Several centuries ago it has been recognized in Russia that the girl should get married young "so that she would not be spoiled by anybody". The age of the typical Russian bride at that time would be from 12 till 14 years. These times early marriages were completely normal. As a rule fiancé and the bride did not know each other and never saw each other before Russian marriage. Rules and traditions of that time did not allow young men to speak with members of an opposite sex freely. The young girl could not even mention about her wishes to marry someone; all was spent by relatives. The father and mother of the girl usually chose the husband independently and spoke to their daughter about it when everything about wedding have already agreed. Parents of the girl wishing to sell their daughter sent the servant to parents of fiancé. Parents of the groom agreed, pair creation has been executed as usually. Grooms could not see the Russian brides before wedding. There was the rule of Russian marriage. Sometimes if swindle concerning the Russian bride revealed and marriage could be escape, but it happened extremely seldom. Happened that fiancé insisted on seeing the Russian bride, and only money could solve the further actions concerning their Russian marriage.
After that the agreement came into force and then the first part of celebrating of Russian marriage began. Day of wedding has been established by parents of the Russian bride. Parents of both parties have been set before each other and kept silence within several minutes, the agreement was that. The document about Russian marriage has been signed, where wedding time and a dowry of the Russian bride has been defined. The dowry always was the important condition of the Russian wedding. The dowry included money, bed-clothes, clothes, house utensils, ware and an ornament, real estate. Nothing was required from fiancé. It the agreement had full legal value. If the Russian bride was from an impoverished family and had no dowry to bring it in the house to fiancé, then fiancé could "has made a dowry" or has transferred a sum of money to parents of the bride - the ancient custom did not allow taking the bride without a dowry.
In the morning of the wedding day, sometimes one day before, the servant of the Russian bride has left in the fiancé house to prepare a marriage bed. People considered that someone could place an evil eye in the house. Various measures have been accepted against it. Before wedding visitors and the bride and the fiancé have been invited to a table, but even there the future husband did not see the person of the bride - there was a thick covering on bride’s face. After 3-5 dishes were eaten the father of the groom usually asked the father of the bride the permission to allow them to get married. Russian marriage is great event in life of every Russian woman.