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Russians fleeing Putin: Four stories of people who fled their homes out of fear

2022-04-02T09:24:48.067Z


Russians fleeing Putin: Four stories of people who fled their homes out of fear Created: 04/02/2022, 11:15 am By: Catherine Brown Many people are fleeing Ukraine because of the war. But Russians are also leaving their homeland because of Putin (symbol image). © picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Gollnow Russians are leaving their homeland for fear of Vladimir Putin. Four people told the Münchner


Russians fleeing Putin: Four stories of people who fled their homes out of fear

Created: 04/02/2022, 11:15 am

By: Catherine Brown

Many people are fleeing Ukraine because of the war.

But Russians are also leaving their homeland because of Putin (symbol image).

© picture alliance/dpa |

Sebastian Gollnow

Russians are leaving their homeland for fear of Vladimir Putin.

Four people told the Münchner Merkur their story.

Munich – You see no future in Russia*: Since Putin's attack on Ukraine*, more and more Russians have left their homeland.

It is estimated that there are hundreds of thousands.

Many are young, well educated and are emigrating in protest against their president.

Others fear years of imprisonment for publicly condemning the war.

Often it is a mixture of both.

Escape is not easy, because due to the sanctions* against Russia, there are hardly any flights to other countries.

Exceptions are Georgia, Armenia, Dubai or Turkey.

Those who get hold of a ticket go on a journey into the unknown.

Because the residence status for refugees from the Putin regime is completely unclear.

We spoke to four people who have made their way into a different future.

Escape from Putin: “The war only lasted a few days.

That's when I realized that it was too dangerous for me in Russia."

Peter Lisichkin

(name changed) calls his children almost every day.

He is in Berlin, his wife and two sons (8 and 15) in Moscow.

He doesn't know when they will see each other again.

A month ago Lisichkin left his homeland.

“The war only lasted a few days.

That's when I realized that Russia was too dangerous for me," he says.

The 41-year-old director is quite well known in the culture industry, his productions are staged in both Russia and Germany.

They are historical, political, targeting the Soviet Union and Russian propaganda.

"When Russia attacked Ukraine, I openly criticized it on social media," he says.

“In Moscow they know how I feel about Putin*.

For what I said, I could certainly be jailed for 10 to 15 years.” Now he is more cautious,

Russians find it difficult to obtain an EU residence permit

It is difficult for Russian citizens to obtain a residence permit in Europe.

The journey alone only takes complicated detours.

Lisichkin still had a valid visa because of his work in Germany.

Actually, he often commutes between Berlin and Moscow.

When he decided to flee, it wasn't that easy anymore.

“All flights to Europe have been cancelled.

You could go to Germany via Dubai, the ticket was almost unaffordable.

I bought it anyway.

Maybe this is the last chance, I thought.”

Russia: More and more people are leaving the country - "To be honest, I'm at a loss"

He is currently with a friend in Berlin.

His visa expires in August.

“I'm trying to extend my stay somehow.

But to be honest, I'm at a loss.” The Russian would like to work and stand on his own two feet again.

His credit cards were blocked because of sanctions against Russia.

"I would like the German government to give more support to Russians who have opposed Putin," he says.

The director knows many qualified people who want to leave Russia: artists, scientists, IT specialists.

"If we are allowed to live and work here permanently, Germany can only benefit."


Russian on vacation decided not to return home

Andrey Afonin

didn't even say goodbye to his parents.

When war broke out five weeks ago, the 29-year-old Russian was skiing in Georgia.

"I spontaneously decided to stay," he says.

“There are different types of protest.

Some took to the streets against Putin, including some of my friends.

That had little effect, except that they risked a long prison sentence.” Afonin has chosen a different kind of protest: he has left his native St. Petersburg behind.

"If only enough people leave Russia and stop paying taxes, refuse to finance this war, then it would definitely have an effect."

Now the engineer lives in Georgia in a three-room apartment.

