Russian Emigration: Millennials Hit the Road to Escape Putin’s Antiquated Attitudes

From the incarceration of the all-woman protest group Pussy Riot to the recent uproar over gay rights in Russia and the threat of prosecution of gay Olympic athletes, it’s no secret that many young people are angered and seriously considering emigrating from Putin’s Russia; some have already reunited with friends and family in the US and other countries.

In a recent article from Russia Beyond the Headlines, a poll of Russians across different age groups was quite revealing. According to a poll of 1600 Russian nationals, 29% of people aged 18-24 said they felt emigration from Russia was on the rise, while 28% of people aged 45-59 said the exact opposite was true, and that Russian emigration was in decline.

Not surprisingly, those most likely to be emotionally and socially affected by the current attitudes against gay rights, women’s rights, and civil liberties are those who feel that the numbers of people leaving Russia are on the rise, and many young Russians are ready to leave themselves.

According to the Russia Beyond the Headlines poll, of the 1600 people polled, those who stated they would like to emigrate from Russia noted the top reasons for wanting to leave were a higher sense of safety in another country, better opportunities outside of Russia, and simply wanting to leave to be reunited with loved ones already living outside of Russia.

An increase in the number of Russian students to accent reduction classes and online programs to improve English pronunciation tells us that those already in the US are taking their presence here seriously—they are educating themselves on American culture, learning how to speak English like an American, registering on American dating sites, and signing up for classes at US-based community colleges.

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Janie M Diaz

Public Relations

Prado Media

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