"I am a prisoner": Refugees about life in Russia
Formally, there are no refugees in Russia, experts say, referring to the insignificant figures of official statistics - during the Syrian conflict, Russia, for example, recognized only one resident of this country as a refugee, another thousand received temporary asylum. Of all the categories of refugees, the natives of Ukraine can rely on the hospitality of Russia, and many citizens of foreign countries were in limbo: for some time they worked in Russia, but because of the hostilities could not return to their homeland, as a result the documents were overdue and they were forced to seek asylum.
We talked with four women who came to Russia from different countries - Afghanistan, Cameroon and Syria - about how they got here, about their life in Russia and about their plans for the future.
alexander savina
Zainab
(name changed at the request of the heroine)
Afghanistan
I'm twenty-seven, I live in Moscow for seven years. I was born in Afghanistan, in the city of Mazar-i-Sheriff - I graduated from twelve classes of school and bachelor degree. After that, she worked as a designer. There is a very bad political situation in Afghanistan, it was impossible to live there. I got married. I didn’t want to get married, the parents arranged the marriage - we can say forcibly. My husband is already an old man, he was fifty-five years old, and I was then eighteen.
We got married in Afghanistan, after that he sent an invitation, and I came here. I received a visa for three months, after which I returned to Afghanistan, then I received the same visa for three months. I was already pregnant - the husband wanted a son, and from the last wife he had only a daughter. For this he married a second time, he wanted a young beautiful wife. When we moved, everything was fine - my husband worked. But then he suddenly fell ill (he was already a man of the age) and practically went bankrupt.
We have two children, they were born already in Russia. My husband was a very rich man. Before me, he had another wife - Russian, they have a daughter, she is now thirty-one. Of course, I'm younger than his daughter. They divorced a Russian woman, but he has Russian citizenship.
A year ago, we went to rest in Tajikistan. After the rest, he took the children - he could say he stole them, - he told me to return to Afghanistan, because he decided to divorce me. I was worried about the children and endured everything. Then through Facebook, through friends I found out where he was. I tried to contact the Russian consulate in Tajikistan, to tell that my husband took the children without my permission, but they did not help at all.
Of course, the children were worried about me, they can not live without mom. The husband said that after six months he will give a divorce. Half a year has passed, he fell ill — he developed headaches. Then he contacted me again - he cried, apologized, said that he would give the children, asked me to return to Moscow. I'm back. My husband had surgery on his head. He began to feel better and again began to make trouble. It does not work and does not allow me to look for work. Sometimes he hits me. Does not allow to leave the house - only to the store, rarely and with a huge struggle. Does not allow to communicate even with Afghans. After a long struggle with my husband, for almost two months, albeit with difficulty, I have gone to the Center for the Afghan Diaspora - I communicate with the Afghans and learn Russian.
A son is five years old, a daughter is three and a half years old. I would like to send children to kindergarten, but there is a queue - we are waiting. We have great difficulties with money due to the fact that the husband does not work. Children require toys, candy in stores, but we can not always allow it - as well as good clothes. Our only help is my brothers from Afghanistan, who help with money. I do not know how we will live. Of course, I want the children to get an education and a normal upbringing, go to a good school.
Lately my husband has been struggling, but he almost agrees that I work. He is sick and can not work - who will feed the family?
I have Russian citizenship. It was very difficult to get it, it was necessary to collect huge folders of documents. It took almost two months, we did it from morning to evening - we only had time to have dinner at home and went to stand in lines again. We barely had time to give the documents. My son was then two and a half years old, and my daughter was six months old. Ten months later, I received a passport.
Was it easy to get used to the new country? On the one hand, as for the weather - there is a long winter, cold, rains. We have very good weather in Afghanistan, high-quality fruits and vegetables - they are brought here from different countries and they are not like that. On the other hand, I like the fact that in Russia it is peaceful, the people are very polite, the people are very hospitable. In Afghanistan, I wore a veil and did not like it very much. Men always looked at me, always said something. Of course, it was hard there: war, restlessly after the new government of the Mujahideen, who were doing barbarous things in Afghanistan. Here I can turn to people for help and help me, it makes me happy. Although hostile attitudes, of course, also happen. There are people, sometimes elderly, who do not like something in me. Or in the clinic once a cleaning lady turned to me unpleasantly, and then a doctor.
