In the past month, it has been interesting to read the published thoughts of Russian friends as they've gotten their voice back upon escaping the regime leaving the country.
One friend (now in another country) writes daily updates about the state of things, warning fellow citizens not to comply.
One friend (in a different other country) writes about his sadness at leaving his home and not being welcome in a new place. He posts photos in black and white only, as a statement of grief.
The friend that writes the warnings came to the realization that she had surrounded herself with like-minded people, thinking that her views were more common, when really she's in the minority. Most of those leaving the country are people I know in a church context, but politics were never a topic of discussion. It just so happened that in being drawn to each other, we instinctively knew that we shared values, but we didn't ever imagine or guess that they would be tested in this particular context. And now that we know, we may never meet in person again, as I observed in a previous post.
Another friend (still in Russia) wrote a post in the style of a famous diary from the Siege of Leningrad, where a young girl is eventually the only one left (the others having died of starvation). "A. left for Kazakhstan, S. moved to Georgia, V. flew to Turkey, R. is going to hide in the village, T. plans to work from home and not answer his door. C. is panicking. And I haven't decided." *
Meanwhile, back in St. Petersburg: A friend from church writes that she sees no other way but to emigrate. And her brother, in a wheelchair his whole life, has just received his draft notice...
*names changed
I wonder why people are leaving - well, people that aren't in danger of being drafted. Leaving Ukraine I could definitely see.... What is happening in Russia that seems dangerous?
ReplyDeleteRussians have been silenced so you aren't hearing what is happening in Russia. People don't want to live in a country where they can't express themselves freely or worship how they like. Any ties with the West will get you marked as a "foreign agent" and perhaps arrested. A certain percentage are against the war in Ukraine, and helping Ukrainians to get to safety is also risky work. As far as mobilization, it's also the principle of the matter. The State has shown its lack of caring for its own citizens. The LGBT population is terrified. School curriculum is being amended to completely rewrite history and enforce propaganda. Aside from all that, movement is restricted. So if something more "dangerous" did come about, there is no way out. Land borders are mostly closing to Russians, airspace is closed except for a few exceptions, and anyone can be detained at the airport.
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