Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing problems for some Russians living in the United States, who they say live in an environment fraught with hostility and suspicion.
In an interview with the voice of americacitizens of Russia who live in different parts of the US explained that they are subject to cancel culture, known as cancel culture.
Regardless of the fact that some are against the invasion, hostility towards them has increased in recent days in the country, as he explained to FLY la inmigrante rusa Sasha Nazintseva.
Nazintseva says she has joined pro-Ukrainian protests in New York City since the start of the Russian invasion, and although she felt welcome at first, she was later subjected to verbal attacks.
“I heard some Americans behind me saying negative things about the Russians. Then they got a little aggressive, they said nasty things to me. And I heard two Ukrainians say: go back to Russia.”
Nazintseva’s case is not unusual, as opposition and discontent against Moscow’s actions has been expressed against other Russian citizens.
In Washington DC, the Russia House restaurant, for example, has been vandalized in recent days.
“It’s the culture of cancellation that hits Russian companies,” says Mikhail Podolski, who was born and raised in Moscow but lives in Virginia.
Podolski, claims to have seen how “stores try to get rid of Russian vodka. How the communities online they try to change the Russian group to ‘Russian speaking group’. Russian stores remove the signs that are Russian to, I guess, stay safe,” he assured.
For her part, Yulia Lushnikova, who lives in Colorado, told FLY He hopes the animosity doesn’t get worse.
“It is very sad that this is happening. People are people, and I don’t think we should generalize just because someone has a Russian surname they become an enemy,” Lushnikova said.
Diaspora against disinformation
The president of the Free Russia Foundation, Natalia Arno, explained to FLY that “the Russian diaspora is working to raise awareness and put pressure on Moscow to end the war.”
The body, which advocates for a free and democratic Russia, is working on creating a campaign to inform Russian citizens both inside and outside the country of what is really happening.
The head of Free Russia, like the Russians outside that country, are aware that within Russia the population practically only has access to the official media controlled by the Government.
And the version of the official media seeks to make Russian citizens believe that the operation is small-scale or purely defensive.
“We are organizing a big campaign, an information campaign to tell the truth. So that these exiled Russians can warn those in the country and send them the truth. Send them photos and videos of what is happening.”
Although the message seems to be getting through little by little, proof of this is that protesters have taken to the streets in Russia despite being arrested.
However, the Kremlin’s control continues to increase over the media or any other means of communication. President Vladimir Putin signed on March 4 a law that punishes up to 15 years in prison anyone who spreads “false information” about Russian forces in the conflict with Ukraine.
Media such as the BBC announced that they had stopped reporting from Russia until they understood the possible consequences of the new rule for journalists on the ground.
Fear of sanctions
Moscow-born, San Francisco-based Peter Lidsky worries that harsh US sanctions and European governments undermine change in Russia.
“If people get even poorer, they focus on their survival. They probably won’t have time to change the political system,” she stated.
From Los Angeles, Marina Dyu, who has relatives in both Russia and Ukraine, told FLY who hopes that hate does not provoke divisions.
She understands the negative perceptions some have of Russians these days, but says there should be no room for hatred and that it is time to “come together and end the senseless suffering of war, for both sides.”
“I just hope people don’t escalate this hate […] but simply unity, so that we can do everything possible to support the people in Ukraine and Russia,” concluded Dyu.
* Adapted by Lenny Castro, VOA journalist, in San Francisco, USA. UU.
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