Hi everyone!

I’ve seen all of your questions and comments — I’ll probably comment on them over the weekend. But I just couldn’t resist commenting on the topic of Russia’s high divorce rate.
Since it’s already midnight for me at the moment, I’m just dictating this message in Russian and asking ChatGPT to turn it into English for you — so it’s more like a quick voice note ( sorry for that @toddjames198329

otherwise i would have been typing it till the morning

)
If you google it, you’ll find the usual explanations: financial difficulties, infidelity, or “personality mismatch” — that classic line people use when they don’t want to tell the real story.
But from what I personally see, talking to people from different countries and cultures, I honestly think the main reason is much simpler: in Russia, it’s just very easy to get divorced.
And that’s not only a legal thing — it’s cultural and psychological as well.
I know people who get divorced and remarried several times to the same person.
Legally, the process is lightning fast. If there are no underage children or property disputes, you just file a form and you’re officially divorced in a month. Even with kids or shared assets, it rarely takes more than three months — no lawyers, no huge expenses, just a small state fee.
In other countries ( I know about some European countries and the UK) , it can take up to two years, with all the legal steps, lawyers, and waiting periods.
Financially, the system is also easier to game. Alimony obligations can often be sidestepped when a portion of income is paid “off the books” or not fully declared. Real estate and other assets can be re-registered quickly, which sometimes makes property division a formality rather than a real settlement. And yes — there can be a corrupt element: by that I mean occasional cases where people bribe officials or use informal deals to transfer ownership to a third party, so the asset is technically no longer subject to division. I don’t mean this happens everywhere, but it does occur often enough to shape the overall picture.
And finally, there’s the cultural side: in Russia, divorce isn’t usually viewed as a personal failure or social tragedy. It’s seen more as a practical step — a way to close one chapter and start another.
Take care and enjoy life — no matter if you’re married, divorced, single or happily somewhere in between
