Wedded Strangers: The Challenges of Russian-American Marriages

by Lynn Visson

Despite the often strained relations between their countries, for years hundreds of American and Russian journalists, diplomats, performers, students, scientists, businessmen and tourists have sought -- and continue to seek -- romance and marriage on the other side of the ocean. Russian-American marriages reflect many of the same issues and problems that other inter-cultural marriages do, but at the same time, there are challenges that are particular to unions between Russians and Americans. In this fascinating study of the issues that these couples must confront, Dr. Lynn Visson explores such questions Why are Americans and Russians so intensely attracted to each other? What do they expect from romance and marriage? For better or worse, how do they live together? Why do these couples have such frequent misunderstandings when they are fluent in each other's language? With numerous examples and case studies garnered from ten years of research and interviews with nearly 100 couples, the author provides significant and often startling insights into the unique challenges and problems facing Russian-American couples.

243 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

A writer, interpreter and academic who holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, Lynn Visson is an American of Russian background who is herself married to a Russian. Since 1980 she has been a staff interpreter at the United Nations. She has edited and translated several books and has written numerous books and articles on Russian language, literature and culture, including a Russian and Uzbek cookbook, and a work on simultaneous interpretation from Russian into English. Several of her works have been published in Russia. Dr. Visson travels frequently to Russia and has been involved in numerous exchange projects. Above all, she is interested in cross-cultural relations and in the problem of Russians and Americans who are trying to live in, understand and "translate" each other's cultures.