First of all, let me give you the downside. This is not an easy task you are undertaking. It is much easier to marry someone next door. Don't let anyone fool you. It is not easy.
Mail can be iffy and quite slow.
Russians are not necessarily the quickest to respond to a letter to even get it on its way. Telephones can be down for periods of time. Dealing with the INS is not always a walk in the park. And language and cultural differences can cause problems. While many Russians speak English, this is generally school English.