closely match my own so it has been a great starting point for me. He did a lot of groundwork in understanding Russian women in night environments and I hope to add to this in the upcoming weeks.

[xadmin]

Awesome, thanks for posting

[Ardbeg]

Interesting. Even with the current tensions between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, you're still getting a slight American god factor. I would have thought differently.

More and more I'm leaning towards opening up the Russian books I (barely) used years ago.

[Menace]

Frozen in club due to amount of hot girls? Welcome to Russia. Every guy should experience this. Enjoy the summer Roosh.

[Roosh]

Quote:

Even with the current tensions between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, you're still getting a slight American god factor. I would have thought differently.

I have not gotten a negative response yet from someone who knew I was American (though one man did complain about Obama, and I agreed with him). I'm actually being treated reverently by men because of it, as if I have some type of special status just because I was born there. As for girls, the general rule is that the younger she is, the more excited she is about it. In any case, I'm getting a higher boost here from it than in Ukraine.

Last night a girl in the club was wearing an American flag t-shirt. I approached and said "That's my country." For the following two minutes, this was pretty much them:



Also a language note: girls here are switching over to ты very fast, maybe after only 10 minutes of conversation. In Ukraine, girls use вы for much longer. The local guys here do their approaches with ты.

[whoishe]

Congrats of finally making it.

This will be one interesting thread.

[durangotang]

I have been waiting for this. You are finally in Russia.



I have to admit I am a bit jealous.

I can't wait to read more. I bet it feels good after D.C.

Congrats.

[wroclove]

Nice to see you made it to mother Russia. Will be following your updates.

Wroclaw and Polish women do get tiring after some time, I'm experiencing this myself. I wonder if the same will happen with Russian women or you will settle down there.

Enjoy and keep us posted!

[Orion]

Roosh do you happen to be in one of golden ring towns ? Or are you in a more populous city ?

[Brodiaga]

Is it St Petersburg?

[Jestx]

Roosh as an American are you getting more positive responses in your current city than you would in Moscow? Is it better to avoid Moscow for first time foreigners?

[DaveR]

   

(05-11-2014 07:57 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

-Entertainment is very expensive. Clubs are not cheap at all, just like in Ukraine. Taxi rides, cover charges, and drinks add up very quickly. On Saturday night I spent $120 without really trying. Coffee shops are also expensive. I really don't understand how these people can afford it based on their income level.

Russia is a mixed bag economically. Even in the poor cities, you'll find a fairly well-off middle class. In the two capitals, the working population isn't really struggling at all. Credit is much cheaper than in Ukraine and the government provides additional subsidies for housing projects and locally-made cars (including the many foreign brands which are assembled in Russia).

[TripleG]

Congrats Roosh on finally moving to Russia. Can you drop some hints on what type of city you chose for your stay there? Obviously a 2nd tier city in Siberia would be very different from a 2nd tier city in European Russia where the WGF might be a bit less. Also, are you planning at all on making mini trips to Moscow & St. Petersburg for "research reasons"?

[Roosh]

As I stated earlier, I won't be addressing my location quite yet.

So I could use some feedback on this test I'm getting. On two or three occasions, after a few minutes of conversation, girls asked me, "Why did you come talk to me? There are many pretty girls here."

I would answer "You seem friendly" or "You have nice hair." They didn't like these answers. They'd aggressively point out the pretty girls in the room (there's always many!) and suggest I talk to them, like they'd be easier.

Then I would say "I want to get to know you" (Я хочу познокомиться с тобой), but still it wasn't helpful. I feel like there's a right answer but I'm not hitting it. Any ideas on what to do here? I'm pretty sure I will encounter this again soon.

[Greek kamaki]

Russian girls use to say that when they are not interested:''There are other beautiful girls.''It is like sweet way of rejecting.In this case I talk to her a bit without moving from my position to save face and then proceed to other girls.For example:
-There are other beautiful girls here.Go talk to them.
-It is true here in Russia lots of beautiful women.I am from Greece.
-Oh.
-Yes.Is this the best club in town?
-What?
-Prijatno poznakomitsa.Zelayou krassivoe viecorem z druziami.

[TheBMan]

(05-11-2014 08:23 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

Also a language note: girls here are switching over to ты very fast, maybe after only 10 minutes of conversation. In Ukraine, girls use вы for much longer. The local guys here do their approaches with ты.

what is Tbl and Bbl?

