International Women’s Day is a public holiday in Russia on March 8. Most banks, official buildings and educational institutions are closed on this day, although shops and kiosks usually stay open. Public transport may run less frequently than usual.

It’s true, Russian women are known for their beauty, but that’s not always the case in Russia as it isn’t always the case in America’s "most beautiful" cities. Still, Russian women in cities are known to go out and lavish outfits, complete with fur coats, fine jewelry, and flawless makeup and hair.

The dedication that Russian women have to look beautiful is just scary. For the majority of them life is like a podium, and so they have to look sparkling even on the way to get a newspaper or walking the .

Offer your lady your arm – Usually, men and women do not hold hands in Ukraine when they walk together. Instead, the woman takes the man’s arm. Instead, the woman takes the man’s arm. Be sure you always offer your arm to your lady when you cross the street.

Yes, Russian women are giving. They usually take care of their husbands like they do of babies, if you can understand what I mean. Russian men are used to be cared for; and don’t really value it, for them it goes without saying.

For many Russian women cooking is a way to show their love, so be prepared for food experiments. At first the cuisine might seem absolutely normal and even a little boring. But when you get to eat Russian food more often than during occasional visit to her parents, you will have more and more questions.

Acceptable gifts to give to Russian men are (again) nice bottles of hard alcohol, usually vodka, cognac and (sometimes) whiskey. You can also give cufflinks, ties, and even watches but be aware that Russian people have eagles’ eyes for spotting fake, cheap, and poor-quality items, and many will not wear them.

You’ll also get a chance to see the notorious Russian babushkas – overcaring women (usually the oldest family members). And you can be 100% sure that you’ll meet “the man” – the head of the family who will test your spirit with vodka.

At the end, Russian women usually consider themselves smarter than men, so it’s a bad idea to try to give her some life lessons and tell her off for doing something inappropriate. “Russian woman loves with her ears, but if she hates you – she hates you wholeheartedly!”

There is one typical Russian phrase used when men are putting too much effort into praising a woman, usually when what was said is no longer the truth. It’s called: “to hang noodles on the woman’s ears” .