These are Russian exiles who choose to return home

That was two years ago. The start of the Kremlin’s “special military operations” in Ukraine and the end of Igor’s promising studies. The 17-year-old was preparing to enter one of the best universities in Moscow. “But the day Russia started this war that is not ours, we did not hesitate», recalls Piotr, his father, a 53-year-old computer scientist. Together, Igor and Piotr joined small groups of protesters taking to the streets to shout their protest. They spoke to the press. Father and son kept footage of the interview. Videos showing him have been circulating on social networks.

“When they came home, we understood the danger: we had to leave the country”, recalls Marina, the mother, 50, an executive in a private company. The new law promises up to fifteen years in prison for those found guilty “infamous” the army Neither man was free from mobility. Hastily, but with European visas and financial reserves in their pockets, the family fled ten days after the invasion began. First in Bulgaria, then Israel.

Today, the couple describes their escape from the kitchen of their family apartment in Moscow. “We had to come back. Who needs us there? Our roots, our mentality remain Russian», explains Piotr. The computer scientist took his computers to continue working remotely, but his salary did not cover the family’s expenses in exile. “We cannot live in a foreign land, as eternal sojourners

», Marina adds, is also returning to her parents and her invalid brother. Wisely, they continue to oppose the Kremlin. Igor, the son, eventually got into a good university in the Netherlands. “If there weren’t PoutineAnd its war, we will come here as a tea-drinking family”, pity Piotr. But the main thing is there: Igor is safe, far from Russia.

“There will be no new consolidation”

Like them, several million, perhaps up to a million, Russians left their country in the first year of the conflict, in opposition to the Kremlin or fear of mobilization. Estimates vary, difficult to verify. As regards the number of those who returned, but which would be more. Their reasons are various: family, professional or financial. Others simply believe that the worst is over.

“There will be no fresh mobilization as the army is recruiting enough volunteersAnatoly believes, 43 years old. The risks are low. And we got used to living in this Russia which we don’t like but which is our country. » He is more comfortable because, in an economy that remains resilient, he works in a growing sector: catering. “Western sanctions have had the opposite effect: the richest people can no longer take their money and so there are plenty of them in Moscow, with many new restaurants! »

In contrast, 25-year-old Andre lives in political and mental anguish. His husky voice and lonely gaze betray his daily stress. During mobilization, he didn’t hesitate to put aside his promising start in marketing to flee to Uzbekistan, one of the countries in the former Soviet Union where Russians can still visit without a visa. “But, without work, without savings, I had to return to Moscow. And it’s hard to live in a country that’s not your own.”

Andre moans. “Today I have a job. But I am afraid. At any time, the army can reorganize. And the courts could prosecute me for my anti-war positions. » A sad smile crosses his face. “In doubt and fear, we live more than we live. Without a horizon. »

Better back off… leave

Others, like Andrey, dream of being able to leave Russia again. And he is not the only one in Moscow who has returned from exile. “ Everything is ready! », smiles 35-year-old Sergey. This is director’s objection “This war that shames us.” An artistic challenge: it zigzags between liberal beliefs and oppressive laws. But also a family challenge: when, in September 2022, the army announced its “partial mobilization”, he left his pregnant wife in Russia and took refuge with friends in Poland, then in Germany and Turkey. . “It was panic, but leaving was the right decision”Remembers Sergei.

Over coffee in Moscow, he talks about his upcoming departure. He came back to Russia because he didn’t want to be away from his family. After the birth of her second child, due in late March, they will all leave together. Not a chaotic escape this time, though “A Real Departure”. Direct them to a country in the European Union that issued them a visa. Well connected, Sergei counts on the help of his cultural network. Acting without thinking about the risk of arrest. To start a new life without war and without danger…” This time he would have enough means to finance this great family upheaval. He sold his apartment and transferred the money to a bank account in the Central Asian capital. In a country friendly to Russia, but also to Europe.

Among the Kremlin’s many opponents, another Duma bill has just sent chills. At the end of January, deputies adopted a text that allows the confiscation of assets of people considered too critical. It’s certainly not written in black and white, but the message is clear. Main target: Russians who fled the country, as described “traitor” Through Kremlin propaganda, their property, especially real estate, can be punished by confiscation. “ It’s back in 1937! », fear like another Sergei, an allusion to the period of Stalinist terror. For him, there is no doubt: we must leave Putinian Russia.

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