If local men had it their way, Russian girls would marry by the age of 21, a recent review of public opinion found out. WCIOM, the All Russian Public Opinion Research Centre revealed that guys from Russia think a girl must become a wife by the age when drinking is allowed in America.
Girls should marry by 21
As we reported earlier, general results of the survey revealed that as a nation, Russians think that women should marry by 23.
But this number comes as an average of the opinions by males and females:
- Men think that girls should marry by 21.
- Women themselves would prefer to complete the task of finding the husband by 25.
Considering the average numbers, the report publicized 23 as the magic age by which a lady should get the ring on her finger.
Young Russians believe a female must get hitched by 20
Surprisingly, among the younger generation the desired age of marriage is even lower. Youngsters seem to be fascinated by the idea of commitment.
- Respondents 18-24 as a group said that females should enter a marriage by 20.
Why Russian men want girls marry by 21?
One of the reasons could be the neo-traditionalist views aligned with 3 decades of fascination with the Russian Christian church, as well as the increased influence of Muslim traditions in last years.
The interest in religion exploded immediately after Perestroika (1987). The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 became a further catalyst. Religion was prohibited under the communistic government for 70 years. Thus, religious views were part of the newfound freedom for citizens of the former USSR.
Today an enormous number of Christian Orthodox churches and Muslim mosques are constructed in Russia with a strong support from the government. The influence of religious values is undeniable.
It’s another reason why modern Russians view intimate connections before marriage as undesirable (Islam sees such conduct as prohibited). Therefore, the views that girls should marry early are widely popular, to ensure the females are pure walking at the moment of walking down the isle.
Cultural conditioning
Such views put further pressure on women who haven’t managed to find a committed partner by the age of 25. By 27, girls start getting looks and questions from concerned family and friends. By 30, single ladies are viewed as somewhat defective. The idea is that if a girl hasn’t managed to snatch a husband by 30, there must be something inherently wrong with her. Similar ideas are typical in Ukraine: A single woman over 30 is viewed as damaged goods.
Demographic pressures
However, in large cities demographic imbalances begin from the age group of 25-30, with more females than males.
It gets worse as people age. Country-wide, there are 86 males for 100 females in both Russia and Ukraine.
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What a pity that the social pressure forces some girls to marry the first man to come by. The same pressure forces them to have children, even those that are genuinely wish to be childfree but don’t recognize their liberty to have none if they don’t want to.
Probably, early marriage is not a bad thing. Youngsters begin to live together ever earlier than 21. And if they are ready to take responsibility of a family, it is even better. Married life decreases the number of unwanted pregnancies as people are more sure of their future and partner.