Sociological surveys in Russia have found a new increase in interest in emigration. It is not as high as at the beginning of the war against Ukraine in 2022, but according to researchers it is more stable, although less intense. The growth has been observed since March - against the background of constant internet shutdowns and the strengthening of network blockades.
It is there that the topic of emigration is also becoming increasingly popular. People working in the IT sector and creative professions in particular are talking about the growing sense of instability: from technical restrictions, to worries about the professional future, to the risk of losing their jobs due to the blocked internet. The preferred routes remain traditional - Armenia and Serbia, but also Belarus and Kazakhstan.
"Like an astronaut without a connection"
A 30-year-old social media marketing specialist from Moscow, Mikhail (his name has been changed - ed.) admits that he has already left Russia twice - first because of the war, then because of mobilization.
Mikhail worked in the field of digital marketing and until recently tried to adapt to the restrictions. At first, he perceived the blockades simply as an inconvenience, but over time the situation changed - the blocking of social networks in Russia simply does not allow him to work. “You lose your instrument, you feel like an astronaut without a connection."
He is considering going to Armenia or Serbia, but hopes to find a reliable VPN that can handle the blockades so that he doesn't have to leave.
"Mentally, I'm no longer here"
33-year-old Zhanna (the woman's name has also been changed - editor's note), who works in marketing, says she started thinking about leaving immediately after the war began, but then stayed for personal reasons. Those have now fallen through, and now her concern is not so much about her professional future as about the risk of losing contact with her relatives and loved ones.
According to her, the restrictions in the digital environment have already become commonplace in Russia and do not cause a strong shock. But she fears that the blockades will become so total that she will lose her job. Zhanna says that companies are cutting their budgets, and at the same time, the income of specialists is falling. “It is getting more complicated with marketing budgets - many sponsors have started cutting salaries and bonuses because they are trying to survive.”
Zhanna plans to go to Asia - to Vietnam or Thailand, to “take a breather from the endless worries”, and from there head to Serbia. She chose this country because of its accessibility, relatively understandable legalization rules and the ability to work from home.
”Mentally, I am no longer here”, the woman tells DW. She wants to emigrate from Russia permanently - she does not believe that radical changes will take place in the country in the near future. “This president will be replaced by someone like him, everything will fall apart."
"When they turned off the internet, everything became clear"
27-year-old Elena (her name has been changed - editor's note), who works at a bank in St. Petersburg, hesitated for a long time between different options for emigration. But after a series of mobile internet outages in her city, she quickly made a decision, the young woman told DW.
“I was outside and my internet just stopped, I lost all connection. I couldn't log into the bank's app," she recalls. Then she said to herself - I can't do this anymore."
She is also considering settling in Serbia - in Belgrade or Novi Sad, where prices are affordable and she can easily legalize her documents. She hopes to find a job that will allow her to work from home. “I will work, I will live, I will get used to the new reality and I will watch my homeland with fear."
Between anxiety and fatigue
Ana, a 33-year-old artist and English teacher (the woman's real name is different - ed.) describes her condition as a mixture of anxiety and fatigue. She says that her sense of insecurity has intensified after the drone attacks in her region in southern Russia.
For her, the most realistic option for leaving is Belarus - because of the proximity of language and culture. She is also considering Serbia, but admits that this option seems more complicated and less accessible to her - she is worried about whether she will be able to obtain residency, since she does not have a permanent income. Anna says it is becoming increasingly difficult for her to organize online lessons with her students due to unstable internet.
The 2022 wave: how many Russians have returned?
According to various estimates, between half a million and one million people left Russia in 2022. The official figures from the Russian Statistics Service are lower: 419,000 by the beginning of September, and for the whole year - 668,000. This is much more than in the period between 1993 and 2001.
At the same time, independent estimates indicate a much larger outflow. According to data from sources of “Forbes”, in just two weeks after the announcement of partial mobilization on September 21, 2022, about 700,000 people probably left Russia. In the following years, the figures decreased: in 2023, 450,000 people left, according to official data, in 2024 - 423,000. About ten percent subsequently returned to Russia, according to the results of monitoring by the Institute for Applied Economic Research of the RANEPA.
Author: Evgeny Dyukov