From Russia to Uzbekistan

An opinion piece by our team member Maria Osep’yants

New Beginnings in Uzbekistan: A Russian Relocant’s Arrival

We left Russia around the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023. Not long before that, in September 2022, many Russians, unwilling to participate in the war against Ukraine, became refugees in various countries across the former USSR and sometimes even in more distant lands. Our story is somewhat different from theirs. We were fortunate: my husband faced no real threat of mobilization, so we didn’t have to leave Russia in haste. Moreover, after leaving home, we found ourselves in a country that we truly liked. Uzbekistan turned out to be the perfect place for us — at least, that feeling has not left us for these three years.

I mentioned that we didn’t have to flee and that no direct threat loomed over us, yet what was happening in Russia felt internally foreign to us. So, in 2022, after the military actions began, I prayed to God something like this: “Lord, let us find ourselves in a place that truly suits us, that resonates with us, that is our element.” We arrived in Uzbekistan simply as tourists, not planning to stay for long. But we liked it here; we decided to live in Tashkent for a couple more months… then another two months… and then more… Time flies by so quickly.

The New Year’s Tree That Wouldn’t End

There’s a funny episode I should share. Since we didn’t plan to leave for long, we had a decorated New Year’s tree (artificial) at home. In that state, it ended up standing for a year and a half: all adorned with tinsel and glitter, with cotton simulating snow at its base. Last year, when we briefly returned to Russia for business in the summer, we finally took down the tree, which had started to bend a bit. Now, when I tell acquaintances about this tree and the prolonged New Year that lasted in our apartment for about a year and a half, people laugh heartily.

Russian Émigrés and Refugee Context

I have always been fascinated by stories of people who left home and found themselves caught up in a whirlwind of adventures, ending up in faraway lands. There are many such stories in the tales of “One Thousand and One Nights.” Similar stories can also be found in the Bible. I feel like I am living inside a somewhat similar narrative.

However, when discussing Russian émigrés as a whole, it’s important to remember that not all their stories look like mine. I have heard quite a few somber tales. People left their homeland with pain in their hearts and longed for Moscow—a very beautiful city, to say the least. But let’s remember that the reason for these forced departures is Russia’s attack on Ukraine, so it’s not worth emphasizing the suffering of Russians; I have heard stories from Ukrainian refugees living in Uzbekistan, and those are truly frightening and sad accounts. I won’t add any comments here; they are unnecessary.

Community in Tashkent and a Path to Hope

But let’s return to the Russian émigrés. In need of support, they formed their community in Tashkent. It was there that I met many wonderful people. That’s where I learned about the “Brain Drain” project and decided to volunteer a bit for it. Although I have never been to the USA, I am greatly inspired by the poems of Emma Lazarus that adorn the Statue of Liberty. To me, it’s a beautiful approach: keeping the golden door open for all the homeless, weary, and poor of this world…

When we are asked about our plans for the future, we reply that we have none. Can one plan anything in such times when predicting events in the world (and specifically in Russia) is practically impossible? Many have tried and continue to try to make forecasts, but their predictions fail time and again. The world is unstable now—and perhaps in the near future events will occur that will increase the number of émigrés and refugees. Here, it’s essential to remember that no one is immune from becoming one of them.

But we live in hope. A beautiful autumn is coming; the trees are turning yellow… As I write this text, evening falls, and white and orange lights illuminate the Tashkent television tower outside my window… In the sky, still clouds are whitening. Life goes on, and as long as it does, we believe that one day all darkness will be left behind, and everything will be alright.