Thank you for this detailed information. I didn't know the enormous costs of acquiring a visa in Russia, but obviously the country is so large there can only be so many consulates and visa centers, which complicates the matter.

In any case, if I were to meet a woman from here, I think I'd rather fly there myself, easier for me to fly and also takes responsibility off of the woman in case we don't like each other that much, because if I paid for her visit to my place, she might feel obligated to reciprocate my feelings, which is obviously not a formula for a long lasting relationship