Title: After a month in Georgia
Author: Alexander Arkhipov <aa@manpager.org>
Created: 2024-02-26
Modified: 2024-02-26

I've been born in Moscow, and have lived there for the first 23 years
of my life, been planning to leave Russia since about 2014*, when I was
about 14 years old. Finally, in January 2024 I got an opportunity to do
so, and moved to Georgia.

In this text I'll describe why did I do this, how do I feel myself now,
and what are my plans for future.

Also, if you are in a similar situation (Russian who wants to get out of
the country), please don't hesitate to contact me (aa@manpager.org). The
least I can do is help with some advice.


WHY DID I MOVE

Basically, the only things I've had in Russia were my family, my two
cats, and a small collection of books. I think my family will be able to
take care of the cats all right, and I may very well end up being in a
position to help my relatives when I am abroad better than in Moscow.

On the other hand, the list of things that I didn't have, or which
actively harmed me is much longer:

- I didn't have any friends.
  + lots of people hated me, though.
- I lived in a horrible flat that is infested with bugs, and where half
  the appliences didn't work.
- Most of my waking hours were devoted to a job I hated. The only reason
  why I couldn't leave it earlier, or negotiate better conditions with
  my boss was that it was my only legal protection from being
  conscripted into the army.
  + The army still tried to get me conscripted illegaly.
  + Also, the "partial mobilisation" is separate from conscription, and
    I had no protection from that.
  + When I started this job I was 22, and fully expected this nightmare
    to end in 5 years (the conscription age used to be 18 to 27 years).
    A law was created in 2023 (should be in effect now, in 2024),
    extending this age to 30.
- I was literally going insane: in 2023 I sometimes had small
  hallucinations. I ended up going to psychiatrist, and got a
  prescription for antidepressants. Not sure it did anything.

Most of these issues started developing in 2014, or even earlier, but I
only concentrate on things that were true by the end of 2023. This was
when I realised that I finally have saved enough money to move
somewhere. In January 2024 I crossed the border into Georgia, and
haven't been to Russia ever since, though I imagine I might have to
return there for a short time once or twice.

The reason why I decided to move to Georgia specifically is because it's
a relatively free country, but it has very favourable visa policy for
Russian citizens. Namely, entrance is visa-free, and you can stay
without leaving for 360 days. So, theoretically, it's possible for
Russians to live in Georgia indefinitely by going on a holiday somewhere
else once a year. On the other hand, it's now very hard to get a
residency in Georgia, so it may all end very suddenly. I still have a
few options if it does.


HOW DO I FEEL NOW

I feel like a man who just became free. It's really been so since I
came to Georgia, but somehow didn't entirely register with my mind until
yesterday. Of course, there's still a lot to be done, but I *know* that
I will be able to handle everything. With all that my mental health is a
lot better now.


THE FUTURE (AND A SORT OF CONCLUSION)

I've read that it's possible for the Russian citizens to get Schengen
visas in Yerevan, so I'll try to do that. If that doesn't, I'll try to
get a visa in Moscow. Once I do get it, I intend to travel Europe.
(Ideally something like a cycle of spending 90 days in EU, then 90 in
Georgia.) I don't really have much of a plan on what to do then, but I
am sure I'll figure something out.


* I don't write publicly on the significance of this date, or the
  background that contributed to my thoughts: I don't want trouble with
  chekists. I am sure many people reading this will be aware of things I
  am alluding to, and others will be able to google things like
  "20{14,22} {russia,ukraine}".