Please visit this page again in anticipation of new, informative, and useful information.
February 2010
International Women's Day History and Today -
March 8, 2010. The first Women's Day took place on
the last Sunday in February, 1908. Initiated by socialist women in
the United States, the occasion was inspired by a number of issues
-- the right to vote, equal wages, and better working conditions for
female employees among them. A year later, the second International
Conference of Socialist Women approved an International Women's Day,
which was held for the first time in 1911. On March 8
(February 23 on the Gregorian calendar), 1917, thousands of Russian
women observed this holiday by protesting food shortages, high
prices, the war, and the general suffering they had endured under
the Czarist regime. (The Czar was forced to abdicate four days later
as a result of that and other strikes.) In 1921, March 8 became the
official date for International Women's Day. No longer an
exclusively socialist holiday, International Women's Day is now a
time to rally support for women's rights around the world,
commemorate the progress we've made, and honor the efforts of
individual women who have helped bring about greater equality for
all.
This is a cherished Holiday that is much more
celebrated than Valentines Day. There is no better day than
Women's Day to show your love and appreciation for the lady you are
courting or engaged to. May we suggest you sent her a gift
from our A Volga Girl
Gift Shoppe.
Also, the dinner for two at
Telega Restaurant
was specifically designed for this
special occasion.
December 2009
New hotel opened in
Jan 2010 with 10 very nice rooms including one VIP room with it own
sauna and lounging area. Hotel Chocolate is located adjacent to our
A Volga Girl Togliatti Office which makes our support services very
accessible throughout your trip. Rooms are 2000 rubles for a single
occupancy and 2500 rubles for double occupancy ($70-$85 US dollars)
with the VIP room costing $140-$170 per night. This hotel has the
latest modern conveniences and amenities including TV, DVD,
telephone, free wi-fi access and mini-bar in the rooms and free
breakfast, sauna and swimming pool on the premises. You can even
register for your stay on their English website and pay with a
charge card or debit card. Please check out the Hotel Chocolate at
http://en.chocolate-hotel.ru/.
Grand Opening of Canadian Office: Due to the increased demand for our services and numerous Canadian clients, we have now opened a new representative office in Martensville, Saskatchewan. The Canadian Office Manager's name is Mark Scrivener who is also A Volga Girl client and was so impressed with our marriage services and integrity, he joined the company. Canadian clients, please contact Mark in Canada at 1-866-432-5868 or
mark@volgagirl.com
November 2008
A Volga Girl
the Movie. A contract was signed between National Geographic
TV and PSG Films from Seattle, Washington to produce a one hour TV
documentary on "Email Order Brides". Of the over 200 marriage
agencies worldwide, A Volga Girl was selected to be featured
in this documentary. This show should be the first honest
depiction of a actual marriage agency and the huge interest for
males seeking a foreign bride with traditional values. The
first shooting started with the A Volga Girl Company
President and his Russian wife, David and Elena Knabel. In
addition, two active clients will be filmed through the courting,
engagement and marriage process in Togliatti, Russia and in the US.
Also, the A Volga Girl Office staff were interviewed in
Togliatti as were several of the ladies featured on this website.
Release and showing of the TV documentary is scheduled to
begin showing worldwide in the summer and fall of 2009.
February 2007
.A Volga Girl is pleased to announce our
"7th Annual" 2007 International Women's Day
Banquet on Friday March 2, 2007 at the
Pearl Of The Zhiguli Restaurant.
This is a cherished event for all Russian ladies
celebrating both the historical and present day contributions of women
to mother Russia. What a better way to show your lady you care
by inviting her to this time honored event. She will get to
mingle with other Volgagirl ladies, make new friends and get
encouragement during their courtship with a foreign gentlemen.
See the details at this
BANQUET LINK.
Togliatti technical museum was
opened on November 7, 2001. It presents exhibits from "a
calculating machine to a submarine". The idea of the museum is to show
the technical history of the country. A wide range of airplanes (from
MiG -15UTI to MiG-31; also, Yak-27R, Su-17M, Tu-16, An-26, Il-14),
helicopters, pilotless aircrafts, passenger planes. Also, a
great variety of tanks: from T-34 to T-80, all kinds of retrievers (a
special tank designed as a sort of "wrecker" for tanks), armored
infantry fighting vehicles, armored transport vehicles, armored patrol
vehicles, and more. There is even a collection of old cars, too.
