Young Russian men find refuge in Istanbul

Almost a year ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces invaded Ukraine. Veniamin remembers February 24, 2022, like it was yesterday.

"It was a big shock. The worst thing that could happen had happened. I was paralyzed," he told DW, drinking Turkish tea in a shopping mall in downtown Istanbul with his friend Alexander.

The 28-year-old Veniamin said he never thought war could break out despite increasing political tensions and repression. After that morning, when he woke up to videos of Russian missile attacks shared on group chats, nothing was the same.

Just like his classmate Alexander, another later date would also change Veniamin's life forever: September 21, 2022. That was the day the Kremlin declared its partial military mobilization.

The two young men studied political science at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, one of the top universities in Russia. They are among the roughly 700,000 people who have fled the country since the mobilization, according to Kremlin sources cited by Forbes Russia.

Before coming to Turkey in October, Veniamin was working in the esports market whereas Alexander had a job at a big energy company.

'I'd either die or go to jail'

Veniamin started to save money soon after the war started so he would have the means to leave the country if he had to. "I could not flee the country immediately because of financial reasons. But when the partial mobilization was announced, things changed. I'd either die or go to jail. I wanted to live," he said.

The day the mobilization was launched, he bought plane tickets to Belarus. Packing only the most essential items, such as a pair of shoes and a toothbrush, he left Moscow for Minsk carrying just a backpack. After staying at a friend's place for a month, he called Alexander to discuss where they should meet up.

"I hate politics and everything about it. I hate Putin," Veniamin said. The young men told DW that they are against the ongoing war, and the reason they left Russia is because they did not want to be a part of it.

According to the latest figures from the Turkish Presidency of Migration Management, there are currently 149,859 Russian citizens in Turkey with residency permits. Approximately 37,000 of them live in Istanbul. Both Veniamin and Alexander joined thousands of Russians in choosing the Turkish metropolis as their new home.

It was not an easy decision, said Alexander.

"I was like a zombie, everyone was in shock," he said, talking about the first day of Russia's invasion. It was not just the financial situation that kept him in Moscow until the announcement of the mobilization, but rather the emotional burden of leaving home. He was not quite sure what to do next.

"Leaving Moscow was the hardest decision of my life. It was emotionally very difficult. I bought tickets to a city close to the border with Kazakhstan. I had five days before departure. I was thinking [about it] until that day."

Alexander made his mind up at the last minute and headed for the airport. Upon his arrival, he hopped on a train to cross the border. After talking to Veniamin, the two settled on Turkey as their destination.

Russian concert posters, graffiti now common in Istanbul

Most of the Russians who fled to Turkey after Putin's invasion are under the age of 30, single and have a bit of savings on hand.

The founder of TotamTotut Counseling Company — a person who asked to simply be identified as D. — said the vibrant district of Kadikoy on the Asian side of the Bosporus is home to Istanbul's largest Russian community. Over the past six months, concert posters and graffiti in Russian have become common on the district's streets.

After the partial military mobilization announcement in September, TotamTotut Counseling began helping Russian migrants with housing, residency permit applications and integration via Telegram groups. It was D's company that helped Veniamin and Alexander relocate to Turkey.

D., who left Russia in March, is also new to Istanbul. So far, TotamTotut has connected more than 300 Russian citizens in Istanbul. The company has even established a Russian-language digital network for services such as cleaning and other odd jobs.

Lately, some Russian migrants have been having difficulty obtaining Turkish residency permits. D. claims Turkish authorities are increasingly rejecting Russian residency applications.

Alexander is one of those who was rejected, but he hasn't given up. If he's unable to stay legally, he told DW, he plans to move on to another country. Veniamin, meanwhile, is still waiting for a decision in his case.

'It is impossible to make long-term plans'

In September, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 300,000 reservists would be drafted into the military. One of the conscripts was Alexander's relative, a 45-year old who was sent to Ukraine on New Year's Eve after just two months of training.

"As a married man with children, he had an established life in Russia. It is not easy to leave the country in such a case," said Alexander. In November, US Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, claimed that so far nearly 100,000 Russian troops had been killed or injured in Ukraine.

Alexander and Veniamin found Istanbul chaotic in the beginning, but now they enjoy living in the city. The two Russian friends say they have enough savings to survive for a year — after that, they have no idea what will happen. Even though they would love to go back to Russia, they say it would be impossible to do so before the war has ended.

"You can't even make plans for tomorrow. It is impossible to make long-term plans," said Alexander, adding that he misses his Moscow home so much that he spends his days watching YouTube livestreams of its streets.

The names of Veniamin and Alexander have been changed to protect their identities.

Edited by: Nicole Goebel