You will find in many profiles of Russian and Ukrainian women the phrase that they wish to meet a man “without bad habits”.
What does it mean?
What Russian Women Mean by “Bad Habits”
The meaning of this phrase is very simple: “without bad habits” relates to a man who doesn’t smoke or abuse alcohol (or drugs).
This definition has been known since the times before Perestroyka in the Soviet Union: A man who has “no bad habits” was a dream of any woman.
Because so many Russian men abuse alcohol, finding a lifetime partner who doesn’t is rather hard. (This is why having a profile photo with a beer or a glass of vine may not be the best choice.)
If you drink socially from time to time, but don’t get drunk (to the state where you cannot talk or move), then you still meet the criteria “without bad habits”. Social drinking is considered as “I don’t drink”, it’s only when drinking becomes a problem, it is a “bad habit”. In other words, a couple of glasses of vine or spirits in a company of friends is OK, as long as it’s not a frequent occasion.
Drinking every day is frowned upon in Russia, even if you only drink a can of beer, while infrequent binge drinking can be forgiven.
Smoking is considered to be a “bad habit”. However, if the woman herself smokes, then she would be OK with you smoking.
Drinking and smoking socially will be generally acceptable for most Slavic women, if you meet all other criteria, most of all, you fall into her desired age bracket.
Other Habits
Other habits such as picking one’s nose or throwing dirty underwear on the floor are not considered a problem under the definition of “bad habits”, as Russian and Ukrainian women understand it.
You may be a compulsive gambler or a shoplifter, but if you do not drink or smoke, you have “no bad habits”, in the view of a Russian lady.
Just shows you how bad is the situation with alcohol abuse in Russia/Ukraine. Even domestic violence or cheating on one’s spouse would not be considered a “bad habit”, although such personality traits are not attractive.
If a woman writes about herself that she “has no bad habits”, it means exactly the same: She doesn’t smoke, and only drinks socially.
Read also:
- Why Women Outnumber Men in Russia and Ukraine
- 5 Secrets of Russian Women Seeking Men Abroad
- My Russian Boyfriend — Dating Western Men vs. Russian Men
- Why Ukrainian, Russian women want to marry Americans (Australians, Europeans, etc.)
Good to know that a Russian woman isn’t arrogant if she is saying she doesn’t have bad habits. 😉
I am glad I found this blog. I was worried that when bad habits was mentioned that it meant no drinking at all. But it has really cleared things up for me. I am by no means an alcoholic nor do I drink to unconsciousness but I do enjoy drinking beer from time to time. So thanks for the help.
It is very common in Russia and Ukraine that bad habits are the same as it was written here: no smoking and drinking socially. As for me I’d like to add to the list of bad habits some other things, like drug abuse, gambling, workaholic… These things are also good to know before starting to date. I think that smoking and alcohol drinking is what people call “bad habits” because it is very common now so people freely can talk about it rather than drug abuse, gambling, workaholic.
Many men in Russia literally live for drinking, at work they discuss their past and future drinking, and in their free time they use the money they earned to buy vodka and drink with their friends.
It’s no wonder that if you don’t drink much and don’t smoke (if the woman doesn’t like that), you already have a huge advantage in her eyes.