Matchmaking has existed since ancient times in Russia。

　　The old tradition, however, was broken after the Soviet Union was founded and more value was placed on free love。

　　But that's starting to change as matchmaking has undergone a bit of a revival。

　　A report Friday by Russian newspaper Novye Izvestiya revealed that Russian youths don't have time to seek a mate due to pressures from their studies and work. So they have turned to matchmaking agencies。

　　Couples are introduced to each other by matchmakers, which reportedly charge around 10,000 Russian ruble ($341) for a successful match。

　　Customers pay 3,500-5,000 rubles to sign a half-year or one-year contract. During the contract term, the matching agencies introduce different candidates to the customer。

　　Some matchmaking agencies offer VIP services to those who set severe standards. They charge 15,000 Russian rubles for such services。

　　Statistics show that among customers under the age of 30, males comprised far more than females, with a ratio of three to one. For customers around 30 years old, the ratio turned out equal。

　　And among customers over 50, there were four times as many females as males。

　　Categorized by careers, the customers include construction workers and political officials。

　　An expert on marriage said that people of high social status often set stricter standards on their spouses, and the matchmaking process often takes several years。

　　And there are also many unrealistic customers. For example, some women in shreds and tatters seek after financial oligarchy。

　　俄罗斯自古以来就有媒妁婚姻形式。苏联成立后，这种古老传统被打破，男女开始自由恋爱。但如今，媒妁婚姻这种传统似乎再次复活。

　　据俄罗斯《新消息报》19日报道，因为快节奏的现代生活，工作压力大、学习任务重，俄年轻人几乎没有时间恋爱，经人介绍恋爱的现象越来越多。

　　据报道，这种经人介绍的恋爱形式主要分为两种。一种是通过亲朋好友牵媒搭线。另一种是通过遍布俄罗斯各城市的大大小小的婚姻介绍所。据悉，婚介所每成功介绍一个对象，收取1万卢布左右的中介费(1元人民币约合4.3卢布)。有时顾客还可支付3500-5000卢布费用与婚介所签订半年或一年的合同。合同期间，婚介所介绍对象人数不限，直至满意。有婚介所还为要求苛刻的顾客提供“贵宾”服务，但收费标准也相应提高，大约1.5万卢布。据有关婚介所统计，30岁以下年龄段中，男性顾客明显多于女性，男女比例为3：1；30岁左右的男女比例基本持平；而年过半百的女性未婚者却是同年龄段男子的4倍。从职业来看，既有普通建筑工人，也有生活富裕但无暇谈对象的部长。

　　据俄罗斯婚姻专家观察，社会地位越高的人，对另一半要求也越严格，类似的婚姻介绍过程一般都要持续几年。当然也有对婚姻追求脱离现实者，如有些衣衫褴褛的女子却要找金融寡头等。