Oksana Domnina and Roman Kostomarov married and pregnant

[let`s talk]

the answer was "HARD-CURRENCY PROSTITUTE".... 72%!

I see you are speaking from personal experience. But you know what- I don't care. I have no idea from what dump you are from if all your stories are so horrible. I will not bother to comment your rant "Russian women as abused whores" and I don't recommend others to read your drivel.

For all the rest I wish to say: I have never been paid less or less promoted then my male coworkers in St-Petersburg.

[poths]

Eh.....before you all congratulate the "happy Couple" bare in mind that Roman has only divorced from his first wife, Julia Lautowa (8th at the 97 world champs), whom he persuaded to retire post marriage in 2005 (at her peak) before cheating on her a year into their marriage with the Domnina. I'll give it a year.

[barbk]

Eh.....before you all congratulate the "happy Couple" bare in mind that Roman has only divorced from his first wife, Julia Lautowa (8th at the 97 world champs), whom he persuaded to retire post marriage in 2005 (at her peak) before cheating on her a year into their marriage with the Domnina. I'll give it a year.

Aaah -- so maybe he's really on the payroll of the JSF or one of the other federations, with an objective of taking potential threats out of contention?

[Tinami Amori]

Dear Tinami Amori,
I have no doubt you are talking from experience. However, it is not universal and should not be presented as such.
I, too , was born in Moscow and grew up there, and now live in the US. I was a professional in Russia and am a professional here. I have lots of female friends in Russia and most of them are women with education, jobs and professional success. None of them married for money or " to give men babies"
Of course such attitudes exist, but in such an enormous country one is bound to find variety of attitudes.
I will not deny that Russia is more patriarchal than US.
But in a union Domnina/ Kostomarov they seem evenly matched, have been together for a while and it is completely common all over the world for a couple to get married when they expect their first child.

I hope Dom/Kos are happy, and Oksana’s future is secure. I like her a lot, and am her fan. However, I do think that in her “professional/skating” interviews, she spoke too often and too much about “her love, and how she misses him, and how she can’t wait to go back to him, or have him come for a visit”.

I got a clear impression that: a) her whole life revolves around him; b) she is sending a message to the “other girls in Russia” that he is her man. In the same time frame Kostomarov was also interviewed, and while confirming their relationship, was much more laconic and less emotional about his “feelings towards Oksana”. Quoting Onegin’s words to Tatiana – Учитесь властвовать собой.... (Do learn to harness an outburst of your emotions….).

Oksana just ended her competitive career with an Olympic Bronze Medal. This is a high-time for her to harvest the results and have at least few years of show skating. But she is already pregnant….. Which means Kostomarov is now the “sole bread winner” and she is totally dependant on him, and gave up an opportunity to make money in the commercial arena……DAS IST NICHT GUT!

As far as “women in Russia”, we, I am certain, can have a long discussion. But if you put your hand on your heart…..you can’t disagree with me that “having a husband and children” for majority of Russian women is THE ONLY NORMAL form of existence, rather than one of the choices a person can make in life.

They are COMPLETELY INTOLLERANT towards people who chose not to be married and/or to have children. They (majority of Russian women) are completely unwilling to accept that someone does not want family and children by choice (and not as victim of circumstances), and they are ill-mannered enough to openly show their disbelief or disapproval or even hints that not wanting to have a family and a child is an abnormal mental condition.

And older women do affect their young daughters’ mentality with such nonsense.

Quite often when you ask a woman “how are your adult children doing”, the reply about an adult male child would be “He’s in college” or “He is working/has a career”. A reply about a female adult child would be “She is married, had a child, her husband works in so and so…… “. Even if this female graduate from a university and has a profession, the mother is likely to mention that “her daughter is married and has a child” first.

Finding a husband (who is well to do) and having a child is still a form of ACCOMPLISHMENT form many Russian women, and for many a VALIDATION of their lives.

To my regret, Oksana has chosen to be completely at the mercy of Kostomarov for her livelihood for the next several years, and refused an opportunity to travel, to perform and to secure her future financially and make a name in the entertainment industry on her own. And Kostomarov never appeared to be a “rocket scientist” to begin with… So who knows…… I wish her the best.

[cholla]

I like him and he always seems sober-minded.

I hope he has changed since then but I remember a time when sober and Kostomarov could certainly not be mentionned in the same sentence without people rolling themselves on the floor laughing !

[Nadya]

Tinami, you are correct in that women in Russia still consider marriage and children to be the primary form of accomplishment. But saying that is miles away from "anything to sleep with a rich man and carry his child" notion you presented first. In professional women circles that is very much frowned upon, and I would say that sort of lifestyle is reserved for the women we call demimondaines..semi-courtesans. Secretaries, models, dancers, etc. Professional women are not lured by this prospect.

It is true that the stigma of having a child out of wedlock (not necessarily with a rich man, with any man) has receded recently in Russia, and I kind of wish it wasn't so. "I"ll marry you if you give me a child" asks for too heavy an advance payment, if you ask me! It should be "marry me first, and then I'll see if you are good enough to father my children"! I didn't throw my birth control pills away till I had a ring on my finger.

[Jackie Sparrow]

I hope he has changed since then but I remember a time when sober and Kostomarov could certainly not be mentionned in the same sentence without people rolling themselves on the floor laughing !

Can confirm. He's about as faithful as Yagudin

[cholla]

Can confirm. He's about as faithful as Yagudin

And that's a real reference in this "field of action"

[Gil-Galad]

Finding a husband (who is well to do) and having a child is still a form of ACCOMPLISHMENT form many Russian women, and for many a VALIDATION of their lives.

