Elegant woman reading — Valentin journal

Field notes — Valentin, from Moscow

Agency notes

The working journal of a matchmaker who lives what he writes (and vice versa).

Mid-century illustration of three figures forming a relational triangle

N°083RelationshipJuly 24, 2026

The Karpman Drama Triangle, or Why Your Love Stories Repeat

Victim, rescuer, persecutor: the Karpman drama triangle explains why your relationships keep repeating. How to spot the roles and step out before the next one.

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Getting Married to a Russian Woman: Steps and Key Stages

N°082

MarriageJuly 20, 2026

Getting Married to a Russian Woman: Steps and Key Stages

Getting married to a Russian woman, step by step: where to hold the ceremony, which documents, realistic timelines, and how to bring your wife home.

A Russian Woman's Instagram: What It Really Says About Her

N°081

RelationshipJuly 20, 2026

A Russian Woman's Instagram: What It Really Says About Her

You will look up her profile after the first video calls. What you see there can wreck everything — often wrongly. Decode instead of concluding.

Playing hard to get: the paradox at the heart of desire

N°080

RelationshipJuly 19, 2026

Playing hard to get: the paradox at the heart of desire

Why do we chase the ones who pull away? Where the push-pull instinct comes from, the psychology behind it, and how to find the right distance without games.

The 4 Attachment Styles and How You Love in a Relationship

N°079

RelationshipJuly 10, 2026

The 4 Attachment Styles and How You Love in a Relationship

Why do some relationships hold and others fall apart? Often it comes down to your attachment style. Here are the four profiles and how to recognize yours.

The 36 Questions to Fall in Love, and Why They Work

N°078

RelationshipJuly 10, 2026

The 36 Questions to Fall in Love, and Why They Work

Can 36 questions really make you fall in love? The full list, the mechanism that builds intimacy, and how to actually use it on a date or at a distance.

Matchmaking Agencies: Real Effectiveness and Success Rates

N°077

PracticalJuly 5, 2026

Matchmaking Agencies: Real Effectiveness and Success Rates

No independent body audits matchmaking agency success rates. Here is how to measure an agency's real effectiveness before you sign, in five indicators.

Value differences in a couple: what can not be negotiated

N°076

RelationshipJune 25, 2026

Value differences in a couple: what can not be negotiated

Many men think everything can be talked out. But a value difference with a Slavic woman is not a misunderstanding to solve — it is a foundation to face.

French-style seduction facing a Slavic woman

N°075

SeductionJune 25, 2026

French-style seduction facing a Slavic woman

Marivaudage — the French art of seducing through conversation — is a real asset. But a Slavic woman may read it as a lack of intention. Here is how to bridge it.

Idealizing Russian Women: When the Fantasy Sabotages Everything

N°074

RelationshipJune 21, 2026

Idealizing Russian Women: When the Fantasy Sabotages Everything

Falling in love with 'the Russian woman' before ever meeting a real woman is the costliest mistake there is. A Frenchwoman living in Russia recounts the same trap, in reverse.

How to read these notes

How to read this journal

A few clarifications before you read.

I've lived in Moscow since 2021 and founded my agency in 2022. Every entry comes from a real question I'm asked, or a situation I see on the ground. It's an agency working journal, not an editorial calendar.