We are publishing the key findings of a study conducted by the IFR Displacement Lab as part of the Ideas for Russia initiative. This lab is one of nine research laboratories within the Ideas for Russia Labs project, which aims to explore the experiences of Russian emigrants who left the country following the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The IFR Displacement Lab research team focused on the ways Russian emigrants with children attempt to preserve and expand their social capital in the context of emigration.
Research Mentors:
- Anna Kuleshova — a project coordinator at the Social Foresight Group, Ph.D. in Sociology, journalist
- Polina Aronson — Ph.D. in sociology, Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences (Berlin, Germany)
Project Interns:
- Andrey Frolov — Independent researcher, MA in Political Science
- Aurora Vettori Levorin — Master’s student in History
- Varvara Shipnevskaia — Master’s student in Sociology
Key Findings:
Reasons for Emigration
85% of surveyed families left Russia due to political repression and disagreement with the country’s situation. Emigration was often accompanied by concerns for the safety and future of their children.
Financial Situation Before Emigration
- 75% of surveyed families reported an average income level, owning property and a car.
- 10% had a high income.
- 15% faced financial difficulties.
This influenced their ability to adapt to new environments.
Emigration as a Resource for Mutual Support
In six out of twenty cases, respondents changed their professional focus, creating projects to support other Russian-speaking emigrants.
Attitudes Towards Other Emigrants
Respondents do not differentiate between “economic” and “political” migrants. Those who left Russia deliberately before 2022 actively assist new waves of emigrants through communities, chats, and support groups.
Challenges of Integration
Respondents rarely form stable connections with local residents. Challenges they face are often unfamiliar to citizens of host countries, creating barriers to interaction.
Maintaining Connections
All surveyed families maintain contact with relatives and friends in Russia, despite differing views.
Children’s Adaptation
Children from the surveyed families adapt more easily to new environments through schools and extracurricular activities. At the same time, parents often create a Russian-speaking cultural environment for their children.
Education
Foreign educational systems received high praise for their humanistic approach and care for children. However, parents noted a lack of discipline and weaker teaching of STEM subjects.
Interactions with Ukrainian Families
Despite tensions, respondents highlighted examples of non-confrontational interactions. For instance, Russian and Ukrainian children communicate during events, even when their parents limit contact.
Russian-Language Initiatives
Most of the surveyed parents choose additional activities and classes for their children in Russian-speaking centers. In cases where such options are unavailable, emigrants establish their own. For example, cultural centers for Russian-speaking children have been created in Serbia and Portugal.
Changes in Family Life
In most of the surveyed nuclear families, one parent, often the mother, lost their job in their field. Emigration has altered family roles: parents spend more time with children and take on all responsibilities for their upbringing without the help of grandparents.
Mobility in Emigration
One-third of surveyed families moved within or between host countries, often seeking better conditions for their children.
Criteria for Return
One-fifth of respondents have not sold their apartments in Russia or rented them out, viewing them as a key asset for potential return. Conditions for return include the end of the war, a change in political regime, and economic stabilization.
Specific Challenges for Families with Children
Families with children face unique challenges, including:
- Rapid integration into new educational systems to minimize stress for children.
- Establishing “parallel” Russian-speaking structures (schools, clubs, cultural centers).
- Financial and time costs of children’s adaptation, including language acquisition and lifestyle adjustments.
The full report from the IFR Displacement Lab is available:
— Read in English
— Читать на русском