First off, thank you for any help you can give with this. I'd like to propose to my girlfriend in the upcoming months, but I want to ask for her father's permission first. I have a good relationship with her mom, a first-generation immigrant, but her dad knows essentially no English. Below is a simple letter I was going to write to him once I can translate it to Russian.
(Greeting?) Dear Dr. Movsesov,
Over the last few years, I have found that I do not want to live a life without your daughter. She is the reason I look forward to each new day. Her beauty, both inside and out, is astounding, and I never want to be apart from it. She brightens my life and has made me a better man. Tamara and I have a lot of adventure ahead of us, and I want to take each step of the journey by her side.
I love your daughter, so I am requesting your permission to marry her.
I hope to hear from you soon.
(Salutation?) With love,
I don't know what the traditional greeting and salutation would be for something like this, so any help there would be great! I'm sure dialects vary in different countries/regions, but he grew up in Ukraine (Crimea, specifically).
Thanks!