Paul Goble
Staunton, April 25 – Despite attacks in the Moscow media against those who have chosen to emigrate because of Putin’s war in Ukraine, a poll conducted by St. Petersburg’s Gorod-812 portal finds that only eleven percent of Russians share that opinion, 17 percent expect those who have left to return, and 18 percent say they envy those who’ve been able to leave.
The portal does not specify how representative its sample of 1370 people in fact is, but it seems clear that at least in the area around the northern capital, the demonization of those who have moved abroad has not worked as the Kremlin intends (gorod-812.ru/kak-ostavshiesya-v-rossii-otnosyatsya-k-uehavshim-iz-nee/).
Instead, the results suggest that to the extent they are able, ever more Russians will leave the country to protest the war and increasing repression at home, that those who are forced to remain will retain far more positive views about the new emigres, and that if the emigres do return home, they will be welcomed by many who respect their choice to leave in the first place.
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