But it's like that in lots of countries, isn't it? It's no different in rural Germany, the women in the rural Catholic area where I come from are all about marriage and kids. If you are e.g. 25 and not engaged / unmarried - you'll get a huge number of empty cartons / paper boxes for your birthday, that's supposed to hint at the woman that she is on her way to become a spinster ("Alte Schachtel" = spinster, but "Schachtel" actually means carton or paper box).

When I am asked how far I am with my studies (medicine), and when I say that I am in my 8th semester, I have heard several times "Oh, so far already? So you really want to become a doctor and didn't just start med-school to catch a doctor husband!"


I wish Oksana all the best with her decisions and hope that she enjoys married life and motherhood.

[Natasha Miller]

Tinami - I am sorry you have had such bad experiences in your life. When I read your stories, I just shake my head. What unfortunate environment you must come from... I am Russian. I do not know anyone who lives the lifestyle or has a mindset you describe. Sure, finding love and having a family is a priority. Isn't it for everyone? But the way you speak about it, Russian women are stupid, submissive, desperate creatures - with no self-respect and self-sufficiency. Maybe it is true in your circles, but it is not true in mine. And by the way, I get paid as much as my male counterparts, thank you very much. If you hate Russia, it's fine. But don't present your unfortunate experiences as THE experiences of Russian women everywhere.

[parasolka]

Tinami - I am sorry you have had such bad experiences in your life. When I read your stories, I just shake my head. What unfortunate environment you must come from... I am Russian. I do not know anyone who lives the lifestyle or has a mindset you describe. Sure, finding love and having a family is a priority. Isn't it for everyone? But the way you speak about it, Russian women are stupid, submissive, desperate creatures - with no self-respect and self-sufficiency. Maybe it is true in your circles, but it is not true in mine. And by the way, I get paid as much as my male counterparts, thank you very much. If you hate Russia, it's fine. But don't present your unfortunate experiences as THE experiences of Russian women everywhere.

+1
Dear Amori, be sure after you had left Russia there are only "hard - currency prostitutes" why stay there.

[dinakt]

Oksana just ended her competitive career with an Olympic Bronze Medal. This is a high-time for her to harvest the results and have at least few years of show skating. But she is already pregnant….. Which means Kostomarov is now the “sole bread winner” and she is totally dependant on him, and gave up an opportunity to make money in the commercial arena……DAS IST NICHT GUT


To my regret, Oksana has chosen to be completely at the mercy of Kostomarov for her livelihood for the next several years, and refused an opportunity to travel, to perform and to secure her future financially and make a name in the entertainment industry on her own. And Kostomarov never appeared to be a “rocket scientist” to begin with… So who knows…… I wish her the best.

Or perhaps it is a good time for her to start a family. How is she going to capitalize on her Olympic medal with Maxim's knees being such a disaster? He made it clear that his health now is his priority ( Finally. and I wish him recovery with all my heart)
Oksana also told in a recent interview that she is not ready to give up skating. Who knows? Perhaps she hopes to pull a Navka and manage to have a child and continue her competitive career. Extremely difficult, and Navka is one fierce woman- but theoretically possible. She can also team up with Kostomarov once the child is born. Think of Totmianina, Petrova, Slutskaya- all having children and immediately going back to skating. Impressive and not at all suggestive of a culture that values motherhood over career.
Besides, when talking about working women vs. stay- at- home mothers, I always think of Charlotte's argument from" Sex in the City"- " I CHOOSE my choice!". One's happiness is another's bane.
Re: attitudes toward marriage in Russia. I am sure we could have a long conversation and argument, and would agree some and disagree some. It seems a shame, though, to support an opinion that Russian women are willing to do anything to get a rich man, considering millions who don't and become successful in their own right.

[Fashionista]

Wow, another discussion is the best FSU traditions! Take a minor issue and make a big story, yeah.
I remember very well the original article which was published a year or so ago (in fact it was just a minor Roman's quote) where he said he felt quite comfortable and happy to live with Oksana as partners and they were not going to marry officially until they are ready to have children. That's it.

P.S. And, yes, Tinami-Amori your stories are crap. You have no clue about modern Russia and repeat stereotypical stories from the early 90s. I wish you could just go out of your 40 y.o. ex-whores circuit and try to look around and get some knowledge about young Russian women's life and attitude instead of generating shitty chauvinistic stories.

[vivika1982]

They both look soo happy and relaxed :

http://rory-mina.webs.com/apps/photo...otoid=94732000

[TAHbKA]

That erm.. big guy next to Domnina on the photo - it's not Staviski, is it?

[briancoogaert]

The baby will be really tall !

[Orable]

It does look like it's him, oy vey

That erm.. big guy next to Domnina on the photo - it's not Staviski, is it?

[oleada]

Staviski seems to be taking tips from Dmitriev on how to stay in shape during retirement

[poths]

Eh.....before you all congratulate the "happy Couple" bare in mind that Roman has only divorced from his first wife, Julia Lautowa (8th at the 97 world champs), whom he persuaded to retire post marriage in 2005 (at her peak) before cheating on her a year into their marriage with the Domnina. I'll give it a year.

I have such a subconsciously dirty mind!

[blue_idealist]

Staviski seems to be taking tips from Dmitriev on how to stay in shape during retirement

He always looked like someone who would become fat after he stopped watching his weight.