But I communicate very little with strangers - I hardly even speak with my neighbors, I’m like a prisoner. The only thing is our women's organization. I dream that I have the opportunity to work and have money. I would like to help people who are in the same difficult money situation as I am from Russia, from Afghanistan, anyone.
Once I was on the subway, there was a homeless person in the car. People fled from him, and there was not enough space in the car, and I sat next to him. I had lunch with me, I gave it to him - and gave another two hundred rubles, which were in my wallet. I thought: "And if I don’t have a home either? And if I don’t have good clothes and a roof over my head? Of course, people will also run away from me." A person has problems with money, so he got into this situation. It amazes me - everyone should have equal rights. For this, I want to fight.
The husband does not give rest: today he can say that we are getting a divorce, the day after tomorrow - what is not. I can make up, go talk to people, but my soul hurts. I know Dari and Pashto, a little more English, but there is no practice. Russian is not very difficult to learn, as with any language - if you try, everything will work out. I teach him two months - for more than six years my husband did not let me do this, I was engaged in housekeeping.
Previously, he did not even let me go to the store, he bought everything himself. Now he lets me go to the store, but there is no money. Children demand something for them to buy, but I can not always - I come home empty-handed, and this is not easy. On the other hand, it is necessary to communicate with people and be cheerful, so that people around it feel good, I do not want to tell everyone about my situation. When people see me, they think that I am always cheerful, I laugh, I smile.
Lately my husband has been struggling, but he almost agrees that I work. He is sick and can not work - who will feed the family? I want to go to work. In Afghanistan, I worked as a designer, I can work as a hairdresser - at home I worked for a while in a beauty salon. I just need to learn a language and I can work. Actually, I want to be a model, I find this very interesting and I like it very much - but my husband will not allow it.
Adelin
Cameroon
I'm from Cameroon. She came to Russia to work, looking for a better life. I grew up in the south-west of the country, but we left there, even when I was little, to the north-west - there I graduated from elementary school. I went to high school already in the Western region, in Bafoussam, where my father worked. I graduated only from high school, I did not go to the university.
I grew up in different places. In the northwest the city was very green, it stands on a hill. Most of them are engaged in agriculture, few business people - this is not so much the economic capital. In the northwest, in Mancon, most people are landowners. Like many, I grew up with my grandmother — I was the eldest granddaughter, and she and her grandfather were forced to pick me up. I am the eldest of the children - three of us were born, two boys and a girl. I grew up in love. A year ago, the grandmother passed away. Parents - mom, dad - I visited.
I'm twenty-eight, I'm not married. Now I am alone, but I have two children, a son and a daughter from different fathers. My daughter lives in Africa, and the son is with me in Russia. Daughter is very smart and very neat. All worries about her are on me - her father has a new wife, and he doesn’t do it at all. She now lives with my mother. The son lives with me in Moscow, he is four.
Those who leave Africa act differently. You can go to Germany or Canada - it's easier. But a lot depends on the money. I decided to go to Russia: it is near Finland, and I thought that if it didn’t work out, you could go there. But I did not know that everything is not so simple, you can not go there without a visa. I traveled for the first time, I thought I would come and everything would be okay.
In September 2010, I moved to St. Petersburg, planned to find a good job there, but it was not there. Then I met the father of my child - I thought he would help me. He was not ready for me - but when I found out, I was already pregnant. I had no choice, I did not know what to do. I knew that I needed to survive - but now I was not alone. It was very difficult, I was ready to give up and even thought about abortion. When everything I tried did not work, I decided to leave the child and look to the future - and moved to Moscow with the help of my brother.
