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The New Diaspora

a new passport

Russians Who Fled Ukraine War Seek Armenian Citizenship as Conflict Drags On

YEREVAN, Armenia — A growing number of Russians who fled abroad because of the Ukraine war are seeking Armenian citizenship as the fighting drags...
influx from the north

Kyrgyzstan Sees Struggles, Opportunity in Russian Emigration Wave

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Russian entrepreneurs Yulia and Ilya Kuleshov worked hard to transform the large house they rented in the Kyrgyz capital into...
receding danger

Russians Who Fled Military Draft Return Home as Panic Fades

Draft-age men who left Russia in fear of being sent to fight in Ukraine are returning home after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an end to the...
grassroots exodus

Russia’s Environmental Activists Move Abroad Amid War, Persecution

Dozens of environmental activists have fled Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in an exodus that has reduced focus on fighting climate change and...
F@ck This Job

In Latvia, Putin’s War on Russian Media Plays Out on the Big Screen

Viewers in Latvia’s capital of Riga came out last week to see a screening of "F@ck This Job," a documentary about independent Russian broadcaster...
free expression

In Georgia's Capital, a Young Russian Rock Group Hopes to Thrive in Exile

“Prisoners of conscience in the hands of bandits and thieves / Order will be disturbed in reality, not in dreams / The force of pressure will push...
Moral Dilemma

Georgia Struggles With Latest Wave of Russian Arrivals

A new piece of street art in a Tbilisi underpass is a play on the classic Soviet "The Motherland Calls" poster from World War II. But instead of holding...
bottleneck point

In Photos: Russians Fleeing Putin's Draft Queue at Georgian Border

Nearly two weeks into Russian President Vladimir Putin's "partial" mobilization for the war in Ukraine, crowds of Russians seeking to escape the draft...
emigre population

Russian Migration Shakes Up Armenian Economy, Society

YEREVAN, Armenia — Igor landed at Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport from Moscow on Tuesday, looking bewildered after his knee-jerk decision to flee...
dodging the draft

Russians Evade Conscription in Istanbul as Mobilization Rumors Become Reality

ISTANBUL — Alexander, 23, remembers panic-buying a ticket from St. Petersburg to this Turkish metropolis shortly after Russia launched its invasion...
tension in tbilisi

‘We Don’t Want To Serve Occupiers’: Backlash in Georgia Against Russian Emigres

Some Georgian businesses require Russian customers to state they don’t support the invasion of Ukraine. 
denied entry

Rising Numbers of Russians Barred From Georgia, Activists Say

“I would not advise other activists to move to Georgia," said one Russian recently not allowed into the South Caucasus country.
'security threat'

Poland, Baltics Agree EU Visa Ban Plan for Russians – Statement

The restrictions will enter into force on Sept. 19.
close ties

From Yandex to RT: Russia Expands Presence in Serbia Amid Ukraine War

The Kremlin is looking to use its Balkan ally to evade sanctions and “gaslight” the West, analysts say.
travel restrictions

EU Ministers Agree to Suspend Russian Visa Facilitation Deal

EU foreign ministers agreed to suspend a 2007 visa facilitation deal with Russia but stopped short of a wider ban.
silencing dissent

Exile, Fines or Jail: Censorship Laws Take Heavy Toll on Anti-War Russians

“It’s dangerous to express your opinion," said Alexei Argunov, who was fined last month for posting an emoji on social media.
navigating the maze

NGO Helps Women Fleeing Ukraine War, Political Repression

A global team of volunteers coordinated by a leading Russian expert is supporting women facing gender-based violence abroad.
exiles under watch

Spy’s Confession Sheds Light on Russian Espionage in Georgia

The 20-year-old informant for Russia’s security services was sent to Tbilisi to report on the many exiles here. Now, he says, he’s come clean.
new home

Fleeing War and Discrimination, LGBT Russians Find Refuge in South Caucasus

Armenia and Georgia are socially conservative societies and LGBT people face legal and social obstacles as well as occasional violence.
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