Especially about agencies. In Germany we know better the life situation of our Eastern friends than perhaps in more distant countries. I want to start my search because I appreciate the warm emotional potentiality which distinguishes Russian people from our relatively cold western world. Western based and local Russian agencies have completely different ways of doing business, and knowing the patterns will help you to understand what's going on in your particular case. Western agencies usually start from placing ads in local Russian newspapers that promise help in search for a partner abroad.
Women send letters and photos to the address.
Usually a lady will send applications to 5-15 agencies that placed ads in the same newspaper. When an agency has enough profiles to start from, they launch a website, and offer women's information to men. The method of work will be whether selling addresses or membership, or combining both options. Western agencies also offer gift delivery, translation and email forwarding services. The older the agency, the stricter they sort their mail.