Three million Westerners relocating to Russia may sound like a bad joke, but it is, in fact, a possibility. ‘In my estimates, at least 1 million Americans are willing to move to Russia,’ says Charles Bausman, an American journalist who converted to Orthodox Christianity.
Vladimir Putin signed a decree that literally acknowledged the phenomenon of ethical dissent in Western countries. The document makes it easier for foreign nationals seeking to escape destructive neoliberal ideas to obtain a temporary residence permit in Russia.
Curiously, Russia is the world’s largest country that has yet to fully tap into its boundless potential. A vast yet scarcely populated swathe of land is waiting for its enthusiastic forward-looking trailblazers. And those could include foreigners that share this nation’s core values. These invaluable human resources may well turn into Russia’s full-fledged citizens.
Russia has a history of successfully attracting foreign nationals. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Russian Empire became home to hundreds of thousands of Europeans. Those immigrants spawned the country’s most eminent nobility as well as its intellectual and agricultural elites that went on to contribute to Russia’s prosperity.
Over the past few years, the world has been going through a sweeping cultural rebuild. As a result, many Europeans and Americans have found it hard to adapt to a new and unwelcome reality of their home countries. They are desperately looking for a new place to call home.
One possible destination is Russia, with its huge expanses and a cultural code that may be appealing to millions of open-minded individuals. This unique and multifaceted blend of nationalities and traditions translates into an ambitious future-oriented culture ushering in a raft of exciting opportunities.
Pereslavl-Zalessky is an ancient town with a storied past. It is perched in the Yaroslavl Region that has recently become a magnet for dozens of Europeans and Americans expats, the ones who have permanently relocated to Russia. Those brave people include Benjamin Forster (originally from Switzerland), Jason Silouan Christopher Campbell (US), the Hartvigsen family (Denmark), Frederic Andrieu and Gilles Voltaire (France), Jan Bessen (Belgium), etc. These men and women have all ditched the ‘progressive’ world and moved to Russia’s heartland.
In recent years, Russia has hospitably embraced thousands upon thousands of former Europeans, all proactive and creative individuals.
Benjamin Forster, now a naturalised Russian citizen, hails from a German-speaking part of Switzerland. He had no familial ties to Russia. Yet, Benjamin moved to Pereslavl-Zalessky to find his forever home. He got married, and the couple welcomed their first child. Already in Russia, Benjamin converted to old-style Orthodox Christianity. Moreover, he became a Cossack and took up organic beekeeping. One would say it does not get more Russian than that.
But what is so special about Russia? What is it that draws people like Benjamin and leaves them mesmerised? A couple of years ago, the list of reasons was quite standard – and predictably so. One of them was obviously the sheer size of the country. Shortly after moving, Forster said: ’Switzerland is like a tiny yet expensive apartment with no breathing space. Everything is tightly regulated. Russia, by contrast, is about the vast expanses and freedom.’ Besides, it offered ample economic opportunity. Unlike in Switzerland, people like Benjamin could easily afford to purchase a 2.5-acre plot to start a bee farm.
Thirdly, newcomers from Europe were increasingly getting sick of new Western values the government began ramming down people’s throats. Take the Hartvigsens, for example. Mira and Daniel fled Denmark in 2022, both aged 21. The young family had just had a kid when the Danish government eyed taking them away from the family, as Mira and Daniel considered converting to Orthodox Christianity.
That being said, several years back, moving to Russia may not have been at the top of the list of relocation options for Europeans. But then the Western governments really shifted gears in their ideological crackdown, pushing away a large demographic and almost turning them into dissidents. The gender theory, discriminatory policy towards the ethnic majority, the cancel culture, the mockery of religion and the rest of the neoliberal agenda is now turning millions of reasonable individuals into the persecuted fringe element.
‘In my estimates, at least 1 million Americans are willing to move to Russia,’ says Charles Bausman, an American journalist who converted to Orthodox Christianity. ‘These are all decent and hard-working people. One would call them normies. I’m 58 years old. The US used to be a middle-class paradise. But this is all gone now. A white male with a middle-class-level income has been turned into a pariah.’ Charles goes on to assume the number of Westerners potentially coming to Russia in the coming years may reach a staggering 3 million.
Historical records show that between the mid-19th century and 1913, around 100 Europeans were relocating to Russia on a daily basis. Every single day, that is.
In the 21st century, such a massive exodus may seem unnatural and unreal even. But this prospect is getting closer than probably ever before. Russia is fast becoming a safe haven for those brave enough to snub the sectarian neoliberal ideals while retaining their dignity.