Russia to offer sanctuary & residency to foreigners disgusted by the demonic globohomo clown world west

[TheLearningWife]

Bumping this thread.

US gov does not recommend traveling to Russia. Any American living there who could chime in about moving or visiting Russia?

On Telegram there’s groups like The Russian Experience and Father Joseph in Russia, but the advice you get from the latter is a little censored since some people have financial incentives to get people to move aboard and use their services, so take things with a grain of salt. Tim Kirby is pretty realistic too, they have an American Village project going on, but it’s also far out of the Moscow region and traffic can be brutal (hours long) outside of the circle.

I have family there and have been many times for various lengths, so things like “move to the middle of nowhere with 0 fluency in Russian, no job prospects, and a weak/unreliable electrical grid” are a hard sell, but people do it with mixed results. Realistically, for moving, your options are Moscow or St Petersburg, Krasnodar is a stretch since their quota fills up very fast (it’s a warm region) and they’re trying to make Nizhny Novgorod an immigrant hotspot. The region is important because some immigration centers are a nightmare to deal with outside of big cities and some will actively make things harder for you. Russia is all about rules, if they say blue ink and you use black, denied. If there was supposed to be a period and you omitted it, whole application denied.

There was a mini rush of Westerners who moved there during Biden’s presidency and some came back to their home country. It was harder for people who had weak/introvert personalities, didn’t have cultural ties to RU, moved to a rural area, built or overspent on a home, had older kids (middle school-high school), didn’t have enough savings to bridge getting set up and getting permanent residency (the right to work). You can’t really expect to get a job without like B2/C Russian fluency unless maybe you are a natural entrepreneur and start your own gig. People will tell you teaching English is a great gig but it’s more than that… you better have great people skills, marketing, organization, etc., or that will fail too. Some thought they had global jobs in IT, but they got caught somehow and lost their jobs. If you want to see what I mean, check out this channel for a real life example:

Russia: The American Dream

The story of an American who moved to Russia and married his beautiful Russian wife. Follow us for more!

m.youtube.com

I hope it works out for him, it’s a tough situation to be in.

Real estate prices and food have gone up, for local salary it sucks, but with USD/Euro conversion it’s still good. But don’t expect to find an apartment in Moscow for less than $150k and gone are the days of homes in the region for 1 million rubles ($11k).

As for visiting, it’s fine. You can get a 3 year tourist visa and fly through Beijing, Belgrade, Istanbul, Qatar (Doha), etc. Some people get asked questions on return to US, maybe their phone searched, but not always.

I don’t find many people to be truthful/honest online though, best to visit in-person and network, and really evaluate what would motivate you to move. I find there is almost censorship of bad experience in English speaking channels, so be warned! Things like being married already or single will also change your options. Things are definitely improving, but average people there are struggling with same problems as US, minus the LGBT nonsense. Check out Putin’s last 2 St Petersburg Economic Forum speeches to see what direction they’re moving in (building up internal infrastructure especially in far east, expanding beef production, etc).

If you’re interested in a breakdown of the process to temporary and then permanent residency, this is very good: https://movingtorussia.substack.com/p/16-steps-to-legal-residency-in-russia

If you have a family, they made it easier to apply for temporary residency without leaving your country. It was an issue for a while where people would up and leave their home countries and not even know if they’d make quota, so this change was a big deal.

 

[TheLearningWife]

This family from Texas has been in rural Russia since 2023, it seems to be working for them and I enjoy his channel:

Russian Ark

Welcome to the Russian Ark youtube channel which chronicles my experience as an Orthodox Christian who moved his family of seven, from Texas to Russia in July of 2023. We have been living in rural Russia for over a year, own a home and some additional land for future use, and have legal...

m.youtube.com

 

[analyst_green]

I have family there and have been many times for various lengths, so things like “move to the middle of nowhere with 0 fluency in Russian, no job prospects, and a weak/unreliable electrical grid” are a hard sell, but people do it with mixed results. Realistically, for moving, your options are Moscow or St Petersburg, Krasnodar is a stretch since their quota fills up very fast (it’s a warm region) and they’re trying to make Nizhny Novgorod an immigrant hotspot. The region is important because some immigration centers are a nightmare to deal with outside of big cities and some will actively make things harder for you. Russia is all about rules, if they say blue ink and you use black, denied. If there was supposed to be a period and you omitted it, whole application denied.

Nizhny seems like a great option. Big city but not too big and just a few hours by high-speed train from the capital. My impression is that Moscow and St. Pete have some of the stuff many Westerners are trying to avoid. Moscow is also hectic and congested like NYC, and St. Pete is just too far north so the winters are atrociously dreary.

I wonder if Rostov-na-donu might not be a good place? Besides Krasnodar, it may be their only large city with temperate winters.

I don't think you want to go rural moving to a foreign country where you don't speak the language. You want somewhere with lots of services, where a good number of people speak English.

 

[Australia Sucks]

Thus, as a 30 something year old foreigner I don't think you have too much to worry about.

For now. Who says they cannot revise the conscription age range if they are running low on troops and get desperate? Maybe they will change it to 18 - 40 later.

 

[Australia Sucks]

I wonder if Rostov-na-donu might not be a good place? Besides Krasnodar, it may be their only large city with temperate winters.

This is the biggest problem with Russia for foreginers. Who wants to freeze their ass off for 6 - 8 months per year?

 

[Australia Sucks]

But don’t expect to find an apartment in Moscow for less than $150k and gone are the days of homes in the region for 1 million rubles ($11k).

$150,000 for an apartment is still very reasonable for a major international city like Moscow. Expect to pay at least $600,000 if not more for an apartment in "western" international cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, London, Berlin, New York, Paris, Munich, Stockholm, Zurich, Vancouver, Rome, Toronto, Amsterdam, etc.

 

[analyst_green]

This is the biggest problem with Russia for foreginers. Who wants to freeze their ass off for 6 - 8 months per year?

I can deal with the cold but the lack of sunlight gets me. I've been to Yorkshire in January, where it felt like it was constantly sunrise or sunset. If you could even see the sun through all the clouds. I understand why so many Russians vacation in Egypt or Thailand every winter.

 

[starlight]

Moving to Russia right now seems like a really stupid idea...

 

[Shaquilleoatmeal]

Moving to Russia right now seems like a really stupid idea...

Voting for Trump seems like it was a stupid idea.

 

[tikkasakko]

For now. Who says they cannot revise the conscription age range if they are running low on troops and get desperate? Maybe they will change it to 18 - 40 later.

People from Canada, particularly the North like myself would have no problem with the winters in western Russia. Our average temps are closer to Siberia.

 

[Cooper]

I can deal with the cold but the lack of sunlight gets me. I've been to Yorkshire in January, where it felt like it was constantly sunrise or sunset. If you could even see the sun through all the clouds. I understand why so many Russians vacation in Egypt or Thailand every winter.

There is plenty of sunlight in Russian winters compared to say, western Europe where it's mostly damp and overcast, however sunny days usually fall on the coldest days, and the days are short in winter.

 

[magoo]

 

[TheLearningWife]

Nizhny seems like a great option. Big city but not too big and just a few hours by high-speed train from the capital. My impression is that Moscow and St. Pete have some of the stuff many Westerners are trying to avoid. Moscow is also hectic and congested like NYC, and St. Pete is just too far north so the winters are atrociously dreary.

I wonder if Rostov-na-donu might not be a good place? Besides Krasnodar, it may be their only large city with temperate winters.

I don't think you want to go rural moving to a foreign country where you don't speak the language. You want somewhere with lots of services, where a good number of people speak English.

Yes about the cities, you just gotta hole up somewhere you can stand for a while until you get permanent residency and can move wherever. It is all about practicality and function at this point. Before then, you are tied to the region you applied in. Many find that it is easier to purchase a property because most landlords are unwilling to register you with local government as it’s more paperwork and hassle. That’s the American Village idea. There was a change recently where you can register yourself I believe, but bigger cities are easier in this regard, and easier to sell a property if you decide to move elsewhere after residency is established. You can rent your apartment for income and move somewhere else.


It is really up to the individual what they are looking for, but bigger cities with some expat community will allow for networking opportunities and you don’t want to be isolated… you need to be out and about practicing the language because it’s hard, especially the older you are. Permanent residency and citizenship require language tests, and you simply must be fluent to get a job (unless rare exceptions based on individual circumstances).


Here’s a good video comparing Moscow & St Petersburg:



It’s a big thing online to suggest people move to the Yaroslavl region, Borisoglebsky, Rostov Veliky, and they’re nice towns, but my relatives laugh at this idea… because there are native Russians who take the train on Monday to Moscow to work as a security guard until they go home on Friday back to their village because there aren’t decent jobs around these areas…. I’m not saying they totally suck or can’t be revived, but it’s kind of like an immigrant moving to West Virginia or upstate NY. Lots of history, beautiful scenery, cottage industries, but what exactly are you going to do for work? Mostly retirees from bigger cities or part-time residents (dachas). #1 thing that people overlook, for sure. Like everything in life, there’s trade-offs. West Virginia has one of the best ROCOR churches in the US, but difficult getting a decent job there and the surrounding area is economically depressed.

All very individual, but some things to consider:

-a good church, first
-healthy local economy
-close proximity and agreeable immigration center
-reliable internet connection
-grocery stores and amenities/public transportation within walking distance, especially without car
-(for small cities/villages) is the local electric grid reliable? Very different attitudes than Westerners are used to re: outages… need back up generator in winter, grids may not be built to handle home with multiple appliances of convenience running at once, availability of utilities. You really want a natural gas line running to your house to make life easier.
-the local culture

You have to visit in person at the end of the day and don’t expect to find a perfect place on Day 1. Really, it’s the only way, because something can look great online or by stats and not be so in person. Church networking is crucial. Some people are ok with rural, some are able to come with decent cash reserves, others want city life. Where can you afford to live while waiting on residency? If you have the means to get (I think) 10 years permanent residency through real estate investment (sorry I can’t remember exactly, I want to say 500k plus, depends on the area… larger metros= more $$$) that’s a good option. There are other investment programs also.

I only have personal experiences with Moscow and St Petersburg and a small dacha village, so that’s all I can personally speak on.

On Krasnodar, some areas/homes do not have indoor plumbing at all, just something to be aware of (outside main city). Other regions too. Real estate scams are common in this region. Sochi gets bad traffic during summer as highways are squeezed between mountains and Black Sea. Quota for these areas is very competitive. Depends what program you are applying under, with the new hostile countries values permit, you don’t have to be there to find out if you got in.

Sorry for being all over the place, I hope this helps!

 

[TheLearningWife]

I only watched a little of this video, the lady’s voice is unbearable, but I read in her video description that her husband voluntarily joined the military to weld or whatever, and then he was sent to front lines. So he was not conscripted, to be clear. Since she mentioned in her description that they had only been in Russia for a few months when he decided to do this, I’m guessing the immigration benefits were worth it to them.

Putin first allowed fast-track citizenship for foreigners who sign contracts with the Russian army in September 2022, shortly after announcing a partial mobilization to draft 300,000 reservists for Ukraine.

Those immigrants who signed a contract for at least a year and take part in active hostilities for at least six months were allowed to apply for citizenship without demonstrating sufficient knowledge of Russian or the fact that they'd lived in the country for five straight years under a residency permit. Spouses and children were also eligible to apply. Authorities were obligated to decide on such applications within three months, according a presidential decree at the time.

Link

 

[Droughtmeat]

Yes about the cities, you just gotta hole up somewhere you can stand for a while until you get permanent residency and can move wherever. It is all about practicality and function at this point. Before then, you are tied to the region you applied in. Many find that it is easier to purchase a property because most landlords are unwilling to register you with local government as it’s more paperwork and hassle. That’s the American Village idea. There was a change recently where you can register yourself I believe, but bigger cities are easier in this regard, and easier to sell a property if you decide to move elsewhere after residency is established. You can rent your apartment for income and move somewhere else.


It is really up to the individual what they are looking for, but bigger cities with some expat community will allow for networking opportunities and you don’t want to be isolated… you need to be out and about practicing the language because it’s hard, especially the older you are. Permanent residency and citizenship require language tests, and you simply must be fluent to get a job (unless rare exceptions based on individual circumstances).


Here’s a good video comparing Moscow & St Petersburg:



It’s a big thing online to suggest people move to the Yaroslavl region, Borisoglebsky, Rostov Veliky, and they’re nice towns, but my relatives laugh at this idea… because there are native Russians who take the train on Monday to Moscow to work as a security guard until they go home on Friday back to their village because there aren’t decent jobs around these areas…. I’m not saying they totally suck or can’t be revived, but it’s kind of like an immigrant moving to West Virginia or upstate NY. Lots of history, beautiful scenery, cottage industries, but what exactly are you going to do for work? Mostly retirees from bigger cities or part-time residents (dachas). #1 thing that people overlook, for sure. Like everything in life, there’s trade-offs. West Virginia has one of the best ROCOR churches in the US, but difficult getting a decent job there and the surrounding area is economically depressed.

