In 2009, National Geographic Channel premiered “E-Mail Order Bride” which told the tale of internationally brokered marriages between American men and Russian women. I didn’t know that this was even legal. Apparently, the online website Volga Girls is where the couple will “meet”.
The film focuses those who have gone through this process, each in various positions of the agency. They also compare the marriage website to American dating websites.
There are two primary “couples” we follow over the course of the episode. The first, James and Uliana, shows the beginning of the process where the couple meet for the first time (they previously had talked for months online). It shows their first few dates and how the couple interact. What was unusual was that James went in to the relationship thinking “this girl has a possibility for marriage.” After spending three weeks together, he decides that (although he likes Uliana) it is too soon to propose.
The second couple, Gary and Olga, has already been “dating” for months and have met a few times. Their story focuses on Olga arriving in America and the marriage process. Upon her arrival, she has to go through two sets of Customs due to the engagement passport. After that, they have 90 days to marry or she will be deported back to Russia. By the end of their story, the couple are married. What was truly astonishing to me was that Gary commented on how the two had not told each other “I love you” yet but that they were going to be married.
The filmmakers discuss that although the International Marriage Broker website introduces couples similar to our typical dating sites, that is the only real similarity. Women are able to sign-up for free and nearly all of the expenses are reserved for the men. The man spends thousands of dollars to visit the woman in Russia and then he is also responsible to pay for her flight to America. Age limits do not really matter between couples. A 19-year-old Russian girl could match with a 49-year-old American man.
The film also discusses the scams that can occur. There have been cases where the woman never shows up after the man sends thousands of dollars paying for his bride to pay for a ticket to come to America. They also included tales of women who use the site simply to get a Green Card and, in one drastic tale, a man who killed his bride after the marriage fell apart. One man was quoted as saying, “she is the most expensive toy I ever bought.”
Personally, I have no problem with American online dating programs. I think that many people find the love of their life on them and that these sites provide many opportunities for couples. To Date. Not immediately marry like many of these internationally brokered marriages. I invite others to watch this documentary and tell me if you think that the couples in this film are in love. Personally, I didn’t see any romance. Will you?
Films4Frankie 