Four years after Russia’s wartime exodus began, another wave may be starting. Political scientist Margarita Zavadskaya on what we’ve learned about Russian emigration since 2022.
In 2026, Russians are once again leaving the country en masse. For them, the long process of building a new life almost from scratch is only beginning. Meanwhile, many emigrants have already lived in several countries — and still haven’t found a place to settle down. Others have found a genuine new home, while still others have returned to Russia. Meduza spoke with political scientist Margarita…
In September 2026, Russians are once again leaving the country in large numbers. Political scientist Margarita Zavadskaya, a senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and co-founder of the OutRush project, discusses the ongoing wave of emigration and the differences between waves. She argues that the conflict between "those who left" and "those who stayed" is a narrative promoted by Russian propaganda and not a significant rift in reality.
Emigrants tend to feel more empathy for those who stayed, according to research conducted by Zavadskaya. Many emigrants have lived in multiple countries and still struggle to find a place to call home, while others have returned to Russia. The Levada Center poll shows some negativity but also demonstrates that people in Russia have someone who left are not disliked.
Outside Russia, people experience a disconnect from events and loved ones in Russia. Emigrants are getting more irritated and tired of reading Russian news, but few decide to leave the Russian-language media space entirely.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
