The RMP Audio Interview Project with Russian women in Mogilev, Belarus - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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The RMP Audio Interview Project with Russian women in Mogilev, Belarus
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Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to open a new thread to speak about the audio interview project with Russian women regarding Russian culture and relationships.

While I was on my trip to Mogilev, Belarus this September (2004), I conducted several audio interviews with Russian women of different ages, asking them questions about Russian culture, marriage and family in Russia, and what are the reasons that Russian women are seeking relationships with foreign men.

The recorded interviews were conducted in the Russian language so that the women could fully express their thoughts, and I asked very honest and often probing questions (having been a news reporter in my past).

I thought that the interviews went well (I did about 15 of them), and we hired a friend of Lena's in Mogilev to transcribe the interviews into typed text, after which we will have them translated into English.

I think that Lena and I will post them on our website, probably in either the "About Russian Women" section, or in a new section that we are probably going to create called "Essays and Articles."

We have also commisioned some people in Belarus to write interesting new articles for our website, and we will keep you posted on that as well.

My hope is that the interviews will bring some insight into the thoughts and expectations of Russian women, as well as greater understanding into Russian-Western relationships.

Masha, our Office Manager, offered to continue the interviews (with Lena and I supplying the questions) when Lena and I are both in the U.S.).

Khashyar

Posted by: Khashyar

Here are some of the questions that I asked these women, but I felt very open to asking other questions that I felt were interesting and important as well as I was conducting the interviews.

1) Why are you interested in seeking a relationship with a Western man?

2) What are the 3 most important qualities, in order, that you are looking for in a Western man?

3) What does your family think about you seeking a relationship with a Western man?

4) What are the 3 most important qualities that a relationship or marriage must have for you?

5) What are you most afraid of in seeking a relationship with a Western man? (What is your greatest fear?)

6) What do you think about differences in age between a Russian woman and a Western man? What is the age difference that you would feel comfortable with?

7) What advice would you give to a Western man as to the best approach to finding the best Russian woman for him?

8) What is the most important thing you could tell a Western man about dating a Russian woman? What do you think that he might not know?

Posted by: Khashyar

I also would like to have interviews conducted with Russian men, Russian grandmothers, and others, who can help shed light on Russian culture and Russian-Western relationships.

Khashyar

Posted by: BradIL

Good questions Khashyar-

But there is one post I hope you'll consider in the next day or two.

I'm curious about two things: What are the prevailing perceptions about American/Western men among women in Mogilev. What do they believe about our habits, temperment, careers, attitudes toward family/community.

And why do they believe we are interested in seeking relationships with them when they are half-a-world way and have to cope with a language barrier on occasion. What do they know about the relationship difficulties between some western men and women, and what opinions have they formed about them?

Its the context/perspective they have that will make the answers to your excellent questions even more revealing.

Incidentally, it occurs to me that Lena will approach her 2nd anniversary soon, most importantly as your wife, and as a resident of these beautiful United States. I'm sure her 1st year was occupied with the adjustment to her new life.

But in this 2nd year- seeing American men & women interact- does she understand why some Western men look for love in Eastern Europe? I'm curious what her observations are.

I'm one VERY INTERESTED in reading the transcripts; and again; Khashyar & Lena, I offer heartfelt gratitude for your thoughtfulness by including such projects in your "vacation". Between the photos, posts, and now interviews, those of us who stayed home actually are able to share some of your travel. Its very generous and I recoginize and appreciate it. Both of you deserve acknowledgment because this website has really taken off, it is unmatched by anything else I've seen on the web. Your recent efforts testify to that growth.

---Brad///

Posted by: Khashyar

Hello Brad,

Thank you very much for your message and your kind thoughts.

When we conduct future interviews, I can instruct our Mogilev Office to also ask the kinds of questions that you mentioned.

And yes, I think that Lena does have some interesting observations regarding Western-Russian relationships in regarding to both men and women. I will ask her to consider writing an article about that. I try to write articles and essays based on my regular conversations with Lena regarding Russian Western relaionships.

Thanks for your input, Brad.