Nearby are strategic missiles,
tactic missiles, antiaircraft missiles, and different sorts of
multiple rocket launchers – from the legendary Katyusha to modern
ones. For marine fans there are a lot of interesting things, too:
artillery units, mines, torpedoes, even mine dragnets. You can also
find steam locomotives, handcars, even a real locomotive shed here.
Besides, there are also over 200 items of military equipment,
utensils. A great number of these things date back to the 19th
and even the 18th centuries. The museum received the
majority of the exhibits from different individuals. Nearly all items
of military equipment are evidence of battles in the Civil war and
World War II, and were found by search clubs.
Now the technical museum in
Togliatti can be considered one of the biggest museum parks in Russia.
It covers 38 hectares, and shows over 460 big exhibits and around 3000
small ones. Its collection also includes samples of weapons of WW I
and WW II. Some of its exhibits are absolutely unique.
On a
local scale, in 2003 the museum was awarded as the biggest tourist
attraction in Samara region.
December 2006
Shopping in Togliatti--can
anyone say Mall!
Park House -
Togliatti's Newest and Most Modern Mall is open for business.
See it all and get the story by CLICKING HERE.
December 2005
A Volga Girl is proud to announce our
New Year's 2006 Women's Banquet.
The ladies attending this dinner usually spend some of the evening
sharing, comparing & supporting each other's efforts to find & marry
an American or other western-oriented man. This is our premier
banquet of the year, dedicated and attended by women only.
READ THE DETAILS ABOUT THIS EXCITING EVENT HERE.
A Volga Girl has seen a flurry of new clients recently based
upon two worldwide media releases.
Both REUTERS International News Service and MAXIM Men's
Magazine have turned to Volgagirl, Ltd. because they knew they
could depend on honest and straight-forward information when it comes
to Russian brides.
The Ask Helen section of
our web site (begun in January 2005) has been a resounding success and
an important informational tool that many of our clients have
utilized. Russian Office Manager Helen Bessonova is available to
answer your specific questions about both Russian women and Russian
culture. Helen has 5 years exemplary tenure with Volgagirl, Ltd.
and is major factor in our company's efficiency, effectiveness, and
overall success.
CONSIDER REVIEWING SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT MIGHT GREATLY
BENEFIT YOU.
February 2005
A Volga Girl is proud to announce our
5th Annual International Women's Day Banquet.
Widely celebrated in Russia, this March 8th holiday is an excellent
opportunity to let your special lady know that you care. Read about
the history of International Women's Day and the specifics surrounding
our
Thursday, March 3rd Banquet HERE.
We have added some important additional information and photo
illustrations to our page detailing your movements once you arrive at
Moscow Airport (SVO). MOSCOW AIRPORT
TRAVEL INSTRUCTIONS HERE
January 2005
RUSSIAN CURRENCY BOTH OLD
AND NEW. View some Russian currency that dates back some time, as well
as examining the current issues of Russian paper money denominations.
Winter Photo Specials at A Volga Girl. All during the month of
January and for all gift orders with Courier
Delivery ... receive a FREE ADDITIONAL PHOTO of
your special lady receiving your gifts. TAKE A LOOK
A Volga Girl is pleased to announce an educational and informative
new aspect of our web site. Ask Helen
features both questions and answers posed to our Togliatti, Russia Office
Manager Ms. Helen Bessonova. DETAILS ARE HERE
Some posters of pre-revolution Russia and some from Soviet times
are detailed here. We show you some "charity posters" from 1899
through 1914, and some posters painted and
displayed between the years 1923 and 1951. VIEW POSTERS HERE
Winter in Togliatti is now in full bloom, though conditions
can vary widely from week-to-week. We bring you two video-shorts here to
reflect how the local weather can quickly change. VIEW
VIDEOS HERE
Russia's largest automobile producer VAZ is not only
situated in Togliatti proper, but employs tens of thousands of local
residents and is the economic mainstay of this city of close to 1 million
residents. Here we have comprised a short history, including descriptions
and photos of many of the VAZ most popular models. TAKE
A LOOK
Our New Year's 2005 Women's
Banquet was an elegant and exciting evening filled with good
conversation, an important exchange of information, laughter and
fun. BANQUET
PHOTOS HERE
November 2004
A Volga Girl is pleased to announce
that we will hold our New Year's 2005 Women's
Banquet on Thursday evening December 23. One of our
renowned women's banquets are the very best way to let her know that
you care. SEE DETAILS HERE
Many clients have asked questions about how their future bride will
adjust when she comes to the United States without speaking fluent
English. HERE IS AN
ANSWER
It has now been six (6) years since A Volga Girl co-founder
Arina Sokolova Rich first arrived in New Jersey. Arina has posted a
review of each year that has passed. See
2004
HIGHLIGHTS HERE
September 2004
On Wednesday, August 25, A Volga Girl held it's 5th Annual Summer Women's Banquet.
