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The New Diaspora

wartime exodus

Record Number of Russians Moved to Finland in 2022

A total of 6,003 people moved from Russia to Finland last year, by far the highest number in three decades.
opinion Konstantin Sonin

Stop Victim-Blaming Russian Refugees

Telling Russian refugees they are not victims is like telling a woman who has been beaten up by her husband: “It’s OK, he didn’t kill you.”
4 Min read
'foreign agent' law

While Some Russian Exiles Join Georgia Protests, Others Keep Away

When thousands of Georgians protested this week, some Russian exiles joined rallies that would have been unthinkable in their homeland.
3 Min read
opinion Michele A. Berdy

A Family History of Not Looking Back

Reflecting on the year since I left Russia — and a century since my grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire.
7 Min read
In depth

To Reach Russian Audiences, Emigre Activists and Media Forced to Innovate

Exiled Russian activists are working hard to remain one step ahead of the Kremlin and relevant to their audiences.
4 Min read
lost luminaries

9 Russian Cultural and Sporting Figures Who Emigrated in a Year of War

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an exodus of cultural and sporting stars, many of whom publicly condemned the war.
6 Min read
against russian aggression

Thousands in Georgia Rally in Ukraine’s Support on Invasion Anniversary

Some 30,000 demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi, where thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have fled over the past year.
3 Min read
‘Here to Help’

Russia's Grateful Diaspora Joins Earthquake Relief Efforts in Turkey

As Turkey struggled amid the worst disaster in its modern history, recent Russian arrivals in the country were determined to help.
4 Min read
In depth

‘I Will Not Go Back’: Anti-War Russians Stuck in EU Asylum Limbo

Melania has been waiting 10 months for an answer to her request for political asylum that she filed after fleeing to Lithuania in the weeks after her home...
4 Min read
In depth

‘Not Forgotten’: Pen Pals Offer Solace to Russia’s Political Prisoners

YEREVAN, Armenia — At a recent event in Armenia’s capital, Olga Yelsakova was composing a letter to a longtime correspondent. That correspondent...
In depth

Russian Emigres Rally Worldwide in Support of Jailed Navalny

Thousands of Russian emigres in more than 60 cities, from Seoul and London to Yerevan, Vilnius and Belgrade, took part in solidarity rallies Saturday in...
In depth

Russia’s Local Journalists Struggle to Keep News Flowing – From Home and Abroad

Russian independent media outlet Zvezda in the city of Perm consistently uses the word “war” in its coverage of the fighting in Ukraine &mdash...
upping the pressure

Critical Russian Emigres Should Have Property Seized, Lawmakers Say

Russians who criticize their country after fleeing abroad should have their remaining property confiscated, lawmakers proposed Friday in an apparent effort...
brain drain

Moscow Says 100K IT Specialists Have Left Russia This Year

Around 100,000 IT specialists have left Russia this year, an official said Tuesday, following the start of Moscow's military operation in Ukraine...
In depth

Russian Emigres in Armenia Fuel Flourishing Food, Creative Scenes

YEREVAN, Armenia — Nearly every hand in the packed auditorium went up when the moderator asked who had arrived in this South Caucasus nation after...
In depth

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...
In depth

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...
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