It was hard for me. For the first couple of months, my mother sent me money, but it could not continue, so I had to fight. My sister worked in a hairdressing salon, I went there all the time and eventually I learned it myself. I know how to deal with hair, but now I can’t find a job - I won’t lie, it's all very difficult.
When I went to the World Cup, I saw that many people from Russia began to behave differently. We need to be friendlier with each other.
Here you need to survive. Many work from time to time - for example, they look after children, accompany them to school. Some girls have to do other things - well, you know. It is also not easy for men here. Some sell perfume on the market, they have no documents - so there may be problems with the police. But they need to do something, no one wants to simply return to Africa.
I don't have a visa yet. I went to the migration service and explained my problem to them, asked if they could not help me, but they did not answer me. I only have a son here. I know that women with children are not deported from Russia - as long as this is all I have. I have no other options, except to voluntarily return to my homeland, but this is very expensive.
Usual days I usually spend at home. Most of the time I watch movies on YouTube, I read news. I'm cooking something, then I go to sleep - that’s probably all. I keep in touch with my relatives in Cameroon, especially with my mother — I just spoke to her just now. She went through for a lot of things. I call my father, I talk with my grandfather, with my nephews in Kenya. Before my grandmother died, she often spoke to her. We communicate with cousins and sisters on Facebook - I know how anyone is doing. Facebook and WhatsApp are the easiest to talk about.
I have friends here. Sometimes they call me, we go somewhere, we can drink tea - or even vodka. It is very easy to meet, you can meet someone in various places - in the subway, on the market. I see people of African descent and just approach them: "Hello! Where are you from? I really like your hair! Will we be friends?" - and we are already friends. With those who come from Africa, this is a very frequent story. We go to visit each other all the time. When I ask who is up, I see that everyone faces similar problems. Life here is not easy - but you need to somehow cope.
I speak Russian - not very good, but I speak. Helping friends when it's hard for them to explain. I use the phone to translate. When I talk to people, I always want to be understood. I learned Russian myself - you learn it when you go to the store or chat with friends from Russia. If they say something to you, maybe you will not understand right away, maybe you will need to use a translator, but you gradually pick up everything.
There are many nice people in Russia. In St. Petersburg, I lived with the Russians - they treated me very well, I even liked living with them more than with those who came from Africa. Some are very pleasant and hospitable, they speak to you as if you have known each other for a long time. But this is not always the case. Unpleasant people also meet - they do not understand you, they behave rudely.
When I went to the World Cup, I saw that many people from Russia began to behave differently. Many fans from different countries came to him - so that in the subway, people living here came up and greeted, asked where you came from, whether your country participates in the championship. We need to be friendlier with each other. It does not cost anything to greet a person - or to greet him in return. Usually, when you greet a person, he looks at you and just passes by - this is unfair.
The climate here is nothing, but it's hot in Africa - everyone knows that. It is good in Russia, but in winter, especially when there is no work, it is difficult. I would like to have a company that would hire those who come here from Africa would be great. We have no documents, many have children here - so if we had a job for us, it would be great to make life easier. I would like to see some benefit - we would be very grateful. I would really like the government to help with this.
We need money for food, baby food, porridge. You are a mother, and if you do not eat well, you will not be able to feed the baby. This is a common problem for those who live here. Many girls here do not live with the fathers of their children, they cannot take care of their own children. There is no work - how to take care of the child? It's so sad.
I want to do business, become a business woman. It all depends on money. Business can be very different. You can open a cafe - people eat and drink every day. You can sell clothes - you always need them. You can sell baby food - women around give birth all the time. I have many big desires. Only financial constraints interfere. I am a very creative person and very hardworking. I understand people, I persistently achieve my goals. Everything I am going through, I do for the sake of my children - for them I must be strong and brave.
Akhid
Syria
I was born in Syria. Before the beginning of the war (because of it we left) everything was fine there - it started as soon as I finished my studies. I studied English, studied philology. In Russia, I was in 2014. It was easy: my brother, who also lives here, made an invitation for a visa. People here treat us kindly. When we didn’t know the language, they didn’t help - but when we learned to speak Russian well, they got to know us better and began to communicate with us. We taught Russian ourselves - we looked at people in the street and studied how they speak.
My husband in Syria was a children's doctor, here he works as an accountant. We lived in the same house, finished our studies and got married - everyone in Syria knows its neighbors and is friends with them. My husband and husband Yasmin (the heroine of this material. - Approx. ed.) - brothers. We have big families. We lived well, constantly went to visit each other. Gathered almost every week, talked. Everyone used to think about the future, how everything will develop, what will happen next. Now they think about the past - how good it was. We think only about the present - that the children were healthy, there was something to feed them.
I have three children - two boys and a girl. Boys go to school, in the first and second class, the girl goes to kindergarten. Children learn language very quickly. I do not work, I bring up children. Who to work here? I can not learn English here. My usual day is this: I take my children to kindergarten and school, then I come to the Syrian center. I buy groceries, go home.
Putting children to school is easy if you have documents. It takes a lot of documents - sometimes they ask for registration, sometimes they ask where you live. Ask a lot of questions. We are refugees. We have the status of temporary asylum, every year we extend it, but it is very difficult - each time it takes three months. Now many say that they are often denied asylum. Previously, most here had a shelter, now there is not.
Many of my relatives live in other countries - somewhere in Turkey, somewhere in Syria, but the connection with them remains. I really want to make documents, see a family in Syria or in Turkey. But if I go there, I will not be able to drive back.
Now everyone communicates with relatives on the Internet, through WhatsApp. I have four brothers and five sisters. Every day I talk with them for two or three hours - when the children are sleeping, I talk with the family. I watch the video, but not very much - I start to cry. Mostly listen to them. On holidays, I talk on the phone for two hours. My children do not know what a good grandmother and grandfather they have. They do not know my sisters, brothers, because we live here, far from them.
Houses are all destroyed. No electricity, no water, no drinking water. Of course, we would like to return, but we don’t even know how it is now - we haven’t been there for so long. When we tell children about Syria, they are happy, they want to go there. Children are always interested in what their house looks like.
Yasmin
Syria
I was born in Syria, moved to Russia in 2012 because of the war, with the help of my brother. The hardest thing was to learn the language - it is completely different, although we know English and Arabic. The first year, when I did not know the language, it was difficult, then it became better. At first I taught him myself, then at school in the center.
My husband in Syria was an engineer. Сейчас тоже этим занимается, он работает ради детей. Я не работаю, занимаюсь детьми - работать бы хотелось, но это занимает много времени. У меня трое мальчиков: двое ходят в школу, ещё один пока дома. Дети очень хорошо говорят по-русски, лучше меня. Дома они говорят на арабском, в школе учат русский.
Люди в России добрые, все к нам относятся хорошо, только нет помощи с документами. Мы общаемся здесь с земляками, сирийцами - все такие же беженцы, у всех нет документов. Because of this, I also cannot return to Syria and see my parents. I communicate with relatives only by phone. I have four brothers and a sister, they stayed in Syria - we only talk to them on the phone, that's all.
We are waiting for the war to end. We know and understand little about the war - only that everything was better before it. Suffers mostly simple people. We can not live as before, everyone thinks that this is some kind of dream. Many mothers do not know where their children are now - maybe they died, maybe they left for another country. It's very scary. Now, both here and in Syria, many children who do not go to school do not study.
I can't go back - we are waiting for the war to end. There is no electricity, no water, no schools, good work, the terms of the military. Children know that war is in Syria. Ask: "Mom, when will the war end?" They see war on TV, they know it's scary. Many people from Russia were in Syria and they know what Syria was before. It was a very good, very beautiful country - now it is different. We do not know what will happen next.
Thanks to the Civic Assistance Committee for helping to organize the material.
Illustrations: Dasha Chertanova