Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Moscow’s ‘Russia for All’ Portal Intended to Help Immigrants Integrate Being Closed Down


Paul Goble

            Staunton, February 20 – Since 2012, Russia Today has maintained a portal, “Russia for All,” with pages in Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz, Crimean Tatar, Circassians, Tajik and Russian, to help immigrants integrate into Russian life. But the site is no longer being updated and its 25-member staff has been let go (nazaccent.ru/content/29265-portal-dlya-migrantov-rossiya-dlya-vseh.html).

            Neither the site nor any other Russian official has announced the closure, Nazaccent says; but it has earned that the portal is being shuttered and will resurface if it all as part of the United Humanities Publishing House, yet another indication of both budgetary stringencies and changing political priorities in Moscow.

            Elena Davydova, the chief editor of the site, refused to answer questions and referred Nazaccent to her bosses at Russia Today. She did say that the latter will “in the near future” announce what they plan to do, if anything.

            The shuttering of this portal will only add to the difficulties migrant workers face in getting information in their own languages about how to navigate Russian life. Some of them may turn to less reliable sources or even decide to return to their own country rather than gain permanent resident status or even citizenship in Russia. 

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