Dating your letter:

Start your letter by writing the date on top. It will help you keep track of how long it takes to get a reply. Postmarks can provide the same information, but they are often hard to read. It will also help clarify things for the lady if your letters arrive out of sequence.

Please note that in the CIS the date is written "backwards". First the date, the month and then year. Therefore 3/5/98 will mean March 5, 1998 to you, but the girl will read it as May 3, 1998. It's easy to get confused if you start writing the date the "Russian way". One day you might forget about it and date it the way you are accustomed to. To avoid this, write the date as: 5 March, 1998, or March 5, 1998.

Greeting:

For your first letter a simple "Hello, ..." will do just fine. Be aware that Russians might find it slightly awkward if you start your first letter with "Dear..." Unlike in America, in Russia the word "Dear" means something. It means that you know the person you are writing to and you feel affectionately towards her. When you receive a reply from a lady, then you can start your second letter with "Dear.."

Use simple vocabulary and proper grammar:

Keep your letter short & uncomplicated. Most ladies will not understand slang, abbreviations, or expressions like: "let's get down to business", "the idea fell through". Use short sentences. If she has to struggle to read what you've written she might just give up, especially if she is receiving letters from other men that are easier to read.

Type your letter:

Do not forget that your handwriting might be very ornate and attractive, but still difficult for others to read. Before you ever send a handwritten letter, show an example of your writing to your friends or coworkers. Ask them if they have any difficulty reading it. If they do, definitely type your letter. Include a handwritten note at the end of the letter. It should explain that you are typing the letter, so it would be easier for her to read. Ask her if she prefers you to type or handwrite in future letters and tell her you'll be happy to switch. If you prefer to type all your letters, you might want to include a personal handwritten note at the end of each letter. Do not send a photocopy of one letter with a recipient's name written in on top. Every women wants to feel special, she wants to see that you made an effort in writing a letter just for her.

Send a photo with your first letter:

A letter without a photo has little or no chance of getting a reply. We highly recommend that you put on a suite and tie and have your photo taken professionally. Look directly into the camera and do not forget to smile. If you look bored, tired, too serious, unhappy, or uninterested, it will just hurt your chances. And so will photos where you wear sunglasses, photos where you are too far away, or a photo that's old & crumpled.

What to write about.

Keep your letter friendly and positive. Tell her your age, height, weight, occupation. Tell her about your interests, hobbies, your outlook on life. Ask her about her family and tell her about yours. Be interested in her native language and culture. Tell her you would enjoy learning whatever she wishes to teach you about it. Financial security is important for these women, so mentioning that you own your own home is suggested. If you have had a stable job for many years, tell her; stability is very important. If you have dependent children, that might hurt your chances. If the children are living with your ex-wife, make it clear that your future wife will not be expected to raise them, unless something unforeseen happens. Be polite, sincere and show interest in her as a person. Make a compliment to her picture, but do not go overboard praising her beauty. It's a good idea to say that you are able to comfortably provide for your wife and family. Keep the size of your letter to 1-2 pages.

What not to write about.

Don't brag about your wealth. If she is sincere, she probably wants to know you as a person, not just a source of income. Don't go on and on about how beautiful she is. Most women want to be accepted as human beings. They want to believe that there is more to them than just good looks. Don't use the word "love" in your first letter. Do not tell her you love her, or propose to her. At most, say that you are interested in finding a lifetime partner. Don't go on bragging about how good of a person you are. Do not mention how painful your recent divorce was, or describe failed relationships with other women. Do not ask for a photo unless you are sending one. Do not ask intimate questions, or mention the word "sex". Russian culture is more conservative. Do not send nude or half-naked photos of yourself, even if you have a great body to show off. Do not make your first letter too long. Do not write with a pencil.

Closing. Close your letter with "Sincerely yours...", or "Hope to hear from you soon." Do not mention "Love", unless you have an extensive relationship and are clear on your feelings towards each other.

Making your letter stand out(for letters using regular mail).

Use nice stationery. You can buy attractive writing paper in any store that sell postcards, office supplies store, etc. Do not use the envelope that comes with it though. (More info on envelopes in "Making sure your letter gets to her.") You can also check with your local printer for prices on custom stationery. If you want to be creative, you can use stickers to decorate your letter, or draw little pictures or cartoons on it.

Avoid getting your letter too cluttered though. Some men spray perfume on the letters. It's nice if the letter smells good, but make sure other people also find the scent pleasant and do not drown your letter in it. Send your business card with your picture on it. If the lady states she likes animals, send her a picture of your pets. Pretty postcards (of the area where you live, for example) are always a good idea. Send your letter by registered mail, FedEx, or US Postal Service Express mail. It's expensive, but we are sure the lady will be much more impressed by the price sticker on it than you are. She'll feel that you are that much more interested in her then other men who just sent regular letters. Send her a letter by US Postal service with "proof of delivery requested". After you receive the card back saying that the letter was delivered, send her flowers.

Making sure your letter gets to her(Email forwarding is the best way).

Letters to Russia addressed in English are almost always undeliverable. Russian Postal Service employees in general do not know English or other foreign languages. It is very important for your address to be properly written in Cyrillic.

If you bought your addresses from us, make copies of the address lists that we sent you, cut out the Cyrillic version of the address and glue/tape it to the envelope. Keep the original and some extra copies for future use. Do not try to copy the Cyrillic letters or translate the English version to Russian.

Make sure that the address is positioned closer to the bottom of the envelope than to the top. Make sure that when the letter is postmarked, the postmark will not cover part of the address, making the letter undeliverable.

If you are replying to the women who answered your newspaper ad and having trouble reading the handwriting, simply make a good copy of the letter, cut out the return address and tape it to the front of your letter. Ask the lady to type/print the address for you next time.

Send your letters by Airmail. Surface mail can take 3-4 weeks. Use envelopes marked "Airmail", or print the word "Airmail" in big letters on the front of the envelope. Make sure your letter has enough postage. It will be really embarrassing if the lady has to go to the Post Office and pay extra to receive your letter.

Avoid using colorful stamps, or anything that can attract attention to your envelope. If the Russian Postal employees think your letter is interesting, they will open it. Unfortunately, they never glue letters back together, even if the contents are of no interest to them. Most of these people are looking for money, nice stamps, attractive postcards, etc.

It's a good idea to keep copies of all letters you send out. That way if the girl says she never received your letter, it will be easy for you to send her another copy of it. FedEx & US Postal service letters can be delivered only to certain cities in the CIS. Please check with your local post office or FedEx.

Note: Letters to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and certain parts of the Ukraine do not require the Cyrillic version of the address. Check out our E-mail forwarding service.

Making sure her reply reaches you(Email forwarding is the best way).

Make sure you typed or printed your name and address on the envelope AND on the letter itself. Type some address labels and include them in your letter, so that the girl can glue them to the envelope. Do not use abbreviations in your address. In stead of writing: