Editor’s note: The following article from The Beet sheds light on why Western tourists and expats are slowly but surely returning to Russia as Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its third year. Many sources in this report are reluctant to speak publicly due to strict wartime censorship and ongoing repression in Russia, and their names have been changed for their protection (Meduza is still illegal in Russia, after all). The opinions expressed by these sources are their own and do not reflect the views of our editorial office, which has been staunchly opposed to Russia’s war in Ukraine from the beginning.
It was New Year’s Eve 2023 and my friends and relatives in Russia were in a depressed mood. No one was in the mood to celebrate. I was back in Russia for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and war fatigue was palpable everywhere.
In 2022, there were almost no foreign visitors from Western countries, apart from a few curious “war tourists” seeking to capture the Russian reality on social media. According to official statistics, tourism was down about 30% compared to the previous year, with the number of people entering on tourist visas dropping to just 200,000 (one tour operator estimated that organized tourism was down by 90%).
Businessmen, intellectuals and academics did not want to tarnish their reputations by being in Russia. Academics made a fuss on Twitter that they would never return until the war was over. Nevertheless, 13.1 million foreigners visited Russia in 2022 for tourism, work, research and “personal travel”.
For most would-be travelers, the only way to get into Russia was via a nine-hour bus ride or three-hour train ride from Finland or the Baltic states. Flying in from a third country is equally difficult, as Russian aircraft are banned from EU and UK airspace. Higher airfares and long detours are just the beginning: Russia is cut off from the SWIFT international payment system, and booking a ticket on a Russian airline requires a Russian MIR card (or a large sum of cash).
I was the only foreigner when I flew in from Istanbul in late 2022. Those who had entered by bus or train had told me stories of waiting in line for hours, having their phones checked by border guards, and being subjected to full-scale interrogation. But when I got to the border, I was whisked through.
Fast forward to 2023, and I was one of many Westerners waiting in line at passport control at an airport not in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Border guards took their time questioning each of us, inspecting our phones, opening our emails, messenger apps, and contact lists. I waited 40 minutes behind visitors from France, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Italy, and even Argentina. The interview itself took just 10 minutes, but it still delayed my arrival home by two hours.
“What’s not to like about here?”
The number of tourists to Russia in 2023 is expected to increase by about 3.5 times compared to the previous year, with an increase in tourists from almost all countries. The total number of travelers by EU citizens jumped by 30%, with Estonians and Germans being the most numerous visitors. Although still far from pre-pandemic tourist levels, further growth is expected this year. Labor migration figures are unreliable because it is difficult to determine who is a permanent resident due to different visa types.
But expats who stayed in Russia throughout the invasion say they encounter newcomers all the time. An old friend from the Vladimir region recently met a Briton in Rostov-on-Don who had just moved there with his Russian wife and couldn’t speak a word of Russian. (The Briton declined to be interviewed for this article.)
Some Westerners are returning to Russia for purely practical reasons. Tony has just flown into Izhevsk, the capital of Russia’s Udmurt Republic. He must spend a certain number of days in Russia each year to maintain his permanent residence. A Colombian I met at a local shopping mall told me that although visa regulations mean he and his wife have nowhere to go, he doesn’t regret staying. “What don’t you like about here?” he asked rhetorically.
The moon rises over the equestrian statue of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in St. Petersburg on May 25, 2024.
Dmitri Lovetsky / AP / Scanpix / LETA
Western academics have quietly started attending conferences again, some even conducting a bit of research. In fact, it’s still possible to visit the archives; although most academic institutions have banned their staff from traveling to Russia, it’s still possible to visit as a civilian.
“Having connections with Russians is important, especially now. Russians still have a voice, and we need to listen,” one Cambridge academic, who is visiting twice since 2022, told me, and he also encourages his PhD students to visit, since it’s impossible to understand the nuances of Russia and its culture without spending some time here.
Many of the returnees have Russian spouses or family members (as did most of the people I spoke to in line at the airport in late 2023). Craig, from California, has a young son. His work visa expired after the invasion began in 2022, and he had to leave the country temporarily. In his own words, the war influenced his decision to return “zero percent.”
“I missed my family. But now I’m OK.” [here],” He said. “[The war] “Some things have become more difficult – there are more rules and visa requirements now, but to be honest my life hasn’t changed much. In fact, I’m earning more than before.”
