For Australian men looking for love, and disillusioned with the pub and club scene, Internet dating has become more and more popular. And an increasing number of these men are choosing women from the former Soviet Union. Many of the dating websites make bold claims about the qualities a Russian wife would bring to a relationship that family is their priority and that feminist ideals have not affected their view of traditional family values. There are pitfalls for the men who are looking and for the women who make the journey here to start a new life. Sometimes the men part with serious amounts of money in their pursuit of happiness in the form of a Russian bride and find they've been 'scammed'. And sometimes the women come here to men who treat them appallingly and exploit the vulnerability that financial dependence and isolation cause. But sometimes, despite language and cultural differences, and often a wide age gap too, successful and happy relationships are forged.
