Westerners who traveled to Moscow in search of traditional values return empty-handed

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Is Russia the promised land for those who are frustrated by the erosion of moral standards and want to return to traditional values? BBC World set out to investigate and sought out Westerners who are openly anti-woke and have moved to Russia.

A small but notable group of people from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and parts of Europe are moving to Russia in the hope of a life with more faith, family, and security. For example, Leo Hare, a Christian American from Texas, moved to Russia in late 2023 after being granted asylum. He believed he could build a better future for his family there. But now even he says he's finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the restrictions on information and other aspects of the Russian system.

Hare is part of a broader migration flow that Russia itself is actively trying to encourage. In 2024, President Vladimir Putin introduced the so-called “Shared Values” visas, also known in the corridors of power as the “anti-woke” visa program. This program grants citizens from 47 countries labeled by Russia as “unfriendly” the right to temporary residence for up to three years, without requiring language, history, or knowledge tests. Applicants must, however, declare that they share Russia’s traditional spiritual and moral values and reject the “destructive neoliberal ideology” of their home country.

Westerners who moved to Russia for “traditional values” disappointed

The policy fits into the Kremlin’s strategy of portraying Russia as the antithesis of the West. Online recruitment agencies and influencers depict the country as a place where family values still hold strong and daily life feels safer. But for many newcomers, the reality turns out to be more challenging. Hare says that after suffering a financial loss, he even became homeless, and later had to start over in a small apartment in Ivanovo.

Not everyone leaves for ideological reasons. Ben, a Brit from Derby, moved to Russia in 2023 because of a Russian partner. He says he feels safer there, but doesn’t call Russia a conservative paradise. According to him, reality and the image painted by some Western influencers are two different things.

This migration flow remains small for now, but it does show how Russia is trying to turn ideological discontent in the West into an immigration narrative.

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