A great time was had by all, and two American men were visiting at the time.
SEE SOME
HIGHLIGHTS HERE
One of the ways that our company market's itself in Russia is to hold
public presentations for ladies that
might be interested in being profiled on our site. One such presentation was
held in August. FIND
OUT MORE HERE
June 2004
Some photos from one of Togliatti's many small
neighborhood outdoor markets. TAKE
A LOOK
Renovations on the company apartment are now complete. We
sincerely hope that clients will consider these accommodations when
planning their future visit to Togliatti. DETAILS HERE
Togliatti largest shopping venue Mall Rus has undergone some
modernization and renovation. A visit to this mall is a
stock-and-trade attraction for any of our visitors. VISIT THIS MALL IN ADVANCE
OF YOUR TRIP
A Volga Girl's Summer
2004 Women's Banquet will be held on Wednesday, August 24. While
we usually do not post a banquet date this early in advance, a number of
clients have expressed interest in securing a date around which they can
plan a Togliatti visit. The location will be Pearl of the Zhiguli Restaurant
& Banquet Hall. Our women's banquets are an opportunity to invite your
special lady to an elaborate party where she can meet and visit with other
ladies who are in all phases of the relationship-building process.
TAKE A LOOK AT A PREVIOUS SUMMER WOMEN'S BANQUET ADVERTISEMENT HERE.
The
Avtozavodsky Market in the New Town district of
Togliatti is the city's largest. Over the years we have featured many
photos of this market. Here are some more, and around back
is where one would shop when they are in need of some home improvements.
PHOTOS HERE
Have you ever
wondered what on old style Russian village
looked like? Many ladies in correspondence will make reference in
their letters to "the village". TAKE A LOOK
"What's the price of automobile gasoline these days
in Russia?" Back in January 2001 we took a look. Here we revisit the
subject. Today's
gasoline prices in Russia.
Togliatti has an excellent new restaurant.
Fortunately, Telega is located just minutes and within walking
distance of our offices, Hotel Lada-Voschod, and the company-owned
apartment. View
Photos Here.
April 2004
Having some apprehensions about traveling throughSheremytevo Airport (SVO)
in Moscow? Please review our step-by-step guide making your travel between
the international and domestic terminals on your way to Togliatti that
much easier. DETAILS
HERE.
We are pleased to
offer this link to
an
article entitled"Easter In Russia." While it was
written in 2001, it offers some keen insight into both religious and
cultural practices surrounding the celebration of this most somber
holiday throughout today's Russia.
A Volga Girl is pleased to announce our
4th Annual International
Women's
Day Banquet. This year's banquet will be held at
the elegantly themed *Ilya
Muromets (see explanation below) Restaurant on Thursday, March 4. Our
banquets are very special
events.
Show your
special someone that you
really care.
DETAILS HERE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ON WOMEN'S DAY
The
first Women's Day took place on the last Sunday in February,
1908. Initiated by socialist women in the United States, the
occasion was inspired by a number of issues -- the right to vote,
equal wages, and better working conditions for female employees
among them. A year later, the second International Conference
of Socialist Women approved an International Women's Day, which
was held for the first time in 1911.
On
March 8 (February 23 on the Gregorian calendar), 1917,
thousands of Russian women observed this holiday
by protesting food shortages, high prices, the war,
and the general suffering they had endured under the Czarist
regime.
(The Czar
was forced to abdicate four days later as a result
of that and other strikes.) In 1921, March 8 became the official
date
for
International Women's Day.
No longer an
exclusively socialist holiday, International Women's
Day is now a time to rally support for women's rights around
the world,
commemorate the progress we've made, and honor the
efforts of individual women who have helped bring about greater
equality
for all.
*BACKGROUND
ON FOLK-HERO ILYA MUROMETS
by Valery Kizilov
A folk-hero of Russian bylinas, the greatest
bogatyr. He is the son of a farmer, and was born in
village Karacharovo, near Murom. As a child Ilya Muromets
was gravely ill and could not even move before 33 years.
