They quit the West for Russia's traditional values, but it wasn't what they expected
When Leo Hare moved to Russia from Texas in late 2023, after being granted asylum, he was convinced he was building a better future for
When Leo Hare moved to Russia from Texas in late 2023, after being granted asylum, he was convinced he was building a better future for his family. The father of three threw himself into his new life: sampling dumplings, milking goats on a farm and filming videos about life in Russia for his online followers.
Leo is a devout Christian who had become increasingly disillusioned with everything from political division in the US, to genetically modified food and what he sees as the rise of the LGBTQ movement. At the time, he believed Russia offered an attractive alternative: a society built on Christian faith and family values – a view heavily by the Russian state.
But over time he has also become increasingly concerned about elements such as restrictions on access to information. He is part of an unlikely migration. As Russia faces international isolation, a few thousand people from countries including Canada, Britain, the United States and parts of Europe are
choosing to move there. Their view of Russia differs sharply from the one many in the West might be familiar with: a country that invaded Ukraine and occupies large parts of it, jails political opponents, places heavy restrictions on civil liberties and faces a raft of international sanctions.
The BriefWire