[Greek kamaki]

(05-11-2014 08:23 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

Quote:

Even with the current tensions between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, you're still getting a slight American god factor. I would have thought differently.

I have not gotten a negative response yet from someone who knew I was American (though one man did complain about Obama, and I agreed with him). I'm actually being treated reverently by men because of it, as if I have some type of special status just because I was born there. As for girls, the general rule is that the younger she is, the more excited she is about it. In any case, I'm getting a higher boost here from it than in Ukraine.

Last night a girl in the club was wearing an American flag t-shirt. I approached and said "That's my country." For the following two minutes, this was pretty much them:



Also a language note: girls here are switching over to ты very fast, maybe after only 10 minutes of conversation. In Ukraine, girls use вы for much longer. The local guys here do their approaches with ты.

вы is a sign of respect.When addressing older men Ukrainian women show respect.This is not bad.Russian get more personal to show that you are both sly people on the same level how to say that in English?
Generally Ukrainian women are a lot more primitive and less intelligent or cultured than Russian women which is in some cases not bad since you understand them correctly from first minute.Russian are excellent in self presenting and manipulation.(usually stirring manliness).Ukrainian women do not have elegance,finesse or class like Russian women do.(in many cases).

[Don Juan Tenorio]

(05-11-2014 09:42 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

As I stated earlier, I won't be addressing my location quite yet.

So I could use some feedback on this test I'm getting. On two or three occasions, after a few minutes of conversation, girls asked me, "Why did you come talk to me? There are many pretty girls here."

I would answer "You seem friendly" or "You have nice hair." They didn't like these answers. They'd aggressively point out the pretty girls in the room (there's always many!) and suggest I talk to them, like they'd be easier.

Then I would say "I want to get to know you" (Я хочу познокомиться с тобой), but still it wasn't helpful. I feel like there's a right answer but I'm not hitting it. Any ideas on what to do here? I'm pretty sure I will encounter this again soon.

I assume that you're on a second/third tier city. Maybe your approach is wrong for the place you're in? I'm sure in Moscow or S.P. it would be no problem: salaries are higher, the cities are relatively foreign friendly (I mean for Russian standards and compared to the rest of the country), there is more of a clubbing, restaurant, coffee-house culture.

Have you considered what percentage of girls in that kind of cities can afford going to clubs? 10% maybe? And from those girls who do go to clubs what groups will be the most common? semi-pros looking for a sponsor and the daughters of some local oligarch? The first may consider hanging out with you has a high opportunity cost having richer older men available in the club; second ones won't be much impressed for the fact that you're a foreigner and probably their daddies provide them with a luxury lifestyle.

From my own experience I'd say most of average girls in those cities usually hang out in home parties and during the weekend do excursions to the family country house. That is the kind of girls for whom being American, a writer or an enterpreneur can be DHV. Think you'd have a much more positive response from them. How to reach those girls? Not in a club for sure. Try to make local friends, visit the universities pretending you're interested in some course or even better or contact the local English department and offer them to volunteer as native English speaker assistant for their students to practice their speaking skills. Then more than gaming your students use them to penetrate their social circles and game their friends.

You're an expert in Eastern Europe but from my point of view Eastern European countries of the European Union are already very westernized, Ukraine is somewhere in between but second/third tier Russian cities are a whole different story.

[ChrisGambi]

I have been to 6 cities outside of Moscow for week plus stints, and have also spent many a weekend in Kiev, but now only go to Russia. In my view the Russian girls have more substance, and also since there are way fewer sex tourists than in Kiev (which some exceptions like NN), they are less guarded. The fact that you speak Russian which you did not in Urkaine also makes a big difference (just look Westerners that are fluent living in Kiev).

I don't agree with what was written above re percentage, I think the percentage of girls that go out in 2nd tier cities in Russia is very high, higher than anywhere I have been outside Brazil. In a lot of these cities GDP per capital is 15 k (NS, NN, EK), which is not too far from some of the poorer areas in the West.

No doubt though that rolling solo is easier in Mos or SP, having a wingman with whom to split a cheap bottle of proseco to which you can invite groups of girls is a big plus, but the WGF trade off is still worth it in my opinion.

I also got asked that question "why me" a few times, especially when in a smaller town. In my experience the girl was actually really wanting to know (not s testing), and was very happy when i told her stuff like: you seemed like an interesting person to talk to or s th of that nature.

