Moscow, Russia

February 9, 2015

I am Nathalia Petrakova, a 19-year-old Russian woman looking for a husband in a different country for a better life. I go to Moscow to meet men for marriage, and that is where I meet Sergi. 

I come from a poor village, Zarnista, with a mother, father and two brothers. Father want me to stay in the village and marry Viktor, father's friend. I wouldn't say I like this. So, I look for different ways. I can not pay to study, and I can not leave my father's house. 

In Olgino, I met a man, Sergi, at the gym who told me I could meet a wealthy British man on the Internet for marriage. But I must first take pictures and write a story about myself for the website. 

Sergi is a Russian man, the same age as his father, maybe 45. Sergi has a dark beard and a round belly. He wears a leather coat and dark pants. His hair is dark as a beard, and his eyes are dark like night. Sergi is not tall, but a huge man, maybe 1,70 tall and 100kg. 

I say yes to pictures and stories; Sergi says I must visit the Radisson Slavyankskaya Hotel in Moscow to take photos and meet other girls who want rich husbands. 

On February 26, I took the train to Moscow Kiyevsky Station and walked to my hotel, which is 500 meters away from the train. I went to room 168 in the hotel, where I met Sergi. Sergi is nice and introduced me to other girls. There were five girls, all Russian. 

I took pictures, told stories, and had fun. It was a lovely time. After the pictures, I returned to my father's house and waited.

In one month, on March 28th, I got a call from Sergi; a man called John wanted to meet me. Sergi says John is asking many questions and wants to see me. So I must go back to the hotel on April 1st and video call John. Sergi will translate for John.  
I feel excited. Again, I take the train to Moscow, go to the hotel, and meet Sergi.

We are in room 168 again, and Sergi has a laptop on the desk. The video program is running, and Sergi tells me I must be very kind. I speak very poor English, but I do my best. 

John calls with a video program. He is an old, fat, bald, white British man. But I must not show disgust; he can give me a better life than in Russia. John says he lives in London, and he shows me out the window. I see many buildings; it is beautiful. My heart is happy to have a chance to have a better life. 

I don't understand what John and Sergi say but feel happy. John is nice. He wants his wife to cook, clean, and have sex with him. I know this, and it's okay. I can learn English, and maybe I can go to school. 

When done talking with John, Sergi says I must go to the lobby and wait for him. So I do; I take the lift and go to the lobby. I will stay at the bar at 6:30 pm and have a drink. Soon, two men came to me and took me by arms. They are large men. The man on the left is 2 meters tall and 150kg. Very, very big man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He wears jeans and a leather coat. The man on the right is smaller than the man on the left, maybe 185cm 95kg, but with dark hair. I did not see eyes, but he was wearing jeans and a leather coat.

These men say I must go with them, but I protest. I am not ready to go; I must wait for Sergi to hear if John wants to marry me. The man on the left says I no, wait; I go now.

They pulled me outside the hotel; there was a car. It is a blue car with four doors, and the driver is inside. The driver is young, 30 years old, with long brown hair and a pink shirt. The men push me into the car, and we go driving. We drive to the bus station. I don't know Moscow well, and I don't see the street names. 

Around 8 pm, we arrive at the bus station on Uralskaya Ul with two men. The tall man speaks to the shorter man and tells him Elena is waiting for us in Prague.  I see many buses waiting to depart the station. A shorter man, still holding tight to my arms, says come.  He pulls me to the bus and gets on a bus with me. I say I am waiting for Sergi and John, who want to marry me, and the short man says John is waiting for me in London, and I must take the bus now. 

I want to go to John but must say goodbye to my family. The short man says no, and we must get on the bus now. 

I do not understand why I am so hurrying, but I want a better life, so I go on the bus with a short man named Andrei. We sit on the back of the bus, and at 8:45 on April 1st, the bus leaves Moscow. Andrei says the bus goes to Prague, where he gives me to Elena, who brings me to London to meet John. 

Soon, I see no husband with a better life for me.

Sincerely, 
Nathalie Petrakova