Khashyar

Posted by: Jill

Hey Khashyar--

This sounds very interesting. Just a quick question: as I understand from the questions posed, the interviews were conducted only among women currently seeking a western husband. Any thoughts about expanding the survey to include more "typical" women and their views on marriage/relationships? It would be interesting to see if there were any differences in their responses.

Posted by: wavetossed

Will you be posting the Russian text as well?

For those of us learning Russian it would be interesting practice and the vocabulary used to talk about relationships is something that we need to learn in particular.

Posted by: Yakboy

Would also be great to have some passages digitized into MPEGs for those of us who are learning Russian... Good practice to listen to a native speaker.

Excellent project, I cant wait.

BTW Khashyar, I tried e-mailing you and PM did you get those???

Cheers
Ron

Posted by: Khashyar

Great suggestions, Jill, Wavetossed and Ron...

I do agree that it would be great to expand the interviews to Russians in general.... Perhaps we could create some kind of survey and send it out...

We could also post the Russian transcripts of the interviews if there is an interest for that.

We could probably also post sections of the MPEGs (I think actually that they are in AVI format, but audio files. (We will have to look at the file sizes and how that would affect bandwidth...)

Actually, I would love to post some video on this website... I just have to find a way not to explode my bandwidth limit

Hi Ron... I'm sorry for not responding yet to your PM and email.... I am trying to catch up on 3 weeks worth of catch-up-work, and I haevn't had time to go through all of my emails yet. But, I will try to write you back as soon as I can.

Khashyar

Posted by: wavetossed

May I suggest that you take your audio files and encode them into MP3 format using encoder software that supports VBR (Variable Bit Rate) and also allows you to adjust quality parameters. Then do a bit of experimentation to find reasonable settings that encode your audio with the smallest file size. This will minimize the bandwidth consumed by downloading the files.

As far as video is concerned, I don't see much value in posting it unless it is short clips that let us peer inside FSU life in some way. In other words, talking heads, interviews, still shots are all just a waste of bandwidth. The stills should be JPEGs and if there is any value in the talking heads or interviews then it is in the audio, not the video. I think if you go through the video, trying to select single frames to post as a JPEG, then you will know when you come across something that just can't be represented without a short moving clip.

Posted by: Khashyar

Thank you for your feedback, Wavetossed...

The person who was transcribing the interviews just sent us some of the completed transcriptions....

Now, Lena has to translate them

(even though she is very busy).

But, I feel that the interviews are interesting and important, and I am going to try to help Lena find the time to translate them as soon as she can so that we can post these for everyone as soon as possible.

Khashyar

Posted by: Khashyar

Hello,

Lena has been working on creating new webpages for the interviews, and has also asked each of the interviewees to provide a written biography of themselves, so that readers can get to know them better as they read their responses and thoughts.

Of course, I will let you know when the new interview section is finished.

As Lena has been reading the interviews, she says that there is a lot of interesting information there.

Lena is doing the best she can to translate the many dozens on interview pages as quickly as she can.

Khashyar

Posted by: Vyesna

Can we see the Russian originals also?

Posted by: Khashyar

Sure, Vyesna....

I wonder what the best format is to also post the Russian language versions? As a page on the website? In the forum?

Khashyar

Posted by: Vyesna

Why not just a new topic in the forum.

Posted by: Khashyar

We could do that, but I want to try to keep the Russian language posts in the seperate Russian language forum, and the English text in the English forum...

Perhaps we could post the Russian language interviews in the Russian language forum? It would actually be interesting to hear what the Russian speakers have to say about the interviews...

Khashyar

Posted by: Vyesna

Well, why not in the Russian language topics that are listed in the English forum? Not all Russian speakers that read the English forum read the Russian forum.

Posted by: Khashyar

That is possible, Vyesna....

I want us to think about what would be the best place for them.

I see the Russian language section in the English forum as not really active, and so I hesitate making posts there... But, it is a possibility to post them there.

Perhaps we could post the interviews in the all-Russian forum, and then place links to those threads in the English language section. (For example, create a thread in the English language section called something like "Russian language versions of audio interviews," and then create links within this thread to the actual Russian language posts in the other all-Russian forum).

I guess I like to be organized and keep things in their right place

Khashyar