The majority of Ukrainian women pay, as a rule, much attention to their appearance, trying to dress in a bright and elegant way. Sometimes it is taken as striving to achieve a success due to their femininity, but it’s far mot so. It’s a lifestyle. A Ukrainian woman should be beautiful and attractive 24 hours and 265 days per year.
Foreigners coming to Ukraine first get an impression that here is a contest of winning a man. Accordingly, the majority of girls and young women look very much cared-for. They dress in a feminine way (sometimes even too sexy), have good haircuts and flawless make-up. However, even in the western Ukraine where women do not differ from European women too much a length of mini-skirts in frosty weather with high heels still amaze.

Viktoriya from Kiev		Polina from Lugansk		Olga from Cherkasy

What concerns a traditional woman’s role in the society, an ancient Ukrainian saying asserts that ‘a man is the head and a woman is the neck’. Quite a number of marriages are contracted by young people younger than 25. But modern Ukrainian women at the same time are not afraid of being independent and taking decisions by themselves. That’s why don’t be worried if you meet a woman who managed to give birth to a child or even two, get an education and even not one. At the same time they can have their own business and make a perfect career. By the way, women even can have several jobs. Such examples are quite often met, especially in metropolises. Probably, they just try to implement all their abilities given to them by nature and society. Consequently, Ukrainian women are not interested by outer attributes of equality, but you shouldn’t underestimate the role of a woman in business and personal communication. They are used to choose their important tasks, priorities, and an area of self-realization by themselves.

Julia from Kiev		Olga from Odessa		Alevtina, 26 y/o

There also is a an anatomic peculiarity which affected the Ukrainian mentality. Slavs have a very well developed right brain hemisphere that controls emotions, not logic. That’s why they are not rational. This peculiarity is very well seen while planning a family budget, for example. If a German counts all his expenses in a pedantic way, even including a purchase of napkins, for a month, half a year, and even a year, a measured practice is strange for a Ukrainian woman.
Gender roles in Ukraine are somewhat different from those of the countries of Europe and the USA by their being traditional. Here men show such traditional courtesy like a compliment, opening a door for a woman and giving her a hand when she comes out of a car.
Girls are used that when a man takes them to a restaurant he pays for them as well. Even if they are just friends. Moreover, they are used that presents don’t oblige to anything. It’s a peculiarity (features) of a Ukrainian culture. Women take it for granted and it is strange for them if they don’t get it.

Lesya from Chernovtsy		Tanya from Berdyansk		Vika from Odessa

It’s worth clarifying at once that an attention to your lady is not a duty but a goodwill gesture. You have a right not to do it, but believe, if you come on a date without flowers and ask to pay for herself a girl won’t refuse (she is able to do it for herself), but you shouldn’t count for the second date then. Because she will think you are greedy or you don’t like her or something else. The last thing she will think that everything is different in your country.
Considering characteristics of Ukrainian women it’s impossible to avoid noticing such a peculiarity like their being sentimental. On the contrary from the people of other nationalities who know how to keep a distance, people in Ukraine are quickly inspired by feelings of other people. No wonder that in Russian language there such phrases as a ‘heart talk’ or ‘a heart-to-heart conversation’ which are often used.

Ukrainian women acutely take somebody’s misfortune and somebody’s joy as well, and they are also ready to open their intimate feelings to some other person sometimes even at the first date. An Italian will never tell anyone else his family problems, an American will tactfully avoid personal topics. It is like you come on a visit and you are let only to a hallway. Russians are apt to opening all their doors wide.
That’s because every bride who came to a husband to western Europe, the USA or Canada can’t get used to people being cold, dryish, and buttoned up. They need years there for relationships to get close. In Ukraine contacts between people are made much quicker and warmer.