For many centuries, the ideal of beauty in Russia was a full-bodied and broad-hipped woman, full of health. Russian men did not like thin women at all. Thinness was a symbol of either poverty or disease. A Russian girl could be thin if she was not supplemented by her father and mother. This means that the family is very poor, and this is not very good for future relatives from the groom's side.
On the other hand, she could be thin due to illness. This is even worse. In Russia, the main role of a woman was motherhood. If the girl was sick, it means that she could not bear the child or die during childbirth. Only strong in body, healthy and hardy women could cope with the role of mother and wife.
We have not heard of any contraception in Russia. Women often had to give birth, and there were many children in the families. They needed not only to give birth, but also to feed and educate. At the same time, women almost on an equal footing with men worked in the field and, in addition, were engaged in housekeeping. All this required very good health.
Enviable bride
When choosing a bride, the matchmaker paid attention to such indicators of the girl's health and future fertility as high breasts, wide pelvis, rounded hips and slender strong legs. It's good if the girl was tall and stately (but not lanky).
She had to have a straight back without any signs of stoop. A majestic and proud posture - a camp "like a pavas" - was considered a special dignity. A man was proud of such a wife, since she resembled a princess, a woman of a high family. It was considered very beautiful.
The beautiful bride always had a long thick braid. Long hair is a must-have for a Russian woman. There was beauty, femininity and dignity in him. Walking wives often had their braids cut off, which was considered a terrible dishonor.
At the same time, thick and healthy curls testified to the woman's good genetics, which was the key to the birth of strong, viable offspring. Since most Russians had light blond hair, this particular color was considered the most beautiful.
The face is white and blush
A girl with a harmoniously folded face, clean white skin and a fresh blush all over her cheek was considered the ideal of beauty. Lush scarlet lips and large clear eyes completed the image of a Russian beauty. “Blood with milk” - this was the definition they described as a worthy candidate for the role of a bride.
In this case, the girl's face could be rounded. There should be no sunken cheeks or protruding cheekbones. The extra pounds and fat on the sides were also perfectly acceptable. The Russian people have never been particularly picky about the thinness of the waist. That is why women in Russia wore comfortable clothes without a belt - a sundress.
The girl's meekness and modesty were considered special beauty. She expressed herself in shyly drooping eyelashes, reticence and restrained behavior. The beauty of a Russian woman was also in her ability to obey her husband, to make him the happy head of the family. Such girls attracted Russian men like a magnet.
