A University aquaintance of mine lived in Russia in the mid 1990's for almost a year. He said that during the time he was there, the men in the Russian forces were so underpaid that he regularly saw them begging at traffic lights for money. This was also during the period of very high inflation.
He also said that had he wanted to, he could have slept with quite a few of them for the price of a good meal. He knew other business people who did just that.
He chose to do things that hard way and fall in love with one.
Nice, but give me a big ole Russian Bear anytime!!