Asked why Russian men behave this way, Belyayeva said there is a lack of competition for feminine affection in the country. “[Unlike in Russia], European men are all in good shape because there are fewer beautiful women there.”
Shy guys
Many Tinder users who spoke to The Moscow Times also complained that Russian men are just as difficult behind the touchscreen as they are on the dance floor.
“Russian men are spoiled with attention, so they’re very passive on Tinder,” Masha Karparova, 29, said. “Before the World Cup I’d have to boost my page, and would still only get five to 10 likes a week,” Masha explained. With the influx of foreign tourists, Masha now gets up to 100 likes a day.
Through Tinder, Karparova, who works in marketing, formed a fast friendship with a young man from Mexico. A Frenchman who she never met because she overslept their scheduled date is now promising to return to Russia just to meet her.
“I wish the World Cup would never end and these foreign men with their energy and exuberance wouldn’t leave,” Karparova told The Moscow Times. “Or I wish our men would stop being so passive.”
Not everyone’s experience has been positive, however. Mikhail Zakharov, a young, openly gay Muscovite, had high hopes for his World Cup Tinder experience.
“My conversations with Russian guys often feel strained: There’s just no culture of small talk here,” Zakharov, 21, said.
But Zakharov’s Tinder experience did not live up to his expectations.
“I matched with a young American student and immediately thought that he’d be super interesting.”
Unfortunately, the American student spent the whole three-hour date asking Zakharov where he could find illegal drugs in Moscow.