"How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said."
Victor Hugo
One of the first pieces of advice my father gave me was how to lead up to kissing a girl for the first time. "First," he said in a low voice looking up at my mother who from the kitchen smiled coyly at him, "gently grasp her hand. Odds on she'll instinctively close her hand around yours, maybe a little surprised by her own reaction. But by then in her mind, you see, it's too late for her to retreat. She's committed to the gesture. Then take her hand and kiss it…kiss the back softly, turn her hand over, kiss the palm. Take your time. It's the perfect entr?e to a kiss on the lips. After all, you need to start someplace…"
In Russia, even amid the financial crisis, there seems to be an increase of instances of public intimacy which leads one to speculate what and how much more is going on behind closed doors. The metro in any given Russian city here is a prime example and the long escalator ride into the underground abyss is ground zero. Here you'll notice that the standard position for couples on the metro escalator calls for the man to take up the lower stair when either ascending from or descending onto the platform. This puts the amorous couple in perfect position for a long smooching embrace. Everywhere in the subway system one can see couples pushing the envelope of affection in spite of the throngs that surround them. So much so that last year saw a Moscow city ordinance go down in flames which sought to prohibit kissing and embracing in the metro system.
All this propensity of public affection goes to show that the Russians have a healthy handle on their love lives in spite of the current global predicament. They know and employ one of the best ways to combat stress through sensuous touch and intimacy whenever and where ever possible.
Professor Helen Fisher, an anthropological biologist at Rutgers University, says "Times of stress can trigger feelings of attraction – quite simply, you're more susceptible." Her theory is based on feelings of anxiety that stimulate the amount of dopamine in the brain, a chemical that leads to increased desire and longing for romantic love.

This theory was recently backed by a recent RIA Novosti news conference entitled "Love during the crisis", which featured experts from the All-Russian Public Opinion Studies Center (VtsIOM). Their research reveals a 13 per cent increase of ‘lonely hearts' in Russia since the beginning of the worldwide financial crisis, with those surveyed rating love and intimacy more important during periods of trouble than during affluent times.
Indeed, research indicates that love and family are overwhelmingly the main life focus of Russians. The Novosti survey found that 59 per cent of Russians believe in love at first sight. Yelena Pakhomova, the head of social research at VtsIOM, says "The most romantic at heart live in the Urals and the Northwestern Federal districts."
In the midst of the financial turmoil and materialism that has swept the world, the blissful truth is that a kiss is still gloriously free. And what loving couples know is that a long, passionate kiss is a great way to boost a relationship and sweep away the blues. Those who have been together the longest will often claim that what keeps marriage fresh is regularly making out like high school teens.
A long, romantic kissing session following a delicious meal and bottle of good wine, can be a therapeutic means to improve one's mood and relax to the fullest. A long kiss releases a glorious rush of hormones and neurotransmitters, which leads to an exhilarating buzz of endorphins. Kissing promotes good health, can boost immunity and even provides a form of physical exercise (burning a few calories a minute!).

Guide ‘The Art of Kissing' by Michael Cane discusses how regular sessions of intense kissing can form the foundation of a successful relationship. He says, "Women say they can tell if a relationship is going to work after the first kiss, after the first night of kissing. They just get a feeling, an intuition."
When times are tough and work life becomes complicated, making out with a loving partner can be a great way to release tension and anxiety. And in the words of one of our favorites, Anna Kournikova…
"I have a lot of boyfriends…and I kiss them all."