How long is unclear.

A year at least, he says.

As long as Putin rules in Russia, he will not dare to back down.

On social media, he keeps calling for people to leave the country.

"Stop paying taxes to the authorities we hate!" he says in an Instagram video.

In Russia he would probably be arrested for such statements.


War in Ukraine: "I've never had another president than Putin"

Some acquaintances, he says, reacted.

"Many wanted to find out more from me: How to leave the country and whether you can find an apartment in Georgia." Afonin wants to support everyone who takes this step.

He then replies that he still has a free room.

"One of my best friends accepted the offer, I'm waiting for him now," says Afonin.

"I hope he comes.

Maybe he can even bring me some of my stuff.”


Except for his vacation suitcase, the Russian left everything in St. Petersburg.

He asked his parents to sell some things or give them away straight away.

"They miss me, but they support my decision." It wasn't particularly difficult for him.

Afonin has long been an opponent of Putin.

“I've traveled the world a lot, on the streets of the USA or Germany, seen what people eat in Finland.

Then I noticed that we only have a few nice cars in St. Petersburg.

Our fruits are not as beautiful as in Finland, although it is also in the north.” Afonin realized that a better life was possible.

“I have never had any other president than Putin.

Except for Yeltsin, but I was only six then.” A change is overdue.

Until that doesn't happen, Andrey Afonin doesn't want to return.


Russian actress on attack on Ukraine: 'Couldn't believe it'

Svetlana Kuznetsov

(name changed) has 20 days left.

Then she has to leave Turkey.

"I came as a tourist a month ago," says the Russian actress.

But her trip has nothing to do with vacation.

Kuznetsov left Moscow out of fear.

"My visa is about to expire.

I'm scared of going back."

The Russian attack on Ukraine came as a shock to the 28-year-old.

"I couldn't believe it," she says.

“Many Russians believed what was reported on state television.

I started writing about the truth on Facebook and Instagram.

That something terrible is happening in Ukraine.” She hadn't thought about the consequences then.

Kuznetsov faces a long prison sentence for calling the "military operation" a war.

"It's not normal when you see the police on the street and instinctively want to run away."

The actress booked a plane ticket to Istanbul, actually wants to go to Germany or the Netherlands, where she has friends.

"But I can't get a European visa.

My passport is about to expire.

I have to find some solution, but I don't know how.” When her tourist visa expires, she has to go back to Russia.

"Then I just have to hope that nobody arrests me.

And immediately try again to find accommodation in another country.

I can't stay there.”


Ukraine war: "I was speechless.

I immediately bought plane tickets to Germany”

40 years: That's how long

Vera Dubina

could be imprisoned under the new Russian laws.

The historian rolled it over.

"I went through my previous scientific projects," she says.

“There would be five years for my work alone on Russian occupation soldiers who raped German women in World War II.

There are a few more to come.”

The 46-year-old has been studying Russian history, earlier wars and the Soviet way of thinking for many years.

Nevertheless, she did not believe in an attack on Ukraine until the very end.

"I was speechless.

I immediately bought plane tickets to Germany.

You have been cancelled.

Then I spent all my remaining money on more.

They too were cancelled.” Dubina's fears grew steadily, colleagues at Moscow's top university “Shaninka” had already been sentenced to prison – without a fair trial, she says.

"I was wondering if I should hide in some village with my five-year-old daughter.

I had such thoughts.”


Putin's war of aggression: the future of many Russian refugees is uncertain

Now the two have found accommodation in a small apartment in Bremen.

Dubina has often taught at German universities in the past.

That enabled her to escape.

"Fortunately, my employer bought us tickets to Germany via Istanbul," she says.

She received a scholarship at the Research Center for Eastern Europe in Bremen.

She can now stay for six months.

She doesn't know where to go next.

In any case, she cannot go back to Moscow.

*

Merkur.de

is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-04-02

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