“The Western Problem”
Raymond, who has returned after a year’s break, agreed. He’s now more in demand as an English teacher, as many left soon after Russia invaded Ukraine. But that’s not all he and Craig have in common. “A lot of newcomers from the UK and the US are trying to get away from the problems of the West,” Raymond explained. “Wake up, [political correctness]is a right.”
Both he and Craig said they see Russia as a country fighting a “woke epidemic.” They don’t see Russia as a savior of “traditional values,” as some have argued, but rather as a bulwark against what they see as liberal values run wild. In their view, Russia is much better off not getting lost in the maze of issues policing gender identity, race, and language.
Of course, gender and sexuality are indeed hot topics. Late last year, Russia banned the so-called “International LGBT Movement,” making virtually all LGBTQ+ rights activism and exposure illegal. Discrimination is widespread, and transgender rights are particularly restricted. Police have raided LGBTQ+ nightclubs and bars, accusing staff of “extremism.”
Russia bans “LGBT movement”
Everyone interviewed for this article, including those who spoke off the record, mentioned right-wing claims of a “culture war” and the decline of Western society. Many felt “lost” in the West and accused political and cultural elites of “forcing” social change on millions of people without their consent. Craig said that when he returned to the U.S., he felt unable to voice his opinions for fear that young people (who, in his words, “get angry easily”) would unfairly and prematurely judge him.
To what extent these views reflect those of the majority of Westerners still living in Russia is difficult to gauge, but the irony is that most of the people I approached for interviews refused to speak publicly because they or their families feared retribution.
These concerns are not unfounded. There are now strict wartime censorship laws, and Russia has arrested and jailed several US passport holders, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was accused of espionage, and US soldier Gordon Black, who was recently charged with theft. RFE/RL reporter Ars Kurmasheva, who holds dual Russian and US citizenship, faces up to 10 years in prison for “discrediting” the Russian military. Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, currently serving a 25-year sentence for treason, is also a British citizen.
Staying Alive
The Westerners I spoke to seemed unaffected by the war, despite their fear of the Russian authorities. For many, this indifference was due to the fact that they or their relatives were not directly involved in the fighting. That said, it was hard to gauge what their stance on the war was, and this is not a topic that is often discussed.
Sarah, an American teacher at a prestigious Moscow school, says she ignores “things that bring me down.” “I don’t get involved in negativity anymore,” she said when asked to comment on the subject.
When asked if he felt any guilt or complicity in Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Raymond said the war had nothing to do with him. “If I lived back home and I was against the war, it wouldn’t make any difference. What would it make? What would it make a difference?” he asked rhetorically. “Every country has problems,” he continued. “If foreigners are living here happily and not hurting anyone, let them be. Let them live.”
Being here, it is certainly easy to empathize with our foreign compatriots’ feelings of normalcy. After the panic of early 2022, the commotion seems to have subsided. Sure, the cost of living has risen with sanctions and inflation, but the situation is manageable. Most of our favorite local and Western products are still available. Our favorite places are still open. Sending money and traveling abroad has become more complicated, but not impossible. People are adapting and are happy with it.
People walk past a military recruitment advertisement displayed on an electronic screen at a shopping mall in Moscow on May 11, 2024.
Getty Images
Moreover, Westerners who come to Russia for work or family reasons often lead isolated lives: they don’t get involved in Russian politics, have little social contact outside of a small group of people, and see cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg for all their greatness, not their shortcomings.
Yet seeing people busy going about their normal lives can be depressing. Most expats here see Russia’s carefully maintained image of “normalcy” in big, wealthy cities and picturesque countryside. Preoccupied with work and family, the fighting and repression on the front lines, which get so much social media coverage and attention, often feels far away.
Western expatriates seem to have learned from the Russian people not to worry about the war and to live in a different reality, where the risks of speaking out are deemed prohibitively high and futile. Perhaps unsurprisingly, both sides shifted their focus from the war to their personal lives and the things under their control.
When asked what advice he would give to Westerners moving to Russia, Craig immediately replied: “Don’t wear yourself out.” He added: “People can be difficult and very outspoken. Imagine being stopped by the police at 7am in the middle of winter for no reason. If you get angry easily, go somewhere else.” This image of Russia was widespread even before 2022. In some ways, Russia hasn’t changed as much as we might think.
Hello, I’m Eilish Hart, editor of The Beet. Thank you for reading our article. Our newsletter delivers less-covered stories like this one to our subscribers every Thursday. Like all Meduza articles, it’s free to read, but we rely on support from readers like you. Please consider donating to our crowdfunding campaign.
Article by Alex Mitchell for The Beet
Edited by: Eilish Hart
