Having been to Ukraine for some time, you’ll notice it’s a bit different from Russia in many little ways. For example, whereas most Russians shun those Europeans who behave in their own European manner, Ukrainians tend to welcome them more. On the surface, it’s because they share the same values and opinions, and want to be friends.
That, however, isn’t always the case. Not to get too political, let’s just say that some Ukrainians want to emphasize their independence from the Russian-speaking world. And how better to do it than to make sure that people from the West feel at home in your country?
It’s not only that, however. Women from Ukraine, they say, like foreign men more than their own. Are they, though? Is, based on that statement, dating Ukrainian ladies easier if you are an outsider?
Where the belief comes from
The origins of this belief come from several facts. Some of them have more to do with geography than with the mentality of the local population. It’s better to dig deeper, then. Here are some of the facts:
- It is more common to see an international marriage between a Ukrainian woman and a European man than in other Slavic countries. People who genuinely get interested in this phenomenon quickly jump to the conclusion that Ukrainians just like foreigners more. They do, but it’s not only that. It’s much easier to travel out and in Ukraine — Ukrainians don’t require visa to go to most of the Europe. In between the facts that people in Ukraine is quite benevolent to visitors and that Ukrainians themselves leave their country a lot, the Ukrainian Diaspora in the World is big and thriving. Meeting and dating Ukrainian ladies is much easier under such circumstances.
- But getting to know each other isn’t enough. If people don’t believe there’s something to gain from a relationship with a foreigner, they won’t go for it, it’s risky. And indeed, many Ukrainian women assume there is something to gain. Apart from the fact that European men are, on average, richer than Ukrainians, they can also offer new experiences. And this isn’t just women’s opinion, but a common knowledge in these parts.
- Ukrainian press, media, and other popular sources have a very positive opinion on visitors from Europe, the Americas and the developed parts of Asia. This leads to believe that Ukrainians overall have the same perspective on them. This, however, changes from the region to region, but still isn’t always the case.
- Seeing a European outside of major cities is an odd view – neither positive, nor negative. And then you also have the racist and other intolerant tendencies, still pretty popular in mass consciousness. Ukraine isn’t, as a rule, ‘Russia with more tolerance’. It also strongly depends on people you’re dealing with.
So… the answer is no? Not indefinitely, there’s actually more to it than the disappointing truth.
Sure, try dating Ukrainian ladies in wilder parts of Ukraine, and you probably won’t achieve anything. The big cities, however, aren’t bad in that regard. Don’t forget that it’s always exciting to see a European right next to you, in your own underdeveloped country. Add any natural charms you may possess, and here you go.
Which provinces in Ukraine are more West-lenient?
The question translates easily to ‘where you should go to make sure your chances are high’. Most people would recommend you to stick to the capital, Kyiv. But there are some other great cities on the periphery.
Like Lviv — the city that conveniently lays in the Western part of the country, where people like everything related to the West and, strangely, aren’t very tolerant of things Europeans like.
The Carpathian mountains
While you’re here, you can also try the Carpathians — the high mountain ridge on the border of three European countries. It’s an intriguing place because the locals relate to Ukrainians more to anyone else, and yet not fully resemble them. They live in a more traditional way of life here in the mountains.
As yet another upside, they are quite favorable to Europeans. They visit the region a lot for reasons. One of them being the several ethnic minority communities of:
- Hungarians
- Poles
- Slovaks
- Czechs
- Romanians
- Germans
A nice place to start your adventure would be the capital of the Ukraine’s Carpathian oblast — Uzhhorod.
The least lenient places
The South-East provinces, on the other hand, have a pretty strong Russian sentiment. The inhabitants here don’t identify as Russians, per se, but they tend to agree with Russians on many important matters. It’s not a tourist’s paradise you’d want to choose, anyway.
It’s especially true in case of Crimea (which, by the Ukrainian government, is seen as an integral part of their country), because, once here, you’ll be banned from ever visiting Ukraine in the future. Making your chances in dating Ukrainian ladies pretty tiny.
The Diaspora
As was mentioned before, Ukrainians are given great opportunities for traveling. But the Ukrainian population started emigrating long before that. In the countries they immigrated to, by definition, the gratitude and the love towards the country that hosts the Diaspora and its values are infinite (most of the time).
Among the countries with large Ukrainian minorities:
- Canada with about 1.2 million people of Ukrainian descent;
- The United States with about a million of Ukrainians;
- Poland with up to 300.000-large Ukrainian population;
- A few million in Russia, Belarus and other parts of the former Soviet Union.
Dating Ukrainian ladies from these parts of the World is, however, a bit more complicated. Women who live outside of Ukraine deal with the ‘foreigners’ on a daily basis, there’s nothing intriguing about Europeans if you live alongside them for a very long time (possibly since birth).
But if you wish to date a woman who likes you the way you are, not your foreign aura — that’s your chance.
Are Ukrainian men any worse?
When compared to neighboring Russia, Ukraine isn’t that different. You’ll likely not spot a difference between two men from both countries. In big cities, especially, the level of ‘civilization’ isn’t lower than could expect.
But Ukraine is, after all, one of the poorest countries on the Continent. Keeping in mind the legacy the Soviet Union left the young country, no wonder it’s actually a wild mess under surface. People grow more desperate the further you drive for the city.
It’s not about the bad quality of men here, it’s more about life being harder and uncompromising. Plus, the country has undergone a lot of crises, the mood isn’t really the brightest. At the very least, it’s fun to see a stranger from a luckier place.
People from what countries the Ukrainian ladies like the most
Despite the differentiating attitude towards strangers here, people in Ukraine actually do prefer people other fellow Europeans over anyone else.
The racist attitude here hasn’t really gone away since Ukraine decided to go full West. More than that, Ukraine is pretty nationalist nowadays. Everything related to Russia, for instance, becomes subject to shunning and desecration pretty quickly in many Western provinces.
Point is, you are not going to get a lot of attention in case you have darker than usual skin. People from Germany, Britain or France, on the other hand, are in the highest demand. But the ‘demand’ for people from Western Europe isn’t really unique for Ukraine. Women from Poland, Russia, Baltic States, and other Eastern-European countries have the same kink.
The same goes for virtually any stranger who has light skin and speaks some weird language. Some Slavic people receive attention as well. But in this case, it’s more of a brotherly joy that an excitement.
In conclusion
In the end, you could say foreigners in Ukraine are held in higher regard than usually in Europe. However, it’s not on the same level the media makes you think — the circumstances differentiate from province to province. And really, even when you do get unprovoked attention — there’s still chance you’ll get scammed for your ignorance.
Consequently, to avoid such punishment, you need to know more about dating Ukrainian ladies and how to figure out a scam on the spot. And for further information on dating Ukrainians — check out the video below: