A former Russian police surveillance officer who fled the country after participating in anti-Kremlin protests has described Armenia as his last refuge after fearing arrest by Russian authorities.
The 31-year-old, identified as Egor, told The iPaper that he resigned from his surveillance job with the St Petersburg police force and left Russia before authorities could detain him. He said he feared the police would “quickly find” him because of his involvement in protests against the Kremlin.
“I was afraid because [police] could quickly find me and I would have problems. It made me feel like I was a coward,” he said.
Egor first attempted to enter Georgia but was denied entry at the border. He then flew to Armenia, calling it his final opportunity to escape. He said he only felt safe after his plane landed at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, around 24 hours after leaving his job.
Four years after leaving Russia, Egor says the toughest part was not escaping the country but accepting that he might never be able to return home. “I took all the money I had… and left. I did not think about what will happen in Russia, but about what will happen in Ukraine,” he said.
Egor said his life has changed completely since leaving Russia. Before fleeing, he worked as a police surveillance officer, but today he is trying to build a new life in Armenia. Although he does not regret leaving Russia, he admits he misses having a country he can truly call home.
Egor mentioned that the political situation in Russia is unlikely to improve anytime soon, even after President Vladimir Putin dies. “My planning horizon is half a year to a year. Now, I’m in Armenia and I would like to become a citizen of the country,” he added.
Since 2022, Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, has become a safe place for tens of thousands of Russians who left their country to avoid the war in Ukraine.
According to the Armenian government, more than 60,000 Russians have moved to Armenia since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Many Russians have opened cafes, bars, restaurants and co-working spaces.
One of the Russians who left for Yerevan when the war happened told the iPaper, “Many of my friends were jailed because they were anarchists. Some were arrested during protests; others afterwards. I know people who were tortured in prison because they were anarchists and were anti-Putin.”
Yaroslav, another Russian who left the country after opposing the government, said he felt a sense of freedom the moment he crossed the border. “When I left Russia… I remember standing [on the border] with the wind on my face. It felt like freedom. Finally, I could breathe,” he told the outlet.
“For the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel threatened by the police or by the state,” he added.
