The next thing in dating a Ukrainian woman, be an old-fashioned gentleman: open doors for her when she gets in or out of the car or a restaurant, open the door and let her go first, move her chair, take her coat or hold her coat for her to slip in, don't ever allow her to carry anything except her handbag, and so on. If you kiss her hand at the end of the first date or when you introduce yourself for the first time, she will think you are amazing. Just do it casually as if this was nothing special, don't fuss over it. In short, treat her like a fragile "lady", like you would be looking after your 90-year old grand-grandmother. She is not fragile and can totally take care of herself but she will love all the fuss (even if she says otherwise or something like, "You really shouldn't...") She still likes it and those little signs of attention will get you a long way.

Pay for the dinner. There is no such thing as going Dutch in Ukraine and if you want to split the bill, you will be blacklisted forever. (Even if she says she wants to pay - to avoid it, pay quietly when you go to a bathroom; no woman ever wants to pay for the date.)

Be a leader. Choose restaurants and what to do, of course take in consideration her likes and dislikes and if she hates it, have a backup plan. She will LOVE you for taking her to a play or a musical, see the note about the theatre culture in Ukraine. She will think you are different from all the other western men and you "get" her.

Dress well. Ukrainian women like to dress up and wear high hills for anything, including a walking excursion on the sity (you can check by inviting her to one). So, dress smart casual for normal dates and really well for more formal outings such as a theatre or a higher end restaurant. Choose long formal pants and a nice shirt with a casual jacket for the first date, to be safe - you can always take off the jacket if feeling overdressed. See how she dresses and dress to match. Choose long pants over shorts unless it's extremely hot, and if choosing shorts, select longer shorts and preferably a good brand which is in fashion right now. If in doubt, ask a stylish lady-friend what's in and to help you choose something "upmarket". You can never hurt your chances by being dressed well on a date but dress badly and this can tip the scales off. Designer labels work great with Ukrainian women; if your fashion sense is far from perfect, designer labels can save the day for you.

If you date a Ukrainian woman living in your country, find a Ukrainian or Russian restaurant in your area and take her there. We all love our national food and when you love doing something with someone, this love may just rub onto you :)) If you are ready to go the extra mile, cook her a Ukrainian dinner (borscht, pelmeni, piroshki, plov or blini). Trust me, even if it doesn't turn out well, she will appreciate the effort (to improve your chances, try it at home before cooking for her). Borscht and plov are actually not traditional Ukrainian recepies but Ukrainians love them and they are an integral part of the modern Ukrainian cuisine. Modern Ukrainian girls seldom cook at home (especially if they are single) and if you can cook and not afraid to try her national food, her opinion of you will skyrocket. It works cooking for a Ukrainian woman on a date even if you are visiting her in her country; either offer to cook for her at her home or invite her to your place, assuming you have cooking facilities. Plov is extremely easy to make and hard to get wrong, so if you want to take it easy, I'd recommend this dish. This is what I often cook for dinner parties, always with great results and requests for the recipe.

Now, after all the dating and courting, you may want to know how to move it to the next level. The easiest way to get close and personal with a Ukrainian woman is to take it slowly. A Ukrainian man would probably want to have it all on the first date (it's not unusual and happens a lot) but if you want for this relationship to work, don't!

First, if it works, she will think you think badly of her for being too easy; and second, if your attempt doesn't work, you hurt your future chances and your high image of a courteous gentleman. It's better to meet several times for a date (a theatre outing, a Ukrainian dinner, take her to see a sunset in a beautiful setting, Ukrainian women just love being romanced, none of these things has to be expensive, just thoughtful), so, meet for a date a few times without even attempting to kiss her (you can kiss her hand when you say "Good bye"; for a better effect, keep your lips on her hand for a bit longer, it's very sensual yet innocent). She will start wondering if you are even interested in her this way and it will be easier to progress after a few dates. Keep being a gentleman until it works and you notice her trying to touch you or move closer to you, this is where you know it's time to act. The good old champagne will help this important date to work out smoothly; flowers are always nice (both before and after the first intimate contact); choose long-stemmed red roses, those are the universal love flowers and Ukrainian women love them, too.

So, those are some quick points on how to date a Ukrainian woman online or in real life. Just remember not to mention to her you were learning specifics about dating Ukrainan!) She would very much prefer to think it's just who you are!
With all my best wishes, Julia:)