After considering the very real possibilities that “ugly” women in Russia are either thrown from a cliff or sent to the Gulag, we decided to dig deeper and came up with the following excuses:
FIRSTLY, we remembered the popular Russian proverb: "There are no ugly women, there is just not enough vodka." Very sexist, we know! But, what would you expect from the spiritual home of vodka? Coming to Russia, every tourist dreams of savoring the spirit – which makes the involuntary beautification of one’s surroundings practically a guarantee!
SECONDLY, one might recall the 70-year-period when Soviet women had very few opportunities to dress nicely and acquire fine makeup; they had to stay in long lines to get the shoes they desired… or any shoes of passable quality, for that matter; they also had to sew their own dresses, due to the economic deficit. With the arrival of the 1990s, women got access to Western fashion and cosmetics: that sudden change turned their entire lives upside down, leading to the inextinguishable habit of always needing to light up every room they enter!
THIRDLY, it’s a question of habit. Most Russian women cannot be considered beautiful – that is, according to the dreaded fashion and entertainment industries. However, looking neat and well-groomed is half the battle. Their mothers and grandmothers faced a lack of men in Soviet times, so they taught young ladies to always do their nails and hair and to never show up anywhere looking unkempt or without makeup – especially in front of men, even a husband.
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