All very individual, but some things to consider:

-a good church, first
-healthy local economy
-close proximity and agreeable immigration center
-reliable internet connection
-grocery stores and amenities/public transportation within walking distance, especially without car
-(for small cities/villages) is the local electric grid reliable? Very different attitudes than Westerners are used to re: outages… need back up generator in winter, grids may not be built to handle home with multiple appliances of convenience running at once, availability of utilities. You really want a natural gas line running to your house to make life easier.
-the local culture

You have to visit in person at the end of the day and don’t expect to find a perfect place on Day 1. Really, it’s the only way, because something can look great online or by stats and not be so in person. Church networking is crucial. Some people are ok with rural, some are able to come with decent cash reserves, others want city life. Where can you afford to live while waiting on residency? If you have the means to get (I think) 10 years permanent residency through real estate investment (sorry I can’t remember exactly, I want to say 500k plus, depends on the area… larger metros= more $$$) that’s a good option. There are other investment programs also.

I only have personal experiences with Moscow and St Petersburg and a small dacha village, so that’s all I can personally speak on.

On Krasnodar, some areas/homes do not have indoor plumbing at all, just something to be aware of (outside main city). Other regions too. Real estate scams are common in this region. Sochi gets bad traffic during summer as highways are squeezed between mountains and Black Sea. Quota for these areas is very competitive. Depends what program you are applying under, with the new hostile countries values permit, you don’t have to be there to find out if you got in.

Sorry for being all over the place, I hope this helps!

Great post. It's "all over the place" because you made sure to consider a whole gamut of things. I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of networking and creating a social circle. Ultimately, it just makes life easier for you and can help you avoid unnecessary problems. Ideally, you'll know some expats and locals.

I'm a huge fan of not really talking to anyone for weeks at a time. But I still like to contrast that with periods of elevated social activity and understand the value thereof more now.

 

[Tippy]

Is this really an earnest consideration?

Why not Poland or if you want more non US ally, Serbia. Why must it be Russia?

 

[Samseau]

This is the biggest problem with Russia for foreginers. Who wants to freeze their ass off for 6 - 8 months per year?

I can deal with the cold but the lack of sunlight gets me. I've been to Yorkshire in January, where it felt like it was constantly sunrise or sunset. If you could even see the sun through all the clouds. I understand why so many Russians vacation in Egypt or Thailand every winter.

These two factors are also why Russia will always be predominately White. Only Whites can handle such climates and lack of sunlight for long periods of time. Asians handle it better than Blacks but the depression factor for them is real and severely impacts their ability to thrive.

 

[budoslavic]

Is this really an earnest consideration?

The Russian government agencies are willing to welcome outside foreigners - especially those of Christian faith - who wish to immigrate to Russia. There are support and network groups available to foreigners to help them with immigration and/or visa paperwork.

Why not Poland

Sure...if you are Catholic, Poland is a good fit.

or if you want more non US ally, Serbia.

Does Serbians offer support and network groups for foreigners?

Why must it be Russia?

Why not? Nobody is interested in having LGBQT+, tranny, gender pronoun, equality, etc. shove down in one's throat.

Who wants to freeze their ass off for 6 - 8 months per year?

Russia's winter is not for the weak. I live in the northeastern part of the U.S. that's similar to Russia's harsh winter conditions.

 

[analyst_green]

These two factors are also why Russia will always be predominately White. Only Whites can handle such climates and lack of sunlight for long periods of time. Asians handle it better than Blacks but the depression factor for them is real and severely impacts their ability to thrive.

That's only true if they don't get free handouts. Sweden is being flooded with millions of third world immigrants who are willing to put up with the harsh climate in exchange.

 

[Australia Sucks]

Sure...if you are Catholic, Poland is a good fit.


Does Serbians offer support and network groups for foreigners?

Poland is becoming very westernized now.

As for Serbia the Serbs aren't overly accepting of foreigners and are very nationalistic so its going to be much harder to get acceptance from them. Its likely going to feel lonely for a long time as a foreigner living in Serbia. Whereas Russia is the Russian Federation and is a multi-ethnic state and also receives a lot of central Asian immigrants so they are already used to the presence of non-Russians and will likely be more accepting of foreigners. And in terms of marriage prospects for foreign men Russian women are far more open to the idea of marrying a foreign man than Serbian women are.