When the war broke out, Olga Gladisheva, a former journalist now working in video production, joined tens of thousands of other Russians fleeing the country.
“I left for Istanbul in a state of panic shortly after the start of the war. I thought I would have no other chance to leave, that the borders could be closed. I didn’t want to be alone in the countryside because I saw all my friends leave. “I thought Russia was becoming North Korea,” she said.
But in Turkey, her bank cards were blocked and she could not transfer money home to support her mother in Moscow. She survived by seeking the services of friends who had access to funds.
Now, reluctantly, she returned home. “I came back last week. Frankly, money is the main reason I come back. I have an apartment in Moscow that I was still paying for. I had the opportunity to work remotely, but this was not the easiest option and I would earn more here in Moscow. Life was not sustainable for me in Turkey. “
As the Russian war approaches its third month and has no end in sight, the hasty decisions many Russians have taken to flee have hit the harsh reality of emigration abroad, especially during closed borders and bank sanctions. While many Russians have left forever, others have been drawn back to care for sick parents, run businesses, keep their families together, or simply make ends meet.
“It was a real family drama,” said Roman, co-founder of technology startups, who returned from Armenia last week. “I thought we should get as far away from Russia as possible. My wife didn’t want to go anywhere, and I had to find a compromise. It was a matter of choice: to leave Russia without my wife or to return with my wife. So I decided to come here with my wife and see what would happen. “
Experts say the wave of war-induced Russian migration is unusual, sparked by rumors of forced mobilization in early March and led by highly educated workers, often traveling to smaller countries. And at least on paper, many have the opportunity to return either for short trips or permanently.
The atmosphere here is really tough. All our media say that many people support the war, but this is not true Artem Taganov, technology entrepreneur
Artem Taganov, the founder of technology startup HintEd, left for Armenia in early March as part of the relocation of Russia’s technology sector. His partner and investors have urged him to leave the country immediately amid fears of forced mobilization, he said, and has made plans to open a new company in Armenia.
But after five weeks in the capital, Yerevan, he returned temporarily to Moscow due to family and business problems.
“The idea [in Armenia] I had to open a company, but it’s on pause because I’m waiting for some money. “My wife and my dog are still in Moscow, my wife can’t leave her job right now,” he said. She has worked at an institute that is partnering with the British University of the Arts, which could end its agreements in Russia this year. “I’m trying to persuade her to move. I still have some business here, so we still have to support my company here.
It was a restless return home. His parents, who live in another city and support the war, tell him he was wrong to leave Russia. He says it is difficult for him to call them and does not expect to see them until the conflict is over.
“When I came back, I was afraid that there would be a lot of cars with Z or V [symbols supporting the war] but I’ve only seen one, “he said. “After all, the atmosphere here is really heavy. All our media say that many people support the war, but this is not true. No one in my inner circle supports him. Everyone here is afraid to even talk about this “special operation”. No one is smiling and everyone is sad. ”
Pro-Russian troops in Mariupol. Fears of forced mobilization forced many Russians to flee at the beginning of the war. Photo: Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters
A senior executive at one of Russia’s largest IT companies said he had noticed the return of younger, lower-paid employees who had been paid by cities such as Yerevan, Istanbul and Tbilisi.
“People panicked and after a while they realized, ‘Okay, how are we going to live?'” The CEO said. “They still hate the situation, they still don’t agree and they still feel psychologically uncomfortable and they don’t want to come back. But there’s no way you can’t come back. “
There are no hard estimates of how many Russians have left the country since the start of the war, which the Kremlin called a “special operation.” While technicians may have strong prospects abroad, others may find that their skills and education do not translate across borders.
Dmitry, an art consultant, said he was in “shock” when the war broke out and fled the country due to rumors of forced mobilization.
“I flew to Uzbekistan, one of the easiest places I could visit without a visa. I returned to Moscow at the end of March, when it became clear that the forced mobilization was just a rumor. I realized that Europe was not an option for me. I am not sure that Europe is waiting for the Russians to come, even those who are against the war. What would I do there anyway? I hardly speak English. ”
Ira Lobanovskaya, who runs an organization that helps Russians settle abroad, said: “Many left during the wave of panic, just to rest. I see some people coming back now. But I know that some of those who have returned are planning to leave again. They just had to go back to Russia to get all their belongings, put their documents in order and make concrete plans to leave properly. “
A number of factors could make it difficult for Russians to travel abroad, said Catherine Sommerfeld, a researcher at the Mannheim-based Center for European Economic Research, which focuses on refugee immigration. She published a document calling on German politicians to present a strategy on how to deal with migrants from Russia.
“Prices are rising in the countries where these people go,” she said. “You are only allowed to take $ 10,000 abroad from Russia. You do not have access to your bank account. The roll devalues. So it’s harder to get your money and it costs less. Things are very expensive. This makes it difficult and could possibly lead to a reverse migration, because if your money is burned and does not work abroad, then what will you do? “
Some returnees say they are often surprised by their indifference to the war.
“The main impression for me is that people somehow accept it,” said the technology chief executive. “The war is bad and Putin is evil, but life goes on. It’s more or less good here, the course is fine, even if it’s imaginary, some things have disappeared from the shops, but it’s not as bad as we thought, the prices have risen, but it’s not so bad. It really depresses me to the core. ”
In a recent poll, more than half of Russians said they were not watching the war closely.
“I thought I would witness horrible scenes in the streets, that people would be filled with war, but in fact life goes on,” said Olga Gladisheva. “All the bars and restaurants are still full every night. It feels like people are ignoring the war – but it’s also scary. “
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