Later he was cured by an old singer, and a Svyatogor-bogatyr,
dying, gave him his strength. Muromets went to the capital
to be a warrior of Prince Vladimir the Red Sun. He defeated
Solovey-Razboynik, a monster who lived in forests and which
could kill people by screaming. Therefore Ilya became the
Vladimir`s chief bogatyr. When Russia was attacked by Kalin,
the tsar of steppe nomads, Ilya Muromets defeated him.
Later, he kept the border against invaders, liberated Kiev
from Idolishche, and performed many other feats.
To celebrate our 4-Year Online Anniversary, A Volga Girl
offers all
downloads in our
Instant
Video Gallery completely FREE OF CHARGE
through February 29th, 2004.
On December 15, 2003, A Volga Girl
sponsored a company presentation
aimed at attracting interested ladies
living in Togliatti to register their
photos and profile data with our web
site.
DETAILS HERE
A Volga Girl is pleased to announce that the company can now
offer a
completely renovated one-bedroom
apartment available for rental
beginning in May 2004.
Take a look at how the
construction is going.
September 2003
As Arina (Sokolova) Rich approaches the 5th anniversary
of her arrival in America, she has graciously comprised another update to
Arina's Story.
A Volga Girl is pleased to offer a special opportunity for men who
choose not to correspond for a some months to visit Togliatti while taking
an alternate approach to finding the Russian woman that is right for them.
After 4 years, A Volga Girl has completely redesigned our web site
to better serve our clients. We sincerely hope that our new design allows
our clients to explore and utilize our site functions with greater ease.
For newer clients, we have archived
a screenshot of our
original site.
August 2003
A Volga Girl's Summer 2003 Women's Banquet was a
special event for all of the ladies in attendance. Consider inviting your
special lady to our New Year's 2004 Banquet and Dance Party (to be held
December 24, 2003).
The summer months are a time when many of our clients
choose to visit Togliatti to meet the ladies with whom they have been
corresponding. This July was was a charm for 6 couples who became engaged.
You can view July's
engagements here.
Our 2003 New Year's Banquet was a resounding success
with 27 participants. We offer the following photos for your review,
and ask you to consider inviting your special lady to a banquet in the
future. The women in attendance were in various stages of their relationships,
some having already entertained visitors resulting in their engagement.
A Volga Girl sponsors women's banquets at New Year's, International
Women's Day (March 8) and a Summer Banquet.
A Volga Girl had outgrown our previous office
quarters, had located an improved property in August, and in November
2001 moved to a Togliatti district that is far better suited for hosting
the increasing numbers of American and other foreign visitors in search
of their ideal Russian partners.
Our recent New Year's 2002 Banquet & Dance Party
was a resounding success! Many of the ladies in attendance are already
engaged, while the others were either awaiting the arrival of their
prospective husbands, or hopeful that they will eventually come for
an in-person meeting.
Recently returned from a trip to Togliatti, we have
made additions to our Togliatti Photo Gallery, including some nice shots
of life in a small village approximately 50 minutes outside Togliatti.
Written by a client who recently spent 3 weeks in
Togliatti --this TESTIMONIAL provides
one man's honest assessment of his experience.
March 17, 2001
It's been one year since A Volga Girl made it's Internet
debut. Since that time the original Volga Girl Arina Sokolova Rich has
experienced an additional year of married life & living in America.
A Volga Girl held it's 1st
Annual International Women's Day Banquet. International Women's
Day is widely celebrated throughout Russia. The evening was dedicated
to honoring women everywhere. 11 ladies profiled on our site were extended
special invitations by the men with whom they are corresponding. The
evening was hosted by the entire A Volga Girl staff. An excellent
time was had by all.
February 26, 2001
Many of our clients throughout the United States and
western Europe are sport fishermen. Here is an interesting link that profiles
many of the fish found in the mighty Volga. Togliatti (Russian office
location of A Volga Girl) is situated on the Volga River, Russia's largest.
Many clients are inquisitive about the standard of living in Russia,
especially those men who have already made commitments to visit Togliatti.
When they are not trying to think about the ladies that they will
soon visit, they often are pondering other aspects of Russian society
...
August 30, 2000
*Volgagirl.com office quarters, Togliatti, Russia
*Volgagirl.com Grand Opening Ceremonies at DK Jubilee, Togliatti, Russia
*Market place of the Avtozavodskoy District
*Update on Eating ... in Togliatti
*What does a small Russian car cost?
*Phototour Spotlight on Samara, Russia
*Phototour Spotlight on Ulyanovsk, Russia
May 25, 2000
*Russian appliances & food
*Our customer demographics