Did not often experience the touchy feely, in my experience, unless drunk, the girl would often stay very serious, not giving much feedback, but then suddenly suggest leaving.

That coffee haus sb knock-off is indeed super expensive. You can get very good produce, much much better than what you get in the US in the supermarket, and then get someone to cook you meals in case you don't like cooking, I got my 70 year old neighbour to cook for me, and have never again eaten as well.

I'm headed back out in June so will be reading this attentively.

[ladderff]

(05-11-2014 10:02 AM)TheBMan Wrote:  

what is Tbl and Bbl?

Familar and polite second person pronouns, like tu/Usted and du/Sie in Spanish and German.

My determination to go to Russia increases by the day. I thought it would happen this Spring but professional reasons got in the way. In the mean time I speak with the girls at the grocery across the street every day. They are from Eastern Russia and Kazakstan and are more than happy to goof off with me in my broken but rapidly improving Russian.

[Teedub]

(05-11-2014 11:01 AM)ChrisGambi Wrote:  

You can get very good produce, much much better than what you get in the US in the supermarket....

This completely contradicts what DaveR said about Russia and the quality of the food. I'm intrigued as to who's right after your statement.

[sportbilly]

I am in Russia and I would say you can get good produce, but it is not by any means cheap....on a par or more expensive than in the UK !

[shotgun]

(05-11-2014 07:57 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

Here's my initial impressions after 3 full days here (disclaimer: subject to change)

Did you capture the Russian flag yet? Good luck!

Quote:

-I have not been face controlled (yet) even though I'm going out alone. I suit up when I go out so maybe that's a factor.

At least in Moscow, going out solo makes it easier to get in than rollling with a pack of dudes. That's one way to control the ratios for them. If you're rolling in a group, be prepared to drop some cash deposit at the door, to pre-pay for drink consumption.

Quote:

-Russian girls get drunk at the club. This is not good for me because my game is more conversational where I try to seek out a real connection. Drunk girls are hard to corral and also have short attention spans. My personality is not loose enough to do well with heavily intoxicated girls in the clubs, especially since I don't drink that much.

Very true. Russia nightlife is not for the faint of heart.

Quote:

-Girls are much prettier at night. During the day you don't see an overwhelming amount of pretty girls, but at night, it's... amazing. Last night I was in a club with so many beautiful girls that I was frozen for about 30 minutes. This blows away everywhere else but Ukraine. It's pretty clear to me now that if you want beauty, Ukraine and Russia has the highest concentration.

Russian clubs and nightlife are so good that they will ruin your nightclub experience everywhere else. You will see that when (and if) you leave. After doing clubs in Russia, you will struggle with motivation to go out at night elsewhere.

Quote:

-Russian language ability is pretty much required. I have met one girl who was conversational in English so far out of about 20 total approaches. Many girls can understand English, however, if you speak slowly. English is so rare that I wouldn't recommend anyone come to my current city unless you are an upper beginner. I think I take for granted that I can more or less communicate with girls in Russian. This could be a reason for the generally positive responses I get.

While this rings true for 2nd/3rd tier cities, in Moscow you still have a lot of English speaking targets, at least in the central area clubs. Obviously, you won't maximize your experience by not speaking Russian, but still...

[DaveR]

(05-11-2014 11:57 AM)Teedub Wrote:  

(05-11-2014 11:01 AM)ChrisGambi Wrote:  

You can get very good produce, much much better than what you get in the US in the supermarket....

This completely contradicts what DaveR said about Russia and the quality of the food. I'm intrigued as to who's right after your statement.

I've no idea what is being compared, but none of it is fresh. Case in point - golden apples from France/Italy are light green and crisp everywhere in Europe, but yellow and soft in Russia. The only foods I've found reasonable are chilled ones like bananas, and non-perishables.

I haven't been to the US in a long time, but I've heard that a lot of the food is engineered and tasteless, so that may be what's being compared. Practically all foreigners I know complain about the quality of fruit/vegetables/meat/fish here.

[Blunt]

I'm definitely not a produce expert but I managed to get decent quality produce in second-tier Russia, but not from the supermarket. There are little markets that sell fruit exclusively, and these have fresher produce and more options than the supermarket, though still probably low quality compared to Western Europe.